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How to Have a Team That Doesn’t Suck

You’ve been on the good ones. You’ve been on the bad ones. Odds are you blamed the bad ones on the people. But usually the people aren’t the problem — the architecture is.

The Space Between is my white paper on team cognition — how teams actually think together, and what gets in the way.

Clare Dygert leads a design session

Teams that work share mental models, distribute memory across each other, and build small rituals that let a group actually think together. Teams that don’t, don’t.

I can show you what cognitive scientists have figured out about how this works, why bad teams fail in predictable ways, and what to do about it before Monday.

Plus: what happens when the teammate you’re thinking with isn’t human.

If any of this resonates with a team you’re leading, I’d love to talk it through with you.

Nonprofits: I also offer pro bono consulting on team training, organizational architecture, and AI policy and governance — I can take on a couple of organizations at a time, so if this fits, let’s talk.


 

A group of people working on computers in a roomOrganizations are buying AI licenses and hoping for transformation. It doesn’t work that way.

The gap between “we have the tools” and “our people actually work differently now” is where transformation succeeds or fails. Closing that gap requires more than technical training—it requires a deep understanding of how humans learn, adapt, and change the way they work.

That is the problem I solve.

I design AI adoption and workforce transformation strategies that help organizations move from experimentation to meaningful, sustained behavior change. This includes AI learning systems, curriculum architectures, adoption strategies, workflow redesign, and the human-centered practices that enable people to use emerging technologies effectively.

My approach is grounded in cognitive science and learning research. I distinguish between transactional learning (“here’s how to use the tool”) and transformational learning (“here’s how to rethink your work”). The first creates compliance. The second creates competitive advantage.

I combine learning science, organizational strategy, and practical transformation experience to help organizations navigate how work changes. I have built learning organizations, created performance-based design methodologies, advised leaders on organizational capability, and led teams through complex change across industries including technology, healthcare, finance, nonprofit, manufacturing, and retail.

I also build the AI-powered workflows I recommend to others. My own practice uses AI as a thought partner for research, analysis, curriculum development, and quality review—with human judgment guiding every decision.

I write and speak about how organizations can move beyond implementing technology toward creating workplaces where humans and AI amplify each other. Let’s connect and explore what’s possible. Schedule a call today!

 

Woman carrying box of belongings leaving officeWhen you’ve been part of the workforce as long as I have, you’ve experienced a lot of change management campaigns. And they all kind of look the same.

First comes the coy introduction. A leader stands up at an all-hands meeting and admits that some tool, some process, some universal experience of the organization isn’t very good. Everybody laughs and smiles and nods. And said leader reveals that something better is about to come.

Sure enough, later that day there’s an email. Or your Slack channel has a notice. Or your manager calls everybody together. And you get the great news that something new is about to happen. And never fear — we’re all going to be supported through this change.

You know in your heart it’s going to be inconvenient at the least and painful at the most. But there’s no resisting, because the change is going to happen.

And you just hope — you hope with the fervor of a five-year-old at Christmas — that somehow this time it won’t suck.

So why is it that despite our best intentions and many, many hours of planning, some changes go OK and some are terrible?

TLDR: It’s not you.

The problem is that not all changes are the same. And we keep managing them like they are.

If I need to start using a different form to request my travel expense reimbursement, all I need is a link to the new form and maybe some built-in instructions on how to use it. I don’t need a brand champion. I don’t need a pep rally. I just need to be able to find it.

But if we’re changing our performance review approach? That’s a whole different thing. And it’s not a whole different thing because it’s more important or because it has to do with people.

It’s a whole different thing because I have feelings and attitudes and a viewpoint about how to review performance. In my mind there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it. And that’s complicated, because it’s built off of a lifetime of experience — being reviewed and doing reviews. A PDF with steps isn’t going to cut the mustard.

One of these changes needs frictionless access to information. The other needs space for unlearning, dialogue, and reflection.

When you apply a heavyweight change process to the expense form, you generate cynicism. (“They called a town hall for THIS?”)

When you apply a lightweight informational approach to rethinking performance reviews, you guarantee failure. (“We did the training. Why isn’t anyone changing?”)

The first move isn’t to pick a change framework. The first move is diagnosis: what kind of change are we actually dealing with here?

Get the diagnosis wrong and it doesn’t matter how good your methodology is. The support won’t match the need.

I’ve been developing a learning-led change framework that starts from this premise — that the leader’s first job is to diagnose the type of change before choosing a strategy.

Contact me today! Let’s discuss the ways you can provide your team with frictionless training that supports your goals.

Company values angle

Your Strategic Partner for Impactful Learning

I am a strategic learning experience architect specializing in designing scalable, outcome-driven enablement programs that accelerate business performance.

How I Drive Business Impact

My approach is to partner with your executive team to translate business goals into a learning strategy that delivers measurable results.

Learning & Development Strategy

I design comprehensive, data-driven L&D strategies that directly support your long-term business objectives, ensuring every learning initiative has a purpose and a tangible return on investment.

Performance & Productivity

I advise on career pathing, succession planning, and performance management to build a high-performing workforce that drives business expansion and reduces hiring risk.

Technology & Innovation

I evaluate and recommend learning technologies, from core platforms to emerging AI-powered tools, to optimize learning delivery, boost engagement, and future-proof your organization.

Global Program Development

I design and implement large-scale, multimodal learning initiatives for diverse, global audiences, ensuring your teams have consistent skills and knowledge worldwide.

Cultural Transformation

I champion a learning culture, fostering an environment where continuous growth and knowledge sharing are prioritized to keep your organization competitive and agile.

Why Partner With Me?

I combine deep instructional design science with practical business strategy to build engaging, workflow-integrated learning ecosystems. My proven track record includes leading cross-functional teams, generating significant revenue through tailored solutions, and earning multiple industry awards for innovative program design.

Transform Your Learning Landscape

Ready to drive measurable business growth through strategic learning?

Book an Introductory Call

Innovative and Engaging Learning Experiences

Organizations with well-trained, purpose-aligned teams experience less friction and greater success.

Photo by ravi palwe

Creating a Shared Longing

Learners roam about, get their hands dirty and focus on the things that matter to them.

Micro Experiences

Brief, intense bursts of learning break up longer sessions and keep engagement high.

Storytelling

A powerful tool for engaging learners and creating emotional resonance.

Transform Your Learning Landscape

Ready to drive measurable business growth through strategic learning?

Book an Introductory Call