Saturday, June 28, 2008

3 Blocks to Success in any Company:

3 Blocks to Success in any Company:
Sure Signs of Team Conflict, and what to do about it.


When your team suddenly stops Communicating, loses Commitment and Creativity – you are in the middle of Team Conflict that WILL stop your business in its tracks.

If you are an Executive, a Team Leader or a Manager of people – you must recognize these 3 C’s as blockages and signs of team conflict. Often this conflict is hidden below the surface, and most often it causes terribly stressful day-to-day pressure.

How will you know if these blocks are what is causing your team to stagnate, underachieve or just go through the motions of work, work, work, collect pay – work, work, collect pay?

Remember that these 3 Communication, Creativity and Commitment blocks could wipe your team OUT! So this is what you need to look out for, to catch conflict before it causes too much damage.


1. Look and Listen for the Communication Blocks
Incessant gossiping and backstabbing, confusing cultural clashes, misunderstanding and miscommunications – are signs of a team that is in serious conflict and is in danger of self-destructing. |

These are simply signs that either communication is blocked, or your team members are by nature, personality, culture or communication style – simply unable to speak directly to the team members who can make a difference.

Look for people, who hide behind the CC and BCC on their emails. They are hiding from the responsibility of actually speaking to their team members. This will destroy relationships and communication within your team.

2. Identify the Creativity Blocks

Creativity and innovation is the life blood of any growing organisation. And when this stops so does your team and your organisation!

The top signs of creativity blocks will emanate in direct personality clashes, negativity, bullying and arguing. This is a sign that team members are behaving as individuals, and do not recognize that other people add to them.

It is here where your team and company/ organization will become stagnant and more creative opposition teams will wave you goodbye, as they fly ahead.

3. Observe Commitment Blocks

A lack of professionalism, disrespect for team members and clients, diminished - or no Professionalism, poor accountability, excessive absenteeism will let you know that your team is just going through the motions.

Are your team members merely going through the motions? Are they coming to work because “it’s a job.”

Remember! These 3 Top Signs – are Red Flag Warnings to any team leader, executive and/ or managers that something really has to change and it has to change FAST!

So start looking out for the 3 C’s – the blocks that will warn you when your team is in dire straits! And then take immediate action.

Put in place a team-agreed, team-managed code of conduct to cut away the causes of conflict and the resultant stress. If you don’t - your days will grind by in frustration, as you, or your managers, attempt to micro manage your team’s interpersonal relationships.

Kind regards,

Brian V Moore

No comments: