What should the project manager do if there is something wrong with team collaboration?

Friendly teamwork ability of the project team , It can improve the overall work efficiency of the team .

In project management , There are often many problems caused by teamwork , For example, the personality of the people who make up the team , Lead to problems in collaborative work , And then affect the project progress .

So what are the obstacles to teamwork ？ What should the project manager do ？

Five obstacles

The first obstacle ： Lack of trust

Trust is efficient 、 The core of a united team . No trust , Teamwork is out of the question .

Unfortunately ,“ trust ” This word is used too much , And it's often abused , So that sometimes it sounds like a mother-in-law or flashy , Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the specific meaning of trust .

Talking about building a project team , Trust means that team members believe that colleagues' words and deeds are out of good intentions , You don't have to be too careful or alert to each other in the team . in fact , Team members must accept each other's criticism with confidence .

Although this is an ideal situation , But only a very good team can build this trust . This requires team members to admit their weaknesses , And don't worry that others will attack you . These weaknesses include personality weaknesses 、 Insufficient technology 、 The trouble of interpersonal communication 、 Mistakes and inability to complete tasks independently 、 Need help from others, etc .

Although the above seems not difficult to do , But actually , Only when team members really feel comfortable exposing themselves to others , They can completely eliminate their vigilance , So as to concentrate all your energy on your work , There's no need to fight , each trying to cheat or outwit the other .

It's not easy to build trust on the basis of exposing weaknesses , Because most successful people are used to competing with each other in their career and learning 、 Guard each other . Make them abandon these almost instinctive things for the benefit of the team , Although it's not easy to do , But it is necessary for a good team .

If members of a team can't trust each other , The price will be huge . They will have to waste a lot of time and energy managing their personal behavior and promoting mutual communication , They are afraid of meeting , Also unwilling to take the initiative to seek help from others . therefore , Lack of trust in the team is usually very low morale , Inefficient repetitive work is also very much .

The second obstacle ： Fear of conflict

Good and lasting cooperative relationship , The need for positive debate and conflict to move forward . Unfortunately , Conflict is considered taboo in many cases , Especially at work . The higher your position is , The more you will find that your colleagues spend a lot of time and energy trying to avoid heated arguments , And this debate is what the team needs .

It is important to , We need to separate positive arguments from negative arguments or personal conflicts . The debate is limited to different positive views , Not for individuals , There are no physical attacks .

But the team engaged in active debate knows , Their only purpose in doing so , Is to find the best solution in the shortest time , This is more thorough 、 Discuss and solve problems quickly . After the argument , They don't have residual dissatisfaction or resentment , But immediately move on to the next topic .

On the contrary , Team members who deliberately avoid ideological confrontation often resent each other . To avoid hurting feelings , They dare not advocate debate . When team members don't disagree face-to-face , They'll attack people behind their backs , This is more harmful to the team than any quarrel .

Again , Many people avoid ideological confrontation in the name of improving efficiency , The best way to avoid this kind of argument is to save time . Unlike teams that spend time arguing , Teams that avoid arguments actually have to ask the same questions over and over again , But it still can't be solved . They usually ask team members to put the problem aside for a while , In fact, it is to escape , Wait until the next time you have to solve it .

The third obstacle ： Lack of investment

In the team , Input consists of two steps ： Clarify issues and reach consensus . A good team can reach a clear consensus in a very short time . Their meeting was a success , Because none of them is skeptical about the decision they have made .

The two most important reasons for lack of investment , Is to pursue absolute consistency and absolute assurance .

Don't pursue absolute consistency . A good team can understand , The cost of pursuing absolute agreement is too high , So they can make the necessary concessions to each other . This makes it impossible for everyone to reach complete agreement , Consensus can also be reached . The reason why we can do this , Because they know that a rational person doesn't have to accept their own opinions , But just ask others to really listen to their ideas and consider them . When the discussion is deadlocked and no agreement can be reached , The team leader has the right to make the final decision .

Don't pursue absolute certainty . A good team will be proud that everyone works together to set goals and strive for them , Although sometimes they are not sure whether the decision they make is correct . This is because they understand an ancient military motto , It is better to be able to make a decision than not to make a decision . They also realized that instead of hesitating , It's better to act boldly , When it is determined that the current route is wrong , Then decisively adjust the direction .

Remember , The necessary arguments help us reach a consensus without pursuing absolute certainty .

In many cases , The team has enough information , But this information exists in the consciousness of each member , Therefore, free discussion is needed to gather this information . Only everyone makes their opinions completely public , We can have enough confidence in the decision we make , Admit that this is the crystallization of collective wisdom .

Whether it's the pursuit of absolute consistency , Or pursue absolute assurance , We all need to know , One of the worst outcomes that a team cannot agree on , Is to make deep-seated and unsolvable contradictions exist in the organization for a long time .

When a team cannot reach an agreement , Even if their differences seem so insignificant , It will also lead to problems in the division and cooperation of subordinate employees .

When some employees try to understand the instructions of the department head , When these instructions are inconsistent with those received by colleagues in other departments , There will inevitably be conflict between them . Like a vortex , A small disagreement among senior managers , When it spreads to grass-roots employees, it becomes a greater difference .

