The silent killer of ambitious teams
As easy as it is to point fingers and lay blame on our co-workers’ alleged deficits, a lack of talent is rarely what breaks high-performing teams.
More often than not, high-performing teams are crippled by the subtle, dysfunctional behaviors that go unnoticed and unchecked! Behaviors like heroic busyness, superficial cooperation, and triangulation.
So if you’re a rising leader who wants to make work better for you and everyone around you, do not tolerate (or normalize) these anti-social behaviors, or else they just might be your downfall!
Heroic Busyness
Beware the high-performer who puts in more hours than everybody else and consistently tries to “take one for the team.” Contrary to the corporate work norms of the early 2000s, a team member who over-functions in their role is not actually performing!
Heroic busyness may look like dedication, but it is often a symptom of poor role differentiation on your team, insecurity, or misaligned incentives.
Gone unchecked, heroic busyness can lead to role strain for the individual, and dependency dynamics, resentment, and disconnection within the team.
Silent Cooperation
When your team stops asking questions and falls in line, you should start to worry.
Cooperation, or “people working together on a common goal,” may sound like a manager’s dream, but when teams get quiet it usually means people aren’t functioning AS A TEAM. They are not comfortable sharing their best ideas, or worse, they’re not stress-testing your best ideas!
If tolerated for an extended period of time, silent cooperation can lead to disengagement or groupthink, and stunt valuable innovation.
Triangulation (aka Gossip)
In recent years, there’s been a fair amount of research on the social benefits of office gossip…and I couldn’t disagree with it more!
When team members off-load their frustrations to a third party rather than addressing them head-on, several toxic dominos start to fall.
What initially seems like social bonding between some quickly establishes in- and out-subgroups within the team which can lead to confusion, drama, and distraction from the teams highest priorities.
Team Culture Can Change—And You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
So, if you want to make work better for you and everyone around you this summer, please remember: These three behaviors may be toxic, but they are NOT indicative of anyone’s incompetence or a lack of talent.
Heroic busyness, silent cooperation, and triangulation are just symptoms of an overextended team that doesn’t feel safe!
Fortunately, team culture is malleable and salvageable!
To date, I have helped more than 25 leaders turn their teams around by making a conscious effort to shift their approach. Because every single email you send, every drive-by conversation you have, and every meeting you lead is an opportunity to set the tone, elevate the conversation, and invite healthier teaming behaviors.
