Collaboration Killers
Collaboration is challenging, and it is more difficult, if not impossible, when leaders allow dysfunctional behaviors within the team. Here are the collaboration killers we have identified as the root cause of collaboration failure among teams.
Putting Self Over Team
Everyone faces trauma to some degree. It is essential to emphasize that this is a fundamental aspect of the human condition. More people than we may realize have faced significant trauma. To serve clients and the community well, we must recognize these truths and not let our personal human condition get in the way of our job of helping others. Serving requires undergoing individualization, which is the process of detaching from destructive emotions that we formed as children and prioritizing mature emotions in alignment with what the collective team is trying to accomplish. We all have these immature emotional reactions. Mature adults have learned to manage them and perhaps let them go altogether. But we all struggle with them. In cases of abuse and extreme violations that people have experienced, they need help processing these traumas, and hopefully, they choose to get the help they need. Read Ego Is The Enemy
Lacking Self-Control Over Personal Triggers
Personal defense triggers (needs for affection/approval, control, and safety/security) often remain the same throughout one’s life because they are deeply rooted in the early formation of survival and coping mechanisms to protect ourselves from harm. The strategies or mechanisms we use to manage the triggers can and do change, and they are usually unconscious. They can be mature or unhealthy. The goal is to be more conscious of managing triggers and your reactions to promote health. Here are two articles you may find interesting about the strategies: National Library of Medicine and Healthline.
Leaders Not Removing Drama in The Culture
From a management perspective, if drama is part of the culture, there may be a need to bring in outside professional help to heal the team so productivity and service can be the priority. If drama is not an intentional part of the culture (dependent on the leader), it is essential to examine the leadership style, allowing drama to dominate and undermine the team's success. In such cases, there is likely a lack of clear, measurable expectations and accountability processes to ensure the organization's success, which is essential for its sustainability.
Individuals need to take the focused mission of the team, clients, and organization seriously, as it will undermine collective success. Most people live with Intentional Unconsciousness, and it can only be resolved through a collective village working together to overcome challenges and provide each other with the support required to heal and mature into more productive beliefs of self-worth and value, ultimately benefiting the mission of serving others.
Not Setting Values with Expectations to Reinforce Transparency
Leadership must insist on transparency and teamwork as the expectation. Behaviors such as gatekeeping and hoarding only exist in organizations where there is undermanagement and when team members are allowed to operate hyper-independently and in silos with no sharing and accountability to the team. Gathering the team, developing values and the specific behaviors required, and then addressing members immediately when they are operating outside the ground rules of the values is the standard approach needed.
Resisting Giving Negative Feedback
A recent LinkedIn article outlined the biggest mistakes when giving negative feedback about any counter-team behaviors, and they are true: delaying conversation, skipping preparation, not asking the right questions, making it personal, and failing to create and align to a roadmap. Suppose negative behaviors are occurring and not being addressed with facts and direct conversations that refocus people on the plan and deepen relationships. In that case, you will never have the trust to collaborate. Using the TALK method works every time:
Tell it like it is
Ask for feedback
Lead to a solution
Keep at it until it sticks
Not Setting Boundaries with A Plan and Process
The boundaries for success should be defined by the expectations outlined in the growth plan and the assigned action steps required to grow and scale the organization. This should excite people to learn and grow. It should incorporate their input, and they should be part of the plan development process, allowing them to contribute to the content and cadence. This should be backed by values with clear, action-based expectations that are required to fulfill them. The team's understanding and alignment of the plan and values will shape the culture and success. When the team is a part of the process, they will understand the WHY, what, and how. We find that people are almost always overwhelmed and stretched when they are caught up in daily tasks that are not connected to, or feel distanced from, the vision and plan of a greater goal and purpose. Remember, 80% of the time, conflict arises because of the lack of systems and processes, and only 20% of the time is it due to the lack of strengths and talents of the people.
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