And what you can do as a leader or a colleague to avoid capsizing
What is teamwork, really? Just another word for interdependence, that is, everybody working together in tandem to achieve optimum results. The trouble, however, starts when one of the members slacks on their responsibilities or is not able to complete their tasks or achieve their targets. This affects the output of the whole team. The inefficiency of one member causes a chain reaction that affects the entire team.
A crack forms
If one member fails to do their job, then others are forced to fill in for them and try their best to ensure that the final product or service meets the expectations of the client. This is a common occurrence in most organisations. The result of such behaviour from one person leaves the other team members angry, upset and has a negative effect on interpersonal relations. The worst part is when the erring team member repeats his behaviour and does not realise their mistake. They think all is well because the client is happy and everything is normal.
However, the repercussions of such repeated carelessness is far-reaching, and creates confusion, chaos, stress for the team and sometimes, additional costs for the organisation.
The other team members cease to respect their irresponsible colleague. The ensuing loss of trust and confidence affects the whole team.
One member, because of their lapses, creates more work for the whole team.
Prof. V. G. Thyagarajan
One member, because of their lapses, creates more work for the whole team. The impact of their mistake on clients is reduced because of the additional efforts of their peers, but in their attempt to keep things going, they get tense and upset. The erring member just does not get what makes their teammates uptight when they think everything is normal.
The gulf widens
Team dynamics are affected when the member continues with their behaviour with no regret for the additional pressure they are putting on their peers and unnecessarily adding a burden to their time and work, and upsetting their work patterns. There is bound to be a conflict in the team, and members may take sides or together alienate the guilty team member.
The plug – for leaders
In such a situation, you as a team leader have to make efforts to defuse the situation and ensure smooth working of the team to meet targets on time. The first rule is to establish accountability in the team. As a leader you must adhere to their job responsibilities and make it clear that you expect the same from the team.
When the team does not complete assigned tasks or leaves them incomplete and this impacts the final outcome, the client or the quality of work, the issue needs to be tackled immediately. You will need to go through the whole work process and find out what caused the trouble. Identify the reasons and if it is due to a member’s slacking attitude, counsel them on how this is affecting the work of others and ultimately the client.
Speak to them and understand what is troubling them. If required, provide support and training to improve their performance or interchange the roles in your team. As a leader your efforts to change the behaviour of erring team members will be appreciated by the team and lead to improved efficiency.
The plug – for team members
You should realise the importance of your tasks and how they are related to the tasks of other team members and how it affects the final output. Realise that when you slack, you’re causing a burden to the others on the team, and eventually that will make your colleagues become resentful of you. Remember that a good team player works as much for their colleagues as themselves, and if you cannot find any other good reason to put in your best, just think of your friends who count on you. If you’re facing any difficulties that are preventing you from performing, there’s absolutely no shame in discussing them openly with your team leader or manager. They’re here to help you. Get it off your mind, take help, and get back on the boat to smooth sailing with your team!
