Teamwork is Hard Work, so How do we make the Dream Work?
Teamwork definitely makes the dreamwork!
And yet, whether in business, sport or our personal lives, getting a team from what psychologist Bruce Tuckman defined as a consistent path to being highly proficient and highly effective - forming, storming, norming and performing - is not easy.
In 2015 I made the brave leap out of 23+ years in corporate to launch TEAM Women Australia, a NFP organisation designed to unite women from different backgrounds, cultures, experiences and interests to advance as a leader despite adversity.
I’d come out of 2 years intensive training specialising in transformational communication causing teams and teamwork, and an executive role where I was part of many teams, steering committees, leading local teams and engaging diverse regional teams.
Despite the experience, it’s been a rocky road. So, it’s fitting that we start with “What’s NOT working?”
When we take an honest look, out performance in teams is not good. In fact, for the most part it’s hard work.
“What makes teamwork so difficult and how can we make the dream work?”
With the privilege of having a foot in both camps, as an employee and a coach, and getting the ‘behind the scenes’ complaints about the problems, here’s what I discovered - see if any resonates with you…
1. The biggest problem is the illusion of positivity - we present with good, well-meaning intentions, when the truth is, most of us have a hidden bias about teams and teamwork.
Think about it,
What it was like when you were at uni or high school and it came time to the first group assignment?
At first we’re overwhelmed with joy at the thought of getting together as a group, then reality sets in. A group of high-achievers mixed with chilled-out she’ll-be-right-mate hippies who are only in uni for the social connection; people who don’t know when to stop talking mixed with people who are to afraid to speak up for fear of what others will think, and a mix of people desperate for a HD with those who are happy with scraping by with a pass.
Whether it’s at school, in sport or in business, when we get into a team, the reality is most of us struggle.
2. There’s no leadership. Some of us wait for others to take the lead, while some of us compensate for the inefficiency in others by taking control while making everyone else wrong for their lack of contribution. #recipefordisaster
3. No-one feels safe to speak up for fear of saying the wrong thing, looking the fool or worse yet, getting sacked for not complying with those in higher ranks.
4. No-ones really listening. Most are interested in giving their own opinions, and getting their message across. All the meanwhile, those who are supposedly listening are not really listening, they’re busy judging and assessing whether they agree or disagree, think it’s bad or good, right or wrong, leaving no-one with the experience of being heard.
There you have it.
Teamwork is hard work and despite our desire to connect, we struggle.
The very first, and necessary, step is to assess our own bias, “Do I have resistance to working in a team? What is the resistance - what are the reasons I have for wanting to work in a team and equally what are the reasons I have for not wanting to work in a team?
It doesn’t matter how others show up, all the reasons we have for why we do or don’t want to work in a team will not only determine our experience of the team, it will determine the results we get.
Despite good intentions of optimising performance, the conversation we have with ourselves (and in some cases, the conversation we have with others) that’s not out there in the public domain, referred to as the “unsaid” or “unspoken” communication about teamwork, is what determines our effectiveness.
How do you create an environment for teams and teamwork?
Firstly, there is no quick-fix, nor any fixed rules.
A team’s performance is dependent on the individuals involved, their previous experience of working in a team, how new or old the team is and the environment they’re operating in.
That said, there is one very simple thing I learnt that’s an absolute game changer - and let me qualify, my inputs are not from some text book, but rather from my experience as a player, a leader, a facilitator and a coach in developing leaders in the game of performance, aligning people on purpose and building teams.
Ready for it?
The game changer is: The Conversation.
Change The Conversation, Change Your Life - and the results you get.
What do I mean by “The conversation”?
Let’s go back to where we started…
What’s the conversation you’re having with yourself about teams and teamwork?
What conversation are you having (with yourself, or with others) about the people on the team?
What conversation are you having with your colleagues about teams and teamwork - the one that you’re not willing to talk about publicly?
What conversation are you having with yourself about your experience of working in a team - what works, what doesn’t work, what should you be on the lookout for, what beliefs do you have?
Once you’ve answered these questions and the other people on the team have answered these questions; then and only then can you create a future were everyone - and I mean everyone - is aligned, clear and in action.
What conversations could you have to make the dreamwork?
Let’s talk about context,
1. Conversations for a background of relatedness.
This is like a great first date. There is an appreciation for who is in the room, their skills, talents, what they bring and why they are there. It is a conversation that allows people to feel connected, heard and appreciated. Without this, you have nothing AND by the way, this is one of the biggest complains I hear of people - I don’t feel heard or appreciated.
2. Conversations about Vision and Purpose
You’d like to think that most people are clear about these, and that they are very simple. But unfortunately not; in fact its one of the easiest assumptions and biggest pitfalls. Is everyone in the room clear about the vision - what the future looks like, and the Purpose - the reason why you’re doing it? If you do not have a clear vision or a clear purpose, and if people are not aligned and CLEAR about this, they have no power, freedom or confidence to effectively and autonomously make a decision to act.
3. Conversations for clear, conscious and purpose-aligned action
I can’t tell you how many team meetings I’ve been to, or conversations I’ve had with people where there is no clear commitment or communication about the action, or what’s next - who is doing what and by when. Whether it’s making a request or a promise, there must be a conversation for clear and conscious (purpose and goal-aligned) action.
4. Conversations for acknowledgement, accountability and completion
Yet again, I can’t tell you how many complaints I’ve heard from people who don’t feel valued and appreciated, or complaints about who is to blame or who’s fault it is why something isn’t working. While these conversations are often the hardest, they actually provide the most joy - just think about how good it feels when someone acknowledges you for your contribution and equally how good it feels when someone is willing to acknowledge the elephant in the room - it's incredibly liberating for everyone involved!
What now?
Well, you may wish to assess the current performance of your team, check to see whether you’ve got these steps covered, and if not, give it a crack! See what you can transform, when you get what’s happening in the conversations, and take on one practice at at time!
In the meantime, you may wish to ask yourself…
How’s your team performance?
Are you getting the best from your people when it comes to team performance?
Are you showing up being the best you can be when it comes to your performance in the team?
What if the conversations you were having could literally transform your performance, and the performance of your business, leadership and life?
Book a no-obligation conversation with me and let’s (1) get to know each other (2) see what’s possible and (3) take an action and (4) complete with power.
