Help, our team is imploding
Dear leaders and learners,
I hear this often. The specifics are unique. The patterns are similar.
Our team conflict is out of control.
Those with power aren't being told the truth, or aren't listening well when truth is told to them.
We've been through so much the last while.
People are backbiting, cruel, and blaming each other.
Everyone is exhausted.
We have no idea what to do.
While conflict situations don't develop overnight, there is often an incident, an outburst, a loud resignation, or a tell-all letter that makes it impossible to look away.
We come face to face with the elephant in the room.
Our team is imploding.
Or at least it feels like it.
What steps do we take to build a collaborative, healthy culture, when things have gotten SO BAD?
I thought I hired great staff, what happened?
What's wrong with me, that I don't know what to do to fix this?
The following practices are considerations to propel leaders and teams through complex team crises, conflict, and change.
Name the thing(s). Tell the truth. People know when you are hedging or protecting someone, including yourself. One option is to invite a facilitator to take your team through a journey map exercise to identify where you've been. Listen and learn from each other about why and how you got here. Learn how and why things happened the way they did. Our stories are powerful.
Commit resources. Build common understanding to identify lessons learned, take steps toward rectifying harm done, and identify new pathways forward. Hiring outside experts to co-facilitate a process with leaders can alleviate pressure and allow leaders to fully participate.
Practice brave leadership. Don’t shy away from the hard stuff. Build concrete ways to work together (staff with leadership) toward your desired future state. Practice humility. Show that you are curious and committed to your own growth while leading the team toward thriving.
Be curious. Intentionally develop an understanding of each other and the ways we are miscommunicating, showing our biases, or not seeing each other as humans working toward a common goal. Using inquiry questions is a great place to start.
Learn & grow. Apply tools, resources, and practices for individual and team learning and development, such as Stages of Team Development, anti-racism and inclusion, change theory, Adaptive Leadership, conflict management, Intercultural Development, and/or Complex Systems Theory.
Develop working agreements/team norms. Define and use working agreements and team norms to help grow a community of belonging. All teams have norms, whether explicit or unnamed; it's more equitable and effective to name them outloud. Norms helps us name how we want to be in relationship together and provide tools to call each other into growth and healthy conflict when we make mistakes. Working agreement templates often include topics such as: team purpose, members and their roles, communication norms, decision making methods, conflict resolution practices and commitments, and more.
Be human together. Don’t force it or use people for their identities. Stay the course. Take time to breathe, BE together, laugh together, share of yourselves, and build bonds to do the brave work to which you’ve committed.
What has worked for you to get your team on the other side of team implosion? Share your thoughts below in the comments, or reach out by email. I'd love to hear about it.
Fellow leaders and learners, I wish you courage, rest, and beloved community along the journey.