When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time, the entire team suffers. However, each time something like that happens, it provides someone else with the opportunity to step up and provide leadership. With all the times I have worked in a group, there is something that does not go to plan. If a teammate can not get something done as agreed to and we are at our deadline, then we need to find a solution. I know as Chief, I do not have time to listen to the complaining or the excuses. I am interested in the solution and moving forward. In our line of work, we could be called away at any moment without the ability to let others know what is going on. With this class and this team, I believe we are all working through everything and would be prepared if someone could not meet their deadline.
Brian, I like how you included the fact that when we have a downfall in one particular area, that it provides others with the opportunity to step up and become a leader. We know that there are so many things that can come at us at once in this career, so having a buddy check or being able to rely on others to pick us back up is certainly a great attribute of a good team. Often times, we need to improvise as a team if we are lacking the information that should have been provided or that we are missing.
Brian, I agree with Nate in that I like how you put this in terms of a chance for another teammate to display some leadership skills. Albeit because of someone not coming through on their end. Turning a negative situation into a positive chance for someone else to shine. This is such a productive point that is made we often don't think of it in these terms. The Lou Gehrig story is a prime example of this. Lou Gehrig would have never been given the chance to show he was a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame player if not for Wally Pipp not being able to play one day.
Brian, I too like the point you made about bringing out the best in others as result of one team member being late. Sometimes when you are the team member on the team, it is hard to think of the situation in this positive light. I am extremely competitive but I have been in situations like this in the past and found myself whining and complaining instead of jumping at the opportunity to advance my own skills and abilities. Todd gave one example of an athlete that took advantage. Tom Brady came to my mind. He took full advantage of the opportunity he was given and is now a hall of famer. I am sure at some point during my career I will find myself judging a teammate for being late or not bringing enough to the table. Hopefully I can reflect back on this blog and remember to take advantage of the opportunity.
Brian, very well said. I did not think of the fact that working as a team allows everyone an opportunity to step up and provide leadership. I think to professionally grow and succeed this is very beneficial. Also, I completely agree that everyone suffers when someone does not get their information back to the others during the agreed upon time. In law enforcement I think that this requirement is crucial. In certain situations, seconds matter, and the need to be structured and timely with what you are seeking to obtain is very important.
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed-upon date and time, the whole team suffers and fails. This situation is one that seems to appear when completing group assignments with individuals who have little experience with group work and do not understand the importance of each member, are immature, or are (to be frank) lazy. I look at team assignments and roles as parts of a machine. If one part of the machine is missing, whether it is big or small, the whole machine may not work. Unfortunately, what seems to happen is other people pick up the slack for the person who did not provide the missing piece, to keep the machine running. Everyone on a team must understand fully that their success is only measured by the success of their teammates. Collaborating and checking in with each other to ensure that each person's assignments are being completed and supporting each other to enable this success is imperative. It is also extremely important to stay in touch with teammates and discuss what struggles each one is having with their task/responsibility (or information in this case). By doing this it can allow for every member to support each other and provide the highest quality outcome or finished product.
Reed, I think the key sentence you have is collaborating and checking in with each other to ensure that each person's assignments are being completed. As a team we should work together and share what we are working on. A solid team would be able to figure out that a teammate will not be able to meet the deadline before the deadline has approached. Like the assignment for tomorrow where we needed to brainstorm. The original idea was to get ahead by one day and have everyone work on it alone. However, this course has safeguards in place to force us to work together. The instructions pointed out specifically not to work alone. So we adjusted and completed the task today as a group. Communication and collaboration will prevent a situation where we are not prepared for a teammate that got behind.
Reed, I like your example and relating it to a machine. We have all heard the term "well-oiled machine" and I think that is directly relatable to a high functioning team. Also, you explained that often times when someone is slacking, others will essentially pick up their downfalls and essentially let them off the hook. We all know this happens every day and depending on the type of team, can go unchallenged. I believe that it is certainly our job as leaders to make sure issues like this are addressed in the proper way depending on the individual. Everyone needs to be trusted that they are going to pull their weight and contribute to the team to ensure that it is successful.
Great analogy Reed. In any group there will be times when an individual plays a bigger role in a particular event and a smaller role another, but everyone needs to do their part in order for the machine to efficiently work. The problem can come in when it is always the same member who plays the small role, doing a little as possible. This is no longer a team picking up their teammate, its now a liability. The team will suffer if its not addressed and corrected quickly. Morale can dwindle and division can result. Open and honest communication and collaboration can help keep everyone on the same page and address concerns in a timely fashion.
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time, there is always going to be a decrease in the team’s productivity. Not only the fact that the team will have to now slow down and wait, but it will also bring about a decrease in trust of that individual. It is understandable that people make mistakes or can forget, but a team needs to be able to trust that all members are doing what they are supposed to do. Especially in the police world, when someone is not prepared or can’t be trusted, it can have the direst of consequences. On a team such as our staff and command groups, everyone is striving to do their best and exceed expectations. When one member does not get their information in on time or complete a task, the entire team is going to suffer. On top of one’s own self accountability, the team should also voice their opinion the importance of these tasks and that this individual needs to be relied upon for everyone else to succeed.
