Building Community: The Heart of Collaboration in Teams

At the core of human existence is the deep-rooted need for community. As social beings, we thrive when we are connected with others—sharing ideas, supporting one another, and working towards common goals. This sense of community isn’t just beneficial for our personal lives; it plays a crucial role in maintaining our mental health and overall well-being. In fact, research consistently shows that strong social connections lead to lower levels of anxiety and depression, higher self-esteem, and greater empathy.

There was an experiment that was run in the 1970's called the "Rat Park" experiment, led by Canadian psychologist Bruce K. Alexander, which sought to investigate the underlying factors of addiction. Dr. Alexander and his team questioned the prevailing belief that addiction was caused solely by exposure to addictive substances. To explore this, they created two distinct environments for their test subjects, a group of rats, to see how social and environmental factors influenced drug use.

In the experiment, one group of rats was kept in small, isolated cages with nothing to stimulate them except food, water, and a bottle containing morphine-laced water (similar to heroin). These isolated rats quickly became heavy users of the drug-laced water, exhibiting signs of dependence and addiction.?

The other group of rats, however, was placed in a more enriched environment known as "Rat Park." This large, spacious environment was filled with colorful toys, tunnels, ample food, and other rats to interact and socialize with. In Rat Park, the rats not only engaged with one another but also had plenty of activities and stimulation to enjoy, leading to a stark contrast in behavior compared to the isolated rats.

The results were striking. While the isolated rats heavily consumed the morphine-laced water, the rats in Rat Park largely ignored it, choosing instead to explore their environment and socialize. Even rats that had been previously exposed to morphine stopped using it when moved to Rat Park, suggesting that the enriched environment diminished their desire for the drug. Dr. Alexander’s findings highlighted the profound role of environment and social connection in addiction, challenging the notion that addiction is solely driven by the addictive properties of substances themselves. This study has since shaped modern approaches to addiction treatment, underscoring the importance of social support, connection, and purposeful engagement in recovery and overall mental health.

When we belong to a supportive community, when we are connected; we feel valued and heard, which in turn fosters a deeper sense of purpose. It’s no different in the professional world, where collaboration plays the role of community-building within teams. Collaboration is the glue that holds teams together, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose that not only drives team health but also promotes the mental health of its individual members. When teams work together with transparency and open communication, they create a space where trust and creativity flourish, much like the communities we build in our personal lives.?

Just as communities support individuals in overcoming personal challenges, collaboration supports teams in navigating the complexities of product development. By leveraging collective strengths and diverse perspectives, teams can achieve far more than they could in isolation. However building this collaborative “community” in product teams is not always easy and it requires commitment and focus. At Netflix, a big part of our day to day was about collaboration. If you weren't collaborative, you would hear about it through feedback and you would either immediately course correct, or you would not be at Netflix for very long. It was the very essence of the place; to get over there with other teams and understand their problems and ways of working and then to debate strategically about how solve those problems together. So let’s dive deeper into the concept of community-building and how it aligns with product team collaboration, why it’s essential for team health, and what blocks us from achieving it.

The Importance of Collaboration in Product Teams

Collaboration is more than just teamwork; it’s the process of building a shared sense of purpose and ownership. Obviously, it starts with having a shared vision, but It’s more about creating a culture where everyone feels heard, valued, and motivated to contribute to the vision It's about aligning for the sake of the team, rather than for your particular opinion. It's about understanding, debating and listening to each other's perspective so that you all find the best path forward together. When product teams work collaboratively, they build the kind of community and partnership that fosters creativity, resilience, and innovation. Collaboration is essential for the health of product teams and the products they build because it leads to:

Common Blockers to Collaboration

However, just as in real-life, obstacles and personalities can get in the way of collaboration in product teams. These blockers prevent teams from working together effectively and can damage the community spirit, which is essential for both team health and product success. The industry has moved drastically in the last 5-10 years and these common blockers are residues of old ways of working, or cultures that are stuck in the past and have no insight into what a modern product way of working is. Some of the most common blockers to collaboration are:

