WORK PSYCHOLOGY NETWORK
Understanding
Teams and Team
Effectiveness
In-Person | Thursday 14 May 2026
London, UK
9.00 – 14.00 BST
Event
This event is free for members of CRF’s Work Psychology Network.
If you are not a member of the network and are interested in attending, please contact psychology@crforum.co.uk to find out more about joining.
Overview
Teams in the workplace play a crucial role in driving performance, yet team-working itself often fails to deliver. One common issue is a lack of clarity around what a team truly is – and isn’t. We also tend to overlook the variety of team types and their distinct purposes across different work settings.
This event will explore what work psychology tells us about team effectiveness. Why are some teams more effective than others? And what can we do to optimise team effectiveness?
Event Agenda Summary
During this event, we’ll be exploring some of the key questions around teams and team effectiveness. We’ll begin by looking at why teams are so widely valued, where they genuinely add value, and some of the common assumptions that can get in the way of good team design.
We’ll then consider what actually counts as a team, the different forms teams can take, and why understanding those differences matters. From there, we’ll look at what team effectiveness means in practice, how it can be understood and assessed, the main factors that influence how well teams work, and the practical steps organisations can take to create the right conditions for teams to succeed and to improve performance when challenges arise.
Learning Outcomes
Attendees will:
- Understand what a team really is and what a team isn’t – and how they are different from work groups.
- Appreciate the different types of teams in a workplace and the role they play.
- Identify theoretical approaches to understanding how teams function effectively.
- Explore the evidence about what makes effective teams – from leadership to composition and training.
- Share their experiences and learn from others, discussing how the theories and evidence can be applied to designing and managing work teams in their own contexts.
Who is this event for?
We expect to convene senior HR professionals with:
- A desire to enhance their understanding of organisational psychology and how it can improve employee performance and productivity.
- An interest in understanding and applying the latest academic research relating to organisational psychology.
To register for this event please ensure you are logged in. If you are not a member and interested in attending, please contact us below.
If you would like to amend or cancel your booking please contact events@crforum.co.uk.
This event is a part of CRFs Work Psychology Network
You can also attend in:
- Online – 21 May (13.00-14.00 BST)
Location
X+Why The Orchard
One Great Cumberland Place,
London, W1H 7AL
Work Psychology Network
This event is part of CRF’s Work Psychology Network which will be hosting 3 events in 2026. Find out more about the network here and see session dates/details below:
Session 1: 10 February, Predicting Performance at Work
Session 2: 14 May, Understanding Teams and Team Effectiveness
Session 3: 22 September, Feedback and Work Performance
Speakers
Prof. Rob Briner
Associate Research Director, CRF and Professor of Organisational Psychology at the School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London
Rob is Professor of Organizational Psychology at Queen Mary, University of London and Associate Research Director at CRF. He is also currently a Visiting Professor of Evidence-Based HRM at Birkbeck University of London and Professor at Oslo Nye Høyskole. He was previously co-founder and Scientific Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management and has held positions at the Institute for Employment Studies, London School of Economics, Kings’s College (University of London), Bath University and University of Edinburgh. His publishing and research focus on topics including wellbeing, emotions, stress, motivation and everyday work behaviour.
John Whelan MBE
Director, CRF
John Whelan is a Director at Corporate Research Forum. Formerly UK HR Director of BAE Systems, the FTSE 100 defence, security, and aerospace company, John’s experience and strengths lie in business and HR Transformation, Organisation Development and Employee Relations. Prior to joining BAE, he held a variety of HR roles in engineering, technology and manufacturing businesses across the telecommunications and semi-conductor industries including Matra-Marconi Space where he was HR Director for the UK and, latterly, Group HRD.
