Your team loves each other so why is there still so much FRICTION?

22 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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0:42

In this segment of the YouTube video, Ashish Kothari explains his research‑based framework for team cohesion, breaking it into two core dimensions: connection and alignment. He describes a highly connected team as one where members are friendly and enjoy each other's company, but points out that without clear alignment—defined by shared goals, role clarity, and direction—friction and low cohesion still arise. The conversation highlights the common gap between knowing research findings and actually implementing them in workplace settings, emphasizing that strong interpersonal bonds alone are insufficient for effective teamwork when strategic alignment is missing.

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So this idea of cohesion comes from your own research and much broadly, right, research in the field. It's another one of those things where we know from research one thing, but we rarely practice it. It's not implemented. And you break cohesion into 2 big dimensions, connection and alignment.
Highly connected could be a team where you're like, love the people, you're best friends, feel-good environment. But poor alignment is when there's not clarity of goals, the direction, role clarity, what I'm bringing, what you're bringing. So you would think it would feel good, and it does feel good, but oftentimes there's still frustration and friction because at work we're here to do a job. So when there's lack of clarity or lack of alignment, it creates friction and low cohesion.