Boundaries amongst team members can cause failure of a team. I have been in plen

Question

Boundaries amongst team members can cause failure of a team. I have been in plenty of situations in which it seemed as though there were more boundaries than opportunities. When I first accepted a position with my current agency, it seemed as though the division and tension amongst the staff was thick enough to cut with a knife. Nobody wanted to work cohesively as a team. The supervisor cut herself off from her staff unless she realized an error was made. Once she discovered an error, no matter big or small, even if it were fixable, she would scold and belittle the employee. Employees all put up walls and cut off communication unless it was absolutely necessary.

Cutting communication only made things much worse. Emails would be sent but seldom and almost always mis-interpreted. The lack of communication and the tension amongst staff made it difficult to accomplish seemingly simple everyday tasks. In effort to help break down these walls and boundaries, I decided that I would be the one to “take one for the team” and go talk to the boss to let her know that she was creating undue tension amongst the staff and the lack of communication was causing us to dive into failure as an HR office. She was surprised by what I had said and informed me that she did not think there were any issues with the office. I suggested that she have an open and honest discussion with the employees to see if they felt the same way and if they felt the office could use improvement.

Most employees were hesitant to speak open and freely at the meeting so I suggested that they write notes with thoughts of ways to improve and leave them in her inbox. It took some time but she started to communicate more with the staff and he staff subsequently began to be more comfortable leaning on each other for help in situations that needed an additional set of eyes for review. After a while, you could see the change in the staff. Tasks were completed much more efficiently, communication was improving and emails were written in ways that were clearly interpreted and not misunderstood as much.

It is critical that clear communication amongst teams is established in order to ensure the success of the team as a whole.

What are your comments, advice or suggestions?

Explanation / Answer

Most effective team leaders build their relationships of trust and loyalty, rather than fear or the power of their positions. Be open with employees and sensitive to their moods and feelings. Look for chances to mediate and resolve minor disputes; point continually toward the team's higher goals. Pay close attention to the ways in which team members work together and take steps to improve communication, cooperation, trust, and respect in those relationships. Remember that communication is the single most important factor in successful teamwork. It means setting an example by remaining open to suggestions and concerns, by asking questions and offering help, and by doing everything you can to avoid confusion in your own communication.

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