#27: Better collaboration starts with state of mind, Not strategy
85% of workplace collaboration is inefficient (link).
Teams spin in meetings, misalign on priorities, and struggle to drive real impact. Why? Because they jump straight to Strategy—without aligning on the State of mind they’re operating from.
State is the underlying mindsets, beliefs, and emotions shaping how you show up (e.g., I am feeling hopeless today).
Story is the internal narrative you’re telling yourself about yourself or your team (e.g., Nothing that our team does will matter).
Strategy is the actions you take in response (e.g., Creating OKRs as a team).
This idea comes from Tony Robbins, and I’ve used it daily for years to shift from feeling stuck to taking action. And it doesn’t just work for individuals—it’s a game-changer for cross-functional teams.
We live in uncertain times—families, companies, and even geopolitics feel unstable. That uncertainty leaks into how teams work together. The solution? Focusing on State before Story before Strategy.
Why Most Teams Struggle with Collaboration
Most cross-functional teams focus on strategy first. They align on OKRs, create roadmaps, set deadlines… but still find themselves misaligned, overwhelmed, or stuck in analysis paralysis.
The missing step? State-changing activities.
Here’s where teams go wrong:
They jump into Strategy without checking their State. Teams operate from exhaustion, stress, and uncertainty—leading to reactive decision-making.
They reinforce unhelpful Stories. If the team believes “we always work in silos” or “leadership doesn’t care,” their actions will reflect that.
They wonder why collaboration feels so hard. Strategy without alignment on State leads to miscommunication, burnout, and inefficiency.
But when teams intentionally shift their State together, everything changes.
State > Story > Strategy
How This Framework Works
Old Way (How Teams Typically Work)
Strategy: “We need to align on this roadmap, but no one is on the same page… let’s debate for an hour.”
Story: “This always happens. We never collaborate well. Our process is broken.” (often unsaid)
State: Frustration, stress, and disengagement. (also often unspoken until the yearly employee engagement survey)
New Way (A More Effective Approach)
State: “We’re noticing a lack of clarity and energy. Let’s step back and reset - maybe a working session or a fun warmup instead of another status meeting.”
New Story: “We’ve done great work before, and we can find alignment through small experiments.”
New Strategy: “Let’s run a quick prototype, get feedback, and iterate—rather than getting stuck debating hypotheticals.”
When teams change their State together, they build trust, work with energy, and create better solutions—faster.
Try This With Your Team Today
Identify your team’s current State. Are people drained? Uncertain? Operating from fear? Acknowledge it.
Introduce State-changing activities. Instead of another Strategy meeting, try a change of environment, small wins celebration, or a fun problem-solving workshop.
Watch the Story shift. When the team feels energized and connected, their mindset changes. And from there—a better Strategy follows.
Most teams reward Strategy work, not State-changing activities. But the best teams? They know that great collaboration starts with how people feel before what they do.
How can you invest in State Change to improve your team’s impact?
Whenever you are ready, there are 4 ways my team and I can help your organization:
Sprints: Get proof an idea will work (or not) in days or weeks. Not months or years
Coaching & Training: Equip your workforce to build more customer-focused solutions
All Hands Workshops: Turn your All Hands meetings + conferences into immediate results
Ways of Working: Launch behavior change interventions before investing significant resources