Understanding Team Dynamics: The Real Mechanics of Allied Health Teams

Welcome to the first edition of a five-part newsletter series exploring one of the most important — and often underestimated — aspects of working in allied health: team dynamics.

Whether you work in a hospital, a community outreach program, private practice, or an NGO, collaboration with others is part of our job and profession. However, effective collaboration isn't just about attending handovers or multidisciplinary meetings. It's about understanding and managing the underlying currents that shape how we relate to one another, communicate, and work toward common goals.

In this edition, I unpack the core concepts behind team dynamics and explore the most common challenges faced by allied health professionals working in multidisciplinary teams. This foundational understanding will set the stage for the rest of the series, where we'll dive into collaboration, conflict, growth, and leadership.

What Are Team Dynamics?

Team dynamics refer to the unconscious and conscious forces that influence how a team works together. These include interpersonal relationships, communication styles, role clarity, power structures, and cultural influences that shape group behaviour.

You've likely felt team dynamics at play before — that unspoken tension in a meeting, the sense of trust between long-term colleagues, or the awkward silence when conflict is being avoided.

Good team dynamics don't happen by accident. They are cultivated through intention, self-awareness, and shared purpose.

Why This Matters in Allied Health

As always, I want to clarify why the topics I discuss in my newsletters are important for our industry. Allied health is built on diversity—of roles, perspectives, and expertise. That is its strength. But it also means we must constantly negotiate differences, clarify boundaries, and build bridges across professions.

Poor team dynamics can quietly undermine even the most skilled and well-intentioned teams. They often result in miscommunication, clinical errors, and inefficiencies in service delivery. Over time, this can contribute to practitioner burnout, conflict in values, and a gradual erosion of professional confidence, all of which fuel toxic workplace cultures. 

In contrast, strong and healthy team dynamics create the foundation for better client outcomes, a more enjoyable and sustainable work environment, and richer opportunities for learning and growth. They strengthen your professional identity and support long-term career development. In short, how we work together doesn't just affect the clients we serve—it directly shapes the careers we build and the satisfaction we experience in our roles.

Core Concepts of Team Dynamics

Let’s start by breaking down some of the key ideas that influence team behaviour.

1. Psychological Safety

The term psychological safety was introduced by Amy Edmondson, a Harvard researcher. It refers to a team environment where individuals feel safe to speak up with their ideas, ask questions, admit mistakes, and challenge the status quo. 

Without psychological safety, allied health practitioners may remain silent during care planning, avoid sharing alternative clinical views, or hide concerns about risks. Over time, this breeds disengagement, frustration, and poor client outcomes.

2. Role Clarity and Respect

Every discipline has its scope of practice. However, because these scopes often overlap, confusion or tension can easily arise—especially when multiple professionals work toward similar goals with the same client.

Role clarity isn't just about knowing your boundaries; it also requires understanding and respecting your colleagues' expertise. It means recognising where roles complement one another and knowing how to navigate shared responsibilities with open communication and mutual trust—so collaboration happens without stepping on toes.

3. Power and Hierarchy

Power in healthcare isn't always tied to job titles. In allied health settings, it can emerge from a variety of sources—such as years of experience, professional discipline, communication style, or personal relationships with leadership. These power dynamics influence whose voice is heard in meetings, how decisions are made, and who receives recognition or is held accountable when challenges arise. 

Often subtle, these dynamics can shape a team's culture in powerful ways. Recognising them allows you to navigate your workplace more consciously and ensures that all voices—including your own—are valued, respected, and included in the collaborative process.

4. Communication Norms

Every team naturally develops its own communication culture, shaped by how information is shared—whether through emails, meetings, or handovers—as well as the tone that is considered acceptable, such as whether communication tends to be direct, indirect, formal, or informal. It also includes how feedback is delivered, which may range from constructive and collaborative to avoidant or top-down. 

Communication problems often arise when these patterns are inconsistent, unclear, or emotionally charged, leading to misunderstandings or conflict. 

