A Team's Code of Conduct (aka "its the way we do things around here")
by Sharon Feltham, Excellerate
Phil realised that everyone in the team was expected to attend Friday "Happy Hour. Although he didn't enjoy drinking and wanted to go home, he went along anyway and spent the hour clock watching until he could leave.
John, Dave and George long time employees sat at the same place in the cafeteria every day. It was "their table" - as Chris discovered only 3 days after he began his new job.
It was Mary's birthday so she bought morning tea for the whole team. The following month Lou did the same.
Siosi slid the heavy piece of wood onto the pedal that operated the 20 tonne press - just as the other guys did. It was faster and made the job easier.
Do these situations sound familiar? They should, as variations of the same thing occur every day in every workplace due to a principle called "social norms".
Groups all have norms of attitude and behaviour which form the identity and determine the way of life within the group. They can be Explicit Norms - written or spoken openly or Implicit Norms - not openly stated (A little like land mines you only discover them when you step on them)
These norms influence the rules a group uses to establish the team's "Code of Conduct" which in turn determines "the way we do things around here". For example:
Work: The best and easiest methods of working eg how fast, hard, long, how safety conscious
Interpersonal behaviour: What can or can’t be discussed, the type of humour, routines such as lunch breaks, who sits where etc
Language: Use of slang, jargon, technical terms, nicknames for people and places
Moral Standards: Acceptable limits around timekeeping, personal phone calls and emails
The Price of Membership
Observing these norms, even when you don’t agree with them, is the price you pay for group membership.
When Norms work against the Team
It’s possible for teams to have norms which very few members actually agree with but everyone conforms with anyway. This occurs when the norms have been around longer than all team members or where there is a dominant member or smaller group who impose their attitudes on the rest of the team.
It may be difficult for a new member to adjust to a team’s standards if they differ from those of other groups they've been used to
Over time, teams can become confused about their standards
Over conformity to norms can stunt a team’s growth, inhibit creativity and sometimes lead to a dysfunctional team
Some norms are so deeply entrenched there's no "opting out". Failure to stick to the rules can result in severe punishments, including the most feared - exclusion from the group.
Impact on the Team
Where most team members disagree with a group norm but nobody is brave enough to challenge this, it can create an unhealthy climate. In extreme examples there can be a negative effect on communication, cooperation, cohesion, trust and productivity. The team breaks down and can even take other teams with it.
What is this?
It's a characteristic of ALL groups related to two theories, Social Norms and Pluralistic Ignorance.
How to work with this:
Promote a healthy, constructive and productive team culture by defining your team's "way of doing things" by developing your team's Code of Conduct.
Use your Code of Conduct to capture and communicate your teams values, behaviours, work standards and expectations.
Use these questions as a guide to kickstart the conversation:
What are the non-negotiable behaviours all team members must commit to?
What behaviours would damage or destroy trust?
How will information be shared?
How will conflicts of interest be managed?
How will decisions be made?
What will we do with members who don’t observe these rules?
Agree, document, communicate and display your agreements.
Familiarise new team members with these norms as part of their induction
From time to time check with the team to see if the norms are still relevant. Are they working for or against the team?
Review and update your team code of conduct (as work, roles, functions, goals team members change)
Identify the rules that team is placing on you as a condition of membership. If you disagree with a group norm, ask other members whether they really believe in the norm.
Discuss any "rules" you find particularly difficult to live with and request your team leaders assistance to renegotiate these with the rest of the team
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