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Teams: the five common barriers to effective teamwork

Successful teams produce extraordinary results in all areas of business, in sports, in communities and in voluntary agencies, to name a few. Teams often fail to realize their potential because barriers stand in the way of success. What are those barriers and how can you overcome them?

Barrier 1: individual agendas

People are used to taking care of themselves. We’ve probably all been told or heard someone say that you should take care of number one. In other words, focus all of your attention on your agenda instead of the team’s agenda.

Solution: When you’re on a team, focus on the unique contribution you make to the team’s overall results and put team results first.

Barrier 2: silo thinking

In organizations, the achievement of a result will depend on the joint work of all those involved in the process. Take for example a hospital. Someone has to make the initial appointment for the patient to see a doctor. If the doctor identifies that the patient needs an operation, he must go on a waiting list, be notified of when his operation will be, and make the necessary preoperative assessments. Once admitted, arrangements must be made to get them to the operating room on time, plans made for their discharge, including home support and medication.

Each of these tasks will require contributions from different departments and is all too easy, especially when people are busy and stretched out to indulge in isolated thinking. In other words, view challenges in isolation without considering the impact on other parts of the process, and most importantly, on the client (in this case, the patient).

Solution: Take time for teams to understand the impact of their actions or inaction on each other, and in particular the customer.

Barrier 3: Lack of trust

Most people need to be sure that others will comply to fully embrace teamwork. In other words, they need to be confident. Building trust takes time, effort, commitment, and belief. There is no magic formula, but actions speak louder than words.

Solution: Commit to and follow through on the actions you have agreed to take and show that you can be trusted to do so.

Barrier 4: Vague about what you want to achieve

Teams need to know what they have to accomplish. In other words, they need specific, measurable results. Teams are often formed with vague goals like improving retention, reducing errors, or reducing the reporting cycle, to name just a few. This vagueness is a guaranteed recipe for a dish called disappointment.

Solution: Set out specific, measurable outcomes for teams to address, such as reducing disease levels by 2% by June 30.

Barrier 5: Absence of conflict

In teams, particularly in organizations that are performing well, conflict is often lacking. We are doing well, so we can rest on our laurels and not rock the boat could be the motto. Conflict should not be seen as something negative, but as a constructive way to get the best out of everyone.

Solution: Encourage debate and constructive challenge in order to achieve the best for everyone.

Successful teams will make a real difference to the results achieved. So what barriers do you need to address to get the best results from your teams?

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