Teams

Most of us want to be on a true team at work. It’s much more productive, rewarding, and enjoyable. People may stay for less pay because they really like being on the right team. It takes a team for consistent and exceptional achievement which is what high performers seek. A team is a major market advantage.

So why do record levels of American employees feel like there’s not a team where they work?

Talented team-oriented professionals must endure: 1) the coworker or supervisor who’s figuring out a way to blame others before work on the project even begins, 2) information and resources are not shared, 3) the poison of gossip and rumors, 4) the colleague who steps over dead bodies as their favorite promotional path, 5) the constant jockeying and self-promotion seen as more important than performance and integrity, and 6) the department who thinks only of the department not the company or customers.

The costs to companies who lack a team culture is very high. Unable to trust, employees spend a lot of extra time on self-defense (e.g., the email that is “cc” to everyone as documentation). Morale, productivity, and retention decrease.

With human beings, there may be some amount of self-promotion and jockeying. However, the level can vary greatly by employers.

When employees are allowed to waste mission and team time on selfish thinking and self-centered behaviors, that’s a culture problem. Culture must be clear, consistent, and comprehensive.

All talent, time, and energy must be invested in the mission and team. Some organizations have employees spending a majority of their work time on self serving thinking and behaviors. They work part time on the mission, little or none for the team, and full time for themselves on your payroll.

Who’s to blame? Leadership. Leadership is responsible for the culture and the team.

Either the leadership creates and sustains a team culture or not. Leaders must recruit, hire, train, supervise, evaluate, promote, recognize, and reward for true teamwork. Leaders must model team culture.

Trust is the oxygen of a team. You need to feel safe to trust others. To be open, honest, and vulnerable. To admit mistakes and ask for help. To treat others as you like to be treated. Being polite, professional, civil, supportive, and collegial. To seek and give support. To be a giver not a taker.

Sometimes it takes changing a culture so employees can trust.

However, if an employee shows no sign of being able to trust or serve on a team, you cannot retain them. The self-promoter needs to promote themselves somewhere else. Leadership gets the behaviors they tolerate and reward. Mixed messages destroy trust and culture.

Teams attract and retain talent. Teams produce performance. Teams change history. Talent wins games and teams win championships. Lead like creating and protecting your team is everything because it is.

Featured Image: Monster.com