What do you do if team dynamics are hindering productivity in your organization?

One approach is to facilitate open communication among team members to address any underlying issues. Additionally, providing team building activities, clarity in job roles and training sessions can help improve relationships and collaboration within the team.

Team dynamics can be the #1 issue hindering productivity at work. This is often due to lack of successful communication, unclear expectations, conflicting KPI's or misaligned goals and performance criteria. It's often not personal but becomes that way. Team dynamics can be a source of friction because we have failed to understand or tackle the real issues. The first step is establishing open dialogue in order to increase productivity. There are concrete ways to do this: 1. Establish a "no-judgement zone" - let everyone know all input is welcome (and mean it) 2. Bring in Diverse Perspectives (allow anonymous suggestions and chance to share ideas in writing). 3. Turn Dialogue into Action - Assign people to tasks to ensure accountability.

Encouraging sharing of perspectives: Creating a safe space for team members to share their perspectives and experiences fosters a culture of openness and transparency. Facilitating discussions: Whether through team meetings or mediated discussions, providing structured opportunities for dialogue allows issues to be addressed constructively. Respecting all voices: Every team member should feel valued and respected, regardless of their role or level within the organization. Building trust and mutual respect: Open communication builds trust and mutual respect among team members, which are essential for effective teamwork.

1. Defining roles, responsibilities, and expected behaviors: Clearly outlining each team member's role and responsibilities helps prevent ambiguity and confusion. 2. Preventing misunderstandings: Clear expectations mitigate the risk of misunderstandings or conflicts arising from differing interpretations of roles or responsibilities. 3. Establishing ground rules: Setting ground rules for interaction establishes norms for communication, collaboration, and behavior within the team. 4. Fostering a productive and respectful work environment: Clear expectations and established ground rules contribute to a positive work environment where team members feel valued and respected.

Not everyone knows how to collaborate, so a good starting point is to adopt collaboration as a team value. Encourage the team members to discuss how they'd like to work with one another and explore the different ways they approach work. How can they pace their interactions with one another to get the best outcomes? What could they do more of? And what should they do less of? Get the team to put together some guidelines that they can use going forward - then revisit them regularly to see if they need updating.

By taking proactive steps to address team dynamics and foster a positive and productive work environment, you can mitigate productivity challenges and empower your team to achieve its full potential. Address conflicts or disagreements within the team by facilitating constructive discussions and conflict resolution processes. Encourage active listening, empathy, and compromise to find mutually acceptable solutions and prevent conflicts from escalating.

The best team training I've joined (and have been using for a decade) uses a fantastic, science-backed development tool called Team Management Profile (TMP). TMP reveals the "full picture" within a team and is relevant for new teams and established teams wanting to level up! Each team member gets their own profile ( like a personal instruction manual!) and a team profile upon completing a questionnaire. The content can be a real revelation providing the chance for real self-development as well as team development. If you want to improve productivity, communication, remove frustration, leverage diversity, unlock the things holding your team back and equip teams to handle change and uncertainty with a really solid toolkit then check out TMP.

To address team dynamics that are hindering productivity, initiate team-building activities and open communication channels to foster better relationships and understanding among team members. Consider bringing in an external facilitator for conflict resolution and team development workshops to objectively identify and address the root causes of dysfunction.

Three things that have worked for me in more than 2 or three instances are - 1. Promoting accountability by holding team members accountable for their actions, commitments, and performance outcomes. 2. As a leader or manager, lead by example by demonstrating the desired behaviors, attitudes, and values that contribute to a productive and collaborative team environment. 3. Celebrating team achievements, milestones, and successes to boost morale and motivation.