In Why Teams Fail Part One, we discussed the first five reasons.
Now we’ll proceed to the next five! Teams struggle because they fail to…
6. Stop disrespectful behaviors as soon as they appear. Do not allow someone on the team to disrespect others OR to disrespect those who are not present! It weakens everyone’s credibility, causes hard feelings, and impacts performance and productivity. If you don’t call them on their behavior early on, you also allow a pattern to develop which may undermine effectiveness and get in the way of achieving your goals.
And you can do this in a gentle, humorous, yet pointed way. I once heard someone use this line, “Gosh Bill, she only has the nicest things to say about you!”
7. Form friendships. When Gallup Organization identified the 12 needs of top performers in their book, “First, Break All the Rules”, they found having a “best friend at work” was a factor that fueled high performing teams. While it doesn’t mean each team must be made up of one’s “best friends” in a literal sense, it does mean that teams made up of friends can spin circles around others. Think of it – most people hesitate to let a friend down. It can backfire if the friendships are dysfunctional, but the concept is what makes social media sites so successful. People work better with people they like. It’s simple human dynamics.
8. “Fire” the folks who refuse to “play”. We all know the people who sit back, arms crossed, and let everyone else do the work. They are there in body only, they don’t contribute, and they make it clear through their non-verbals that they can’t wait to get out of there and back to their “real” work. While this is not easy to do, it’s imperative that everyone support the goal. If the goal is clearly defined, then it’s up to each individual to decide whether or not they can support it. If not – then they should self select and get out of the way so the team can move forward. Now, this doesn’t mean we should interpret vigorous debate on issues where there is not consensus – I’m talking here about people who sit on boards or serve on teams just to get their names on a report or in the newspaper.
9. Give each other permission to start over. It’s okay to admit that something didn’t work as expected, but it’s not okay to hold it against the person who came up with the idea in the first place. Make it clear that mistakes are expected and are just another way to eliminate what won’t work in order to get to the successes. Cut each other some slack. Avoid being so judgmental that you risk embarrassment later on down the line when people discover that you too are human!
10. Appreciate how powerful they are! Highly functioning teams and boards are a powerful force when they learn how to leverage the knowledge, skills, relationships, and energy possessed by people with a single purpose. The momentum they bring to any problem, decision, or direction can be unstoppable and highly influential. The force of a tornado takes time to grow, but once it’s spinning, it is a formidable thing indeed!
In Part Three of this series, I’ll offer even more tips on how to strengthen a team, board, council or club, so please don’t miss it!
