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Recently there has been some dissention on my team. For purposes of explanation,
I'll refer to myself as team member 2. Team Members (TM) 1, 2, and 3 are
founding members of our current team and had 8 years with the company prior to
this team. TM 4 is also a founding member but has about 4 years in service. One
year ago TM 3 left the company to pursue a business venture; he has since
returned to his previous position to find that his former pupil has not been
sitting idly by and is seemingly in competition with TM 4 for recognition.
TM 4 is a young man with a young family. He's done everything he's been asked and then some. He's met and set new flat rates. TM 4 advised me yesterday that he's thinking of working elsewhere as a result of a conversation (re: the corporate "food chain") with TM 3 the day before. While this is not totally out of character for TM 3, as there were similar problems prior to his recent absence, he is respected for his ability and is well liked by all. TM 4 is well liked also and is rapidly gaining an excellent reputation.
The other members of the team don't want to lose either person, but this situation has happened before and will again perpetuate itself, if not rectified soon. I've done all I can to reassure TM 4 of his position and of the opportunities that soon await him. Our Team Leader is of the same opinion as I and has also reassured him. We as a team need to impact TM 3's attitude somehow. How can we do that?
We are on the verge of our largest responsibility to date and dissention is particularly destructive and counterproductive in our work environment. I'm very interested to hear your response as we have a total of eight members on our team and the potential impact is far reaching.
Signed,
Team Player
Dear Team Player :
There are direct personal and indirect approaches to dealing with intra team hostility and alienation. You have not detailed what it is that team member #3 has said to team member #4 to make him float the trial balloon of looking elsewhere for employment.
Let me first explain a personalized approach. By this I mean to bring team members #3 and #4 together in a private place with a counselor, and perhaps a superior. Such a session should be one in which the concerns you say have been voiced are reiterated. That is that both individuals are valued employees and whatever it is that has caused or is causing the rift between them needs to be expressed and if possible remedied. What each needs from the other to resolve the conflict should be clearly stated, and a trial plan should be outlined and a follow up date for review should be noted. A skillful facilitator can guide such interaction.
An indirect approach, one which may be employed instead of or in addition to the personal session(s), entails team meetings focused on achieving the overarching goals you articulate--that is becoming one of the high speed, high performance teams in your organization. These meetings only indirectly focus on the conflict of personalities. The central focus is on cost cutting, cycle reduction efforts, innovations, and quality improvement. Conflict only comes to the agenda if it surfaces in the course of answering the frequently addressed questions: How well are we working together as a team? Is there information and communication that any one of us need or do not need from each other to better do our jobs?
Getting to WEGO is a process of candid and supportive communication and collaboration. Your detailed query causes us to think that you can find a way to make this happen.
Do let us know what transpires. What you share that works and does not work can help others in like situations.
--Bill Gorden