"Hey, What's The Update On The Budget?" - Why This Simple Question Can Make Your Team Cringe (and How to Fix It!)
In a recent coaching session, my client Alex beamed with pride. A few months ago, he had landed his dream job at a globally recognised company. Within months, he was a star performer, consistently exceeding expectations and receiving glowing feedback from senior management. He was on top of his game, and I had already coached him through some strategies to help him excel in his new role.
But during our conversation, a new wrinkle emerged. Alex's smile faltered a bit as we delved deeper. While he thrived individually, he sensed a disconnect within his team. Sure, his teammates were competent, but something was missing that could unlock their true potential.
A chaotic kitchen with three chefs working independently. One chops vegetables frantically, another wrestles with a malfunctioning oven, and the third searches through a cluttered pantry.
Imagine a bustling kitchen. Each chef is skilled, but they work in isolation. One frantically chops vegetables, another struggles with a temperamental oven, and a third searches for a missing ingredient, oblivious to the chaos around them. This was Alex's team – a collection of talented individuals working in silos, their efforts uncoordinated.
I could sense Alex's brewing frustration as we continued to uncover the following:
Regularity was nonexistent. There were no team meetings, check-ins, or updates. Keeping track of progress felt like navigating a maze blindfolded.
Everyone on the team seemed to be working in silos, leading to gaps and overlaps. Since there were no regular check-ins, keeping track of progress took a lot of work.
Communication, when it happened, was loaded with tension. A simple question like, "Hey, what's the update on the budget?" could be misconstrued as an attack, sparking defensiveness.
Unquestionably, the team's behaviour ticked several boxes for one of the 5 dysfunctions of a team, as explained by Patrick Lencioni —the absence of trust.
The impact of the team's lack of trust was evident. Team members were exhausted as getting information from each other was extra effort. Regular work-related conversations became unnecessarily confrontational, creating a tense environment.
"So, what exactly do you want?" I asked Alex.
"I want an environment of trust," he replied.
Lencioni explains that trust is the heart of a functioning, cohesive team. Trust is vital for teamwork to be possible and for a team to be sustainable.
But trust isn't a switch you can flip on. Building genuine relationships takes time, effort, and, most importantly, the courage to be vulnerable to each other.
As a Shared Leadership Coach, I believe in the power of connection. Getting to know your teammates as people, not just cogs in a machine, is crucial. Why? Because how you connect on a human level directly impacts how you collaborate professionally.
Here are some tools to consider:
Regular check-ins with open-ended questions that facilitate conversations, such as "If you had a choice, how would you want to celebrate your next birthday?" or "What made you smile over the weekend?"
Exchanging personal stories of previous experiences and learning points. You may be surprised to find similar experiences among teammates, which becomes a shared moment.
These moments of connection chip away at the walls of isolation, paving the way for a more trusting, collaborative environment. It's a slow process, but the rewards are immeasurable. A team that trusts each other can achieve anything.