I was introduced this week (at a Graduate Recruitment Assessment Centre) as 'an expert in Group Dynamics and Communication'. Simultaneously pleased and flattered, I just nodded and agreed. (Like I allow people to do on Assertiveness training workshops...)
It happened again at a Management and Leadership workshop when there was that joyful moment when the team realised that no-one was going to make things happen except them - and they were suddenly up for it.
Look, if I know how that happened, or why, I would have to charge a lot more. Sometimes, I really do think you just have to hang on in there, keep learning (or at least be reminded of) some tools and techniques, and then just get to know and respect what your other management colleagues are bringing to the table. It s slow but inevitably more sustainable than drafting in a new team to act as a broom. Continuity is all, and the glue that holds the values and vision together. Confidence and some
success to sustain the confidence is the magic dust to sprinkle on the glue.
If there is an absence of any of the following, I find teams are not dynamic, and often dysfunctional:
- Respect for the strengths each bring.
- Mutual understanding of each other's roles.
- A shared common, agreed and enacted vision.
- An agreed set of short and medium term goals.
- Overlapping core values.
- Passion - which creates disagreements on 'how' and 'why'.
- Members are excellent at working through and getting past difficulties.
- Equal pain in division of tasks.
We don't have to say 'Good Communicator'. If the above are in place, then 'good communication' happens.
It is simple, elusive, volatile and so exciting to be involved with a highly effective team. I did some market research into how often people feel they have been in a 'Rolls Royce' type of team; one where everyone else in the organisation clamoured to be involved, even competitor organisations knew about 'that' team?
Most people said it had happened once, or never at all, in their working lives.
How sad is that? And the thing that stopped the hyper effective team most often? The leaders above didn't support or respect the team - so they broke up.
But it is worth pursuing the dream.