1. Product Manager Decides Collaboration breaks down when the product manager (PM) takes control of all decisions without consulting the team. In essence the PM is still acting as "CEO" of the product. These days are gone and they are gone because we know this doesn't work. This approach leans into one person's bias and opinion without debate and validation. While the PM plays a crucial role in understanding customer needs, ignoring the input of engineers and designers limits the team’s collective wisdom. In fact, the PM is now the facilitator of debate; they should lead the team in debate around strategy, debate around discovery and then, once they have HEARD all the perspectives and sifted through the data, they can call the final decision if there is not alignment in the room. They act as facilitator of debate and captain of final decisions around product direction.
2. Engineer Makes the Decisions Sometimes, engineers may dominate the decision-making process, especially when technical challenges arise or if they are in an organisation that is engineering led. This can lead to an imbalance where strategy, customer experience and design are overlooked in favor of technical solutions. Instead the engineer should lean into collaboration and be involved in strategy & discovery; listening and participating in these conversations to then be able to shape the technical/feasibility direction. It all starts with strategy and that then shapes your team, your systems, your discovery, etc.
3. Engineers Don’t Participate On the flip side, engineers may be too focused on execution and aren’t brought into discussions early enough. In this case, they are order takers, waiting to be told what features to implement. Nothing strategic about this sort of role at all. This can cause a disconnect between what’s being built and what’s feasible from a technical standpoint. Engineers should be involved upstream from the very beginning; particularly lead engineers as it all starts with strategy.
4. Designer Doesn’t Participate Designers stretched too thin across multiple teams or lacking context may not provide input during key moments. This can lead to design becoming an afterthought rather than an integral part of product strategy. Again, they are put into an order taking role and only focus on the delivery of design assets. They are missing context and you will find that more often than not, you will have to go through multiple iterations because of the missing context. They should be involved in strategy from the get go as this is the context they need to determine what actions to take and where to focus user research.
5. Stakeholders Dictate Solutions When executives or stakeholders impose top-down solutions, it stifles the collaborative decision-making process. Teams lose the opportunity to explore innovative ideas and develop solutions that work across disciplines. This is a classic feature factory situation and we know there is high wastage in this model and high tech debt. Again and again studies show that 80% of all features released in this model don't get used or are rarely touched and that is due to leaning into someone's opinion, rather than going through discovery and validation to confirm whether it delivers value or not. Instead lean into collaboration on Vision & Strategy, then leading into discovery WITH your stakeholders. Invite them along so that they can see the value of this approach. If you have difficult stakeholders, bring them into a design sprint and have their ideas be represented, along with others so you can test and collect data about which actually delivers value.
6. Different Levels of Experience Teams with varying levels of experience can experience power imbalances, with more seasoned members dominating discussions and newer team members feeling sidelined. This erodes trust and stifles contributions. At the very least, the PM should act as that moderator, making sure that everything is understood by everyone; that explanations are given and opportunities opened for people to either contribute, ask more questions, learn as they go, or express their thoughts especially if they feel they don't know enough but want to contribute; never sideline anyone!
7. No One Can Agree When teams struggle to reach consensus, they can get stuck, causing delays or suboptimal compromises that don’t serve the product’s best interests. They get stuck because they are seeking consensus (100% agreement) rather than working towards consent (majority/captain decision after debate). Ultimately the captain of the decision should call it, when they have listened to everything. Now the captain might move with the decision; so if it is a design decision than the lead designer calls it, if it is a product direction decision, then the PM calls it. You should aim for consent not consensus.
8. Some People Don’t Speak Up Introverted or remote team members might hesitate to share their ideas, which limits the diversity of perspectives in decision-making. At the very least, the PM should act as that moderator, ASKING for everyone's opinion, ensuring the introverts get their moment to express their thoughts. After asking a question, make sure to count to 15 seconds to allow time for people to process their thoughts so that they can respond, or ask particular people their thoughts if they have been quiet. Often gold drops out of introverts mouths and you want to make sure you capture this.
9. One Person Dominates A strong personality can overshadow the input of others, creating an unbalanced dynamic that prevents the team from exploring all potential solutions. Personally I would lean into feedback in this situation, using a framework like SBI (scenario, behaviour & impact). Remember with feedback, always do it in a private 1/1 situation. Often people don't see their behaviour from an objective view, or something else might be going on, so come at this with beginner's mind and lean into being curious as to why they are this way; then share the impact on the team so they can get present to that.
10. Lack of Time Tight deadlines often cause teams to prioritize execution over collaboration. This rush to deliver compromises the quality of discussions and the product itself. Sometimes in some situations, like disaster preparedness, it's essential the captain has to call it and often that is the product lead; you have to set a direction to get people moving fast. In other situations, you might have a deadline, collaboration is key to align and identify the best path forward in high pressure stakes; lean in rather than leaning towards an autocratic path. Remember, always analyse the situation first before thinking about your approach.
11. Newly Formed Teams New teams often lack the trust and established communication norms necessary for effective collaboration. This can lead to misunderstandings and a lack of cohesion. Take the time to build relationships first, go for coffee, lunch and get to know each other as human beings. From this the work will seal the deal. Focus on trust exercises; both vulnerability based trust and operational trust and establish some agreements.
12. Focus on Technical Debt Teams overly focused on technical debt may lose sight of broader product goals, sacrificing long-term strategy for short-term fixes. You will lose market and customer share by ONLY focusing here; you need to stay on top of the industry, market & customer trends and opportunities, constantly delivering value, while also attending to your tech debt. Never LEAVE tech debt as that will make for an unstable product that will not survive in the long run, but be strategic about when tech debt is ok to be carried over, vs when it is important to resolve. Have continual conversations about it and prioritise the work but not over your strategic work.

