Team Dynamics

It's important for people to work toward creating an atmosphere of inclusion, trust, appreciation and open communication. Without these in place, the team atmosphere can erode, and non-constructive team dynamics can take over the "team space."

Here are some things to look out for. Teams sometimes fall short of reaching their goals because of other dynamics at play. Here are a few common pitfalls teams encounter.

• Little Dictators

Authoritarian team leaders take control, failing to capitalize on the intelligence, judgments and perspectives of everyone on the team.

• Group Think

Team members fall prey to going with the crowd because decision-making by consensus takes forever. And the compromise solution that everyone can accept will be a second-rate solution to the problem.

• Political Correctness

The company-sanctioned 'we must all agree' team atmosphere stifles creative, independent thinking from individuals.

• Skepticism Among the Troops

Teaming for the sake of teaming, can be seen as the latest in a series of management fads to sweep through the company, which is being forced on people by upper management who wants people to 'play nice.'

• Closed-minded Individuals

Team members want to work with people like themselves, failing to value diversity.

• Too Much "Push" Not Enough Pull"

People sometimes believe that "persuasion" or "hard-sell their ideas," is necessary to be successful or accepted into the team. When persuasion becomes a group norm, it can silence the more introverted team members, causing non-constructive behavior to show up - even passive aggressive.

For information about Vital Instincts and the Creating We Institute, workshops and train-the-trainer, please visit the resources section of our website. Email us to take the team version of the The DNA Assessment.

"What differentiates a vital team from an average team is the dedication and personal commitment team members have towards truth-telling and
being straight with each other."

In many cases, as teams become more vital, they will routinely recognize and confront dysfunctional behaviors as they drive towards their goals. However, this kind of personal commitment and dedication among team members takes a degree of trust that is only built over time. Members intending to be honest, trusting, and open will be more able to achieve that state over time when they develop more practiced interpersonal communication skills.

Becoming aware of where you stand in developing those skills is critical yet sometimes uncomfortable. You may notice in yourself or others unwillingness to being open and honest and take action - such as calling someone when they are not being straight, or saying what you are really thinking in a meeting, when you see someone taking over or intimidating others.  

As you test out your assertiveness and try out new vital team behaviors, you may be reaching into new areas of proficiency in which you may not yet feel confident. You may have to move out of your "comfort zone."

Keep in mind that learning always entails a certain degree of fear and discomfort in the beginning. However once you have broken through your own fear barrier, you will find that people's level of respect and trust will go up exponentially.

No matter where the team is in developing into a vital team, people working skillfully at developing open, and honest communication relationship building skills, will speed up a Team's Development. The opportunity for team development starts with individuals taking personal stock of themselves and their behavior - and then making the choice to step up.

Personal awareness opens the door to better overall team communication. Asking questions like the following will help all individuals become more aware of their contribution to the team's efforts, thereby enhancing the team's performance.

Six Questions

1. How willing am I to set the tone for trust, honesty and openness with others?
2. What am I contributing to the team?
3. How can I go further?
4. What am I inhibiting in the team?
5. What can I do differently?
6. If the team is not performing, as I would like, what am I doing about it?

For more information about how to build a vital team, go to the resources section of our website. Email us to take team version of The DNA Assessment.