How to recognize dysfunction in teams?

I’ve always enjoyed working with a team that gives me the space to express myself. It makes me feel a very unique kind of happiness, comparable only to the feeling of knowing that you are in the company of people who want what is best for you.

This was not always the case, however.

When I was younger, at work I would often not express myself as fully as I now have the maturity to do. My reticence was not due to personal reasons, but rather due to the conditions which determined my relationship with my peers. There was a lot of unvoiced resentment in the air, and nobody appreciated each other openly. Some even wanted to, but the ecosystem was such that these acts would be misinterpreted as sarcastic or malicious in intent. Ultimately, not only did I suffer as a result of such an environment, but the team suffered as well. Our work was never as good as it could’ve been, and we never tapped into the potential that was there.

This brings me to a larger issue that many teams are struggling with today. Many teams are dysfunctional and don’t even realize that they are flawed structurally in a way that cannot be fixed without deliberation and very close attention. Some teams cannot clearly communicate internally in a manner that is clear and concise, while others have learned to navigate away from conflict so that nothing ever upsets a system that has been set up.

But this article isn’t about the various issues that teams face: it’s about how to approach these issues so that they can be solved. 

In case your team lacks the following characteristics, there’s a chance that they are already dysfunctional, or may become dysfunctional in the future.

• At the most fundamental level is trust - if each member of a team can trust the other members, then there is a foundation upon which the team can build through their work. 

Do you trust each other only because you can predict what the other person will do in a situation? Or do you trust each other simply because you have faith that they have the team’s best interest at heart? Vulnerable trust is a game-changer. 

• The next step is productive conflict. Productive conflict is essential for growth, and if each member can trust the other members, then there are bound to be disagreements. And as a leader, you will have to make sure that these disagreements are solved productively.

Do conflicts infringe on personal boundaries, interpersonal relationships or do they address the matter at hand? if you are dealing with jibes and snipes and hurtful comments - that’s not productive. 

• Beyond this point comes ownership, for when every member commits to what they need to do, they take accountability for the results as well. For this, every member of the team needs to imbibe the company’s vision statement and operate in a manner that puts their work over their ego.

Ownership and accountability are tough even in the best of situations. often people don’t commit to either because of the need to be safe (what if s*** hits the roof and it’s my name on the email), or the need to not jeopardize what’s already working (another peer taking the credit for it has worked before and will continue to work - even if you believe you can do a better job) or the need to not court uncertainty. 

• At the very end, we find results. If every other issue has been resolved, then it’s unlikely that this will also be an issue. But just in case it is, each team member will have to prioritize the team’s goals over their own. Each leader will have to handle this conversation delicately - but if there are trust and ownership, this too will get handled. 

Each team has a foundation that determines how it will play out in the long run. I feel strongly about the fact that trust can completely alter the dynamic of a team from stifling to facilitative. And so with all the other factors - no matter where your team is stuck, it is possible to resolve it and create a fantastic team that delivers results that matter. All the best in your team journey!