Team Lab
Team Lab
Podcast Description
Team Lab: Reimagining the Way We Work—a podcast dedicated to exploring the power of teams, the science and art of collaboration, and the magic of thriving relationships at work.
Hosted by Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell, who've spent years coaching and empowering leaders across the tech industry and beyond, Team Lab invites you to rethink teams—not as hierarchical machines, but as vibrant, living ecosystems.
Each episode features relatable conversations, honest insights, and practical wisdom from pioneering leaders, systemic team coaches, and innovative changemakers. We'll uncover how successful teams build trust, foster alignment, navigate complexity, and unlock creativity. We even weave in listener submitted challenges and provide practical advice on how to move forward.
Whether you're a team leader, team member, coach, or facilitator, you'll walk away inspired and equipped with fresh perspectives on teamwork and collaboration.
**SUBMIT YOUR 'STICKY' TEAM DYNAMIC CHALLENGES HERE for a chance to hear us unpack it on one of our future episodes: https://forms.gle/d8tjzqgxJVYnhtTN8 **
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on team dynamics, collaboration science, and relationship-building within organizations, with episodes delving into topics such as the importance of psychological safety, practical exercises for team cohesion, and strategies for navigating team dysfunctions.
Team Lab: Reimagining the Way We Work—a podcast dedicated to exploring the power of teams, the science and art of collaboration, and the magic of thriving relationships at work.
Hosted by Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell, who’ve spent years coaching and empowering leaders across the tech industry and beyond, Team Lab invites you to rethink teams—not as hierarchical machines, but as vibrant, living ecosystems.
Each episode features relatable conversations, honest insights, and practical wisdom from pioneering leaders, systemic team coaches, and innovative changemakers. We’ll uncover how successful teams build trust, foster alignment, navigate complexity, and unlock creativity. We even weave in listener submitted challenges and provide practical advice on how to move forward.
Whether you’re a team leader, team member, coach, or facilitator, you’ll walk away inspired and equipped with fresh perspectives on teamwork and collaboration.
**SUBMIT YOUR ‘STICKY’ TEAM DYNAMIC CHALLENGES HERE for a chance to hear us unpack it on one of our future episodes: https://forms.gle/d8tjzqgxJVYnhtTN8 **
What happens when you’re a capable leader trapped in a challenging organizational culture?
How do you create value and showcase your team’s worth when you’re dealing with controlling stakeholders, chaotic planning processes, and an authoritarian leadership style that permeates the entire organization?
In this special solo episode of Team Lab, hosts Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell unpack a real listener situation from ‘Holly*’, a senior director at a large software company navigating the complexities of a highly matrixed, high-pressure environment with challenging stakeholder dynamics.
This episode explores the systemic nature of workplace dysfunction, practical tools for building psychological safety, and strategies for creating positive change from within – even when you feel like “a small cog in an important wheel deep inside the machine.”
*Names and details anonymized.
Tools and Techniques from the Episode
Two-by-Two Stakeholder Matrix: Map stakeholders by influence level and relationship quality to identify gaps.
“Walk in My Shoes” Exercise: Empty chair technique for building empathy and understanding across roles.
Design Alliance/Rules of Engagement: Creating team contracts for communication and decision-making.
Red Card/Green Card System: Behavioral feedback tools for team accountability.
“Yes, And” Communication: Improv-based technique for building on ideas rather than shutting them down.
More Resources
Need advice about a sticky situation with your team? Head to teamlabatwork.com, click the ‘Submit a Team Dynamic Story’ button and you just may hear it unpacked on a future episode!
“The Heart Aroused” by David Whyte – Referenced book on bringing humanity to corporate environments
About Team Lab
Team Lab explores the power of teams, the science and art of collaboration, and the magic of thriving relationships at work. Hosted by Angela Migliaccio and Cori Caldwell, this podcast brings you inspiring stories and insights to help you build trust, foster alignment, and unlock creativity in your teams.
Follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe/follow here to never miss an episode!
Team Lab’s theme music was composed and performed by @subrasonic
Disclaimer
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