What’s the real reason some teams thrive while others constantly struggle to meet deadlines, communicate clearly, or align on goals? More often than not, it comes down to one thing: collaboration. And yet, too many teams operate without really understanding how well—or how poorly—they work together.
Companies that promote collaboration are five times more likely to be high-performing compared to those that don’t. On top of that, collaborative workers are 64% more likely to stay focused on tasks than those working alone. That kind of impact can’t be ignored—yet many teams still struggle to collaborate effectively, leading to miscommunication, frustration, and missed opportunities.
The good news? You don’t have to guess how your team is doing.
Well-crafted team collaboration survey questions can give you clear insights into what's working and what needs to change. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the most effective questions to ask—and how to use those answers to drive real improvement across your team.
Why Measuring Team Collaboration Matters
When a team works well together, everything runs smoother—projects stay on track, ideas flow freely, and morale stays high.
But when collaboration breaks down, even small tasks can become frustrating and inefficient. That’s why it’s important not just to assume things are going well but to actually measure how your team collaborates.
Measuring collaboration gives you a clearer picture of what’s happening beneath the surface. It helps you understand how your team communicates, solves problems, makes decisions, and supports one another. Without this insight, it’s easy to overlook bottlenecks, unspoken frustrations, or misalignment that might be holding your team back.
The right team collaboration survey questions can reveal patterns you wouldn’t catch in day-to-day conversations. Are certain team members consistently left out of the loop? Are meetings dragging on without outcomes? Is there a lack of trust that’s keeping people from sharing honest feedback?
By asking the right questions, you can uncover what’s working—and more importantly, what’s not—so you can take meaningful steps to improve collaboration and boost overall team performance.
What Makes a Good Team Collaboration Survey Question?
Not all survey questions are created equal. If you want honest, useful responses that lead to real improvement, the questions you ask need to be clear, specific, and thoughtfully designed. A good team collaboration survey question doesn’t just skim the surface—it encourages employees to reflect on their experiences and share meaningful insights.
Here’s what makes a question truly effective:
- It focuses on behaviors, not personalities: Ask about what people do—not who they are. Instead of judging traits, focus on habits and interactions that influence teamwork.
- It uses simple, direct language: Avoid vague terms or jargon like “synergy” or “optimize communication flow.” Clarity leads to better responses.
- It includes a mix of question types: Use scaled questions to spot trends and open-ended ones to capture deeper, more personal feedback.
- It creates space for honesty: Let your team know their answers are anonymous and will be taken seriously, not used against them.
- It speaks to real, everyday experiences: Stick to what actually happens on the ground—tools, meetings, communication, and decision-making—not abstract concepts.
When your questions are clear and thoughtful, you’re not just gathering data—you’re building a stronger foundation for collaboration.
Team Collaboration Survey Questions to Ask
Once you know what makes a good question, it’s time to start asking the right ones. Grouping your questions by theme can help you zero in on specific aspects of collaboration, like communication, trust, and leadership support, so you get well-rounded, actionable feedback.
Here are key focus areas to explore, along with sample team collaboration survey questions you can use or customize based on your team’s needs:
Communication
Strong collaboration starts with strong communication. If team members aren’t sharing information clearly or regularly, it can slow everything down. These questions help you identify communication breakdowns or areas where clarity is lacking:
- On a scale of 1 to 5, how clear is the communication within your team?
- Do you feel comfortable sharing your ideas or concerns with the team?
- How often do you experience misunderstandings during team projects?
- Do team members actively listen to each other during discussions?
- Are project updates and decisions communicated in a timely way?
💡 Try This: If communication scores are low, experiment with structured updates (like weekly stand-ups or regular check-ins), shared team dashboards, or feedback channels to improve the way information flows. Random coffee chats and programs like Exec Encounters also give team members from different levels an avenue for continuous feedback.
Trust and Psychological Safety
If people don’t feel safe speaking up, collaboration suffers. Trust and psychological safety are the foundation of honest conversations, healthy conflict, and creative problem-solving. These questions can help you uncover whether team members feel supported, respected, and valued:
- Do you feel safe expressing your honest opinions during team discussions?
- Can you admit to making a mistake without fear of negative consequences?
- Do you trust your teammates to follow through on commitments?
- Are disagreements handled respectfully and constructively within the team?
- Do you believe your contributions are genuinely valued by your peers?
