The Most Overlooked Driver of Team Performance
Did you know that when people feel disconnected at work, their brain activates the same neural pathways as physical pain that trigger withdrawal, defensiveness, and self‑protection? In that state, it is easy to understand why disconnection causes communication and collaboration to become less effective and leads to performance drops. To see how disconnection plays out in real teams, consider the following scenarios:
Team One
The team meeting starts at 9:00, but the energy is flat before anyone even sits down. During the meeting, people give short answers, don’t ask questions, and struggle to come to agreement and make decisions. No one is trying to underperform in this scenario. Their brains are simply in protection mode. The question is why? We can look to neuroscience for a possible answer – the team is disconnected.
When people feel disconnected at work, their brain interprets this disconnection as a threat, not metaphorically, but neurologically. This triggers:
Amygdala activation, increasing vigilance and defensiveness
Reduced prefrontal cortex functioning, making clear thinking harder
Lower dopamine and oxytocin, decreasing motivation and trust
Narrowed attentional focus, limiting creativity and problem‑solving
Team Two
The team meeting starts at 9:00 and people greet each other by name. Someone shares a quick win. There’s laughter — not forced, but natural. When a challenge comes up, the team leans in instead of shutting down. Everyone shares the floor and gives their opinions and ask questions for clarity. They move the needle forward on a few initiatives and close the meeting with a plan for the upcoming week that everyone is clear on.
Same agenda as team one and same workload. Completely different neurological state.
This is the power of connection. When people feel connected, their brains release oxytocin and dopamine, increasing trust, motivation, and cognitive flexibility. Teams that feel connected think more clearly, collaborate more easily, recover from stress faster, are more willing to take risks, and can more accurately interpret intent because their brains are operating in a reward‑state rather than a threat‑state.
So how can leaders intentionally focus on building teams that are more connected?
1. Normalize Vulnerability
From a neuroscience perspective, vulnerability is one of the fastest ways to reduce social threat and activate the brain’s reward pathways that strengthens trust and connection. Simple shifts in what a leader says out loud can make all the difference:
“I misread that email.”
“I’m still thinking this through.”
I don’t have the answer yet, but I’m exploring it,”
“I need a minute to process.”
“I might be missing something — help me see what I’m not seeing.”
“If I seem quiet, it’s because I’m processing, not because I’m disengaged.”
“I’m feeling a bit stretched today, so I might be a little scattered.”
2. Reinforce Belonging
Belonging isn’t about being social; it’s about creating the conditions for connection that allow the brain to function at its highest level. When people feel like they belong, oxytocin increases, cortisol decreases, and the prefrontal cortex becomes more accessible for problem‑solving, creativity, and collaboration.
A Friday “Gratitude Round”- a routine that boosts dopamine and strengthens belonging by highlighting what’s working and who contributed. This helps each person see their value in the bigger picture.
Build belonging into onboarding by sharing communication styles on day one to show the diversity on the team and each person’s strengths. When new members see that differences aren’t problems to work around but assets that enhance collaboration, it reframes diversity through a strength‑based lens. This reduces uncertainty, lowers social threat, and helps people understand how their unique way of thinking fits into — and strengthens — the team.
A quarterly “team identity refresh” where the team revisits what makes them unique, what they’re proud of and what they want to strengthen. This reinforces shared identity and keeps belonging alive, not static.
3.Encourage Micro‑Moments of Connection
Micro‑moments of connection strengthen neural pathways associated with trust, safety, and collaboration. Even 30‑second interactions can shift the nervous system from threat to reward!
Use names often. Hearing your own name activates the brain’s attention and reward systems.
Send quick appreciation messages. “I noticed how you handled that conversation — thank you.”
Ask one human question a week.
“What’s something you’re looking forward to?”
“What’s giving you energy lately?”
Create connection touchpoints.
A 5‑minute “coffee chat” rotation
A shared playlist for independent work time
A team photo wall or “about me” board
Acknowledge effort, not just outcomes. This reinforces intrinsic motivation and strengthens trust.
Micro‑moments compound. They create the emotional glue that makes teams feel like teams.
The key take-away? Connected teams don’t just feel better — they perform better.
