Episode

The surprisingly simple reason teams fail | Tessa West

Podcast
TED Business
Published
Feb 9, 2026
Duration seconds
1138
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://audiocollective.ted.com
Audio
https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/675727607205a5bc68e57057/e/698624dc45f62cfe94004fb1/media.mp3
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Markdown
/podcast/ted-business-388139/the-surprisingly-simple-reason-teams-fail-tessa-west.md

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Summary

In 1999, a NASA mission to Mars failed ... not from a technical glitch, but because people weren't talking to each other. Psychology professor Tessa West explores how assumptions, overlooked details and "hidden languages" can quietly sabotage even the smartest teams — and explores the small shifts in communication that can make a big difference in how information lands. After the talk, Modupe urges you to be brave and ask for clarification and how it can help you feel more empowered in the workplace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.