solid teamwork feels like lightning in a bottle. there are those times when things just click, team members jive, and making progress together feels almost effortless (and even enjoyable).

but predictably and routinely achieving that level of synergy? that’s a little more complicated.

fortunately, familiarizing yourself with must-have skills and teamwork examples can help you identify the building blocks of effective collaboration and transform that magical teamwork-makes-the-dream-work feeling from elusive to routine.

teamwork example #1: team alignment

related article

“teamwork makes the dream work”: an origin story

by shaina rozen in teamwork

research shows that higher levels of organizational alignment lead to better performance and an edge over competitors. but what does alignment actually mean? every team member must agree on: 

• goals: what objective is the team working toward? 
• roles: who is responsible for what? 
• success metrics: how will you know when you’ve reached your goal? 
• timeline: what is the deadline for achieving your goal?

nasa’s 1969 moon landing is one of the most notable examples of this teamwork principle in action. more than 400,000 engineers, technicians, and scientists were involved in that successful mission – and they all stayed intensely focused on their shared goal and their contributions.

put it into practice on your team

• set specific shared goals for your entire team using a goal-setting framework (more on that in the next section).
  
• run the roles and responsibilities play to clarify who does what on your team.
  
• dedicate a portion of your team meetings to checking in on goal progress, addressing confusion, and removing roadblocks.

teamwork example #2: goal-setting

look back at the 1969 moon landing and you’ll see that it all started when president john f. kennedy stated an audacious goal: “this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out. of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.”

you might think your team’s objectives are common knowledge, but many employees lack clarity into what their team is working toward and how their contributions support that vision. according to recent gallup research, only 47% of employees strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work. 

setting specific goals – both at a team and individual level – can help. research shows that setting clear goals improves team performance and also helps people feel more connected to the organization.

put it into practice on your team

• use objectives and key results (okrs) or the smart goals framework to set goals that offer clarity rather than confusion.
  
• run the team goals, signals, and measures play to collaboratively define goals and success indicators – research shows involving team members in the goal-setting process increases their investment in achieving them.
  
• set regular milestones and check-in points to monitor progress and course correct when necessary.

teamwork example #3: communication

communication skills are as fundamental to effective teamwork as instruments are to a symphony. it’s impossible for team members to work well together if they’re unable to successfully talk to each other.

it seems basic enough. but, unfortunately, so many factors – from biases to different styles – can run your team’s communication off the rails and hinder collaboration.

there’s perhaps no better teamwork example that illustrates the importance of communication than the mars climate orbiter. the spacecraft burned up in mars’ atmosphere due to a navigation error. the cause of that error? failure to translate english units to metric. had team members communicated with each other more effectively, the mission would’ve had an entirely different result.

put it into practice on your team

• commit to active listening to ensure complete understanding before replying with your own two cents.
  
• invest the time and energy into improving your own communication skills as a leader (30% of employees say they’re frustrated by unclear communication from their bosses).
  
• set communication rules and norms to guide employees, such as instructions on when to use specific communication channels.

teamwork example #4: emotional intelligence

related article

beyond the buzzwords: why interpersonal skills matter at work

by kat boogaard in communication

according to research, to “promote positive, progressive, effective working environments, team members need to have a combination of technical knowledge and well-developed emotional intelligence.” 

emotional intelligence may seem ambiguous, but it can be boiled down to several key attributes:

• self-awareness: you can pinpoint your moods and how they affect others.
• self-regulation: you can take a beat and manage your emotions before reacting.
• motivation: you have a grasp of what drives you in your work (beyond a paycheck).
• empathy: you can identify and understand the emotions of other people.
• social skills: you can use that emotional understanding to build stronger relationships.

simply put, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand the emotional undercurrent of yourself and your team members and employ that understanding during interactions with others. if you pick up on the fact that your colleague is already having a terrible day, it’s probably not the best time to share some hard-to-hear feedback.

take captain chelsey b. sullenberger iii (captain “sully”) and his crew on us airways flight 1549, who safely landed a plane of 155 people on the hudson river in january 2009, as one strong example. despite the high-pressure situation, sully, his co-pilot, the flight attendants, and the air traffic controller maintained their composure to keep passengers calm and, most importantly, safe. 

put it into practice on your team

• encourage every team member to create their own user manual to share their working style, communication preferences, and other details that help people better understand how to work with them.
  
