The surprisingly simple reason teams fail | Tessa West

In this episode of TED Talks Daily, host Elise Hu introduces psychology professor Tessa West, who discusses the invisible forces that can disrupt communication within teams. West uses the example of the Mars Climate Orbiter mission failure, which she attributes to miscommunication about units of measurement between teams. She also references a social science experiment, the Hidden Profile Task, to illustrate how teams often fail to share and utilize unique information, leading to poor decision-making. West highlights the role of "hidden languages," such as jargon and acronyms, in creating communication barriers. She concludes by offering strategies for improving team communication, including stating the obvious, recognizing the potential criticality of unshared information, restating information, and encouraging clarification.