In contrast, strong teams prioritise open, respectful, and timely communication, and they understand the importance of adapting their approach based on the context and the individual needs of team members.

5. Emotional Intelligence

Your ability to navigate your own emotions—and to understand the emotions of others—is a powerful asset when it comes to team dynamics. Emotional intelligence in team settings involves self-awareness, such as recognising why a particular comment may have triggered you; empathy, which allows you to consider what might be going on for a colleague beneath the surface; and emotional regulation, which helps you choose a constructive response rather than a reactive one. Strong teams aren't made up of perfect individuals but emotionally intelligent practitioners willing to reflect, adapt, and grow together.

Common Challenges in Allied Health Team Dynamics

With the above concepts in mind, let's explore some of the most frequent challenges you might face in multidisciplinary allied health teams — and why they arise.

1. Role Confusion or Overlap

Many allied health disciplines can provide similar services — for example, social workers, psychologists, and occupational therapists may all deliver counselling. This can lead to:

• Defensive behaviour or gatekeeping

• Passive role avoidance ("That's not my job.”)

• Confusion for clients

What helps: Clear communication, service mapping, and a strengths-based lens ("How can we each add value here?")

2. Different Philosophies or Approaches

An OT's focus on functional skills may differ from a psychologist's focus on trauma narratives or a speech pathologist's emphasis on communication tools.

If these perspectives aren't openly explored, they can feel conflicting — even when they're actually complementary.

What helps: Creating space for collaborative care planning and reflective conversations about how each discipline views the client's needs.

3. Communication Breakdowns

This may include:

• Important updates being missed

• Inconsistent documentation

• Mismatched expectations between services

These breakdowns aren't always about individual failings — sometimes, the system isn't designed for transparent information sharing.

What helps: Agreed-upon communication processes (e.g., shared notes, team briefings, regular case reviews).

4. Burnout and Low Morale

When practitioners are overwhelmed, stretched, or unsupported, it impacts how they show up in teams. Irritability, withdrawal, and cynicism become common.

What helps: Awareness that burnout is systemic, not personal — and fostering a culture of kindness, validation, and mutual support.

5. Toxic Behaviours

Sometimes, team dynamics become unhealthy due to:

• Gossip or cliques

• Passive aggression or undermining

• Micromanagement or bullying

These behaviours often reflect deeper organisational issues, but they impact team culture and individual well-being.

What helps: Addressing concerns early, modelling professionalism, and using clinical supervision as a safe space for reflection.

6. Fear of Speaking Up

Especially for early-career professionals or those in casual roles, there may be a fear of:

• Offending others

• Being "wrong"

• Damaging workplace relationships

This can silence important clinical insights or safety concerns.

What helps: Teams that foster psychological safety and mentorship — where questioning is welcomed, and learning is valued.

Reflection Questions

Take a few minutes to reflect on your own experience with team dynamics. You might journal or bring your answers to your next clinical supervision session.

• How would I describe the team culture where I currently work?

• Do I feel safe to speak up when I have concerns or ideas?

• Are there any recurring challenges I face in team interactions?

• What assumptions do I make about other disciplines — and how might that affect collaboration?

• What strengths do I bring to my team?

Your Takeaway: You’re Not Alone

Navigating team dynamics is not a sign that something is wrong with you — it's a natural, ongoing part of working in healthcare. You're dealing with multiple perspectives, high-pressure environments, complex client needs, and human emotions.

The good news? With awareness, language, and support, you can develop the skills to contribute meaningfully to your team, protect your own well-being, and grow professionally.

This edition has laid the foundation for this series. In the next edition, I'll shift the lens from understanding to action, exploring how to reframe teamwork from competition to collaboration and how to strengthen professional relationships with practical tools.

Coming Up Next…

Edition 2: Reframing Teamwork — From Competition to Collaboration & Practical Strategies to Build Stronger Team Connections

I’ll explore:

• The competitive mindset in allied health (and how to challenge it)

• Practical relationship-building techniques

• How to lead from where you are