Why do we need to worry MORE about our teams?
Shifting focus: from developing leaders to cultivating adaptive teams.
In 2024 and beyond, it’s not just about developing leaders; it’s about creating teams that can adapt and thrive together. This is where the real power lies.
Managers, especially middle managers, have a lot on their plates. They are busy with strategy, priorities and their own wellbeing. It’s unfair to expect them to fix team issues on their own.
One big problem I have noticed negatively impacting a team, is that teams are often put together randomly, without much thought. Instead of considering how a group of people, based on their skills, personality, values and strengths will work together, teams are often formed just because someone is available or their is a need to find an individual a position.
Another issue is that teams don’t always get the opportunity to form the groundwork for success. When team’s don’t establish clear expectations, rules of engagement or deal with problems early on, this leads to issues down the line.
Lastly, teams often struggle to talk about what’s NOT working. We either don’t want to make it uncomfortable for ourselves, others or we don’t actually know what is occurring in order to raise it.
So why should we care about team dynamics?
For starters, we’re in the middle of a mental health crisis. Waiting until someone is at their breaking point before offering support isn’t just bad for the individual - it’s bad for the whole team.
Plus, most of us spend a big chunk of our lives at work. If teamwork is seen like ‘dental work’, it makes the whole expereince feel unbearable.
While individual coaching is great, it’s even better when we look at the team as a whole. Offering coaching to the whole team helps the team build their internal resources to managing their wellbeing and as the ability to raise issues before they become too hard
Pre-requisites are necessary to establish solid team dynamics and the structure for the team activities that will be conducive to performance and wellbeing for both the team and the individual.
Knowing the factors that work against healthy dynamics will create an environment where there is a sense of mutual trust, a holistic focus, unity and joint progress.
If you would like to find out more about the pre-requisites that establish solid team dynamics, the factors that work against healthy team dynamics and the barriers that will ultimately imped healthy dynamics for teams to flourish and perform, get in touch.
Let’s make work a better place for everyone.
To drive performance and achieve success, we need individuals, teams and organisations that are flexible, supported and eager to confront and manage change.
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