Your team chemistry cookbook
Proven plays for every team challenge.
When Builders clash with Dreamers, start here.
How We Built This Playbook
This isn't theory. It's pattern recognition.
Our sources:
- Google's Project Aristotle team dynamics research
- Patrick Lencioni's "Five Dysfunctions of a Team"
- Kim Scott's "Radical Candor" communication framework
- Thousands of team interactions from our beta users
- Cross-cultural team studies from INSEAD and MIT
What we found:
The Universal Plays
The Translation Bridge
When great ideas get lost in translation
🚨 Situation:
Your Visionary pitched brilliantly. Your Builders look confused.
✅ The Fix:
- Visionary paints the dream: "Imagine when..."
- Analyzer breaks it down: "This means we need..."
- Builder creates first step: "I'll start with..."
💬 Magic phrase:
"Let me translate that into next steps..."
🧠Why it works:
Different types literally process language differently. Research shows Artistic types use more metaphors, Realistic types prefer concrete terms.
📚 Source:
Linguistic analysis of Holland types, Journal of Vocational Behavior
The Energy Audit
When meetings drain everyone
🚨 Situation:
Every meeting feels like death by PowerPoint.
✅ The Fix:
- First 10 min: Connector leads check-in (energizes Social types)
- Next 20 min: Analyzer presents data (energizes Investigative types)
- Final 20 min: Builder plans action (energizes Realistic types)
- Last 10 min: Visionary paints success (energizes everyone)
💬 Magic phrase:
"Let's match this agenda to our energy..."
🧠Why it works:
MIT's Pentland research shows teams perform best when everyone gets "air time." This structure ensures each type gets their moment.
📚 Source:
Pentland, "The New Science of Building Great Teams", HBR
The Conflict Transmuter
When different styles clash
🚨 Situation:
Turn clashes into creative friction with the right translation.
âš¡ Common Clashes & Fixes:
Builder vs. Analyzer
Visionary vs. Guardian
Innovator vs. Specialist
🧠Why it works:
📚 Source:
Based on Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, adapted for RIASEC types through our user research.
The Hiring Hack
When you need to complete your chemistry
🚨 Situation:
Your team's energy gaps reveal who to hire next.
🎯 Energy Gaps & Solutions:
Missing Creative Energy?
Missing Execution Energy?
Missing People Energy?
🧠Why it works:
📚 Source:
Language in job posts attracts different RIASEC types. Wille & De Fruyt (2014), "Vocations as a source of identity"
The Project Matcher
Match project types to team chemistry
🚨 Situation:
Different projects need different energy combinations.
🎯 Project Types:
Innovation Projects
Execution Projects
Transformation Projects
Research Projects
🧠Why it works:
📚 Source:
Based on Belbin Team Roles research crossed with RIASEC patterns, validated through our beta user project outcomes.
Quick Chemistry Fixes
Meeting feels dead?
Add a Catalyst. They'll wake everyone up.
Too much talk, no action?
Add a Builder. They'll start making things.
Moving too fast?
Add a Guardian. They'll save you from yourself.
Stuck in the details?
Add a Visionary. They'll remind you why you started.
Team feels disconnected?
Add a Connector. They'll weave everyone together.
Ready to build your perfect team?
Start with understanding your current chemistry, then use these plays to optimize it.
Build your perfect team →