Mastering Team Dynamics

By Kimisha King kingkimisha@gmail.com

According to S. P Mayers in their article titled “team dynamics”, team dynamics are the unconscious, psychological forces that influence the direction of a team’s behaviour and performance. One of the most common questions during the hiring process is the classic ‘how will this person fit in with our culture? The key is understanding how blending patterns in individuals can affect the team. For this to occur you must first understand what kind of organisational culture you have. How does each person tackle projects? How do they prefer to be communicated to, and how often? Becoming familiar with the answers to these questions and acting on them can lead to the entire team feeling truly understood, supported, and motivated to do an amazing job. It is essential to note that TEAMWORK is no longer viewed as a glamorous value-add exclusive to high performing businesses, it is viewed as an integral component to the success of business in general and should be ideally integrated into business models at all levels.

There is a saying which goes “you are as good as your team” and I found this saying to be true. The first step in leading others is to consciously lead oneself, as a CEO or a Manager your team reflects who you are and what you stand for. For centuries we have been shifting the blame to say an employee is not doing a good job or may not be a good fit for the organisation. Part of this may be true however, as the leader of the organisation you are called to lead. You must carry the vision and chart the direction of your team and the ability to share that vision in such a way that they buy in. How do they buy in? A leader must have influence, when a leader is influential people do more than merely comply with orders, they start to follow, and they do so because they really want to. Why? Because the leader begins to influence people with relationship, not just position.

Although team dynamics are very similar to group dynamics, and the terms are often used interchangeably, there is an essential difference. Groups are a social community, consisting of two or more people who have something in common. A team is a special instance of a group in which the commonality is a shared goal.  This fact, itself, creates a dynamic between team members because they are dependent on each other for success.  For example, a sports team wins or loses. The word “team” is sometimes used, incorrectly, to refer to a group.  For example, many sales “teams” are groups because the sales people are incentivised individually.  A sales person earns commission based on his/her own sales and is not affected by the performance of other sales people.

Therefore, to effectively master team dynamics you must be able to know when your team needs to be trained and in what areas should they be trained. Often, we focus on the cost and miss the investment. Training your team is to ensure you remain relevant and competitive. Your team can only overcome a challenge if they understand how to do so. Applying a performance tool can aid in this course of action along with building a level of transparency within your organisational structure that allows for your team to follow. Another factor to consider is how involved is the manager or CEO. Does he or she just delegate? Delegation is apart of leadership however, it is greatly important that delegation not be used to replace sound leadership. Your team should see your involvement through how you contributed to the overall success as leader and team member. Every individual in the team must play a critical role within the team for the goal to be achieved. Below are some tips to follow when mastering your team dynamics:

1. Create a Purpose/Vision for the team

2. Develop a positive company culture

3. Commit to the process

4. Be creative

5. Build trust and communication

6. Invest in training

7. Delegate tasks to the right people

8. Address and resolve problems quickly

In closing, successful teams harness the expertise of all members. Teams are formed to solve a problem, make a critical decision, meet a target or create a solution. A successful team brings together a diverse set of people with experiences and expertise to uncover new solutions. The more effective the team is in using unique perspectives, the more successful the team will be.