Unanimity and Uniqueness
July 2003
We are talking about T.R.U.E. teambuilding – the four elements of teamwork. We have covered Trust and Resources in the last two columns. This month we will look at Unanimity and Uniqueness. The bottom line for successful workgroups is this: there has to be room for both.
This was a tough one for me to learn. I got into management because I didn’t want to be told how to do my daily work. I had a mind for systems. I thought everyone wanted to organize their own work and workplace. I was wrong. Some people want to re-design the work systems, and some people want to show up at work every day and be told what to do. There’s room for both. We need both kinds to really round out a workgroup. But how do you manage both?
Teamwork has had a spotty time working here in the United States as fully as it does in management textbooks. Why? Our cultural myths play a big part in this. The classic American hero is the lone rider on the white horse, who comes into town, guns-a-blazin’, and fixes things alone, or with very little help, usually from a hapless sidekick. This is not a model for sitting down as a group and figuring out who does what best. This is a model for exactly what we have in most businesses today: a top-down hierarchical network of power and commands.
I don’t mean to suggest that there is nothing good about this. Quite the contrary – you will always hear me reiterate that you cannot make decisions by committee. You can research as a group, though, and group norms are as powerful at work as they were in third grade, where peer pressure reigns. Some things never change. You telling your workgroup to be on time will only do so much; the group all agreeing to be on time and enforcing it is a whole different story. Guess which is most effective? Exactly. If you promise a group of peers you are going to do something, the stakes are higher you’re your promising any one individual. So work with the group to enhance their unanimity whenever you can. If they are all pulling in the same direction, you’re going to get there a lot faster. Put them in charge of as many of the workplace behaviors as you can. (With proper training, of course. Nothing founders faster than a team with no structure or idea what they are supposed to be doing. There’s a lot of this going around and called teamwork – it’s not. It’s chaos.)
Then there’s what I call the Creative Troublemaker. These are the folks who always want to figure out a better way to do things. They can be a fabulous addition to your workforce, and they can also be a giant pain. I know - I was one. How to manage them? When they bring you a problem, ask them to bring you solutions as well. Get them some basic training in group process, if they don’t have any, and put them in charge of streamlining the workplace procedures. They will do you proud.
Another challenge of managing teams is making room for the individual who simply refuses to be part of the team. I once had an employee who resisted all efforts to get him involved in team process. He hated meetings, hated group process, just wanted to do his work and be left alone. He and I struggled with this, as much of our performance system was based on team behaviors. He came up with an excellent solution, however. We had a pool of vehicles for the larger workgroup to use for site visits. His job was to take care of all aspects of the carpool: maintenance, scheduling, repairs, etc. This was something he could do individually that contributed to the team. Make room for these people – they are strong contributors.
Does this mean that it’s ok for some people to remain completely out of the group? Not usually. There may be specific functions that need to be done alone but for the most part, humans work in groups. Everyone has a responsibility to the group – just make sure it matches their strength areas, as much as possible. Then you can encourage them to grow and stretch out of those areas of comfort. Most everyone is more willing to grow and change if they can have some areas that remain stable, and that they are good at.
Unanamity can be dangerous as well. Remember that groupthink exists, and it can be powerful. Have you ever been in a group of people trying to decide which restaurant to go to when everyone is trying to be polite about their wishes? Sometimes you end up somewhere that no one really wanted to go to in the first place, but one thing led to another, and next thing you know you’re having pizza when half the people there really wanted Chinese. Creative troublemakers can be of assistance here, as they are less susceptible to groupthink. We all can be swayed though – it’s called mob mentality. Be aware, and be on the lookout. If necessary, assign someone to be the devil’s advocate just to be sure there is one.
A strong team works in relative unanimity while rewarding the unique contributions of each member. Other outlooks can give clarity and ideas we may not have thought of. One’s own viewpoint, however brilliant, is only one angle. If we see more, we can’t help but be smarter and make better decisions. And that’s good business.
Ramona Abbott helps businesses maximize their efficiency, effectiveness and group dynamics. She utilizes proven techniques that are fun and affordable to help you improve your workplace in a variety of ways. She welcomes inquiries at 360-398-2606 or ramona@EssentiallyProfessional.com
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