Worst-Case Scenarios When your Employees Don’t Work as a Team

Many people complain that the worst part about their time in school were the group projects. Either their groupmates would bail last-minute, leaving one person with all the work, or they would get into arguments about how the project should turn out. But being able to work in a team is a great skill, and it allows for high productivity in the workplace.

Knowing how to solve common issues that occur in team environments will allow you to best reap their benefits.

1. Personality Conflicts

   If too many people want to lead the team, arguments will inevitably break out and progress will come to a standstill. Rather than dealing with too many cooks in the kitchen, consider delegating portions of leadership to each member. If you have several group projects coming up, perhaps alternate who gets to lead each project. If employees are still unhappy with this solution, meet with each employee individually and ask which projects they would most like to lead, and which they would be willing to let others lead.

2. Distractions

   On the flip side of personality conflicts, your employees may be so comfortable around each other that they get distracted from working and become unfocused from the task at hand. This can happen especially if the work environment is too relaxed, or if there isn’t a clear figure of authority in place.

   To solve this, put an employee who has a more professional relationship with their co-workers in charge of the project. Alternatively, place someone in charge who is not easily distracted. If members of the team are still not pulling their weight and are becoming distracted again, talk to them directly and remind them of the importance of the work being done. It’s vital to maintain a professional work environment to avoid a too-relaxed atmosphere. It may be tempting to have a casual work environment, but if your company is driven by deadlines, it may not be the most productive.

3. Underappreciation

   If a team member isn’t pulling their share in a project, it may be because they feel useless in their position. Their skills might not match up well to the task, and it may lower their confidence. If you see an employee who is otherwise a hard worker, but isn’t contributing much of value to the team, ask them how they feel they can be best utilized in relation to the project. It can be a surprisingly simple fix, and the employee will feel valued and happier in their position. A happier employee is a more productive employee!

   The value of teamwork cannot be underestimated, despite all the potential problems that can halt progress. But if you create a professional work environment with motivated employees, teamwork can make the dream work!