Does your team have a bad vibe? You can do something about it.
If your team has low morale or toxic dynamics, the root problem may be relationships and behaviours. Here are three steps you can take to detox team dynamics and get your team back on track.
Identify the issues
Do you really know what’s going wrong? Sometimes the real cause of the problem isn’t always clear. It may not be what (or who) you’ve assumed it to be. To find out what’s really going on, get to know the people you work with. Listen and watch carefully. Interact with your teammates. Get feedback from your customers and from other teams. Once you have quality feedback from others, you’ll get a clearer idea of what the issues really are.
Adapt to different communication styles
You may find it easy to get along with some teammates. Others may be very difficult to work with. They might rub you up the wrong way all the time. But are your teammates really being difficult? More likely, their way of communicating is just different from yours. A sure-fire way of improving work relationships is to accept these differences. Reflect on your own communication style. If you’re fairly direct, avoid getting impatient with your indecisive teammate. Think carefully about what you say and try not to bristle at something your to-the-point teammate says. Consider the true intent behind the message rather than how people say it.
Model positive behaviour
Sniping, criticism and bullying can really damage team relationships. Some teammates may deliberately stir things up. Often, however, it’s the general work culture that’s the problem. A workplace that is very competitive or which has gone through a lot of change can affect people’s behaviour for the worse.
Refuse to get caught up in the negativity. Don’t get drawn into gossip or bullying. Show respect to your teammates – don’t arrive late to meetings or interrupt others who are speaking, for instance. Be considerate in how you offer advice and criticism. Don’t shoot down others’ ideas just because you can. With any luck, your positive behaviour will set an example for your teammates to follow.
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