Upon hearing the news, Jamie felt exhilarated.
And anxious.
She’d just been tapped as the new leader of a critical team in her organization. Excited about the promotion she’d been hoping for, the experienced VP of Marketing also knew it would come with a steep climb.
The team had a longstanding reputation as being a high-conflict group. They gossiped about one another both inside and outside the organization. These conflicts often involved personal attacks and serious accusations that had the potential to damage people’s careers--and lives.
Jamie’s newly-appointed team was expected to deliver big results over the next 12 months. How was she going to guide this group to resolving years of conflict and get them on the same page? She picked up the phone and called Douglas, her co-worker and a fellow member of the organization’s leadership team.
The Cost of Conflict Within Teams
When a team’s modus operandi is to bicker, stonewall, and take a defensive stance toward one another, collaboration deteriorates. According to a recent survey by Zoom and Morning Consult, the cost is far more than a group of employees giving each other the silent treatment.
When leaders must devote time to resolving issues surrounding ineffective collaboration, an organization with an average of 1,000 employees can lose up to $874,000 per year. All too often, leaders see these issues as stemming solely from interpersonal conflict or a lack of skills. Instead, there may be other causes that are much harder to define.
Differences Can Run Deep
As VP of Human Resources, Douglas was well aware of the challenges Jamie’s new team faced. Knowing their history, he reminded her of the classic iceberg scenario: there might be a great deal beneath the surface driving the misunderstandings.
“What we have here are differences that aren’t readily seen,” explained Douglas. “It’s not a matter of education level, generation gaps, or whether an employee was someone who moved up internally through the ranks as opposed to an outside hire. There are more subtle ways in which people view, understand, and act upon situations which can greatly affect a team.”
Douglas continued, “Teams are made of a variety of different individuals with their own set of values, personalities, and approaches. These traits impact each employee’s communication style, problem-solving abilities, response to change, and ideas around innovation.”
Jamie nodded, feeling her vision clear regarding her newly-inherited five-person group. For instance, everyone knew that Leia was a self-proclaimed introvert. Jamie reflected on how Leia was a top performer who was consistent on a daily basis. However, Leia typically stayed silent during meetings. As Jamie flushed with recognition, she wondered what contributions this quiet individual could have made if only someone had given her the time and space to speak. She shared her thoughts with Douglas.
The Dangers of Unrecognized Differences
“You’re getting it,” said Jamie’s fellow VP. “Not identifying and fully understanding these critical differences can create roadblocks that will jam up your team’s productivity. In your case, the barriers are on the verge of becoming insurmountable.”
“Differences in key styles, when understood appropriately, allow teams to approach problems from a variety of perspectives and angles and bring strength and agility to their approach,” Douglas continued. “But when differences are misinterpreted, misunderstood, or simply ignored, they can camouflage as conflict and go unresolved for years. This costs employees time, focus, and emotional energy, and causes damage to an organization’s productivity and workplace culture.”
The Hidden Strengths of Individual Styles
Jamie could feel her mental wheels rolling. She thought of two more of her team members: Evie and Rosamarie. Evie was known for being direct in her communication style, while Rosamarie was typically diplomatic and empathetic. Evie criticized Rosamarie for being “soft,” and Rosamarie described Evie as “difficult.” But Jamie knew that each woman’s style had its strengths. If they could seek input from one another regarding how to handle their direct reports, their respect for one another would likely grow.
“Make time to learn the work styles of your team members,” Douglas affirmed. “This will not only help them better understand each other, it will help them better understand themselves.”
Curiosity Can Be the Antidote to Conflict
Not understanding differences in a team can result in unnecessary damage to trust or seeming conflict. This can lead to increased disengagement, ineffective communication, and clogged collaboration. But, by doing the work to understand critical differences in approach and personality and embracing these differences as sources of strength, teams can resolve many surface-level conflicts, re-establish trust, and reach new heights of effectiveness.
Strategies for Leveraging Differences in Style:
Start with truly understanding the differences--often it is helpful to do this with the support of someone outside of the team who can offer fresh perspectives and help facilitate potential sticky spots.
Encourage team members to be curious about the approaches of their teammates by asking questions of each other such as:
“What would you like me to know about the way you view this issue?”
“How can I communicate better with you about this issue?”
“What do you see getting in the way of us working together?”
As leader, be prepared to gently remind employees of these differences the next time you see them come up. “Remember, Tim has a different way of addressing change than you do. What role do you think that’s playing here?”
With Douglas’ help, Jamie contacted a facilitator and began to plan a retreat for her new team. She knew the group could achieve success meeting their goals if they better understood what made them different. It would also give them the chance to focus on their task rather than on discord with one another. With her motivation stoked, Jamie knew she was well on her way to a successful year.
Are you ready to explore the key differences in your team? Harness their strengths and leverage their individuality by booking a consult for a Team Dynamics session today.