Mental models are simple representations of how something works or how we see the world. When teams have shared mental models, they are more likely to work together seamlessly and overcome challenging situations.

In an integrative review of workplace team resilience literature, Hartwig et al., 2020 uncovered a strategy for building team resilience. When team members share their expertise through team interactions, it can lead to the emergence of common team mental models (i.e., shared understanding of each other’s knowledge, roles, and responsibilities; Grand et al., 2016). Shared team mental models in turn affect how effectively team members can coordinate tasks to overcome adverse events. Furthermore, individual resources, such as communication skills, will influence how effectively team members can engage in resilient team processes (e.g., how well they communicate with others in the team to resolve disruptions).

Facilitate Knowledge Exchange: When tackling a new opportunity to challenge, take 10 minutes and ask each team member to share their understanding of the situation: How would they approach it? Have they experienced something similar? While they may not have the answers, the conversation can help facilitate a shared understanding of how they perceive the situation and may lead to the emergence of common team mental models. Surface the Known and Unknown: Ask your team questions like “Do we have a shared understanding of the project’s value and goals? Are we managing dependencies effectively? Are we incorporating what we learn today into tomorrow’s plans?”’Communicate Ways of Working: As a team, create a list of expectations of each other so you can work together successfully and avoid misunderstandings that may come up. Think through and jot down answers to the following: What is important to us as a team? What behaviors can we agree to as a team?

(s)Grand, J. A., Braun, M. T., Kuljanin, G., Kozlowski, S. W. J., Chao, G. T. (2016). The dynamics of team cognition: A process-oriented theory of knowledge emergence in teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(10), 1353.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2041386620919476