Why Your Team Isn’t Working — and How to Fix it
No team is perfect all day, every day — but a great team is one that can overcome its conflicts and share a common goal, regardless of disagreements, tension, or misunderstandings. As a leader, it’s your job to set the tone for your company’s culture.
If everyone’s walking around the office on eggshells, it’s a reflection of the environment you’ve created. It may not be intentional, but lack of intent has just as much of an impact on your team and how they feel at work each day.
If your team isn’t working out at the moment, there are two key factors to focus on as their leader: motivation and problem-solving.
Let’s dig into each aspect and how they support a cohesive, comfortable environment for everyone on the team.
Motivation
Sometimes, motivation takes a dip — that’s inevitable whether you’re a CEO or an employee. Everybody has off days, but if you notice a growing pattern of apathy among your team, it’s time to spice things up and get everyone back on track.
The reality is that everyone’s motivation “bank” fills up differently. While some value monetary incentives, others need to feel appreciated to stay on top of their game. Still others consider personal time as a key motivator, so you might need a mixed approach to maintain motivation levels for individual team members. Just keep making deposits in their “bank” with positive affirmations, support, and gratitude.
Team-building activities also support collaboration and creativity, which enhances motivation for everyone involved. Consider hosting a company dinner to celebrate your employees’ accomplishments and nurture relationships outside of the office.
Increasing motivation doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or time, either. Even small gestures, like a thoughtful handwritten “thank you” note or bringing coffee and breakfast to the office, make a difference for your team’s energy levels.
We’ve also found that our employees feel motivated when we get into the trenches with them. You might be the leader, but that doesn’t mean you’re too good to get your hands dirty with your team. When they see you working right there alongside them, they will recognize your support and willingness to be in the mess with them.
Problem-Solving
If lack of motivation isn’t the issue holding back your team, it likely has to do with poor conflict resolution strategies (if any). This is usually a communication problem, as problem-solving requires transparency, honesty, and respect.
When a problem surfaces, your employees have to trust that you’ll be transparent with them but without creating shame or embarrassment. More often than not, people know when they’ve dropped the ball. Pointing fingers does little to resolve an issue, but it can leave a lasting impression that leaves an employee insecure and wary to bring up concerns in the future.
Instead, position the problem as a systematic failure rather than poor performance on behalf of an individual. Be mindful about the words you use, and always be respectful when working through difficulties. Work together to create a collaborative solution that empowers your employee(s) to fix their problems and learn from their mistakes.
When you focus on problem-solving through a goal-oriented lens, you can keep everyone on the same page and demonstrate your intention to address the issue and prevent it from happening again. There shouldn’t be any negativity associated with making mistakes — after all, it’s how we learn! You’ve surely had your fair share of slip ups along the way, and you’re a better professional today because of them.
Motivation levels and problem-solving skills are both ongoing factors that you need to monitor, nurture, and support as a leader. Celebrate your team members when they come to you with a plan to overcome an issue they’ve been facing. Reward your employees for their accomplishments. The more you give to your team, the more they’ll want to give to your business in return.