I need your help fixing my team

From time to time I will have a meeting with a potential client about working with them or their team.

Want to know a big red flag?

It’s when they say something like “I need your help fixing my team”.

Yep – if the leader thinks they magically sit outside their team’s dynamics and the only problem in their team is the team members, the fact that the leader thinks that is most likely the real problem.

Let me rephrase that.

If you think that the only problem in your team is your team members, the fact that you think that is most likely the real problem.

  • How did this situation in your team arise?

  • What’s making it hard for them to perform?

  • How did you contribute to the problem arising?

  • How are you contributing to its persisting?

  • How would your team describe your leadership?

If a leader is unwilling to address these questions and just wants someone else to come in and “fix” everyone but them, they are going to stay stuck, and the problems will continue.

I’m not saying there can’t be problems that sit with your team. It happens all the time. You can have a team member who isn’t performing for some reason or another, who causes conflict in the team, or even perhaps who is fundamentally unsuited to their role. You may have “inherited” that person when you came into the role and would never have hired them. It happens. The issue is when you place 100% of the responsibility for that issue with your team. No. Even if you can only impact a situation 0.01%, why wouldn’t you do that? And as the leader, your impact is a lot greater than 0.01%. Explore and take accountability for how you’re impacting what’s happening. Only then can you change it.

Until next week,

Take care of yourself and others

Madeleine

PS. Want to work with me as you work through some challenging team dynamics? Let me know. Send me a message to enquire, and please share with anyone you think may benefit.

I help accomplished professionals untangle difficult career questions so they can thrive in work and life.

1. Want to find out more? Send me a note and let me know.

2. Feeling unfulfilled, overworked or unclear about what next? Work with me to identify what is holding you back and make a plan for more powerfully and enjoyably pursuing goals that matter to you. Contact me to find out more.

3. Join my list to receive regular articles and insights, early news about programs and offers, and respect for your inbox.

4. Follow me on LinkedIn to stay connected.

5. Prefer to talk? Choose a time and it will drop right into my schedule.

Click below to share this on your socials.

Madeleine Shaw