How do you create a thriving team culture when colleagues are spread across time zones and may never share a room? At the X4 Summit in Salt Lake City, I caught up with Molly Sands, Head of the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, and Emma Crockett, Head of People Insights, to explore how one of the world’s most data-driven companies approaches this challenge head-on.

In this episode, we examine the intersection of behavioral science, workplace design, and people analytics. Molly and Emma explain how Atlassian builds distributed work environments that prioritize both performance and connection. They share real-world strategies for setting clear goals, improving asynchronous communication, and designing physical workspaces that actually support modern team dynamics.

We also dig into Atlassian’s scrappy approach to experimentation, including how they test workplace ideas using behavioral data, and why a rotating role called "Chief Vibes Officer" helps drive psychological safety in distributed teams. Their approach blends evidence and empathy, challenging the idea that employee experience is either gut instinct or just another survey score.

From the role of transparency in reducing friction, to why AI struggles without structured information systems, this conversation touches on the deeper layers of modern collaboration. We also unpack the common mistakes teams make—such as clinging to Zoom fatigue rituals—and how Atlassian avoids them by focusing on better information flow.

If your organization is navigating hybrid or remote work and looking for practical, human-centered strategies, this episode offers lessons rooted in real research and tested at scale.