What do teams at Google and in the UK public sector have in common?

Quite a lot, so it seems!

When I only recently came across Google’s research on team effectiveness (https://rework.withgoogle.com/en/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness), part of their Project Aristotle initiative, I was struck by how deeply data-driven and rigorous it was. Their team had analysed over 180 teams across the company, looking for patterns in what made some teams thrive while others struggled. The conclusions they reached were powerful, and surprisingly familiar.

At Teamshaper, we didn’t have the resources Google had back then, or access to that scale of data. What we did have was decades of experience, working with teams across sectors, especially in the public sector, helping them navigate challenges, build trust and perform at their best. And somehow, through that experience, we arrived at many of the same conclusions.

Here’s how our lived experience aligns with Google’s five key dynamics of effective teams and why that matters, especially for public sector organisations.

1. Psychological safety: the foundation of trust

Google found that psychological safety (feeling safe to take risks and be vulnerable) was the most important factor in team effectiveness. We’ve seen this time and again in our work. In public sector teams, innovation isn’t often the primary focus like in a tech company, but the stakes are often high and the scrutiny intense, and as such creating a safe environment is essential. Without it people hold back, energy drains and development stalls.

Our training programmes are designed to build this safety from the ground up. It’s not just about being “nice”, it’s about creating a culture where people can challenge ideas, admit mistakes and bring their full selves to work, as that’s where real progress begins.

2. Dependability: more than just deadlines

Dependability isn’t just about delivering on time and on budget, it’s about setting realistic expectations and creating a rhythm of success. When teams consistently miss deadlines morale suffers, people disengage: some leave, others underperform. Often the problem started with the setting of those expectations rather than the performance against them.

In the public sector, where resources are tight and the pressure to deliver is constant, this can be especially damaging. We help teams build dependable habits by setting clear expectations, creating space for honest conversations and celebrating follow-throughs, not just outcomes.

3. Structure and clarity: the power of knowing your role

One of the most common issues we see in teams is duplication of effort: sometimes between individuals, sometimes between entire departments. This isn’t just inefficient, it erodes accountability and pride in one’s work.

We work with teams to clarify roles and responsibilities, not as a bureaucratic exercise but as a way to empower people. When you know where your responsibility begins and ends, and how it connects to others, you can take ownership and pride, and the whole team performs better.

4. Meaning: connecting the dots to purpose

In public service, meaning is often built into the job. People quite often choose these roles because they want to make a difference. But that sense of purpose can get lost in the day-to-day, the rigidity and the constraints.

We help teams reconnect with the “why” behind their work. When individuals feel that their role aligns with their personal values and motivations, that meaning becomes tangible and it fuels motivation and sustains performance. It also helps retain the people who care most.

5. Impact: seeing the change you create

Finally impact, the ultimate result. Knowing that your work made a difference, not just to your team but to the wider system, is what drives long-term engagement.

In our work, we help teams see and celebrate the broader impact of their work, not just in metrics but in stories and outcomes, in the ripple effects that often go unnoticed. When people see the change they’re part of, they’re more likely to keep striving for better.

What Google’s research showed us is that the principles we’ve built Teamshaper on aren’t just intuitive, they’re evidence-based; and they are as applicable in a multinational tech giant as they are in our own public services. That’s deeply validating.

More importantly, it shows that great teams aren’t built by accident. Whether through data or experience, the path to effectiveness is clear: it starts with trust, it grows through clarity and accountability, and it thrives on purpose and impact.

That’s what we help teams build, and we’re proud to be walking that path alongside the teams we serve.