Overcoming Collaboration Blockers: Building a Healthy Team Community

The key to overcoming these blockers is to create a collaborative environment that mimics the sense of community we seek in our personal lives. Here’s how product teams can foster collaboration and build a strong, resilient community:

• Balanced Decision-Making: Ensure that decisions aren’t monopolized by any one role, whether it’s the PM, engineer, or stakeholder. Foster a culture where input from all perspectives is valued and the decision-making process is transparent and inclusive. Debate together, work together, make decisions together, keep each other informed and partner continually. The more you lean into team decision making, the better the collaboration and trust.
• Early and Frequent Involvement: Collaboration is most effective when everyone is involved from the start. Bring engineers, designers, and stakeholders into discussions early and maintain regular check-ins to ensure continuous collaboration throughout the product lifecycle. This context is critical as the context GIVES YOU content, or your actions, if you are missing context (eg strategy) then you will more than likely take poor actions or make poor decisions. Context is everything so share early and share often and keep each other informed.
• Clear Roles and Expectations: For new teams, take the time to define roles and responsibilities. Clear communication about who does what helps build trust and ensures smooth execution. Establish team agreements based on values defined as behaviours. Be explicit about what you expect from each other; do a roles and responsibilities analysis. This is where you establish operational trust.
• Cultivating Psychological Safety: Build a safe space where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions. Actively encourage quieter voices to contribute, and make sure no one dominates the conversation. Leaders play a crucial role in fostering this environment by modeling inclusive behavior. Remember psychological safety is comprised of two types of trust; vulnerability based trust and operational based trust; or your agreements.
• Prioritize Time for Collaboration: Even under tight deadlines, carve out space for meaningful discussions. Time-boxed meetings or asynchronous tools can help ensure that all perspectives are heard without delaying progress. Plus don't forget to include some room for social interactions; coffee, lunch, etc by getting to know each other as human beings first, this opens the door to better relationships and more vulnerability based trust in place. Remember, you are a WHOLE human being with an inner life and a professional life; you cannot do one without bringing the other, so leverage this.

Final Thoughts: Collaboration as Community

Just as a strong personal community provides emotional and mental health benefits, collaborative product teams foster an environment where team members thrive. When people feel connected, heard, and valued, they are more likely to contribute their best ideas and work effectively towards a common goal. Collaboration is not just about working together to build a product—it’s about building a team community that supports both product and personal growth. By recognizing and addressing the blockers that hinder collaboration, product teams can create healthier, more innovative, and more aligned outcomes that not only benefit the business but also elevate the well-being and satisfaction of every team member.

Ultimately, collaboration is about building a space where everyone’s contributions matter, leading to healthier teams and stronger products. Let’s strive to build both the products and communities we’re proud of, by being human beings we're proud of!!