Interested in Building A Strong Team in Your Workplace?

I’ll get you started by sharing some of Tom Rath and Barry Conchie’s (Gallup Management Journal) findings in Keys to Well-Functioning Teams, as well as ideas about…

• Conflict vs. Results
• Identifying Team Deterioration Signs
• Consequences of Ignoring Personnel Problems

Conflict vs. Results:

The first sign that you have an excellent team working for you is having differences of opinion.

Conflict doesn’t destroy strong teams because…strong teams focus on results.

The authors believe that disagreement and healthy debate is a good thing. Well-functioning teams know how to argue in order to sharpen their own points and see other views -without making the conflict personal.

On the other hand, poorly functioning teams foster hurt feelings and productivity tanks. Once bad feelings are triggered, things usually just keep getting worse.

As an employer it’s up to you or your office manager to spot deteriorations and turn them around before your whole team becomes disheartened and unable to work well together.

Deterioration Signs:

1. Your employees are suddenly uninterested in any group functions.
2. Your office is quieter than usual, less banter/chatter among your staff.
3. Team members divide into two groups with strongly differing opinions.
4. Productivity is going down fast.
5. Everyone is quick to blame someone else.
6. Team members are hyper-sensitive to criticism from you.
7. Employees seem overly defensive when you ask them for something that isn’t available or done yet.

Ignoring Personnel Problems~ Head In The Sand As An Office Cyclone Brews?

Too many times, as bosses we prefer to stick our heads in the company sand pile and hope the ill wind in the office will blow on by. It rarely does. Instead, a cyclone brews, someone quits in a huff, and then you have a real mess on your hands.

Ignoring personnel problems -no matter how trivial they may seem- is rarely good management practice. In sales we often say, “close early and often”. When it comes to managing people “counsel/intevene early and often” should be the mantra of a good leader.

Pause and Ponder:

• Strong teams focus on results.
• Knowing the deterioration signs fosters awareness.
• Ignoring Personnel Problems is rarely good management practice.

Strong teams prioritize what’s best for the organization. Stay tuned for Part 2 of Building A Strong Team…

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