Working with teams of people are great when all is going well. It is quite amazing how quickly things can turn from great to oh my gosh! One team player stepping out-of-bounds or not following through with their tasks can cause a good team to go sideways fast.
Sometimes things can happen very quickly, like a team player saying something that rubs another team player wrong. There was no warning just an action that turned out bad.
When things like this happen usually they can be fixed if addressed quickly and the team does return to normal function.
It is when underlying things begin to infiltrate the team and they build over time that quick fixes are not going to work. There are a few key things to watch for as a team leader or player that may indicate that the team is struggling and if not addressed quickly could end up causing a divided team.
If team members start not seeing eye-to-eye on the purpose of the goals of the team.
If team members seem to lack team spirit or the energy to pump themselves up at work.
If two or more of the team members seem to often be at odds with each other.
If decisions need to be made by the team and they are unable to come together to do so.
When a team member starts talking more about themselves and not the team with regards to work goals.
When one or more team members want to quit the team.
As a business owner, manager or team leader you must always be watching and listening for the slightest of issues between team members. Not that you want to create a problem where there really is not one, but you want to be aware if one may be brewing that can be resolved before it escalates. Little issues dealt with quickly can usually be resolved. Issues left unattended, over time will fester and become infected with negativity and poisoned attitudes. These types of issues unfortunately rarely end on a happy note.
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” –Phil Jackson
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