Ask any coach what makes a team successful, and they’ll likely talk about a team that works as one, integrating everyone’s strengths and communicating well so that the team members function as a unit with an equal amount of give and take from all involved. The same goes for any team in an office…but too often, barriers hold that team back and keep them from performing at their best level. Fortunately, once you can spot them, you can work on removing them.
- Poor communication. A team cannot function properly if they can’t communicate. This may come from various different directions. If the boss doesn’t make objectives clear, the team cannot know what they need to work toward, and they’ll spend more time figuring out what a superior wants them to do instead of actually doing it. Lack of information breeds frustration and resentment, so make sure that managers clearly state what they want the team to work on. And conflicts within the team require resolution as soon as possible; no team can work together when two of the members don’t see eye-to-eye.
- If you ask a team to complete a project, but then assign multiple individual tasks to employees within the team, they’ll always have distractions. In some cases, they really may need to put most of their other duties on hold until a major team project finishes up. Or if you don’t allow them ample time during the week to come together as a team, they’ll have to cobble it together themselves, finding time where everyone can meet….and if they all have other meetings and other deadlines, it won’t work. Give your team the focus they need to produce what you want.
- Lack of autonomy. When you put a team together, you’ve essentially implied that you trust them to work as a unit and get things done. However, if a manager constantly questions what the team does and how they do it, they in turn have to constantly stop and either explain their process or change it, neither of which allows them to work smoothly. This may also breed resentment among team members, leading them to have less investment in the work.
Don’t let daily obstructions hamper a good team. Do what you can to give them the space, literally and figuratively, to do their best work. To discuss management and hiring strategies, reach out to the Los Angeles medical staffing team at Medical Professionals today.
Leave a Reply