Strategies to Revive a Stagnant Team
by Sharon Feltham, Excellerate
Over time a team can lose its spark. It becomes tired and stale. Performance plateaus as the team slides into a deep and comfortable rut. Use these guidelines to read the signs and revive your team.
The Phantom Stage of Team Performance
Many of us are familiar with Tuckman's five-stages of team development, forming, storming, norming, performing and mourning however a sixth stage has evolved to describe a once high performing team’s decline. Often referred to as Dorming, this stage creates the illusion of performance as the team advances into middle age, settling for the comfort and security of the status quo. The team’s maturity and past achievements, instead of being the team's greatest strengths, become the obstacles to its performance; stifling innovation, improvement and growth
Recognising the Signs of a Stagnant Team
- The team lives off past glories. They become complacent. Content with business as usual they begin to cruise and their performance plateaus.
- The team becomes increasingly reluctant to change the systems and processes that led to their success. After all if it ain’t broke?
- The team’s cohesiveness produces a cosy togetherness tempering their diversity. Internal conflict is rare and they become increasingly susceptible to groupthink.
- Lacking stimulation the team grows apathetic, settling for easy answers and established routines.
- Routine breeds boredom. Innovation and improvement drop from the team’s agenda leading to lacklustre performance and mediocre results.
- Left to their own devices the team becomes increasingly insular and resistant to outside influences.
- Compliance replaces commitment. The focus shifts to turf protection and preservation of the status quo.
Strategies to Revive the Team
External changes within an industry or the organization often provide the impetus to lift a team’s performance however, where a team is insulated from external drivers leaders need to create the conditions that stimulate the team’s growth and renewal.
Revive enthusiasm and reignite passion
Reconnect the team with its vision, mission and core values.
Revisit ground rules and evaluate how well the team is honouring these.
Involve the team in a robust self-review. How well is the team delivering on its core purpose?
Invite customers (internal and external) to meet with the team or despatch team members to visit customers and suppliers onsite. Use the customer feedback and insights to design improvement projects.
Challenge paradigms and freshen perspectives
Introduce creativity sessions and invite outsiders to provoke and challenge the teams thinking
Expand skills and broaden horizons through individual and team training
Challenge the process or policy or product or service and facilitate What If and Why Not conversations
Instigate team field trips to businesses in unrelated industries
Inject new talent
Low turnover and stable membership can contribute to a team’s stagnation. Where possible and practical rotate team members, arrange temporary secondments and recruit new members
Prevention is Better than the Cure
Prepare the team for the challenge of maturity by involving them in strategies to maintain their performance
Maintain ownership and motivation by continually involving team members in goal setting, planning, problem solving and decision-making.
Avoid simply raising standards and tightening measures to increase the team’s productivity. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and team learning and the team will raise the bar themselves.
Ensure team members take time out to avoid burnout. Tired teams lack the mental energy and clarity needed to do things differently.
Success fuels success, look for small wins and acknowledge major milestones. Maintain morale and enthusiasm by celebrating and rewarding the team's achievements.
The real secret to maintaining a vital team however, is the balance between challenge and support. Successful teams are built, sustained and renewed by significant and meaningful performance challenges and well supported teams have the confidence and capacity to tackle new challenges. Utilise the rich experience of your mature team and guard against the lethargy of middle age by supporting them in the pursuit of their next great challenge.
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