What To Do With Non-Team Players

Please let me know your feedback to suggestions for resolution to the following scenario. You have an existing team, two of whom struggle with relinquishing work to their support team members. They are not very good at team building and development. Limited exposure to other work environments except for the current one, which they have served in for years. Lack patience and trust in new colleagues/team members, to do the work. Have not displayed an interest in trying to develop working relationship.

The Team Doc Says…

Sounds like a case of the team leader and fellow team members allowing this behavior. One thing we often forget is that our team members can only run over us and take advantage of our good graces if we let them.

On the flip side, giving those team members the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they aren’t aware of the way their behavior is affecting the team. In that case, it’s high time someone told them.

This team should have a meeting to identify roles and responsibilities and division of labor. A discussion needs to take place about who does what, who passes what to who, and who completes the finished product (or service as the case may be). A great way to put this on paper is to use a matrix so it’s compact and handy for every team member. And the team leader needs to help them identify goals that integrate these issues.

A weekly meeting schedule to address team health is a must to ensure this team moves in the right direction.