Team Energy

Think about it. Your growth and success are directly tied to the success of your teams. The dynamics within the teams you lead or are a part of can either drive results or lead to failure. One dynamic that can significantly drain your team’s energy is the opposite of collaboration.

Self-Protecting vs. Collaborative

Last year, I coached "Kay," a high-potential technology leader. Kay was part of a newly formed leadership team due to a reorganization. Over time, she noticed a general lack of trust and an internal "we versus them" mentality.

This fundamental crack in the leadership team’s culture led to self-protecting rather than collaborative behaviors. Most meetings had very little discussion. People held back, often sharing their true opinions in covert "meetings after the meeting." This led to slow decision-making, turf-protecting, missed deadlines, and competing priorities.

Even worse, Kay observed that this self-protecting leadership culture was spreading throughout the organization. Minimal collaboration meant that people were disengaged, working in silos, and achieving less.

Energy Generator or Disruptor?

Look at any team effectiveness model since the 1950s, and you’ll see the need for trusting, collaborative relationships to be high performing.

The Leadership Circle studied dozens of models and 26,000 teams to identify five elements of team effectiveness. They created a psychometric assessment to measure perceptions and beliefs called the BRITE Team Assessment. Each of the five elements generates team energy, but when it’s missing or low, energy flow is disrupted, leading to diminished performance.

BRITE’s third element is "Creating Safety and Cohesion." This type of team culture is described as: "...an environment where members feel safe to take personal risks, actively support one another, and hold a 'we-ness' attitude." This results in a welcoming, participative culture, interconnectedness, and team emotional intelligence.

When safety and cohesion are low or missing, energy disruptors appear as distrust, a highly political culture, and destructive dynamics (such as undermining others or fragmented cliques).

Turning it Around

Kay was determined to influence change in her team. It started with sharing her observations with her manager and colleagues, then comparing their experience with team research. Her manager readily admitted to struggling with this challenge. Together, they consulted with their HR partner to better assess and address their team dynamics.

Do you have a similar challenge with your team? Gathering feedback and data is a good place to start. Here are some ways to assess your team dynamics:

1:1 Conversations – Have regular pulse checks with your team members. Ask, "What are we doing well? What could we do better?" Be open and curious.
Engagement Surveys – Review your organization’s survey results and discuss the impacts in regular team meetings.
Team Assessment – Use a targeted team assessment, like the BRITE Team Assessment, to confidentially collect team feedback.

Once you have more information on your team’s unique challenges, work together to address them. Here are some ideas to start:

Role Model Collaboration – Foster inclusiveness in every meeting. Ask for opinions. Listen without judgment. Pause often and let silence invite others to share. When your team members experience curiosity and openness, they begin to build trust and feel safe to contribute more.
Clarify Team Expectations – Create (or co-create) guidelines for group norms and participation.
Build Relationships – Find ways to connect. Bring people from different teams together on challenging projects. Facilitate formal team-building experiences. Institute simple 'get to know you' activities in meetings, such as sharing random facts (e.g., first job, work hero, top 2 strengths, hard-learned lesson, or favorite motto).
Celebrate Successes – Recognize when people speak up to address issues. Be generous with timely feedback. Notice how this leads to collaboration and better ideas.
Coach for Collaboration – If you notice self-protecting behaviors, share your observations and the impact in a 1:1 conversation. Ask them for their perspective and ask them how to move towards collaboration.

Harness your team’s energy by creating safety and cohesion. Your leadership will result in engaged, productive, and innovative teams with unlimited potential. Are you ready to generate team energy?