Last time we talked about conflict as we cover the various behaviours of a dysfunctional team. Todays, dysfunction is linked to groups where conflict hasn’t happened, and the corresponding result is a lack of commitment.
A team starts to perform as they become committed to the task ahead. Debate, argument and productive conflict mean the team members can access everyone’s perspectives and opinions.
Team members then confidently commit and buy into a decision knowing what everyone’s ideas are.
Do you recognise any of these characteristics when you have worked with teams who did not commit?
Teams who don’t commit:
- Lack any level of confidence.
- Have an ongoing fear of failure.
- Consistently revisit decisions.
- Lose opportunities through being stuck.
Diving deeper into this topic, what are the essential elements of commitment and what causes the lack of moving forward?
The Two Critical Components of Commitment
When it comes to commitment and teams, it’s a function of two things; buy-in from all concerned and clarity on where they’re going.
Great committed teams make timely decisions and move forward with everyone in agreement, even those who voted against the decision.
Meetings are left confidently, and no one considers whether they made the right decision.
So, what causes a lack of commitment?
Two things: the need for certainty and the need for consensus.
Consensus: At one level, wouldn’t it be good if we all agreed? Not really, as consensus stifles innovation and great teams know that.
Instead, functioning teams find different ways to achieve a level of agreement even when they know and understand that complete agreement is impossible.
They get that reasonable human beings do not need to get their own way to support a decision but only need to know that they have been heard and their opinions thought through.
This then creates a willingness to rally around whatever decision is ultimately made by the group, even if the manager makes the final decision.
So let’s explore this need for certainty.
Certainty: No one really likes a lack of uncertainty. Waffle world isn’t a good place to live.
Great teams live by a military tradition that any decision is better than no decision; commit and move forward. Course correction can happen on the way.
On the other hand, dysfunctional teams classically suffer from paralysis by over-analysis! The classic ‘let’s wait and see’.
This team is always waiting for the perfect moment when that piece of data everyone can agree on arrives… which, of course, never does. The stalling consistently results in opportunities being lost.
Remember, conflict always underlines the willingness to commit without perfect information and in many cases, teams have all the information they need.
Whether the lack of consensus or certainty stops a team from committing and moving forward, it is crucial to understand that one of the greatest consequences a leadership team will experience by showing a lack of clarity and commitment is disharmony throughout teams and departments in their organisation.
Contrasts that exist in relatively small groups of staff who report to leaders will clash as they communicate throughout the workforce.
Fact: Small gaps across leaders magnify as they move through teams.
So, what happens with a committed team?
- They move forward without debate or hesitation.
- They learn from their mistakes.
- They course correct when necessary.
- The team is aligned around the outcomes they want.
- They take advantage of opportunities.
So how can you create a committed team? Here are some suggestions.
2. Ideas for Creating a Committed Team
Clear messaging: Over many years working with teams, I consistently notice that no one clarifies exactly what everyone understands about the objectives agreed at the end of the meeting.
What will be communicated, and what happens next.
Such simple ideas that, when implemented, ensure that the right message is communicated and not the wrong message, as so often happens.
Think through your last meeting – were you totally clear on the message that was agreed by all that was then passed down to other members throughout the organisation; if not, this is an easy, quick win as you move towards more commitment.
The detail is in the deadline: in a similar context to clear messaging, what about a specific deadline. I know this may sound incredibly simple, yet ensuring commitment happens when a specific time and deadline are in place, works.
As you honour your decisions with discipline, commitment starts to happen. Over the years, I’ve noticed that great teams commit to deadlines; they commit to a process, and they commit to final decisions because it assures alignment throughout the team.
If you want help and advice around this leadership skill, do get in touch as we have several programmes that can help. From insights discovery team development, strengths finder to liberating leadership. Please send me an email here or call us on 0845 548 0833.
Until next time,
Julia Carter
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