💡 Try This: If trust feels shaky, start building it through small wins—encourage peer recognition, host regular check-ins, or use anonymous suggestion tools to give everyone a voice. Coffee Maker Questions can also help team members process current collaboration efforts through relevant questions in Slack or MS Teams channels.
Collaboration Tools and Processes
Even the best teams can struggle if the tools and systems they rely on aren’t up to the task. Whether it’s project management software, messaging platforms, or workflow processes, it’s important to understand if these tools are helping or hindering collaboration. These questions will help you find out:
- Are the tools we use effective for collaborating on tasks and projects?
- Do you feel confident using the team’s collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Teams, project boards)?
- How well do our current workflows support teamwork and shared accountability?
- Are there any tools or processes that regularly create confusion or delays?
- Do you feel you have access to the resources you need to do your job well with others?
💡 Try This: If tools or processes are a pain point, invite your team to suggest small improvements—sometimes a tweak to a workflow or switching to a simpler tool can make a big difference. Try programs like Team Blender and The Shoe Swap to improve cross-team relationships.
Team Alignment and Goals
When everyone is on the same page, collaboration feels effortless. But if roles, priorities, or goals are unclear, teams can easily drift off course. These questions help you assess how aligned your team is and whether everyone understands the bigger picture:
- Do you clearly understand your role in achieving the team’s goals?
- How well do you understand the team’s priorities for the next quarter?
- Do you feel the team is working toward shared objectives?
- Are individual responsibilities clearly defined and communicated?
- Do you feel your work contributes meaningfully to the team’s success?
💡 Try This: If alignment is lacking, try setting aside time for regular team syncs or project kickoff sessions to clarify goals, priorities, and roles. Visual tools like roadmaps or shared timelines can also help.
Meeting Effectiveness
Meetings can either boost collaboration or drain your team’s time and energy. The goal is to make them purposeful, inclusive, and efficient. These survey questions help reveal whether your meetings are hitting the mark—or just taking up space on the calendar:
- Are team meetings a good use of your time?
- Do meetings have clear agendas and outcomes?
- Does everyone have a chance to speak and contribute during meetings?
- How often do team meetings result in clear next steps or decisions?
- Do you feel included and engaged in team discussions?
💡 Try This: If meetings are missing the mark, experiment with rotating facilitators, using collaborative agendas, or holding brief, casual check-ins in the form of virtual coffee chats to keep things light and efficient between longer sessions.
Mistakes to Avoid When Running a Collaboration Survey
Crafting great team collaboration survey questions is only part of the process. If the survey itself is poorly timed, confusing, or not followed up with action, even the best questions won’t lead to meaningful change.
Here are a few common missteps to avoid:
- Asking leading or biased questions: Questions that suggest a “right” answer can make employees hesitant to respond honestly. Keep wording neutral and open-ended.
- Making the survey too long: If it feels like a chore, people are less likely to complete it, or they’ll rush through. Aim for quality over quantity.
- Skipping the follow-up: Gathering responses is just step one. If employees don’t see changes or at least a discussion afterward, they may not bother participating next time.
- Running surveys too infrequently (or too often): A one-off survey won’t give you a full picture, but constant surveys can lead to fatigue. Find a cadence that makes sense for your team—quarterly or biannually works well for most.
- Not explaining why the survey matters: People are more likely to engage when they know their input will lead to real improvements. Set the context before sending it out.
Avoiding these mistakes can help you build trust in the process and get the kind of honest feedback that leads to better team collaboration.
Keep the Momentum Going
Team collaboration doesn’t improve overnight, and it definitely doesn’t improve after just one survey. Real change comes from making collaboration a consistent part of how your team works, communicates, and grows together.
Once you’ve gathered feedback, continue building that culture of openness. Encourage regular team check-ins, use casual moments like virtual coffee chats to strengthen relationships, and keep creating opportunities for people to connect across roles and departments. Platforms like CoffeePals can help spark ongoing conversations that reinforce collaboration and trust, without adding another formal meeting to the calendar.
The more your team feels heard and supported, the more willing they’ll be to share, align, and work together toward shared goals. And that’s the kind of momentum that leads to lasting improvement.
Ready to learn more about team collaboration? Read this next: Creating a Healthy Work Environment: The Key to Positive, Inclusive, and Collaborative Teams
