Squiggly Careers: "How To Reset Your Team To Achieve More Together"

Hosts: Sarah Ellis (B), Helen Tupper (A)
Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sarah and Helen dive into "team resets:" intentional pauses and refreshes that help teams achieve more together, drawing on insights from Colin Fisher's new book, Collective Edge. Using research, practical examples, and their own experiences, the hosts explore why periodic resets around trust, structure, and clarity can supercharge team performance, and offer actionable steps to implement these in any team—whether you're in a small startup or a larger organization.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Collective Edge: Teams vs. Individuals ([00:35]–[03:09])

• Inspiration from Colin Fisher and jazz ensembles: Sarah introduces Colin Fisher’s work, noting his background as a jazz musician, and how it informs his approach to team synergy.
  • “His definition of collective edge is that as a group, you are achieving outcomes, so you basically are achieving more than you would if you just added up, like, individual capabilities.” – B ([01:13])
• Synergy isn’t incidental—it’s intentional: Teams don’t outperform by accident. Deliberate conditions must be created to unlock collaborative advantages, beyond simply assembling smart individuals.
  • “If, like, you're smart and I'm smart and the rest of the team is smart, you've got lots of smart people. That doesn't necessarily mean that you've got a super smart team.” – A ([02:11])

2. Reset ≠ Radical Overhaul ([03:09]–[05:17])

• Most teams can’t hit ‘restart from scratch,’ but anyone can benefit from regular “resets”—opportunities to reflect, refresh, and re-align.
  • “It’s not radical team redo, it’s just regular team reset.” – A ([05:12])

3. Three Big Team Shifts for Better Collaboration ([05:31]–[13:41])

a. Trust: Task-Based Over Relationship-Based

• Move focus from purely relational trust (“do we get along?”) to task-based trust (“will you do what you say, to the right quality?”).
  • “Relational trust…actually, what we need to focus more on is task-based trust.” – B ([05:32])
  • “Accountability maybe was the other word…” – B ([06:28])

b. Structure: More Important Than Coaching

• Structure (clear roles, systems, processes) is the backbone of high performance.
• Good team structure amplifies, but is not replaced by, coaching.
  • “Structure is typically way more important than coaching to help a team to get even better.” – B ([06:56])
  • “If you get a team that is badly structured…but they have brilliant coaching, they don’t get better.” – B ([09:22])

c. Clarity: Agreement Over Assumptions

• Avoid ambiguity; make sure everyone is explicitly aligned on goals, norms, and ways of working.
  • “Within teams, there’s a lot that is implied and that goes unsaid.” – B ([09:46])
  • Exercise: Have each team member write down what they believe the number one team goal is—often there’s surprising variance. ([11:36]–[12:17])

4. Practical Actions for Resetting Your Team ([13:43]–[32:08])

Action 1: The Clarity Creator ([13:43]–[16:32])

• A tool to define “what matters most,” top priorities (just three!), supporting metrics, and a “not for now” list to prevent distraction.
  • “My favourite bit of the Clarity Creator, actually, is the not for now section.” – A ([15:01])
  • “If it’s on the not for now list, I think there’s a sense of clarity…we’re still recognizing that it’s important, but … that is not being worked on right now.” – A ([15:05])
• Transparent sharing of Clarity Creators across the team encourages accountability and highlights gaps or duplication.

Action 2: Structure Your Communication ([16:32]–[20:57])

• Teams should regularly review and reset communication structures—tools, habits, and volume—to prevent “collaboration overload.”
  • “Bad habits creep in with communication…the issue is that you actually end up spending more time, like, responding to messages or searching for things.” – A ([18:09])
  • “Every message is something that someone needs to read.” – A ([18:09])
• Employers are increasingly adopting “collaboration resets” every three months or so to keep team workflow healthy.

Action 3: Make the Implicit Explicit ([20:57]–[27:54])

• Codify assumptions, unspoken norms, and expectations into clear, agreed statements.
  • “How many things am I assuming…if it isn’t written down somewhere…It’s basically in our heads.” – B ([20:57])
  • “When it doesn’t… when these things don’t happen, that’s when it becomes an issue.” – A ([22:29])

Example: “We’re on the Same Page” Statements ([25:46]–[28:23])

Sarah shares five draft team norms as a live example:

1. “We don’t see each other often, so when we do, we take it seriously.”

2. “Spot what works, what doesn’t, and do something about it.”

3. “Mistake moments, Win of the week, Squiggly shout outs are how we learn, grow and celebrate success together.”

4. “We don’t stay in our lane. We all support each other.”

5. “Flexibility works both ways, so we can all do our best work when the work needs to get done.”

   • “I do think five is a good number because also these have to be things where, you know, you don’t compromise on these things.” – B ([27:34])

5. Reset Rhythm: How Often Should Teams Reset? ([30:12]–[31:33])

• Frequency depends on team change: stable teams might refresh every six months; fast-evolving/project-based teams should do it for every project.
  • “Probably the more the team changes, the more regularly you need to do a reset…For us…every six months.” – B ([30:29])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You need to create the right conditions and then you can outperform.”—Colin Fisher (as paraphrased by B, [01:13])
• “Structure is way more important than coaching.” — B ([06:56])
• “If it’s on the not for now list, that’s a very conscious decision for us to be aware of.” — A ([15:05])
• “Every message is something that someone needs to read…Did we need to send that message?” — A ([18:09])
• “How many things am I assuming…if it isn’t written down somewhere?” — B ([20:57])
• “These have to be things where, you know, you don’t compromise on these things.” — B ([27:34])
• “Team performance might almost…worsen over time just because of…bad habits creeping in. And actually regular resets are quite useful.” — A ([29:58])

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Colin Fisher’s Book: Collective Edge
• McKinsey Article: Interview with Colin Fisher
• Podcast: Colin Fisher on Bruce Daisley’s Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat

Suggested Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:13] – What is “Collective Edge”?
• [05:32] – Moving from relationship-based to task-based trust
• [06:56] – Structure vs. coaching
• [09:22] – Research: Bad structure + good coaching ≠ performance
• [13:43] – Practical actions for team reset
• [15:01] – The value of “not for now” priorities
• [18:09] – Communication habits and overload
• [25:46] – Sample “on the same page” statements
• [30:29] – How often should you reset?

Conclusion

Through research-backed insights and real-world examples, Sarah and Helen demystify the process of resetting a team for better outcomes. By prioritizing task-based trust, structured ways of working, and clear, explicit agreements, any team can “borrow brilliance” and edge closer to collective success. Regular resets—customized to the rhythms and needs of your team—ensure you’re not just smart together, but smarter together.