Team Building Techniques and Team Leadership
The Challenge of “Change”: Team Building Strategies to Survive
Change is more upsetting for people than any other issue. You can’t have more chances of causing failures, quality issues or loss of production. However, your people and the way they react to change are more important than anything for your survival.
Research indicates that 70 percent of all change efforts fail. (Source: Author Peter Senge. “The Dance of Change,” Doubleday Press. Toronto. Ont. 1999, p. 3-4). It is impossible to predict that your change initiative will fail. As a change facilitator and teacher, I have seen change efforts fail since 2004, and my experience shows that this can be for any one of these reasons.
1. Inadequately defining the Future Picture or the impact of change.
All too often, the “change” initiative only addresses the symptoms of the current challenges and issues rather than the future the company desires or needs. Change is about creating the future we want, not fixing current problems.
2. Inability or unwillingness to evaluate the current situation and determine what is possible to change it.
Organizations continuously evaluate their current situation against the performance of current measures. Management of change is different from problem-solving, or project management. Instead, managing changes is about moving an organisation strategically ahead to realize its vision of the future.
3. It is difficult to successfully manage the transition to the future.
Experience demonstrates that failure to effectively manage the transition/transformation need is the leading cause of failure for strategic change initiatives. The problem is not with the change. Change is an event. The problem lies in what happens between the future and present, both after and before the “change” occurs. In reality, change is about people and not structures.
Inability to execute successfully often stems from seeing the change solely as structural. So once the new system has been developed and is ready for use, the doctrine papers are signed to officially legalize the deal. The CEO walks away from what is (prematurely) considered a “done” deal. This is a common mistake that’s repeated too often. There are many instances in history where organizations and teams have failed to adapt to changing environments. The majority of them are now extinct. “Definition” is key to successful change management, as seen from the perspectives of the individuals within the organization and their respective teams. I will explain each subset to make it more clear.
Definition and understanding of “WHAT” for Teams
It is important not to assume that everyone who works together is part of the team. This idea is misleading for many people. The definition of a Team is a group that has interdependence in intelligence, information, skill sets, tools and resources. They seek to work together towards a common vision and achieve a common goal. A team, in other words, can be either building or breaking down. Leadership is key to team building. A team building strategy can lead to a higher level of team spirit, cooperation, interpersonal communication, and overall team spirit. Building teams refers to the process of improving on the team-dynamics as well as the interpersonal relationships of those who are part of the unit. The unit’s dynamics determine whether team spirit is cultivated or destroyed.
Specific characteristics of teams should be addressed
– Teams should be created to share a vision and achieve a common goal.
– Team associates can be interdependent about some common interests. This is why teams are the best instrument for leadership and management.
– Teams use influence, strategic thinking, and acting to achieve their goals. Associates each have the power to direct their own changes.
– A team can be described as a type group but not all groups are. This is something team leaders Jason Hare Kingston are well aware of.
– Teams are organized to maximize learning and performance, all while operating in a socialist setting.
– Team associates don’t have to look after “self” but their team. Their responsibility is to guide the unit and help it find its voice, while executing flawlessly and strategically.
Teams learn to make positive changes to communicate authority and power for the betterment of their teams.
It is the people within these teams that make the difference between high performance and ordinary teams. They have to be able to overcome fear of change. High performance teams focus on the people driving the system’s overall performance. A high performance team is made up of individuals who have complementary skills, who understand the roles and goals and are dedicated to achieving them.
This team format teaches how to quickly work together towards common goals using their individual skills.
The “alpha”, which is how high-performance teams perceive change, is what they resist. The “omega”, on the other hand, refers to how well they are able to handle the change they expect. The degree of resistance a team member has to overcome is determined by how they view the change. It is determined by how much resistance each team member has as well the quality and support they have. The team leader’s role is to deal with their resistance from both sides by helping them to manage it. The leader’s ability, ability to show leadership and trust their team members as well as their ability to persuade their members to overcome resistance and move the unit forward will determine the success of their response. A leader who can communicate a low threat level or limited risk to the members will inspire trust in them for achieving the objective. It will all boil down to the leader’s relationship and trust with the team. Thus, the team’s success depends not only on its members, mais also on the leadership that they follow.
Definition and understanding for accepting “CHANGE” on Teams and Organizations
Let’s now look at how teams can handle fear and change. We will also examine the impact of these changes on performance. The leadership style should be able to influence peak performance across the organization. We will begin by considering change as an emotion state that is synonymous to fear. Fear can be described as an uncomfortable emotional response that is resistant to threats or a way of life. It is a basic survival mechanism and occurs in response a certain stimulus such as an increase or decrease in the severity of a situation. It should be addressed as soon and thoroughly as possible by leaders. The leadership should be able to give updates as things progress and help make the most of any opportunities for change.
“Definition is a two-way process. Teams leaders should help their members feel at ease defining the fear-causing problem. “Understanding” an “omega” is also a two way street. It is important for team leaders to be able to clearly explain what is happening to their members and why. They must be clear about any member’s resistance. These are some of the things team leaders must know:
– Team leaders cannot rationalize the issues. Instead, they must focus on opening and maintaining clear channels to communicate with their team members so that they can understand what is happening and what it means for them.
Leaders in teams should be able to provide support and guidance for their members, focusing on both the positives AND the negatives.
Team leaders must inform their team members of the nature and timing of any change.
The team leader must be able and willing to listen to the individual fears of each member. What are their fears? How strongly do they feel about potential outcomes (good or bad)? ).
