From the minute the project was announced and the team members assigned, several of the members were overheard telling their colleagues that they didn’t understand why they needed to be involved in this initiative. They wanted to continue to work alone, as they have been doing for many years. One member was quoted with the statement, “We have never worked on these types of initiatives in a group before. Why start now? What is someone trying to prove?”
Some of the prospective team members were concerned they would no longer have any autonomy. In fact, another member said to a colleague, “Here we go! Someone is going to tell me exactly what to do and when to do it!”
Others were concerned that they would be spending so much time in meetings that things would never get done and they would have to work overtime. Yet others were concerned that they would not receive recognition for their efforts and would get “lost” in the team.
After the team was formed, it met for a few months without addressing any of these issues. “Gossip” is picking up. The team performance is not effective.
- What may be some of the primary reasons for the team feeling as they are?
- What should be done at this point?
- What should have been done from day one when these issues surfaced?
Part 2 of this post will explore potential responses to the questions posed.