The fourth obstacle ： Evasion of responsibility

Shirking responsibility becomes a very sensitive word when it comes to management and work quality . In teamwork , Shirking responsibility is when team members see that the performance or behavior of colleagues is detrimental to the collective interest , Unable to give timely reminders .

Team members evade responsibility mainly because they are unwilling to point out other people's inappropriate behavior , Cause interpersonal tension , Or they tend to deliberately avoid unpleasant conversations . A good team can overcome these concerns , Face the existing problems directly .

Of course , Easier said than done , This is true even in teams where members have a good relationship with each other . Usually, team members who have a good relationship with each other are unwilling to be responsible for each other , Because they are afraid that this will damage good interpersonal relationships .

Here's the irony , When the overall benefit of team members decreases due to shirking their responsibilities , They will really blame each other . Members of a good team promote their relationship by taking responsibility , They will respect each other , And have high expectations for the performance of others .

Although it sounds like a lack of theoretical basis , But actually , Keep the team working efficiently , The most effective way is to put pressure on colleagues . There are many advantages to doing so , For example, there is no need for excessive formalistic measures such as performance management and improvement plans . Afraid to live up to the expectations of colleagues , This is more than any rule or system to encourage members to work hard .

The fifth obstacle ： Ignore the result

The last big obstacle to teamwork is that team members tend to focus on things beyond the collective work goals . in fact , Team members work together 、 Persistent pursuit of specific goals and results , This is the measure of any team's performance .

Here's what's interesting , The measurement of work results is not limited to economic indicators , Such as profit 、 income 、 Shareholders' equity, etc . In a capital oriented economic environment , Many organizations do use these as a measure of success , But the fifth obstacle to teamwork tends to bring greater harm , One of these concerns results oriented performance .

Every excellent enterprise clearly stipulates to achieve a certain goal within a specific time , These objectives can better reflect the recent work results than the economic benefits themselves . So although profit may be the ultimate measure of enterprise efficiency , But the team is moving forward steadily , Achieve project objectives on time , This in itself is enough to benefit the enterprise team .

In addition to the work results , What else should team members focus on ？ Collective achievement and individual achievement are the two most important ：

Collective achievements ： For some team members , Being part of a team is enough to satisfy them . They may also want to achieve some specific goals , But this motivation is not enough to make them make big sacrifices , Or make them willing to bear too much inconvenience caused by change . Although this is sensational , But in fact, many teams suffer from members' excessive pursuit of personal promotion .

Personal achievements ： Personal achievement means that people focus on improving their position or career prospects at the expense of collective interests . Although people are self-conscious , But members of a good team must put collective interests above personal interests .

This obstacle is often clear at a glance , And must be removed . Need to know , Many teams don't focus on collective results . They do not exist to reflect their value , But to exist for the sake of existence . Unfortunately , This kind of team members also lack mutual trust 、 Useful debate and consensus , Nor can they supervise each other , Therefore, the hope of success is very small .

How to overcome five obstacles ？

1.  establish “ Trust based on vulnerability ”

a） Exchange personal experiences ：

This is a low-risk exercise , The project manager can organize everyone to sit around during the meeting , Answer a few questions about themselves . The problem does not need to be too sensitive , for example ： There are several brothers and sisters in the family ？ Where is my hometown ？ The unique experience of childhood ？ Personal hobbies ？ First job ？ The worst job ？

Of course , This can also be understood as League Construction .

Simply share these relatively safe personal topics or experiences , It helps team members connect with each other at a more personalized level , Get to know each other again from their own life stories and interesting backgrounds . This will stimulate more empathy and mutual understanding among members , Avoid unfair and inaccurate behavior attribution .

b） Team effectiveness exercise

This activity is more serious and targeted than the previous one , But it may also bring more risks . It requires team members to first determine the most important contribution each partner makes to the team , Then identify a problem that the partner must improve or avoid for the benefit of the team . then , Other members announce their answers to one member at a time . This activity usually starts with the team leader .

c） Personal behavior style evaluation

This is the most effective way to build trust in the team 、 The most lasting tool . By measuring the behavior preferences and personality styles of team members , People can better understand themselves 、 Understand others , Reduce the estrangement between each other . Lancioni believes that , The best evaluation tool is the current fire  MBTI test . The purpose of this kind of tool is based on the thinking of different members of the team 、 Talk and behavior , Practical 、 Scientific and effective description of personality and behavior .

d）360  Degree feedback

In the past, such tools  20  It is very popular in the middle of the year , The effect on the team is also very significant , This is now used by many large Internet manufacturers , For example, ByteDance . Of course , The risk of using this tool is greater than any of the previously mentioned tools or exercises , Because it requires partners to give specific judgments , And make constructive criticisms of each other .

360  The key to the role of feedback is to make it completely separate from salary or performance evaluation . To be more exact , It should be used as a team development tool , A tool that allows employees to identify strengths and weaknesses without having a negative impact . In the process of application , Even if it's just a little bit linked to formal performance appraisal and salary ,360 Degree feedback can have dangerous office politics .

2.  Cultivate the ability and willingness to participate in health conflicts

a)  Mining conflicts

In a team with a tendency to avoid conflict , It is necessary for the project manager to occasionally play “ Conflict digger ” Role — Dig for hidden differences within the team , And put it on the table .

source ： Leaders take notes

author ： Lansione

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