The Secret to Building a High-Performing Team with JP Pawliw-Fry
Author: Theresa Beenken CEO, National Speakers Bureau – inspired by the work of performance coaches JP Pawliw Fry and Bill Benjamin
What’s your team’s last 8%?
The Fall issue of Harvard Business Review just revealed game-changing research on team performance – and our clients got a sneak peek months ago during our exclusive webinar with author and National Speakers Bureau speaker JP Pawliw-Fry.
The 8% Communication Gap That’s Holding Teams Back
Here’s what the research uncovered:
“Teams need to be able to take risks—from making hard decisions, to naming inconvenient truths, to having a hard conversation—in order to be successful. But human biology makes risk-taking the exception, rather than the rule.
In conversations, people tend to leave out an average 7.56%—rounded up to 8%—of what they want to say. They are comfortable discussing the first 92%, but when they get to the more challenging parts—those with the biggest consequences—they avoid having the full conversation.”
The cost? Missed opportunities, unresolved conflicts, and teams that plateau instead of breakthrough.
The Solution: Connection + Courage
Harvard Business Review’s surveys identified two critical elements for cultivating smart risk-taking:
✅ Connection – Building psychological safety within teams
✅ Courage – Creating environments where difficult conversations happen
Teams ranking high in both elements consistently outperform those falling into other categories.
Bringing This Research to Your Organization
JP Pawliw-Fry combines Harvard Business Review insights with real-world application, helping leadership teams:
Identify their organization’s “8% gaps”
Build psychological safety for courageous conversations
Transform team dynamics through evidence-based strategies
Create measurable improvements in performance and innovation
Events Focused On: Culture transformation • Team performance • Change management • Psychological safety • Leadership development
I’ve personally committed to acknowledging that last 8% that often goes unspoken – and saying it out loud. The results? Meaningful change, both personally and professionally. Not easy but worth it.
Your turn: What are you holding back that, if spoken, could make a difference going forward?
*Source: JP Pawliw-Fry, “The Secret to Building a High-Performing Team,” Harvard Business Review, Fall 2025
National Speakers Bureau has been connecting organizations with evidence-based leadership experts for over 50 years. Our speakers don’t just share insights – they provide actionable frameworks your teams can implement immediately.