• complete the johari window exercise as a team to help people better understand themselves and how they’re perceived by other members of the team.
  
• solicit 360-degree feedback to develop a deeper and more well-rounded understanding of yourself and your work.
  
• do a quick emotion check-in before each team meeting by asking people to describe their day in one word or share a gif or emoji that describes their mood.

teamwork example #5: psychological safety

when a team has a high level of psychological safety, its members feel like they’re able to share out-of-the-box ideas, take risks, and make mistakes without any fear of judgment or reprimand.

this not only builds a more positive and supportive team environment but also enables organizations to innovate quickly and roll with the punches when changes inevitably crop up.

so how do you make people feel comfortable and supported? google did tons of in-depth research into the characteristics of their best teams. psychological safety topped the list of the most important ingredients. specifically, teams who were able to be vulnerable with each other outperformed others. 

now, some google teams kick off every team meeting by sharing a risk taken during the previous week – whether it was successful or not. it’s an easy-to-implement norm that makes everybody feel safer talking about their wins and their successes.

put it into practice on your team

• host regular retrospectives where team members can look back at their work together and talk about what went well, what didn’t, and what they learned.
  
• model vulnerability by openly talking with your team about your successes, failures, challenges, and frustrations.
  
• set audacious stretch goals to help your team get more comfortable with taking risks (and failing).

teamwork example #6: decision-making

even when team members work well together, it isn’t always smooth sailing. unexpected curveballs and last-minute fires challenge the team to stick together and move forward – even when tensions are high.

the 2010 rescue of the 33 chilean miners who were trapped underground after the mine caved in is a fitting teamwork example here. the chilean government and rescue teams established a unified command center (which included engineers, geologists, medical personnel, and rescue workers) to assess different rescue methods and make quick decisions. the operation was ultimately successful, with all 33 miners brought safely to surface.

this dramatic situation speaks to the importance of effective problem-solving and decision-making skills. with these critical thinking skills in their back pockets, team members can understand situations, adapt to changing circumstances, and make quick decisions (without endless bickering and in-fighting).

put it into practice on your team

• familiarize your team with a reliable decision-making process so you all know what steps to take when faced with a pressing choice.
  
• when faced with a problem, conduct a 5 whys analysis to go beyond surface-level symptoms and understand the root cause of a problem.
  
• when you can, give your team adequate time to explore a problem or make a decision – research shows that rushed decisions are often regrettable ones.

teamwork example #7: intentional planning

sure, there are those rare times when you fly by the seat of your pants and everything works out. but most of the time – whether it’s the chicago cubs’ 2016 world series win or starbucks’ impressive 2009 rebound – you need a thoughtful and thorough plan to guide people from point a to point z. intentional planning takes shape on teams in a number of ways, including:

• creating agendas for every meeting to keep conversations on track
• completing capacity plans so that everybody understands each other’s bandwidth
• drafting project plans and timelines so everybody knows the next steps
• establishing onboarding and training processes for new members
• identifying and standardizing processes and workflows
  

all those points require foresight and give team alignment a boost, too. and it’s definitely better than letting everybody wing it while you hope for the best.

put it into practice on your team

• schedule a project kickoff meeting ahead of every new project or initiative to sync on project goals, milestones, and roles.
  
