Like most companies, Google believed that if they hired the best people and then put those star employees together in workgroups that their teams would be unstoppable. They found out they were wrong.

In a recent internal study, Google spent two years looking at 180 different teams to determine what makes a team successful. They were surprised to learn that the team effectiveness had less to do with individual skillset than five other key dynamics. In a recent post, Human Capital Specialist Michael Schneider reviewed the results of the study, breaking each dynamic down to its essence. We’ll share these five traits of high-performing teams in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

1. Rewards risk-taking without repercussions. Google learned that, to be truly successful, a team needs to be able to take risks in order to learn, grow and improve. Fostering a culture where teams are praised for taking risks can head off inaction.

2. Can count on each other. Everyone on the team knows their individual roles and takes accountability for their actions. Teams are like engines where each component has an individual job but works together to a common goal.

3. Have clear goals and execution plans. To keep teams from wasting time and prioritizing their individual agendas over the team goals, the team has to understand exactly what is expected of them. They must have clear goals, roles and a plan of attack.

4. Are working on something personally meaningful. When work is meaningful, team members are better able to focus and persist through setbacks, and individual team members are less likely to burn out. It’s up to the manager to understand the motivation of each employee and connect employees to work that is meaningful to each.

5. Believe the work matters. In addition to being inwardly doing something meaningful, team members must believe that the work they are doing matters and will make an impact to the company and customers.

Consider these traits when forming your next work team.

Source: Michael Schneider is a human capital specialist. He concentrates on talent management, specifically employer branding, recruiting, onboarding and talent development.