Transform team dynamics with practical, real-world tools for sustainable change
Fix Your Team is the manager’s essential and practical guide to diagnosis and intervention. Packed with expert insight acquired over decades of experience in workplace relations and conflict resolution, this book systematically addresses problems with team dynamics and provides a blueprint for moving forward. Authors Rose Bryant-Smith and Grevis Beard bring a unique combination of legal nous, conflict management expertise, emotional intelligence and business experience to provide a wealth of valuable insights, with robust tools designed for easy implementation.
This book offers diagnostic guidance to help you analyse existing issues with confidence, and a clear framework for removing the dysfunction. It includes practical scenarios we can all relate to, and actionable guidance on building buy-in, executing the strategy and looking after yourself through tough transformations. By tackling problems early and providing employees with the opportunity to improve their working relationships, managers, human resources and other internal advisors demonstrate their commitment to productivity, genuine care for employees and dedication to a healthy and ethical working environment. People working in dysfunctional teams will understand better what is going on, and understand what options exist for improvement.
- Diagnose team problems and learn what tools are available to help
- Determine the best use of resources and choose an implementable fix
- Develop a business case for intervention, and get support from the top
- Build morale, productivity and collaboration within the team
- Upskill employees to ensure sustainable improvements
- Build accountability in everyone for a positive workplace culture
In today’s competitive environment, managers need to bring out the best in everyone. Team dysfunction affects productivity at all levels, and it’s contagious - managers must stop the problem before it spreads, to prevent larger and more pervasive issues down the road. Remediating team issues reduces legal and safety risks, but it goes deeper than that. Solving problems before they become public or impact other areas of the business improves the team’s respect for managers and leadership, reducing unnecessary turnover and resignations of good staff. Fix Your Team is a groundbreaking handbook for management looking to improve team dynamics, with practical solutions for productivity-killing, unethical and distracting issues. It gives all managers and internal advisors the confidence, strategies and solutions they need to repair tricky, toxic and troubled teams to create a great workplace.
Table of Contents
About the authors xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Introduction xv
Part I: What is going on? 1
1 Gossip culture: cruel conversations 3
2 Unprofessional conduct: when bad behavior goes unchecked 9
3 Toxic personalities: one Bad Apple can rot the whole barrel 17
4 Personal crisis: someone is struggling 25
5 Workplace romance: keep it professional 33
6 Family ties: the spectre of nepotism 39
7 Lack of diversity and inclusion: the risks of a white bread workforce 47
8 Unresolved historical issue: skeletons in the closet 55
9 The manager’s style: it’s not the team, it’s you! 63
10 Unhealthy competition: winners and losers 71
11 No clarity, no accountability: the path to Complete Chaos 79
12 Overwork: team stretching, presenteeism and the 24/7 paradigm 87
Part II: The Fix Your Team Toolkit 95
13 Where to start 99
14 The Fix: address unhealthy conflict 121
Tool #1: Train everyone to have important conversations 123
Tool #2: Offer facilitated discussion, mediation or conflict coaching 129
15 The Fix: address unconstructive individual behaviour 135
Tool #3: Counsel the Bad Apple or unprofessional team member 137
Tool #4: Get the organisation to investigate the apparent misconduct and discipline the wrongdoer 143
16 The Fix: develop the team’s character and connections 151
Tool #5: Next hire 153
Tool #6: Develop self-refl ection in the whole team 159
Tool #7: Build the team’s connections 165
17 The Fix: align with values 171
Tool #8: Diversity and inclusion initiatives 173
Tool #9: Make sure the organisation’s values and behavioural expectations are known, clear, understood and real 181
Tool #10: Build a culture of feedback 187
18 The Fix: develop leadership and management 193
Tool #11: Train the manager 197
Tool #12: Ensure clarity - hold people accountable! 203
19 The Fix: care for each other 209
Tool #13: Support the team through personal crises and challenges 211
Tool #14: Dealing with overwork 217
Part III: Making it work 221
20 Create a project plan 223
21 Build a business case 229
22 Ready to launch 237
23 Buckle up! Look after yourself 239
Fix Your Team toolkit 247
Select research citations 261
Index 263