• create a project poster to define a problem and a project’s scope and then keep that information somewhere visible and accessible for everyone.

teamwork example #8: healthy conflict

related article

empathy is the antidote: conflict resolution at work

by daniel kenitz in teamwork

effective teamwork isn’t all high-fives and happy hours. teamwork pillars like emotional intelligence and team alignment can help avoid some tension, but that doesn’t mean your team will never butt heads. 

take the united states’ founding fathers as just one of many examples. in 1787, times were tense and the entire system of government was in a steady tailspin. the country’s brightest lawmakers came together to discuss what a new government system might look like. the meeting was reportedly plagued with near-constant debate and bickering, but something important came out of those tough conversations: the u.s. constitution. 

it’s proof that conflict is not inherently a bad thing. some conflicts – provided they’re handled respectfully – can be constructive.

disagreements teach team members how to deal with difficult situations, give them an opportunity to listen to each other, and nudge them to consider alternate viewpoints. the result is often increased understanding, higher engagement, greater commitment, and even better team cohesion.

put it into practice on your team

• run the working agreements play to create a shared list of expectations with your team so that you can steer around potential misunderstandings and save your energy for more meaningful disputes.
  
• put a plan in place to help team members escalate problems to the appropriate person when necessary.

teamwork example #9: inclusivity

there’s been tons of research about how diverse teams perform better. but if you really want to reap the benefits of diversity, as diversity consultant vernā myers puts it, it’s not enough to invite people to the party – you need to ask them to dance.

inclusivity means everybody on your team feels welcomed, supported, and valued regardless of their background, perspectives, and ideas.

this isn’t something that just happens by putting people on the same team. it requires consistent thought and effort – by you and every single team member – to ensure nobody feels forgotten or frozen out. this sense of belonging pays off in the form of better performance and increased retention.

put it into practice on your team

• be mindful of language (such as gendered or ableist language) to foster inclusive communication on your team.
  
• run the inclusive meetings play to ensure balanced participation in all of your meetings.
  
• honor and celebrate a wide range of traditions and holidays together.

teamwork example #10: rituals and routines

team rituals might seem like frivolous indulgences, but they’re surprisingly important – and they’re a long-running part of the human experience, with some dating back tens of thousands of years.  

but why are rituals so valuable? the short answer is that they emphasize unity. 

“the function of a shared group ritual is to allow an individual to participate fully in the social world by affiliating with fellow group members, reaffirming one’s position in the group, and sharing in important social conventions and cultural knowledge,” research says. 

take the nhl playoff beard as one example. it’s been a tradition since the early 1980s when the new york islanders won four straight championships without shaving their scruff during the playoff period. now, every nhl team sets down their razors during the playoff season. teams keep their beards until they’re eliminated, and the last team standing keeps the facial hair until the official team stanley cup photo is taken. after that, it’s a clean slate – and a messy bathroom.

put it into practice on your team

• run the ritual reset play to understand what rituals and routines are working well for your team and which ones should be amended or removed.
  
• institute new rituals on your team – whether it’s taking turns asking icebreaker questions before every team meeting or coming up with a tradition for each team member’s birthday.

teamwork takes…well, work

there’s nothing quite like the magic of effective teamwork. but while smooth collaboration might seem effortless on the surface, it’s usually anything but. that level of synergy takes conscious effort.

the good news? effective teamwork is a skill – and that means it’s something you can work to improve both individually and together. use the above teamwork examples as your starting point and you’re on your way to the type of teamwork that brings you together (rather than drives you apart).

