Do you lead a team or a department? Are you a member of a team at work or in your private life? Then we invite you to briefly picture your team in your mind's eye and answer the following three questions for yourself:
On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = low, 10 = high):
- How would you assess the level of trust within your team?
- How capable are the team members of engaging in constructive debate?
- How would you rate the team's commitment?
What is your spontaneous assessment? Rather high or low? In today's blog post, you will learn about the three obstacles that repeatedly arise in teams and how you can recognize when a team is working together effectively.
Team malfunction number 1: Lack of trust
Trust is the basis of all teamwork. In this context, it means that your teammates have good intentions and there is no reason to be cautious or reserved. Trust develops when team members open up to each other and are able to reveal their weaknesses, mistakes, professional shortcomings, and personal problems. People will only feel comfortable if they can be absolutely sure that this openness will not be abused.
What does this often look like in practice within teams? When there is little trust, enormous amounts of time and energy are wasted. Team meetings tend to be dreaded. It is difficult to ask others for help or to offer others your own support. The result: without trust, team morale tends to be low, while staff turnover is high.
How to recognize trustworthy teams:
Members …
- openly admit weaknesses and mistakes.
- ask for help.
- appreciate each other's skills and experience.
- focus on the important things instead of tactical maneuvering.
- look forward to meetings or other opportunities to work together as a group.
Team malfunction number 2: Avoiding conflict
Every relationship needs constructive communication if it is to grow and flourish in the long term. This applies to marriages, parent-child relationships, friendships, and also to all teams. In practice, however, people often shy away from confrontation. Why is that? Many people associate the word "conflict" with a destructive argument rather than a constructive, respectful exchange between equals. They have forgotten or never learned how to deal with a broken machine. If it is faulty, it is taken apart until the fault is found. The part is then replaced and the machine is reassembled. Many individual parts are turned back into a functional whole.
How do people often do this? They take other people apart—but forget to put them back together again after the argument. Metaphorically speaking, they dismantle their fellow human beings into their individual parts. Often, people then get upset that the "human engine" is no longer running smoothly. It stutters, stumbles, and no longer works.
What are the benefits of addressing conflicts within a team?
Imagine a sultry summer day. The heat is oppressive, almost unbearable. Suddenly, lightning flashes across the sky. Thunder rumbles, storms rage, and torrential rain lashes the land. How does the air generally feel after the storm has passed? That's right: the air is clearer and it has cooled down. People often refer to this as a "cleansing storm." The same is true of conflicts within teams. Once opinions have been expressed respectfully and on an equal footing, there is a high probability that harmony will return. A cleansing storm creates a new level of harmony. The result is clarity. Team members know where they stand.
How to recognize teams that resolve conflicts:
Members …
- have lively and interesting meetings.
- take into account the ideas of all team members.
- minimize tactical maneuvering.
- address critical issues.
- engage with each other on an equal footing and with mutual respect.
Team malfunction number 3: Lack of commitment
In the context of a team, commitment consists of two parts: clarity and agreement. Good teams make clear and quick decisions and implement them with the full agreement of all team members. Even members who initially voted against a decision support it. Members only part ways when no one on the team secretly doubts whether they can support the measures that have been decided upon.
Not everyone who pulls together is pulling in the same direction.
Oliver Tietze (born 1965), German aphorist
In a functioning team, it is therefore not necessary to have complete consensus. Nor does it make sense to delay a decision until there is 100 percent certainty. If an approach turns out to be wrong, the team learns from it and embarks on a new path without regret. The need for consensus and certainty, on the other hand, tends to paralyze a team and block decision-making processes. Priorities remain unclear and opportunities are missed, while know-it-all attitudes are encouraged.
How can you recognize teams that are committed:
The members …
- ensure clarity of direction and priorities.
- ensure that the entire team is committed to the common goals.
- make changes in direction without hesitation or feelings of guilt.
- develop the ability to learn from mistakes.
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