We often talk about team performance in terms of strategy, skills, or leadership. Yet there is another hidden layer that influences how teams behave and perform—the quiet weight of shared trauma. Sometimes subtle, sometimes stark, shared trauma lives in our stories and the spaces between team members. It shapes culture, group energy, and the possibilities for trust and collaboration. Recognizing its presence is not only a path toward healthier results but also toward greater maturity and care in our workplaces.
What do we mean by shared trauma?
When people think of trauma, the mind usually goes to personal experience: loss, accidents, or conflict. But groups are not immune to collective shocks. An organization may lay off staff, endure scandals, or experience sudden leadership changes. A community may suffer from disasters or long-standing discrimination. Teams too can suffer when exposed to high stress, unresolved conflict, or constant uncertainty. Shared trauma is what remains in the system after these events—it lives in what is spoken, and more often, what is not.
Shared trauma forms when a group experiences a distressing or destabilizing event together, resulting in collective emotional impact that lingers beyond the situation itself.We have seen this play out both in small and large settings: a department that loses a beloved leader; a startup navigating sudden market downturns; hospital teams facing crisis after crisis. Even if everyone experiences things differently, the impact is woven into the group's dynamic, affecting team spirit, motivation, and patterns of relating.
What is kept silent ends up being carried by everyone.
How shared trauma shapes team performance
Although teams might move forward after an event, the underlying impact of shared trauma often continues to shape their daily working lives. Its influence is complex and multi-layered:
- Communication: Open conversation becomes risky. People may avoid sensitive topics, or overreact when they are mentioned. Misunderstandings become common.
- Trust: Collective setbacks make members hesitate to rely on each other, fearing disappointment or betrayal.
- Motivation: Energy drops. When groups are stuck in survival mode, creativity and initiative can fade.
- Decision-making: Teams may become overly cautious or, sometimes, impulsive. Both avoidance and rushed actions become the norm.
- Role confusion: Old hierarchies or routines break down, with no new patterns emerging. Team members might feel unanchored, unsure of their place.
For instance, in our experience, after a rapid re-organization, a once lively group can suddenly seem disengaged and slow to connect. Meetings might feel heavier. Humor fades. People show up, but as if unseen weights hold them back. Even teams with skilled individuals can notice a thinning of psychological safety, making real collaboration feel difficult.
The hidden symptoms: How does shared trauma manifest?
Some signs of shared trauma in teams are obvious, like open conflict or high turnover. Others are less visible, yet just as powerful:
- Recurring arguments about old issues that never seem fully resolved.
- Unexpected outbursts or sudden silences in meetings.
- Avoidance of group activities or reduced informal social contact.
- Widespread cynicism, skepticism, or jokes that mask deeper pain.
- Difficulty welcoming new members or integrating fresh ideas.
When we look at these patterns, they often reflect an attempt to manage or contain strong, unspoken feelings: grief, anxiety, anger, or loss. Sometimes, a telling sign is that several people acknowledge "something feels off," but cannot quite name it.
Old pain in a system shows up as present difficulties, often disguised as personality conflicts or procedural problems.This can be even harder to recognize if teams are high-performing on paper, meeting targets but doing so with growing strain or emotional distance.
Why visibility changes everything
One of our ongoing learnings is that simply naming the presence of shared trauma begins to change the energy in a team. Making room for feelings, for stories, and for what needs to be acknowledged is the first step out of stagnation. After all:
We cannot change what we avoid seeing.
Visibility does not solve everything, but it opens the door for movement. Patterns that felt stuck begin to loosen. Team members may finally have language for what has silently affected them, and leaders can stop trying to "fix" issues without understanding their roots.
By recognizing shared trauma, we give teams a chance to move from reactive patterns toward conscious, healthy action.Moving toward integration: What helps teams heal?
Healing from shared trauma is a gradual process, and every group’s path looks a little different. In our experience, certain practices support this journey more effectively:
- Open acknowledgment: Allowing space for the event or situation to be named. Sometimes a simple statement—"Our team went through something hard"—can be a turning point.
- Creating safe spaces: Designing conversations where listening is the focus, not quick solutions, helps people feel seen and reduces isolation.
- Rituals or collective gestures: Marking transitions, honoring losses, or celebrating survival builds shared meaning and connection.
- Inviting outside perspectives: Sometimes, the support of a coach or facilitator is valuable to hold space for tough conversations and notice patterns otherwise invisible from the inside.
- Patience: Integration is rarely fast. Permission to feel, to slow down, and to regroup can be healing in itself.
It is also helpful to check in regularly after periods of disruption. Opportunities to review what has changed—and what has not—anchor teams in reality and encourage shared ownership of the way forward.
Looking forward: Collective maturity and choice
Teams marked by shared trauma are not broken teams. They are groups that have been asked to hold more than their fair share of reality. With visibility and care, they can recover a stronger sense of agency, trust, and connection. We have seen groups once weighed down by silence and confusion regain not just performance, but a deeper sense of purpose and unity. Their relationships become more real, and their results, more sustainable.
Shared trauma, when recognized and transformed, has the power to make a team more human—and, ultimately, more capable of wise, conscious action.Frequently asked questions
What is shared trauma in a team?
Shared trauma in a team happens when a group of people collectively experiences a stressful or distressing event, which leaves a lasting emotional impact that goes beyond individual reactions. This impact influences how the team thinks, feels, interacts, and works—even if the event is no longer openly discussed.
How does shared trauma affect performance?
Shared trauma can lower engagement, weaken trust, and disrupt communication among team members. Teams may find themselves repeating old arguments, avoiding sensitive topics, or struggling to innovate. Over time, these responses can lead to decreased motivation and affect the team's results, because people may feel stuck or disconnected from each other.
How can teams cope with shared trauma?
Teams can cope with shared trauma by giving space for open conversations, listening to each other’s experiences, and naming what has happened without blame. Leaders can support this by being honest, encouraging patience, and sometimes inviting outside guidance to help hold the space. Marking changes with rituals and ongoing check-ins also helps the team to integrate their experiences and move forward.
What are signs of shared trauma at work?
Some signs include a drop in team spirit, sudden conflicts, avoidance of group activities, frequent misunderstandings, and increased cynicism. Team members may also report feeling “off” or less connected, and the group might show resistance to new ideas or people. These symptoms are often subtle but signal that more support may be needed.
How to support teammates after shared trauma?
Supporting teammates starts with empathy—being present, listening without judgment, and acknowledging that the experience mattered. Providing safe spaces for discussion, encouraging small steps back toward normalcy, and seeking help when required can make a meaningful difference. Simple gestures, such as checking in one-on-one, can go a long way in rebuilding trust and connection within the team.
