TrueTribe

The Teams That Succeed Do Things Differently

For years, I worked in tech and hyper-growth environments. Everything revolved around speed, targets, and scaling. Where things really worked well, I noticed a recurring pattern: teams that were truly committed. Teams that didn’t just deliver work but had energy and a sense of direction. They could intuitively connect with each other without many words, learn from mistakes, and stick around.

That insight stayed with me. And honestly, I don’t have an HR background, but I do know how it feels when a team clicks—especially operationally. When the right formal and informal infrastructure is in place to perform. And how quickly things can go wrong when work starts to grind, almost imperceptibly at first, but noticeable in output, behavior, focus, and in the things that are no longer said.

Stop Putting Band-Aids on the Problem

I see this more clearly now in the organizations we work with.

Take a fast-growing tech company, for instance. In their reception area, they had a series of portraits showing colleagues as pirates. Not a joke, but a ritual: stay five years, and your face is painted onto the canvas. It says something about appreciation, ownership, and the pride of being part of a culture that not only recognizes you but celebrates you.

Or consider Techleap, an organization dedicated to improving the Dutch tech climate. I joined an all-hands meeting there and saw how every team—from data to governance affairs—could seamlessly articulate its contribution to the mission. This ambition wasn’t just a slogan; it was a compass for daily decisions. Earlier this year, at the State of Dutch Tech, it all came together. I sat in the audience, proud to hear the data points the team had worked tirelessly on for a year. It wasn’t just a report—it was a collective affirmation of direction, ownership, and impact. You could feel it in the energy, commitment, and collaboration: this work mattered.

These examples remind me that health, growth, connection, and purpose aren’t separate themes. Together, they form the essence of good work.

Mental Health Is Not a Side Issue

Mental health is not just an HR add-on. It’s a system—one that directly impacts absenteeism, engagement, and productivity.

Yet most organizations only measure it when it’s already too late: absenteeism rates, exit interviews, or pulse surveys where people rate themselves as “feeling a 6.8.” All too late. Too superficial. Too vague.

And yet, the signs are visible much earlier: in how people focus, recover, and collaborate. In what they stop saying in meetings. In the moment someone is present but no longer really participating.

What We Should Be Measuring Instead

At TrueTribe, we approach this differently. We work with a model that makes five interconnected dimensions of workplace well-being visible and ties them to targeted actions—for individuals, teams, and organizations. Together, these dimensions form the foundation of how people and teams function—or get stuck.

When one of these areas is out of balance for an extended period, friction inevitably arises. If multiple areas are strained, burnout, turnover, or disengagement are just around the corner.

That’s why, next week, we’re not launching a feel-good campaign about mental health but an incisive blog series. Five days. Five dimensions. Each day, an insight, experience, or data point illustrating how work truly impacts mental well-being. What makes teams perform—or not. Not from policies but from behavior, practice, and leadership.

For Leaders Who Want to Understand Before It’s Too Late

For those who don’t want to wait until someone burns out. For organizations that no longer see mental health as separate from performance. For teams that are “functional,” but where no one is truly thriving.

Do you know which factors in your teams contribute to burnout, resistance, or silent withdrawal? And do you know which foster focus, motivation, and growth? Or are you gambling that everything is fine?

Follow the series. And if you’re curious about how we concretely apply this model in organizations, let me know or book a demo.