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codegeist is designed for those who are passionate about building apps, integrations, and custom solutions for atlassian products. not only will you get to showcase your skills, but you’ll also join a global community of developers shaping the future of work.

mark your calendar

the codegeist hackathon kicks off on october 15 and runs until december 10, 2024. that’s nearly two months to bring your creative ideas to life and compete for your share of $170k in cash prizes.

categories to showcase your innovation

we’re looking for creative solutions across several key categories that reflect the core pillars of atlassian products and their vision for the system of work:

• apps for teamwork foundations – equipping all teams to align their work to goals, track work, and allow knowledge to flow across an organization.
• apps for world-class software development – helping product and development teams build great software by discovering the right ideas, building the right thing, and improving developer experience.
• apps for high-velocity service management – driving high-velocity it service management that helps you run services and support employees and customers.
• apps for executive strategy and planning – delivering capabilities to help leadership set strategy, manage their portfolio, and optimize customer value.

in addition to the core categories, bonus categories present an opportunity to win more and further fuel innovation:

• best “runs on atlassian” apps– awarded to projects that do not egress data to any external domains or services and exclusively store data using forge hosted storage.
• best connect to forge apps- awarded to projects that successfully migrate an existing connect app to forge.
• best rovo ai agent apps– awarded to projects that utilize rovo, atlassian’s ai-powered knowledge discovery system.

tips for success

to help you make the most of your codegeist experience and increase your chances of winning, here are some expert tips for success:

1. form your dream team: collaboration is key. whether you’re tackling the hackathon solo or building a team, having a diverse set of skills can help bring your vision to life. consider teaming up with developers, designers, and project managers to cover all angles of your project.
2. solve real-world problems: the best solutions often come from personal experience. think about challenges you’ve faced in your work or with atlassian products, and focus on building an app that solves those problems. solutions that address actual pain points are highly valued.
3. familiarize yourself with atlassian’s system of work: atlassian unveiled its system of work philosophy at team las vegas, highlighting the commitment to streamline team workflows. this new approach focuses on aligning work to goals, planning and tracking tasks across the organization, and unleashing knowledge to empower teams. building solutions that embody these principles will help ensure your app is impactful and aligned with atlassian’s vision for the future of work.
4. leverage the power of forge: forge, atlassian’s cloud app development platform, is built to support secure and scalable apps. using forge will not only streamline your development process but also help your solution stand out as a native atlassian app.
5. polish your submission: a strong idea needs to be communicated clearly. make sure your documentation is thorough, your project is well-presented, and the user experience is intuitive. don’t forget to provide visuals and a demo video to make your app shine.
6. test, test, and test again: make sure your app is thoroughly tested before submission. this includes functional testing, performance optimization, and ensuring a seamless user experience across devices.

register now and get started

the codegeist is the perfect opportunity to flex your skills and bring innovative ideas to life. register now and take the first step towards developing the next must-have app for atlassian users.

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whether you’re an org admin, power user, or new to the atlassian marketplace, exploring and discovering the multitude of apps available for various teams can be both overwhelming and time-consuming. however, with the new marketplace experience, you can now more easily identify which apps are best suited for your teams.

homepage refresh

the homepage has a cleaner look in line with the new atlassian branding—and boasts an updated navigation bar which includes apps for products, categories, and resources to ease your app discovery and evaluation journey.

new app categories

historically, the atlassian marketplace offered a wide array of categories that could sometimes be overwhelming for users to sift through. recent improvements have streamlined the categories to accurately reflect how users and administrators intuitively associate apps—whether by team type or function. even better? the apps featured within each category now live on a new landing page with a cleaner layout, enhancing your overall browsing experience.

add within the new categories, we’ve introduced advanced app filtering options…

…including a new use cases tab where marketplace partners have tagged their apps to use cases within each of the categories, which eliminates the need for guesswork and allows users to efficiently broaden their search or refine it to specific requirements when looking for apps. users can also filter by:

• product
• hosting
• pricing
• and trust signals

new badges and collections

with the refresh, we’ve said so-long to the coveted staff picks badge. instead, we’ve introduced three new badges to help you easily discover both top and up-and-coming apps on the atlassian marketplace, including spotlight (similar to staff picks in that it highlights top apps across installs, reviews, and more), rising star (newer apps gaining traction), and bestsellers.

new collections of apps such as ai, rovo, changemakers, and atlassian ventures create a curated list of apps for users to explore further.

