Change shakes things up. In the past, change was not so prevalent, and what leaders are now finding is that their people are unable to just “roll with it.” The toughest aspect of any change project is not the work—it’s the people. And it’s not about just having the right people. Top performers individually, might not work together like a well-oiled machine. Leaders are realizing that optimizing their teams (or team intervention) is the missing component that can take them to the next level.
Teams want to understand what is expected of them. They also want to understand the behaviors of teammates in order to perform better and achieve better results. Some companies and leaders are finding that the teams, themselves, have started requesting assistance and resources in order to gain the understanding they need to perform better.
Team assessments, peer building sessions, and team coaching are a few of the resources that have proven to increase team understanding on how to communicate and engage in the change positively.
A group does not make a team. Turning one into the other requires, above all, close attention to fundamental human dynamics. But team members themselves, intent on content, don’t often see process, even as it derails them.
Change imposes communications and trust issues. It can impact teams with fear and action paralysis. When you invest in your teams, you’re helping your employees to help themselves. You’re improving retention and maintaining your intellectual capital. This improves your client experience with better service and you’re able to deliver more with less—improving the financial results of your organization. Team optimization is experiential—it is behavior changing. That is the road to sustainable change.
