Three Habits That Destroy Great Teams
As easy as it is to point fingers and lay blame on our co-workers’ alleged deficits, a lack of talent is rarely what destroys high-performing teams.
More often than not, high-performing teams are undermined by subtle behaviors and dysfunctional communication habits that go unnoticed and unchecked, such as heroic busyness, silent cooperation, and triangulation (or gossip).
So if you’re a rising leader who wants to make work better for you and everyone around you, be on the lookout for these anti-social behaviors…or else they just might be your downfall!
Heroic Busyness
Beware the high-performer who puts in more hours than everybody else and consistently tries to “take one for the team.”
Contrary to the corporate work norms of the early 2000s, a team member who over-functions in their role is not actually performing!
Heroic busyness may look like dedication, but it is often a symptom of poor role differentiation on your team, insecurity, or misaligned incentives.
Left unchecked, heroic busyness can lead to role strain for the individual, plus dependency dynamics, resentment, and disconnection within the team.
Silent Cooperation
When your team stops challenging you with feedback and just silently falls in line, you should start to worry.
Cooperation, or “people working together on a common goal,” may sound like a manager’s dream, but when teams get too quiet, it is often a sign that people are no longer trying to function as a team.
When team members stop exchanging honest feedback, you quickly lose a realistic picture of how things are going…which is a lot like driving blind!
Left unchecked, silent cooperation can lead to disengagement or groupthink and stunt competitive innovation.
Triangulation (aka Gossip)
In recent years, there’s been a fair amount of research on the social benefits of office gossip…and I couldn’t disagree with it more!
When team members off-load their frustrations to a third party rather than addressing them head-on, several toxic dominos start to fall.
What initially looks like social bonding between some quickly establishes in- and out-subgroups within the team, which can lead to tactical confusion, interpersonal drama, and distraction from the team’s highest priorities.
Team Culture Can Change—And You Don’t Need to Change It Alone
If you want to make work better for you and everyone around you this summer, please remember: these three subtle and toxic habits are not indicative of anyone’s incompetence or a lack of talent.
Heroic busyness, silent cooperation, and triangulation are just symptoms of an overextended team that doesn’t feel safe!
Fortunately, team culture is malleable and salvageable, and there are many ways to intercept these tendencies and turn your team culture into the envy of your organization or industry!
To date, I’ve helped more than 25 small business CEOs and corporate executives transform their teams, and I know that every single email you send, every drive-by conversation you have, and every meeting you lead is an opportunity to elevate the conversation and invite healthier teaming behaviors.
