Common problems of working with teams (and how to solve them!)
Due to the nature of working in teams, group members can sometimes find that they are not working effectively, which negatively impacts on their progress, and their ability to be successful.
Some common problems identified by individuals working in teams are:
1- Not going in the same direction
To walk in the same direction, a team needs to know where it is going or what it is contributing to (vision) and why (purpose). Spend time on this with your team. This clarity provides a framework and ‘reason to be’ that can rally any given project team to work together. Keep in mind that visions need to be compelling and purposes meaningful. People respond to the importance of both.
2- Lack of participation.
Team members fail to complete assignments. There may be poor attendance at team meetings or low energy during meetings.
3- Lack of Motivation
There are times when your employees will be unmotivated or don’t demonstrate initiative. This can happen for a variety of reasons, so it’s essential that you understand why.
Confronting the situation will allow you to solve the problem as oppose to letting it go and potentially getting worse over time. However, doing little things to motivate your team on a daily basis could prevent this problem.
The following are powerful tactics you can use to encourage your team to stay motivated so they give each day their all:
- Pay Employees Their Worth
- Provide a Pleasant Work Environment
- Encourage Self-Improvement
- Don’t Punish Failure
- Set Clear Goals
4- Working in silos
Silo working is a reality for many project teams. Team members may sit side by side but not really work together. A great project team can be like the three musketeers, all for one and one for all. So if you are in a team, you may as well really be in it. Working together in earnest is about making the most of the fact that you are a team. Honour your time and efforts by seeing yourself as a full-time member of the team, not just an individual contributor. Imagine how great it would feel to be part of a team where everyone is thinking of the team and not just themselves, make that project a success by working together.
5- No long-term thinking
Project managers have to get beyond day-to-day urgencies, see the big picture and consider how all parts of the project fit together. For a project team, this means being able to think beyond your own area, about how you fit into the wider change programme or project and how you impact the end client’s experience. This is about business sustainability and long-term success. Everyone is busy, but just being busy is not enough. Long-term project success requires long-term thinking.
