To create effective team communication, PRACTICE. Get Real.

Dear Team Facilitator,

If your teammates claim they don’t need to practice their communication skills, don’t get defensive. Get real.

“Getting real” isn’t about winning an argument; it’s about shifting the energy from friction to function. To do this, you must master four specific moves:

Remembering the “Why” (Logic)
Transforming resistance (Psychology)
Designing the solution (Strategy)
Facilitating the Work “Communication” Agreement (Execution)

1. The Logic: Why Practice is Non-Negotiable

Let’s use a work-process example.

If your team adopted a new, complex software system, would you expect them to be experts on day one? Of course not. You would build in “sandbox” time for them to practice before they go live.

Team communication is no different. If a team is struggling with “wrong-minded” conflict or silos, they are currently “practicing” bad habits. To become competent in Right-Minded Teamwork, they need a sandbox. Don’t cave to resistance—if you and the leader know communication is the bottleneck, practice is the only way through.

2. The Psychology: Use “Plussing” to Transform Resistance

In his insightful work, Mark Goulston discusses a concept called being a “Plusser.”

A Plusser is someone who listens to an objection and builds upon it rather than tearing it down.

When a teammate says, “We don’t need to practice,” don’t counter-attack. Use the “Three Strikes, and You’re In” approach:

Strike 1 & 2 (Pause and Think): Instead of explaining why they’re wrong, ask: “Say more about why you feel practice isn’t the right move.”

Strike 3 (The Plus): Listen for the “real” reason. If they say, “We did a personality test last year and it changed nothing,” you have your opening.

The Plusser’s Response: “I hear you. That specific training didn’t yield results, and since we all agree we still want better communication, let’s use what we learned from that failure to design a practice session that actually works.”

By acknowledging the “minus” (the failed training) and adding a “plus” (a better way to learn), you’ve transformed a wall of resistance into a bridge for problem-solving.

3. The Strategy: Designing the Session

Now that the team is engaged in finding a solution, offer options.

Don’t dictate; collaborate. When teammates help design the “how,” they own the “why.” You’ll know you’ve succeeded when the tone shifts from skepticism to: “This is actually going to help us get our work done.”

4. The Execution: The Power of Work Agreements

Practice without a permanent record is just a conversation.

No matter what exercise you choose, the goal is to facilitate a Team Communication Work Agreement.

A Work Agreement is a set of “Right-Minded” promises the team makes to one another about how they will behave moving forward. It turns a one-time practice session into a long-term team standard.