When you are in a company setting, you are a part of a team. Being a part of a team means that everyone on that team is inclined to achieve the same goal. But that is not enough to understand how a team operates. What are the characteristics of a team? Shouldn't teams be supportive of one another? Look out for each other? Of Course, they should, but oftentimes teams can get out of sync. When this happens, people begin to divide and messages don’t properly flow through the chain of command.
Commonly, this is caused by conflict within the teams. This brings out assumptions of members' competence, lack of explanation, the lists go on. Whatever the reason may be, it needs to be addressed and solved in the most appropriate way possible. When communication is not transparent within an organization, it becomes extremely counterproductive to achieving. This can be seen when a leader becomes too attached to things being done a certain way.
While yes, they are in command, they need to realize that the teams which they lead are the ones who will execute procedures. For this reason, teams and leaders need to operate as one. A lot of times we say teams should run like a “well-oiled machine” but this is not what we’re talking about here. A machine cannot learn, grow, adapt, or bond like a team needs to.
So what should a team do when faced with friction in the organization? There are numerous ways to tackle this, but oftentimes all it requires is going back to the basics.
Communicate
Solving communication issues simply requires communication. While it does sound simple, that does not make it easy. There are numerous things to account for when stepping up to solve a problem. In this case, the best interest of the team is stand-alone. For this reason, leaders and team members must analyze the situation to determine the best course of action.
For example, let's say a leader on a construction site implements a new policy requiring workers to log time and changes allocated to different tasks. The leader sees it as an effective way for everyone to know how long something will take and what the previous worker has changed. The workers see it as the time taken away from other tasks they could be doing. As a result, they stop logging the data, and the leader just assumes it is because they’re lazy and become frustrated.
In a situation like this, most leaders would re-explain the process and its importance as they assume the workers simply didn’t understand it or didn’t want to do it. However, this will provide no benefit, and will only cause further complications. Instead, the leader should’ve talked to the workers directly to determine a system that works best for them, considering they are the ones the system is made for.
This is a simple way to see the dynamic which can arise in teams. This type of dynamic is not something any business wants. Making assumptions and criticism will never solve. Problems need to be dealt with as they come.
Detach From The Situation
When an organization is faced with confusion, the best thing to do is detach from the situation before reacting. This means not acting on impulse, removing emotion from the equation, and looking at the situation logically. It is important to understand how stepping back can benefit decision-making.
Ask yourself, what information are we missing? Who’s most likely to have this information? How can we collaborate best to solve this?
This response will eliminate the risk of blaming and will allow team members to take accountability. Detachment from the situation will reflect your emotional intelligence when faced with conflict. The great thing about this method is that it can be used at any level of the team.
Be Consistent
Problems and confusion will arise, the baseline for handling these barriers is consistent communication. Always allow communication to be free-flowing, this can involve weekly meetings where everyone must share a thought from their week. Whatever it may be, make it a routine.
Conclusion
Communication is a pillar to success, there are numerous methods and philosophies around it but all that matters is finding what works. Know that this will take time and that it’s okay so long as the organization continues to practice.
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