Safety and Sacrifice in Successful Design Teams

In a team of 6, I am currently designing a museum exhibit showcasing the ongoing Hong Kong protests. Not to brag, but we’re kind of killing it when it comes to healthy team dynamics.
When asked in a survey, I prioritized the project success over the group experience. Only one person on our team did otherwise, and their reasoning was that our mental health, comfort and enjoyment will always be more important. I thought this was interesting, because that was very similar to why I chose the exact opposite.
Psychological safety is a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking. It can be defined as “being able to show and employ one’s self without fear of negative consequences of self-image, status or career” (Kahn 1990, p. 708). Currently I believe our group is very psychologically safe specifically with regards to sharing ideas and opinions about the project content.
Meanwhile, I have been giving a lot of thought to interpersonal risks that don’t directly pertain to the task at hand, but that still indirectly inform our success. Let me explain.
In my experience, collaboration can involve making temporary sacrifices in order to achieve a greater goal.
My personal attitude towards cultivating positive team dynamics is that it has often been at my own expense. This is a common problem, and I’m sure others can relate. My desires to be liked and to avoid inducing conflict have let to suppressing my thoughts and feelings.
Shockingly, this doesn’t have a track record of working.
So the question is, this time, am I going to sacrifice my own mental comfort in order to have a positive team dynamic? Or am I going to do less work and potentially sacrifice a positive team dynamic, in order to preserve my mental comfort? Two years ago, I would have immediately sacrificed myself. The thought of not doing everything in my power to a) ensure my team likes me, and b) make sure we’re all friends by the end used to make me deeply uncomfortable. Now, I’m a little bit more protective of the emotional labour I’m willing to do for a team.
So, yes, I’ve been putting less effort into getting to know my groupmates on a personal level. No, I’m not cruel, cold, or emotionally detached.
Less effort, for me, is actually a normal, healthy amount of effort. The comfort of my group members used to be so high on my priority list that I would burn out trying to take it all on myself.
This time, I’ve been stepping back. And it’s made me a better listener. I have been trying to observe how my group members decide when, how, and if we initiate a team relationship. Sometimes, it’s in your best interest to be more guarded, self-reflective, and receptive to others. You may notice that some team members communicate better through writing as opposed to verbally. Other members have tells that indicate they want to share a thought with the team.
Sometimes, sacrifice may feel like you are losing something. But it can also be letting go of habits and attitudes that are actually keeping you stuck. It might feel like I am sacrificing a positive team dynamic for the sake of a good project, but another way to look at it is that I’m being more vulnerable, and placing trust in my teammates to take on an equal role in the efforts to collaborate well. This mutual trust has ultimately improved our design through an iterative process that receives, justifies, and enhances all incoming contributions.
References
https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/team - Team Vectors by Vecteezy
Kahn, William A. (1990). “Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work”. Academy of Management Journal. 33 (4): 692–724.
