Team dynamics are the unconscious, psychological forces that influence the direction of a team’s behavior and performance. They are like undercurrents in the sea, which can carry boats in a different direction to the one they intend to sail. Team dynamics are created by the nature of the team’s work, the personalities within the team, their working relationships with other people, and the environment in which the team works.
Over time, getting work done through teams has become standard practice in many organizations. This is true for a few reasons. One reason is synergy. Generally, it has been proven in workplaces that groups make better decisions than an individual working alone. Another reason for having teams is that in today’s world of high technology the manager cannot know as much as all of the employees; the manager can no longer be the expert. In many fields and occupations today, managers have people working for them who have specific expertise far beyond theirs. It is no longer possible in these instances to tell people what to do. The manager needs to support and guide employees and let them come up with work-related answers.
Getting to know your team members’ personalities and strengths can help you in determining how they will interact. Learn their goals, previous business experience also share your own. Celebrate both professional as well as personal successes with them. Encourage team interaction by acting quickly when conflicts arise.
A proven way to build a successful business team is to assemble a group with a stellar mix of knowledge and expertise. If necessary, seek out new team members to strengthen your lineup. Positive team dynamics occur when team members trust each other, work collectively, and hold each other accountable. When a team has a positive dynamic, the members are bound to be more productive.
On the other hand, a team with poor dynamics would lack synergy, make poor decisions and produce at an unsatisfactory level. Poor dynamics leave the team more vulnerable to conflicts.
Team dynamics can be crucial to delivering a successful product. However their outcome can also run deep into your organization. A negative team dynamic can cause people to be unhappy, leading to a high staff turnover rate whilst a great dynamic can boost performance, resulting in great performance and improved profitability. Either of these can then impact on a company’s reputation and culture.
Team dynamics is an essential part of any business, one which an organization cannot afford to flounder. Why be merely good when you could be GRAND.