Team Dysfunction At Work: How To Change Mindsets

You have a great team. You’ve built a team of incredible minds, talent, experience, and knowledge. That’s supposed to be enough, right? Your team should be churning out projects like a well-oiled machine. 

So what’s the hold-up? Why isn’t that happening? As their leader, you’re now questioning what is going on? 

It’s not always about how much work a team puts in or how much knowledge or experience they have. It’s about synergy and mindset. 

Like a pebble thrown into a lake, no matter how small, it still makes ripples in the water and disrupts the flow. 

If you’re noticing some dysfunction amongst your team, it’s time to change the team mindset. 

Team Dysfunction At Work – Notice The Signs

The first step to adjusting the team mindset is to identify the sources of team dysfunction at work. 

No team will always experience the same type of issues or dysfunctions, so watch your team and ask them why there seems to be an imbalance. 

Here are a few signs of team dysfunction at work:

• Communication issues
  • This could come in the form of no communication, bullying, narcissistic actions, or gossiping.
• Conflict
  • Is there an unresolved issue between your team? If you can cut the tension with a knife, you need to reconsider and react to solve the situation before it worsens. 
• Distrust
  • If your team doesn’t trust each other or you, as their leader, to ensure they are set up for success, you won’t get very far no matter how much talent you pack into the room. 
• Low morale
  • Employees need to know they are valued. Employees need to know they are more important than the work they put out for the business. No acknowledgment of their work, talents or wins will show them that they are just there to do the job and go home. 

It’s Time To Change Mindsets

Now that you’ve recognized the signs and red flags of team dysfunction at work, it’s time to work on the mindset shift. 

You can reinvigorate and re-inspire your team through effective communication strategies, team building and celebrations, and trust-building. 

Take time to notice what encourages your team. You can even ask them what motivates them. Use that as your foundation. Set up a time for open conversation and team synergy. Allow them to become a team because they are all working as their own individual team right now.

Most importantly, celebrate. Celebrate the big and small and even the wins that seem insignificant to the larger task at hand. Value your team. 

Remember the ripple effect we talked about earlier? Let’s use that same metaphor to describe mindset change. By leading with confidence, you will be that pebble that disrupts the water in a GOOD way, and it will ripple through until it reaches the shore. 

Lead With Confidence – Let MVision Consulting Help!

If you’re unsure how to get started, we can help you through our team coaching workshops. Our team here at MVision Consulting, led by founder Dr. Marc Camras can bring your team out of that slump and into a mindset that only creates and encourages motivation, inspiration, teamwork, and positivity. 

We’ve worked with leaders who manage teams at Fortune 500 and 1000 companies, Universities,  large Non-Profits, and multinational companies all around the world. 

If you are an international leader, check out our latest article, Challenges Facing International Leaders In The Workplace, for helpful insight. 

Schedule a Discovery Call today to start leading with confidence tomorrow!