Team Makes And Breaks
When 2 or more people are gathered to achieve a common goal, we have a team with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. When teams operate optimally innovation, engagement, and performance are elevated and workplace wellbeing is supported.
Some of us have been part of a productive, cohesive team and some of us have had the unfortunate experience of a fractured team where personal attacks are common and accountability is displaced with finger pointing.
Seven key makes and breaks of teams:
1. Leadership – poor or non-existent leadership leaves teams rudderless and unmotivated to perform. The employee brand is marred, and the relationships of future potential hires, customers, and supply chain relationships can be compromised.
2. Values – 90% of businesses report having documented values and values look great on paper but are seldom intentionally practiced in the workplace and hiring decisions are rarely made with them in mind. The result is only 27% of employees subscribe to their company’ values meaning the ‘common goal’ is blurred.
3. Hiring – when we hire for skills and fit teams are reinforced but when we hire for one or other an imbalance is created. A skills deficit requires other workers to fill the gaps and a poor fit weakens the team and both create resentment and disharmony.
4. Appraisals and Check Ins – when these are not performed teams miss out on opportunities for feedback, support, shared communication, growth, and reinforcement of the ‘common goal’. There is a minor trend to move away from these practices, but this is unwise. When these procedures are carried out correctly, they are extremely beneficial to all stakeholders.
5. Unreasonable expectations – are unattainable and eventually result in workers giving up and moving on. Costly low employee retention rates and poor talent acquisition rates follow.
6. Micromanagement – communicates mistrust and insecure leadership invoking resentment and poor performance from workers. Workers are becoming increasingly intolerant of this management style, so I encourage you to move away from this practice.
7. Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity – ageism, racism, sexism etc weaken and break teams but genuine diversity, inclusion, and equity builds stronger teams with broader thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
Teams need to be led and nurtured for the profitability and resilience of every business. If you need help in this area, please reach out to discuss our range of training and development programmes that can be customised to meet your specific needs.