How to Deal with Dysfunctional Teams

Unfortunately, there is a bit of dysfunction in every team. People are not perfect. They make mistakes and are flawed.

This is true in every arena; from the sporting arena to boardrooms, and from five-star restaurants to large corporations. Imperfect people exist in education, retail, politics, and medicine.

Dysfunctional Teams

It is a commonality for there to be confusion, on every level, rather than none. Nonetheless, dealing with the resulting disorganization and concentrating on collaboration in teams is especially integral at the highest levels of any company.

Why? Because change must begin and come from the top to be lasting and impactful. It determines how all workers will collaborate.

One of the most successful men in the business said that anyone who could get all their employees to collaborate and consistently work together on a common objective could accomplish anything. They would constantly be at the top of their game for they have harnessed the full potential of teamwork.

Good leaders understand and recognize this concept.

Aspiring leaders recognize the truth in this statement, are excited by it. However, they become somber and thoughtful once they understand how challenging it is to accomplish this feat.

But where there is a will, there is a way, thankfully.

It is possible to manage and improve dysfunctional teams, once the symptoms, and cause is identified. Be mindful, that this takes consistent effort and follow through. It requires focus, drive, and mettle, which is an arduous task for most teams.

Dealing with Dysfunctions

There are a few questions one must keep in mind before starting the process of improving teams, and to fully grasp all aspects of the dysfunction. These include:

Are team members allowed to and opt to divulge their views freely and easily?
Are the group meetings exciting and constructive or are they mechanical and superficial?
Are teams collaborating when it comes to decision-making or excluded from the process?
Are determinations prompt and not being hindered by unanimity?
Are employees dealing with each other’s inadequacies or left to shoulder added responsibilities not equally shared?
Are workers forfeiting individual pursuits for the benefit of the team?
Are team members encouraged, elevated, and supported or are they exploited and overworked?

Every team, every department, and every company experience difficulty with some of these issues. However, the best of the best is driven to improve, guarantee and safeguard against them being repeated, in the future.

If you readily recognize the existence of some of these dysfunctions in your team, it’s time for remedial action.

To start the process of cutting out bureaucracy, roadblocks, negligence, and disarray in teams, there must first be an awareness of the five dysfunctions. Then, each should be focused on individually.

Identifying the Issues

Lack of Trust – this results when issues are left to fester and resolutions are not forthcoming. Employees avoid being open, admit their weaknesses or ask for assistance. Distrust tends to proliferate in such working environments.
Dreading Disagreements – distrustful employees cannot engage in open, free, enthusiastic conversations on important matters, triggering circumstances where group disagreements can undoubtedly change into covert conversations then off-air criticisms. Working environments where this exists produce substandard determinations.
Absence of Dedication – a team devoid of disagreements finds it challenging to dedicate to determinations or directives. It causes workers to become frustrated, especially those who are high performers.
Dodging of Responsibility – employees who do not dedicate themselves to an applied strategy, impact team members around them, negatively. The continued shirking of responsibilities, and not sharing in group tasks, leads to even the most supportive of workers becoming reluctant to participate, eventually. Ultimately, the behavior is considered the norm and overlooked, even if it erodes the underpinnings of the team.
Overlooking Outcomes – Employees instinctively deal with their ambitions first. For the sake of individuality, ambition, recognition, and advancement. This tends to come above shared group goals, especially if not held responsible.

The Benefits

Working towards establishing a purposeful, unified team is a rare enduring viable benefit accessible to every business that is seeking to stand out and stand above its competitors.

Effective employees within collaborative teams use their time wisely. Effective teams manage issues that arise when they arise and do not leave them to proliferate. Effective managers bring employees together, support their shared ideals and enhance the working environment.

Managing effectively produces superior outcomes, a reduction in issues, quicker turnaround in accomplishing objectives, and minimal anxiety and dissatisfaction for the team.

Furthermore, a unified work environment encourages employees to endure, not resign.

Achieving effective teams is not about controlling confidential, complicated concepts; instead, it pertains to incorporating practicality in conjunction with exceptional and diligent discipline. Oddly, teams thrive because of people; People who aim to improve their imperfections. People who identify their mistakes and flaws and fix them.

Cohesive and successful teams are not a thing of mystery.

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About the writer: Poetess Denise N. Fyffe is a published author of over 30 books, for more than ten years and enjoys Training, Publishing and Counseling. She is a freelance writer for online publications such as Revealing the Christian Life, Jamaica Rose, Entertainment Trail, My Trending Stories among others.

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