"In" and "Out" Group
By Joan Lloyd
I am very frustrated with my team and I hope you can give me some ideas. I have been a manager for three years and before that I was one of their colleagues. When I took this job, I knew that there were some gossips in the group but I had always ignored them and I felt I could manage these people and continue to ignore it but the problem has not gone away, it has gotten worse.
There seems to be an "in" and an "out" group. When I'm not around (I am on a lot of committees and doing a lot of high level projects for my boss) they can be very cruel to one another. I have heard constant negative comments about one employee in particular. I'm not sure if this employee is actually as bad as they say, or if they are just ganging up on her, like they have done with others in the past.
Finally, I was so irritated that I just told them that I didn't want to hear any of it. Things have gotten quiet but I worry that it is still going on—or will explode into something worse. I have four other teams to manage besides this one and they tend to get along better than this one. Do you have any advice?
Just like the irritated mom, who whirls around and yells into the back seat of the car, "Don't you kids make me pull over!" you can be sure there is still a lot of stealthy poking and jabbing going on.
When I work with teams to improve the dynamics, I try to find the underlying causes, so the solution will last. So, let's go digging for some potential causes, first:
- Your span of control may be too broad. If you are the manager of five teams, you are probably spread too thin. Groups without a leader present will tend to drift into "camps," with the strongest (and often most negative) people forming a dominant (and often domineering) camp. A negative person will sometimes try to gain power by badmouthing or bullying others. Some people will join forces with the negative person, if only to avoid being in the cross hairs themselves. Other employees will try to stay out of the fray, but sometimes that just makes them a more threatening target. Unless the balance of power is restored by the leader, the negative group's influence will tend to grow in momentum.
- The amount of project work you have is taking important time away from your leadership responsibilities. I am dismayed by the tendency in some companies to overload managers with project work and then expect them to be good leaders, too. You can't build trust via e-mail. It requires time spent with each employee and the team as a whole, to build the bonds of commitment and chart a clear course.
- Listening to the gossipers only feeds the beast. If they think they have your ear and can turn you against someone, their power and influence will grow over the others.
Here are some potential solutions:
· Increase the face time you have with your employees. Although you are busy with projects, investing in one-on-ones and team meetings will pay dividends. It will allow you to stay in touch with the issues and provide coaching. It will also diffuse issues that are sure to erupt if nothing is done.
· Have a conversation with your manager about your span of control. Perhaps some or all of the teams would benefit from having supervisors. Or, perhaps some of your projects could be delegated or shared with others. Being an absentee leader isn't fair to your employees, or to you.
· Establish team ground rules to set a new standard of behavior. In one of your team meetings—or an off-site planning session—ask the group to help you form some Guiding Principles for the team. For example: treat each other with respect, direct and face-to-face communications, reach out to help each other, stand united behind decisions, etc. Engage the group in a discussion about how they are doing now and what changes they would like to make in the future. Measure progress in another meeting six months later.
· Take an active role when there is triangulation (someone comes to you, instead of speaking to them directly). If someone comes to you with a petty complaint or gossip about someone else, start by asking a lot of questions designed to create some introspection and ownership. "What are you planning to do about that?" "What do you think you should say to her?" Then coach the person to go talk to the person directly and report back to you about what the outcome was. This will place personal responsibility to resolve the issue on them, rather than their expecting you to fix it. Role play approaches, suggest wording, but don't do it for the complainer. Only get involved if honest attempts fail. If you are getting more face time with the individuals on the team, you should be able to ferret out the legitimacy of the complaints and decide if your involvement is necessary.
