How to re-establish team cohesiveness in our changing workplace
Not So Temporary – When we started this unprecedented journey of social distancing it was kind of a workplace adventure; an opportunity to work a flexible schedule, avoid the long and frustrating commute, work in comfortable clothing, and of course spend more quality time with our families. A welcomed opportunity to slowdown from what for many was a busy and stressful pace. Conventional thought was that we would return to our normal work environment soon enough. However, as our understanding of the longer-term impact of the pandemic becomes clearer, we are realizing that our workplace will likely change, requiring modifications like; procedures to ensure cleanliness, elimination of shared equipment and common workspaces, adjustments to meeting protocol, variations in scheduling, and the list goes on. It is also likely that organizations will need to continue distance communication for a period of time. It has become our “new normal” and we need to adapt in order to restore continuity and organization performance. A Disrupted Balance – One of the biggest leadership challenges, even in “normal” times, is developing and maintaining a cohesive team. A team that is built on a solid foundation of trust and guided by cultural values that enable communication and collaboration to flow naturally. What makes building a cohesive team so challenging is what makes them great – the individuals that comprise them. The complimentary blend of unique talents, perspectives, and experiences that when in harmony produce extraordinary results. Organizations are a compilation of individuals with different; experiences, perceptions, communication styles, and preferences. They also have different emotional responses to disruption, which has proven to complicate communication by making it more difficult to connect with others. It takes strong leadership and a well-developed and stable culture to effectively nurture and sustain a cohesive team and balance the diversity. Undoubtedly, interruptions to organizational order, rhythm and continuity disturb the sensitive balance that is so crucial for team cohesiveness. What initially seemed to be minor adjustments to normal routines has actually changed the DNA of the organization. A change that can have a significant impact on our ability to maintain connections in the workplace.
Disruption Affects Individuals Differently – Disruption and change in the workplace environment affect individuals in different ways. For example, distance workplace communication for some comes naturally, while for others it can be very awkward, impersonal, and clunky. Or modifications to decision-making processes can alienate some while satisfying others. Awareness of behavioral styles is an excellent way to identify how the distance workplace and other disruptive changes are challenging individuals, and as such, the team. Profile assessments help individuals understand their own behavioral style, as well as the styles of their colleagues. They can then collectively work toward thoughtful and balanced strategies to bridge the gaps and restore the connections that were more natural face-to-face.
How DiSC Assessments Can Help – The DiSC model uses four basic stylesto describe how people approach their work and relationships: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness. It is a non-judgmental tool that helps elevate awareness of our own individual behavioral styles as well as the styles of our colleagues. By better understanding our own tendencies and emotional responses we can then develop a better awareness of how best to connect with others, especially those who have behavioral styles that are different than ours. The changes to the workplace environment will be perceived differently based on individual behavioral styles, and likely cause different emotional responses. Following are some examples of how each style might respond to workplace disruption:
The D style – You’re probably eager and ready for the challenge of working from home. You feel like you’ll get lots done; you’ll be able to focus your energy. But you probably wonder about how working with the team from a distance might slow down momentum and progress.
The i style – You’re usually ready to try something new, so working from home might seem exciting at first. You understand that you’ll need to find new ways of staying connected with your colleagues and friends from work. You may be challenged by less personal communication through email and web meetings and misinterpret the intentions of others.
S style – You enjoy friendly, cooperative workplaces and will miss the ease of collaboration that physical nearness enables. You may also be challenged by not getting timely access to the information you need to support decision-making.
C style – You enjoy your independence and the space to think things through thoroughly. You might not understand the frustrations others feel about not seeing each other at your workplace. Your non-verbal communication could be perceived as insensitive.
In recent weeks I have had conversations with clients regarding unexpected behavior from team members throughout this disruption. That is to be expected as we work through this unprecedented time of uncertainty and change. They found referring to previously generated DiSC assessments quite valuable in better understanding behavioral responses to the evolving situation. Over the years I have experienced many teams and organizations develop awareness of individual behavioral styles and without exception, they find it enlightening. With continued awareness and reinforcement, they can transform communication and teamwork. If you are interested in using this valuable tool to help your team adjust to the workplace disruptions, please contact us. We can provide individual assessments, as well as a team report that will identify opportunities to improve connections and techniques to help your team adapt to the situation. It can be an impactful way to restore stability and continuity to your team.
Corona Consulting Group specializes in advising executives and organizations on how to develop high-performing leaders and teams. Joe can be reached
at joe@coronaconsultinggroup.com