- genuine teamwork in most organizations remains as elusive as it has ever been.
- organizations fail to achieve teamwork because they unknowingly fall prey to five natural but dangerous pitfalls
The Natural pitfalls
- absence of trust: unwillingness to be vulnerable within the group.
- fear of conflict: incapable of engaging in unfiltered and passionate debate of ideas. They resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments
- lack of commitment: team members rarely, if ever, buy in and commit to decisions, though they may feign aggrement during meetings.
- avoidance of accountability: hesitate to call their peers on actions and behaviors that seem counterproductive to the good of the team.
- Inattention to results: team members put their needs above the collective goals of the team.
A questionnaire
____ 1. Team members are passionate and unguarded in their discussion of issues.
____ 2. Team members call out one another's deficiencies or unproductive behaviors.
____ 3. Team members know what their peers are working on and how they contribute to the collective good of the team.
____ 4. Team members quickly and genuinely apologize to one another when they say or do something inappropriate or possibly damaging to the team.
____ 5. Team members willingly make sacrifices (such as budget, turf, head count) in their departments or areas of expertise for the good of the team.
____ 6. Team members openly admit their weaknesses and mistakes.
____ 7. Team meetings are compelling, and not boring.
____ 8. Team members leave meetings confident that their peers are completely committed to the decisions that were agreed on, even if there was initial disagreement.
____ 9. Morale is significantly affected by the failure to achieve team goals.
____ 10. During team meetings, the most important—and difficult—issues are put on the table to be resolved.
____ 11. Team members are deeply concerned about the prospect of letting down their peers.
____ 12. Team members know about one another's personal lives and are comfortable discussing them.
____ 13. Team members end discussions with clear and specific resolutions and calls to action.
____ 14. Team members challenge one another about their plans and approaches.
____ 15. Team members are slow to seek credit for their own contributions, but quick to point out those of others.
Absence of Trust
- Conceal their weaknesses and mistakes from one another
- Hesitate to ask for help or provide constructive feedback
- Hesitate to offer help outside their own areas of responsibility
- Jump to conclusions about the intentions and aptitudes of others without attempting to clarify them
- Fail to recognize and tap into one another’s skills and experiences
- Waste time and energy managing their behaviors for effect Hold grudges
- Dread meetings and find reasons to avoid spending time together
Suggestions for Overcoming
- Personal Histories Exercies
- Team Effectiveness Exercise
- Personality and Behavioral Preference Profile
- 360-Degree Feedback
- Experiential Team Exercise
The Role of the leader
- Demonstrate vulnerability first
Fear of Conflict
- Have boring meetings
- Create environments where back-channel politics and personal attacks thrive
- Ignore controversial topics that are critical to team success
- Fail to tap into all the opinions and perspectives of team members
- Waste time and energy with posturing and interpersonal risk management
Suggestions for Overcoming
- Mining
- Real-Time Permission
The Role of the leader
- demonstrate restraint when peers engage in conflict
- personally model appropriate conflict behavior
Lack of Commitment
- Creates ambiguity among the team about direction and priorities
- Watches windows of opportunity close due to excessive analysis and unnecessary delay
- Breeds lack of confidence and fear of failure
- Revisits discussions and decisions again and again
- Encourages second-guessing among team members
Suggestions for Overcoming
- Cascading Messaging
- Deadlines
- Contingency and Worst-case Scenario Analysis
- Low-Risk Exposure Therapy
The Role of the leader
- confortably making decision that turns out to be run
- push the group for closure around issues and adhereence to schedules
- don’t place too high a premium on certainty or consensus
Avoidance of Accountability
- Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance
- Encourages mediocrity
- Misses deadlines and key deliverables
- Places an undue burden on the team leader as the sole source of discipline
Suggestions for Overcoming
- Publication of Goals and Standards
- Simple and Regular Progress Reviews
- Team Rewards
The Role of the leader
- allow the team to serve as the first the primary accountability
- serve as the arbiter of discipline when the team failed
Inattention to Results
- Stagnates/fails to grow
- Rarely defeats competitor
- Loses achievement-oriented employees
- Encourages team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals
- Is easily distracted
Suggestions for Overcoming
- Public declaration of Results
- Result-based Rewards
The Role of the leader
- selfless and objective
- reward for those who make real contributions