Here at TeamDynamics, we are fortunate to have a unique perspective on trends in the modern workplace. Teams from all over the globe rely on our proprietary behavioral assessment to understand how their teams work, how each person fits in, and how they can improve.

We believe that teamwork matters more now than ever. Today’s workplace is changing at a quickening pace as it adjusts to new technologies like AI, new hybrid- and remote-first models, and a new generation entering the workforce. Modern teams need the tools to make sense of, and improve, how we work together. 

For the first time, we are sharing anonymized insights about how teams are communicating and collaborating to get work done. The goal of doing so is to help define what “teamwork” means today. 

This report is grounded in TeamDynamics’ four core dimensions of team behavior:

1. ‍Communicating: How teams share information,
2. Processing: How teams translate information into actionable insights,
3. ‍Deciding: How teams choose a course of action, and
4. ‍Executing: How teams work towards their goals.

Read more about the TeamDynamics framework of team behavior.

About this report

The TeamDynamics 2025 State of the Team is an annual report on teamwork trends in the modern workplace. It is based on thousands of aggregated, anonymized responses to TeamDynamics’ proprietary survey instruments in 2024. 

We define a team as the group of people who collaborate most closely at work. Teams can be from a single function or multiple parts of an organization. The team leader might not be the official manager of everyone on the team. The average team size in our sample is 7 people, with most teams ranging from 4-10 individuals.

Our sample includes teams across industries (e.g., travel, technology, hospitality, healthcare, retail, real estate, energy, education, non-profit) and regions (North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa). It also includes organizations at different stages, from startups to established multinationals. You can find our 2024 report here.

Key findings

Below are 5 key findings from our analysis. Download the full TeamDynamics 2025 State of the Team report for more insights about what teamwork means for modern teams.

1. Individuals are struggling to get along with their teams

9 out of 10 people have working preferences that don’t match at least one core team behavior. This doesn’t mean they can’t succeed, but does mean they need to have the right awareness and tools to work well with their teams.

2. Most people want detailed plans, but few teams actually build them

73% of people prefer that their teams build and implement detailed plans when it comes to Executing projects, but just 31% of teams actually do. As the modern workplace demands ever more agility, teams need new planning methods to meet what team members want, or individuals need to adapt.

3. Teams have become more informal in how they communicate

While individual preferences for team behavior has remained consistent, teams have become less organized in how they share information. This could reflect a natural shift as more teams return in-person work, which can sustain more informal channels of communication.

4. Teams are most polarized in their styles of communication

Most teams are somewhat adaptable in their core behaviors. However, 50% of teams are either very Informal or very Ordered in how they Communicate information, making this the dimension where teams are least flexible.

5. 2 in 3 managers don’t understand their team’s behaviors

Only 34% of managers accurately describe every one of their team’s core behaviors. This means that 2 out of every 3 managers are likely engaging with their team incorrectly along at least one of their team’s core ways of working.

6. Managers influence their team’s tone, but only up to a point

Many believe that the manager is the main influence on team norms, but our research shows otherwise. Only 42% of managers have preferences that match the majority of their team’s core behaviors. This suggests that factors like team composition, organizational culture and company stage play a bigger role in team behavior than a manager’s individual preferences.

Download the full TeamDynamics 2025 State of the Team report for more insights about what teamwork means for modern teams.

About TeamDynamics

TeamDynamics is a tool for individuals and teams who believe that teamwork should be intentional and rewarding. Quantify your team's behaviors with a fast, fun survey instrument that you can take at your desk, over your coffee, or on the train. Establish a shared language to describe how your team works with our proprietary behavioral framework. And improve your team's performance with recommendations tailored specifically to your team.

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Teams at leading organizations use TeamDynamics to get more done, and have more fun while doing it. Whether you’re an individual who wants to understand how you can better work with your team, a team who wants to improve how it communicates and collaborates, or an organization who wants to understand and optimize how it works within and across teams, TeamDynamics has a solution for you.

??What is TeamDynamics' perspective on modern teamwork trends???

TeamDynamics utilizes its proprietary behavioral assessment tools to provide insights into how teams communicate and collaborate. They believe that understanding individual roles and improvements within teams is crucial due to the fast-paced changes in technology, including AI, remote work models, and generational shifts in the workforce.

??What are the four core dimensions of team behavior according to TeamDynamics???

TeamDynamics identifies four core dimensions of team behavior which are Communicating (how information is shared), Processing (how information is translated into actions), Deciding (how decisions are made), and Executing (how teams work toward their goals).

??What is the key focus of the TeamDynamics 2025 State of the Team report???

The TeamDynamics 2025 State of the Team report aims to provide aggregated, anonymized insights from their survey instruments to analyze and define modern teamwork. The report is based on the experiences and responses of diverse teams across various industries and global regions.

??What are some major findings from the TeamDynamics 2025 report???

Key findings include challenges in aligning individual preferences with team behaviors, the discrepancy between the desire for and actual creation of detailed plans, informal shifts in communication styles, polarized communication styles, and a common misunderstanding among managers regarding their team's core behaviors.

??How do individual preferences compare to team behaviors in executing projects according to the report???

The report states that while 73% of individuals prefer detailed plans for executing projects, only 31% of teams actually create and implement such detailed plans. This highlights a significant gap between individual expectations and team practices.

??What does the report reveal about the adaptability of teams in their communication styles???

According to the report, 50% of teams are either very informal or very organized in their communications, indicating that this is the dimension of team behavior where teams are least flexible and most polarized.

??How well do managers understand their teams' behaviors as per the TeamDynamics findings???

The findings suggest that only 34% of managers accurately describe all of their team's core behaviors, meaning around two-thirds of managers may not fully understand how their team operates along key behavioral dimensions.

??What role do managers play in influencing team norms, according to the TeamDynamics research???

The research indicates that while managers do influence team norms, only 42% have preferences that align with the majority of their team's core behaviors. This suggests that other factors like team composition, organizational culture, and company stage might play more substantial roles in shaping team behavior.