Teams are an integral part of the lifeblood of workplace dynamics, and the success or failure of a team can significantly affect a company’s bottom line. With that said, it’s essential to understand that because we rely so much on these groups of people in our organizations, we must realize that team dynamics have a significant impact on an organization’s culture, efficiency, and viability. The bottom line? Team dynamics can affect your organization’s bottom line, highlighting the need for leaders to tackle team dynamics in a meaningful way.
What happens when we don’t pay attention to team dynamics?
Often, organizations with weak or poor team dynamics suffer from high employee turnover and low employee engagement. Lack of connection may lead to dissatisfaction—and dissatisfied employees are found to underperform and may eventually leave the organization, costing your organization big. If employee engagement levels are high, businesses can see a reduction of turnover by 51%, reduce absenteeism by 27%, and see customer satisfaction scores rise by 12% (Wagner & Harter, 2004, p. xiii).
How can we positively affect team dynamics?
To stay competitive and innovative, many companies search for answers from motivational speakers or books to grow and optimize their teams. However, managers and leaders must understand there are crucial contextual and key team factors that must be known before assessing team performance, chemistry, and satisfaction—all areas that can’t be solved by a $12.95 book or one-off motivational talk.
To understand team chemistry, one must first take a critical look at the team’s ability to be innovative and successful, individual personality traits, and the need to assess engagement and performance effectively.
If leaders and employees understand their colleagues better and what role they will play in improving the group’s dynamics, they will all produce at higher levels. Also, employees will feel a sense of pride and happiness within their work group, and ultimately, their organization. Employees want to enjoy their organization, work, and team. As a leader, you can help them feel more connected to your organization and in turn, they will help benefit the bottom line and be more personally fulfilled.
How well do you know those you spend so much time with?
Leaders need to seek to understand the personalities of team members—including interpersonal strengths, weaknesses, and motivators—to empower and facilitate personal growth and increase both employee job satisfaction and performance. Additionally, an understanding of how employee personalities mesh or clash with one another can create an informed managerial style, which may further increase employee satisfaction and overall team performance.
What tools are out there to assist in improving team dynamics?
Before deciding what tools are needed to improve team dynamics, identify the unique needs of your team and workplace. The most significant, positive impact will result from a customized and personalized approach that fits your team’s nuances.
One such tool Carnegie Dartlet has developed is a process through which organizations can better understand its team members and the team’s perception of itself in order to maximize chemistry, engagement, and performance. This process, called Team Chem, investigates individual and team dynamics and empowers leaders with insights to improve management, response, and individual performance.
During a Team Chem session, we lead live diagnostic workshops to assess team members and reveal critical insights about their aptitudes, potential conflicts and synergies, and overall alignment with one another and the organization. These workshops result in a comprehensive deliverable, equipping managers and employees with a broader understanding of who they are and how best to interact with their colleagues.
Whatever path and tools are chosen to grow a team, know that when time, attention, and resources are invested into making team dynamics healthier, you will see a significant impact on employee awareness of themselves and their coworkers.
Join us in advancing teams, cultures, and performance in the workplace.