Most organizations measure engineering performance with numbers. Velocity, throughput, and code quality are often the focus. These metrics are useful, but they don’t tell the full story.
Engineering leader Lizzie Matusov argues that social factors are just as important. Trust, autonomy, purpose, and psychological safety all play a big role in how teams perform. In many cases, these “social drivers” explain why one team thrives while another struggles.
High-Performing Teams Balance Tech and People
Strong software teams do more than write clean code or deliver features fast. They deliver real value to users. They also maintain a healthy culture built on collaboration, well-being, and improvement.
Technical drivers measure efficiency and quality of work. Social drivers measure the environment that makes the work possible. If leaders ignore social drivers, they miss half the picture.
The Four Key Social Drivers (TAPPs)
Matusov uses the TAPPs framework: Trust, Autonomy, Purpose, and Psychological Safety.
- Trust: Teams that trust each other deliver more. In a study with over 600 engineers, 40% of the top productivity factors were related to trust.
- Autonomy: Managers should set clear goals but let teams decide how to reach them. Autonomy builds ownership and speeds up progress.
- Purpose: When teams see how their work connects to business outcomes, they stay motivated. The DORA Report shows that teams with strong purpose consistently perform better.
- Psychological Safety: Teams need to feel safe to take risks and speak openly. High safety leads to more innovation and better solutions for users.
Measure What Matters
Improving performance starts with measuring both tech and social drivers. You can’t fix what you don’t understand.
Matusov suggests a simple loop called “Build, Review, Drive”:
- Build a process: Run short surveys each month or quarter to track trends.
- Review with curiosity: Look for patterns, not single points. Ask “why” before jumping to conclusions.
- Drive change: Use the insights to take action. For example, if low autonomy slows code reviews, fix the process to give teams more ownership.
The Takeaway
Technical metrics matter. But social drivers often explain why teams succeed or stall. Trust, autonomy, purpose, and psychological safety give engineers the environment they need to perform at their best.
Leaders who measure and invest in both technical and social drivers will build teams that are not only efficient, but also motivated, resilient, and innovative.
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