Progressive team building as an essential of building a successful organisation is too important to be left to chance. It requires deliberate attention. Many organisations could be benefitting massively from a relatively minor investment in Team building and development.
A large number of companies and organisations invest very positively in Team ‘away-days’ but they could reap huge advantage if they based their ‘away day’ activities on a Team Diagnostic. This is undertaken with the ‘Team’ focused on bringing people closer together, rather than identifying flaws in Team activities or interactions.
What is a Team Diagnostic?
This is a brief review of specific teams whether they are functionally based or in a more diverse virtual setting. Focus is on positive interaction and bridge-building on people and team strengths and reinforcing the behaviours that will bring people together.
Surprisingly, there is no causal relationship between ‘team cohesion’ and ‘team performance’. There can be a positive link, but cohesion may stop the Team moving beyond their collective comfort zone.
A ‘cohesive’ team may unknowingly be working on goals which are not their prime purpose. It may be time to reset, adjust and refocus on Team strategy, especially if the Team has been exposed to a great deal of pressure to change, and not been involved in choosing how to change and grow.
Team Cohesion & Resistance to Change
We have even witnessed many positive and forward-thinking management teams who are very cohesive, but who could be more effective if they were supported in managing those things that block their own progression to implement change.
Not all of us welcome change. Sometimes we need to be mentored to overcome self-imposed barriers to make needed changes in how the Team works. It is not team cohesion, which is important, it is also a higher calling of ‘team purpose’. And that’s the reason you may want to consider undertaking a sensitive and uplifting ‘Team Diagnostic’.
Undertaking a Team Diagnostic
Most Teams could improve their performance and productivity, but the problem is that many Team leaders do not know where to start. There are several tiers of team maturity to work through if you want to avoid unnecessary Team conflict and get people working together across boundaries.
Symptoms of poor Team Performance and Cohesion include:
- Unfocused Team leadership or sub Team leadership
- Frequent none completion of tasks as per schedule
- Poor morale and trust amongst Team members
- Lack of momentum and Team spirit
- Failing to commit to Team development
- Distrust and conflict within the Team, and between team members
- Personality clashes and disputing roles and responsibilities
Two Key Themes of an Effective Team Diagnosis
The first is to consider the relative degree of maturity of Team cohesion and development.
The second is to consider the composition of the team in terms of Team personalities and how to develop a working climate of win-win between different personality types.
Here are some of the questions to address.
- How mature are your key Teams in terms of Communication, Interaction and Working across Boundaries with other teams?
- Do you see the benefits of undertaking a Team Dynamics audit to improve Team performance?
- Do you find that you need to work on building Team cohesion and productivity?
- Would you like to know how to get the best out of your people?
- What do you need to know and do, to refresh a failing or toxic group of individuals to build a strong, high-performance Team?
- Do you understand the simplicity and enormous benefits of using Team Psychometrics and developing a Team Action Plan for improvement?
- How would you like to improve and build Trust in and between your key Teams?
If you want to experience the benefits of undertaking a ‘soft due diligence’ Team Diagnostic and want to build a strong team performance culture, please contact us - philip@philipatkinson.com
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