It was again a time of change in this organization. Again, a new leadership was taking charge and making assessment about the business, technology, people and the products. It was clear that the new management will make some quick decisions between the two teams, two approaches and the two thinkings in this org.
This group had amazing amount of talent, the technology they were working on, was really promising, and there was great opportunity ahead for this business with the market transitions. The only challenge was people dynamics not making it easy to drive fast and focused implementation. Now the choice was to be made between the two teams and how to drive innovation moving forward.
One team had some headstrong leadership that really believed in what they were doing and the message was clear down to the last person in the team. Every team member was speaking the same language, had the same level of confidence about the approach they had taken and believed in it.
On the other hand, the other team was further divided on what the right approach is? what the end goal is? and were very busy fighting for their ways, their thinking and often very vocal about how the other approaches are wrong.
I guess now the decision was really simple to make for any new leader coming from outside :-)
Three lessons learned from this situation that can help with team dynamics:
1. Have clear goals and ensure all the players believe in it. Make sure the whole team knows and believes in what you are working on. If you are still working through your plan and some team members have not fully bought in the story, make sure they believe in the team. If someone has any doubts about both, help them find something they believe in. Believing is what makes it happen!
2. Take responsibility of your decisions- Teams make decisions and they evolve and change and might not turn out to be right. Sticking with the team and accepting wrong decisions gives more credibility to any team even when some of those decisions did not go well. It is ok to make wrong decisions, not ok to not learn from them!
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate- In the time of change, communication engine got to kick-in and try to keep the teams all aligned and updated on the latest thinking. Do not leave your teams hanging in the dark and add fuel to the rumour mill. Communication is the key to create and lead a high-performing, delivery focused, winning team!
