Every Team Has Dysfunction
My dogs remind me that I am the leader of a slightly dysfunctional team. And like any team, we’re a work in progress.
Every team I’ve worked with presents a fascinating mix of leadership, personality, and communication styles. Through intentional time spent building awareness of individual and collective strengths, gaps, and tendencies, these teams have built connection and improved alignment so they work better together.
My dogs’ feeding time always reminds me of the complexity of personality in teams, but without the opportunity to do much about it.
Arlo, in the back of the picture, loves any food you put in front of him except fruits and veg. He eats quickly, though he always leaves a bite in his bowl. His neurosis? He wants us to watch him eat. Walk away and he stops, turns, and walks away himself. Some security issues there.
Evie is a sassy little gal who can be a picky eater when she wants to be. Sometimes she gives us a disparaging look before she tentatively takes her first bites. She’s slow and meticulous. When she’s done, she licks her bowl clean, then cleans Arlo’s. Not a speck to be found in either bowl.
Now let me anthropomorphize my dogs onto a leadership team.
Arlo is the fast-moving one. The Chief Growth Officer, perhaps? Mostly confident and ready to take on anything. But he needs positive reinforcement and validation. Eyes. On. Him. And he’s not great at making sure everything is in its place before moving on to what’s next (usually a tennis ball, aka the next deal).
Evie is the deliberate and skeptical one. Chief Compliance Officer? She has to check everything out before she makes a move, and even then it’s verify-then-trust, not trust-but-verify. Deliberate and thorough, she makes sure nothing is left unfinished. Do we wish she’d move a little faster sometimes? Yes. But we appreciate her attention to detail.
My job (or my husband’s, depending on who’s leading the team that meal) is to make sure each team member has what they need to be successful, and to appreciate the unique characteristics they each bring.
Ideally we’d get to a point where Arlo builds his confidence and Evie loses her skepticism. But since I can’t throw us all in a room with flip charts and have someone facilitate a team coaching conversation the way I do with the teams I work with, we’re just going to have to work it out another way.
Every team has dysfunction. It’s just a matter of degree. The question isn’t whether yours does. It’s whether you’re doing anything about it.
Looking to increase the cohesion, trust, and impact of your leadership team? Reach out and let’s discuss The Compass Team Experience and how I can help.