more intuitive search

last but not least, we’ve been working to make search even simpler while also returning the most accurate results to users. we now have auto-complete and are thrilled to share that we will be enhancing our search more over the next few months.

the future search process will be enhanced through a hybrid model that combines both keywords and natural language processing (nlp). nlp, a machine learning technique, enables users to search using everyday language instead of rigid keywords. the addition of nlp is expected to provide users with more refined search results, reducing the need to sift through irrelevant information. we will begin a phased rollout around mid-october with a small subset of our users and can’t wait to hear how much more helpful this new search is for customers looking to discover apps for every team.

discover apps for every team by visiting the enhanced atlassian marketplace.

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by integrating confluence and jira, you can streamline your retros, turning them into a productive part of your workflow– rather than an afterthought. 

in this installment of our better together series, we’ll explore how using confluence and jira together can improve the efficiency and outcomes of your sprint retrospectives. 

why integrated retros matter

sprint retros are vital for driving consistent improvement and team collaboration, but they can be challenging to get right. common hurdles to productive sprint retros include:

• lack of focus and structure: without clearly defining goals and formats, retros can go off-topic, wasting time and failing to produce valuable insights.
• unclear next steps: not developing an action plan to improve based on feedback can lead to recurring issues in future sprints.
• poor tracking of action items: without effective way to documentation and tracking, it’s difficult to ensure feedback is implemented and acted upon.
• tool disconnect: when sprint retros are stored separately from where teams manage their work, action items can be easily forgotten. 

using confluence and jira together integrates retros into your sprint process – allowing you to document, track, and act on feedback all in one place.

best practices for running retros with confluence and jira

1. streamline retrospective creation

after completing a sprint in jira, streamline the creation of retros by linking your jira project to a confluence space. use the “create a retrospective for this sprint” option to generate a page or whiteboard in confluence, automatically linked to the sprint for easy reference. this ensures your retros are always connected to relevant jira data and sprint information, reducing the chance of losing valuable feedback or action items.

2. use templates for consistency and structure

confluence provides ready-made templates for retrospectives, helping teams follow a structured format. whether you prefer a page or a whiteboard, these templates ensure all key discussion points are covered and retros, keeping retros focused and productive.

3. embed live jira reports in retros

the confluence-jira integration allows you to embed live, interactive reports directly into your retrospective pages or whiteboards. using smart links, you can embed jira dashboards that display key sprint data– like velocity and burndown charts– enabling your team to make data-driven decisions during the retro.

key features for effective sprint retros

by combining jira’s project management tools with confluence’s collaborative environment, you gain access to several features that enhance your sprint retrospectives:

embedded confluence content within jira

confluence’s integration with jira enables you to conduct retrospectives directly in jira, using either a confluence whiteboard or page. when you work inside of jira, retros are automatically linked to your jira sprints, providing easy access to both sprint data and retro feedback.

confluence templates

pre-built confluence templates for sprint retrospectives help your team jump into productive sessions without worrying about structure or format.

confluence whiteboards

confluence whiteboards offer a dynamic space for live collaboration. team members can place sticky notes, comment, and react in real-time during retro sessions, whether conducted live or asynchronously.

jira sprint reporting

jira’s built-in reporting tools, like velocity charts, offer insights into your team’s progress and performance. these insights lead to more meaningful, data-driven discussions during retros.

once your retro is complete, jira automatically links it to your sprint for easy future reference. the retro is also included in your sprint burndown chart, providing a comprehensive view of your sprint’s progress and outcomes.

action item: elevate your sprint retros

when teams use confluence and jira together for retrospectives, the benefits are clear. together, they help reduce missed action items, increase team alignment, and ensure feedback is always actionable. 

at your next sprint closure, try using confluence directly within jira to enhance your retrospective process. streamline the creation of your retros, use templates for structure, and embed real-time jira data for more insightful discussions.

