When Teams Break Down

In my previous post, I admitted that I am a total factory junkie.  I love watching machinery, especially assembly lines that produce everyday goods.  But the gears, pulleys, and levers of the industrial age have now been replaced by the human machine of the knowledge age—the team.  In that post, I talked about all the amazing things a team does when it’s working effectively.  Take a look and see how your teams at work, school, or in the community are doing.   

I’m a big believer in the power of teams.  As a researcher, I studied teams that created breakthrough innovations in the high tech field.  As a consultant, I’ve had the privilege to work with great teams leading dynamic organizations.  In my own organization I work on one of the most amazing teams one could ever hope for.  But I know from experience that these high functioning teams are the exception, not the majority. 

For many people, teams don’t seem like well-oiled machines at all.  Instead, they are clogged, rusted, run-down jalopies that barely get the job done. Often, they make the job even slower than if you had struggled through the task on your own.  For the most part, it’s because we treat our teams as though they’re indestructible when really they need ongoing maintenance like any other machine.  Here are a few of the things that go wrong when you don’t invest in the upkeep of your team.   

1. Friction. Machines are very susceptible to the damage of friction as parts grind on one another and create wear and tear.  In teams, this friction comes from different interpersonal styles, poor communication skills, and unhealthy conflict.  The cause is different, but the result is the same, the friction wears team members down and prevents them from making the kind of connection required for effective teamwork.  What are you doing to lubricate your conversation with better understanding and appreciation of the different parts your teammates play? Have you used one or more of the great tools available to look at different personalities or work styles? Do you keep your mind open to how people who are the most different from you can actually be the most valuable?
2. Lack of contact.  In a machine, when the parts don’t connect properly, it can’t do its job. Gears have to touch to create acceleration.  In a team, this lack of connection can exist in a new team, when members don’t know how to communicate with one another.  It can also come in a team that is worn down by too much friction where members withdraw and contribute as little as possible to get by. Does your team spend enough time together? Do you have unscheduled time to spark innovation?  Are you disciplined about listening effectively to one another to get the most value from one another’s ideas?
3. Stress and strain. When outside forces exert the wrong kind of pressure on a machine, the stress and strain can affect performance. The same is true of the team.  Many teams are under tremendous stress from above and considerable strain from other competing teams.  The result is a team that gets pulled off course and a priority list that gets warped beyond recognition.  Does your team practice ruthless prioritization to focus on what’s important?  Do you adapt and change your priorities based on the evolving situation?

I stand by my assertion that the team is an amazing machine.  I just wish people would take care of their teams, a quart of oil every once in a while, folks!  If we expect high performance, we need to invest in ongoing maintenance.  Has your team been for a 3,000 mile tune up lately?  Maybe it’s time.