Why Is Team Dynamics The Key To Boosting Team Performance?
Creating high performing teams is not a simple case of getting the most talented personnel together. Sometimes performance is still low, results are poor and growth is slow. The pedigree of your people is excellent. So, where does the problem lie?
In most cases, the problem is poor Team Dynamics, and when addressed, improvements can be substantial. Don’t worry. We have some simple strategies to improving team dynamics and turning performances around.
What is Team Dynamics?
Team dynamics relates to how individuals within a team interact with each other, and how that interaction affects the performance of the team. Unfortunately it comes down to the fact that team mates that don’t get along don’t have a shared vision and seldom get the best results.
When putting a team together, managers usually consider the skills and experience that individuals have – but the personalities being grouped together are rarely considered. Team dynamics concern the unconscious, psychological factors that can also influence a team’s behaviour.
Team dynamics in the workplace are important because they impact creativity, productivity and effectiveness. Since group work is integral to organisations, improving group dynamics can lead to better work outcomes, customer satisfaction and an improved bottom line.
Why Having Good Team Dynamics Is Important
Improving team dynamics is worth the time and effort needed, bringing quite a few benefits to a company’s operation. It might seem to some that a team works together by definition, but the characteristics of poor team dynamics are clearly avoidable:
- Weak Leadership – leads to a lack of direction, a focus on the wrong priorities.
- Deference to Authority – members agree with leaders, don’t share own opinions.
- Blocking – members disrupt, characters like The Aggressor (outspoken), The Negator (criticises ideas) and The Joker (inappropriately humourous).
- Groupthink – seeks consensus and doesn’t explore alternatives.
- Freeriding – some members leave colleagues to do the work.
- Evaluation Apprehension – members feel they’re being judged by others.
Benefits of Team Dynamics
Positive team dynamics can bring a lot of benefits to your operation, not least because it is the surest way of leveraging the full potential of your employees via their skills and experience.
- Improved Results – a team operating to its fullest potential is naturally going to get better results. They are more focused, clearer on their aims, and work better together.
- Greater Collaboration – greater levels of cooperation and collaboration are possible when teams work in a more informal and supportive atmosphere.
- Faster Decision-Making – team members are more willing to listen to each other and so make faster decisions.
- Greater Commitment – individual team members feel more valued. The pay back is greater commitment and loyalty from workers.
- Less Conflict – with enhanced cooperation, sense of value and commitment, conflict becomes less likely.
Strategies For Improving Team Dynamics
So, how can you turn things around? Well, improving team dynamics can be easier with these simple strategies:
- Know Your Team – learn about the 4 phases a group goes through as it develops. This will help you pre-empt problems with team dynamics.
- Quick Feedback – when you spot poor behaviour, act quickly to negate it through feedback. Explain the negative impact the behaviour has and how it can be changed.
- Roles & Responsibilities – clear direction helps greatly n managing team dynamics. Create a team charter defining the group’s objective and individual responsibilties.
- Break Down Barriers – use team building activities to boost unity and strengthen relationships.
- Communication – keep everyone informed, and when changes are decided, share the news quickly.
- Stay Alert – anything can affect team dynamics in the workplace, so keep an eye on developments.
Orangeworks Team Development Programmes can help you understand your team members better, improve team dynamics and get your team working better together. Whether you need to work on leadership, your top performers or collaboration, we have something for everyone. Contact us today through the link below for more information.
