Don’t Blame Them–Blame It

Confused guy

When a team isn’t meeting its goals, it is quite easy to blame the people within the group. We question their ambition, skills, and commitment. We wonder why they won’t get along with each other. We begin mentally labeling employees as either “good” or “bad.”

While the problems described above may exist within a group, it could also be true that the people are not the source of the problem. Before identifying character flaws in team members, take some time to examine these three potential contributing factors.

1.  A lousy process. Put the hardest working individuals in a system that doesn’t work, and you’ll still end up with bad results. To build a successful team, make sure the process is efficient and effective.

2.  Ineffective recognition. People want to succeed. They will do what they think will be recognized and rewarded. The question you need to figure out is whether your reward and recognition systems are working for you or against you.

3.  Fuzzy goals. There is no quicker way to create problems within a group than to have ambiguous goals or worse yet, no goals at all. Make sure your group’s goals are clear and meaningful.

Image credit: Jasoon

By Tom LaForce

Tom LaForce owns LaForce Teamwork Services, a Minneapolis-based consulting company. He's on a mission to create better results through teamwork. He wrote Meeting Hero: Plan and Lead Engaging, Productive Meetings.