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today, we’re excited to announce new features (and a new look!) that make jira easier, more flexible, and more powerful for all types of work – helping transform siloed companies into connected ones.

let’s take a look!

more flexibility, for more teams

no matter the team you’re on, jira embraces the little things that make teams unique, while keeping you connected to the people, plans and information you need to deliver great work together.

let’s check out the new ways jira is bringing more flexibility and customization to support any team’s work style.

improved navigation, customized for you

soon we’ll be rolling out a new, customizable navigation experience that brings the most relevant work to your fingertips. from goals, to plans, to projects, and more, a new sidebar gives you quick and easy access to the most important information from your team and across the company. plus you can personalize it! reorder items by importance, pin relevant work, and hide what you don’t need.

along with the new sidebar, we’re also introducing a simplified top navigation that brings ai-powered search front and center. ai-powered search helps surface the most relevant information from across jira, confluence, and other atlassian apps. that means less time wasted hunting things down, and more time to get s#!t done.

we think you’ll love this simplified navigation so much, we’re rolling it out across all atlassian products for a consistent experience.

more pieces of flair

wish jira better reflected your team spirit? with new background colors, images, and card covers, now your team can truly make jira feel like home. personalize jira to reflect your team vibes (we’re more of a cute dogs-in-hats kind of team).

speaking of flair, we also added a confetti cannon to celebrate any time you move a work item to done.

no more issues

not every thing you work on is an issue (anymore). with more teams making jira their home for work, we’re retiring ‘issues’ as our default name for work in jira. instead of referring to ‘issues,’ you choose how you refer to your work – whether that’s a “launch”, a “task” or even an “issue”.

custom project templates to scale your team’s way of working

for scaling enterprises, consistency is key. with custom project templates (one of jira’s most requested features), soon you’ll be able to create reusable project templates for your organization with pre-configured workflows, automations, fields, permissions, and more. with custom project templates, it’s easy to scale processes you want to standardize – from marketing campaigns, to hr onboarding processes, and more.

making ai work for jira users

atlassian intelligence (ai) in jira empowers teams to be their best. here are a few new ai-powered features in jira that will enable teams to work smarter.

save time creating work items

with ai work creation, easily identify and create work in jira right from a confluence page. just highlight the text and ai will suggest a task that you can create directly from the page. and soon, ai work creation will be even more powerful. you will be able to create single work items from slack messages, or even use ai to scan an entire confluence page for action items and bulk transform them into multiple work items.

automatically create work items from loom video

more of a visual communicator? with loom ai workflows, you can easily turn any loom recording into a work item in jira. simply record a loom, click “create an issue,” and loom ai will generate a detailed work item for your jira project based on the video transcript. now you can go from unstructured thought to structured work in seconds.

break down work in a click

with jira’s new work breakdown feature, ai helps you break down large projects into individual tasks automatically. simply create a work item and ai will recommend relevant subtasks that you can approve in a click! now you can spend less time breaking work down, and more time moving work forward.

stay aligned every step of the way

your engineers, marketers, designers, and other teams may all work differently, but they should still be aligned to shared objectives. bringing every team into jira makes it easier for leaders to set goals, align teams to priorities, and track the success of every project in flight.

goals, everywhere

previewed earlier this year and now generally available, goals, which are being rolled out to all customers in the coming months (opt-in here), will soon be part of the jira experience. to help keep your priorities front and center, goals can be viewed in the list, timeline, calendar, and issue views. you can also now filter by goals.

this one’s for you, program managers

we’re also introducing a new board view within plans called the program board. this new, drag-and-drop interface allows you to coordinate a program of work and its dependencies across multiple teams on a customizable cadence.

your next great idea starts with jira

we can’t wait for you to check out the new ways we’re making jira easier, more powerful, and more flexible for every team’s working style.

with all teams on the same tool, and on the same page, building something incredible together has never been easier.

new to jira? get started today for free or explore pricing and plans.

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