Welcome to this episode of Jack Chat and another tiny lesson in leadership, straight up.
In this episode, I’d like to talk about an unusual downside of working on a team.
There is no question that teams are an enabling force for productivity and innovation. BUT…they can also be a force for keeping us stuck. What??
Team can create a place to hide out from change by reinforcing resistance or encouraging team members to disengage from new ways of working.
They do this by stoking fears that change will reduce the team’s status or render their current expertise irrelevant. These fears can cause team members to hang onto ways of working that aren’t really working anymore…
Just as individuals need to invest in their personal development, teams need to invest in TEAM development. To keep from getting stuck in a time-warp, leaders need to help teams build a habit of proactively pushing into the future.
Here are a few self-reflection questions to help you consider if your team is stagnating or getting ready for what’s next:
- Do we discuss and plan for the future of our customers’ needs?
- Are team members open to and excited about learning new things?
- Do we adopt or do we avoid needed changes in tools and processes?
Give those questions some thought, get unstuck …and join me again for another chat!