The 10-Minute Test That Reveals if Your Team Will Succeed
Aug 11, 2025
I can usually tell within ten minutes whether a team will hit their goals—without seeing a single KPI or performance report. All I have to do is listen to them talk.
Years of working with leadership teams—both thriving and struggling—have taught me that the difference between success and stagnation is audible.
It’s like hearing someone speak a language they’ve only just learned. You catch the pauses, the overly literal responses, the lack of shared shortcuts.
In business, I call this “foreign language mode” versus being fluent in the language of results.
When a team is in foreign language mode, you hear:
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People taking turns, but ideas don’t connect.
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Responses framed in the third person: We should, They should.
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Answers that stick to the surface rather than connecting to the bigger goal.
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Tentative energy, waiting for the “right” answer.
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Conversations that feel flat and uninspired.
When a team is fluent in results language, you hear:
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Ideas building and moving forward quickly.
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The why naturally embedded in answers.
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Pace, focus, and a sense of progress you can feel.
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First-person ownership of ideas, assumptions, and even emotions.
I’ve helped leadership teams make this shift, and the transformation is powerful.
Once you’ve heard the difference, you can’t un-hear it.
Once a team has felt the difference, they never want to go back.
If your team is talking a lot but not truly connecting, you’re losing time, energy, and momentum.
I help leadership teams speak the language of results—so every conversation drives progress, alignment, and growth.
Ready to turn meetings into momentum?
Email me at [email protected] or visit hooper-rees.com to get started.