The research

The science behind
the six conditions.

Built on decades of research in team performance and retention.
Refined through direct work with leaders and teams across industries.

70%

of engagement is driven by the manager. Not pay. Not perks.

Gallup · State of the Global Workplace
#1

factor in high-performing teams: psychological safety.

Google · Project Aristotle
50%

lower turnover risk when people feel they belong.

BetterUp · Belonging Report
Why these conditions

When these conditions are strong, everything else follows.

These six conditions aren't theoretical. When they hold, teams perform at a completely different level. When they break down, performance and retention follow.

Pillar 01

Safety.

Am I safe here?

Psychological Safety01
Workload & Resources02
Fairness & Recognition03
Pillar 02

Understanding.

Do I understand what's expected and how I contribute?

Role Clarity & Agency04
Pillar 03

Connection.

Do I belong here?

Belonging & Meaning05
Manager Relationship06
The pulse

What your team actually sees.

18 simple questions across six conditions.

Groundwork Pulse · Q2 2026
3 of 18
Your honest response matters · Anonymous
Psychological Safety
I can make a mistake on this team without being afraid of how others will react.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Workload & Resources
I have enough time during my shift to do my work well.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Fairness & Recognition
When I do good work, the recognition feels genuine.
1
2
3
4
5
Strongly disagreeStrongly agree
Qualitative layer
Numbers tell you where. Words tell you why.
Prompt 01
What is something leadership may not fully understand about what it feels like to work here?
Prompt 02
What most helps your team do great work, and what most gets in the way?
Prompt 03
If one thing changed in the next 90 days, what would make the biggest difference?
Methodology

How we measure.

01 · Scoring

Zero to 100, per condition.

Each condition scores 0 to 100. The lowest is automatically flagged as your focus for the cycle.

02 · Anonymity

Completely anonymous.

Responses are never tied to individuals. A four-response minimum prevents identification on small teams.

03 · Cadence

Quarterly pulses.

Quarterly pulses show what's actually improving over time.

04 · Sample size

We won't report a score we don't trust.

A minimum number of responses is required before a score is shown.

Measure what matters

Measurement is the foundation.

Without it, you're guessing about the thing that matters most.