The success and productivity of your practice is dependent on a number of factors, but most importantly, your staff.
What goes hand-in-hand with this is how your staff work together as a team – also known as team dynamics.
If your staff cannot find a good work dynamic, this is detrimental to the overall team performance. A successful team dynamic helps to maximize the expertise your staff members were originally hired for.
As a team manager, here are a few tips and tricks to ensure you’re getting the most out of your business team dynamic…
Understanding Team Dynamics
A team within any organization is defined by having two or more staff members collectively working together on a project, to achieve the same end goal.
Team projects can either be momentary i.e. a quick brainstorm over a potential idea. Or they can be long-term i.e. working together to flesh out ideas for a number of hours.
But how are the dynamics of a team defined?
Basically, each team member’s role within the group, their people management skills and communication affect the team as a whole.
In a nutshell, team dynamics can be described as the psychological factors that influence each team member’s behavior.
Simple Steps to Improve Your Team Dynamics
A positive group dynamic makes for increased creativity, productivity, better overall communication and project success.
But, as a member of management, how can you ensure this positive dynamic is achieved? Here are a few simple steps…
1. Get to Know Your Team
You need to understand the individual personalities working within your team. To do this, have one-on-one interviews and get to know each person’s personality in terms of attributes and weaknesses.
Talk with customers and other staff in order to gauge a better understanding of what’s wrong within your team dynamic.
Be aware of these common causes of poor group dynamics:
- Poor leadership
- Excessive authority within the group from one or more people
- ”Blocking” behaviors. Aggressive, negative, attention-seeking behavior can block the flow of the team and its progress
- Free riders – team members who purposefully take a back seat at the expense of other team members
- Evaluation apprehension – team members holding back ideas for fear of being judged or criticized.
Some other important factors to keep an eye on include overall levels of communication and the level of focus within the group.
2. Tackle Group Issues Quickly
If you notice ”unhealthy” behaviors within the group, such as those listed above, make a move to address them as quickly as possible.
Speak to the relevant team member privately and highlight why their behavior is a hindrance and what can be done to help support the team’s goals.
3. Draw Up a Team Charter
Defining roles and goals will help your team stay accountable for their behavior while tracking their success.
A team charter essentially helps to draw up a standard of clear behavioral expectations and project outcomes.
4. Build a Supportive Team Culture
In order to do this, focus on team-building exercises which encourage inclusive, open lines of communication.
This will help to build team member trust, boost enthusiasm and build up levels of respect within your team.
5. Continually Work on Communication
It’s easy to slip back into the pitfalls of poor communication. Maintaining open lines between team members must be continually encouraged.
Make sure to keep team members updated on project progress, changes, and roadblocks. Encourage both quiet and outgoing team members to have their say and ensure both voices are heard.
6. Keep Your Eye On the Ball
By this, we mean always paying close attention to the behavior within your team dynamic.
If you notice unacceptable behaviors such as bullying or free riding, make a point of highlighting this and nipping-it-in-the-bud as soon as possible.
Make sure to praise and reinforce positive behaviors, idea sharing, respect, and trust.
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Are you the owner of a new, up-and-coming dental practice in your region? ADA Marketplace is here to help you advertise your services.
Whether you’re looking to build up your team dynamics, advertise new services or the sale of dental equipment, ADA Marketplace is your go-to.