I agree with you wholeheartedly Nate that the groups productivity suffers. Usually resulting in an inferior work product that what could be accomplished if everyone was doing their part. I like that you brought up it could result in the direst of consequences. You put this into perspective well as often I as well as others are only thinking in terms of paperwork not being done. Forgetting that a teammate not providing information on time could result in physical injury or even worse.
Nate, My initial response also highlighted the destruction to trust that a late teammate causes. I didn't think to highlight the importance of trust in our careers as police officers. I think that is an extremely valid point. After 18 years in this career, I already have enough difficulty establishing trust with anyone, if that trust is broken, getting it back is almost impossible. While this may not be the best way to succeed, unfortunately, it is a behavior I have established. Good communication from the lacking teammate could prevent broken trust, but I will probably establish red flags surrounding that person until he or she has proven the late information was a one-time thing.
Nate, The aspect of decreasing trust of teammates when not meeting deadlines is something I also did not think of. The breakdown of trust can dissolve the effectiveness/efficiency of team work and collaboration. Trust is like a glue that holds everything together. I also agree that voicing the importance of these tasks is needed. That brings the idea to mind that with newer hired individuals, we are frequently seeing less "buy in" until they fully understand the "why." By voicing the importance of the tasks, it may eliminate that struggle.
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time they are essentially failing the team. In order to be an effective team, every member needs to participate and pull their weight. If you are tasked researching or producing something for the team, as a whole, and fail to bring that required information back to the team, one of three things is going to happen. More time is needed before you can move on to the next step, someone else on the team ends up doing the work of two, or the end product suffers. Regardless of which of those three things happens, it is a burden on the team and can affect both the project that the team was working on and/or the team’s cohesiveness.
I again can’t help but to think back to my years on the tactical team for this STEM question. When planning an op, you are expecting all of the people gathering the intel to get it back to the operator(s) in charge so they can effectively make the plans and contingency plans. Whether it be on the target location, the route, the suspects, etc., all of that information needs to get back to the team in the expected time frame so plans can be made and then briefings can be conducted. Failure to have the required information back to the team can delay, alter, or cancel the op altogether.
Clearly, if there is a legitimate reason a teammate cannot perform their task, a high functioning team will collaborate to take up that slack and cover for them. The key to this comes down to effective communication. Once the problem is communicated, the rest of the team can come together to fill in that gap. There will be a time when everyone needs help. A high performing team will gladly work together to ensure a task gets done and lift up/cover for a teammate when needed.
I agree that a high performing team will make sure the task gets completed. There are times when something does get in the way and tasks are not completed. Teammates can pick up the slack from time to time. However, when the same person is continuously failing the team swift action needs to happen. A team is only as good as its weakest link. The strongest link can only keep everything together for so long. At some point the team will have to make corrections including the removal of underperforming individuals. This class specifically has strict guidelines that will hold someone accountable for not performing to the standards.
I for one am glad that I am part of this team. I believe we all work well together and everyone has the work ethic to not only do our part, but also to push each other to be successful.
Curtice, I also related this to our SRT team and our drug raids. I noted in my initial response that if someone doesn't pull their weight, it can have dire consequences. Trust is such an important aspect on teams like this and it is the expectation that every member will be doing their jobs. When one person starts to slack, the whole team will realize it and starts to form a void because the trust factor starts to fall. As I believe, it is every member of the team's responsibility, not just the leaders, to get everyone on track and making sure that their responsibilities are handled on time and to a high standard.
Curtice, I completely agree. Especially in a tactical/high risk environment, the need to relay gathered information is extremely time sensitive. Failure to do so can not only delay the entire operation, but have catastrophic/deadly consequences. I also like that you mention that everyone will need help at some point, and having the assistance be fluid to fill gaps when needed is very important.
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed-upon date and time, the entire team is thrown off balance. Depending on the importance of the information, this could be devastating, or it can be overcome with minimal effort by other members of the team. Either way, failure cannot be seen as a viable option and other team members need to step into place in order to fill the void that is left. This can ensure there is minimal disruption to achieving team goals.
There is always a follow-up that needs to be done with the teammate who missed the deadline. Asking a question such as “Were you clear on what the team expectations are for you?” By asking this question it allows the teammate to express their thoughts on what the expectations are and for other teammates to further clarify. It also lets this teammate know that other teammates are relying on them and the burden they have created was noticed by the other members of the team.
I am, however, a firm believer in not only stating the problem, but also offering a solution to the problem, and trying to mitigate issues in the future. These can be tough conversations to have. However, they need to be done. Failure to have these conversations can result in the unintended consequence of the teammate thinking that this type of performance is acceptable. Training and further assistance may be necessary even if it is brief. This allows for a progressive consequence to be understood in case it happens again. It also further reinforces to every member of the team what the goal is and how each teammate is valuable to the team achieving set goals.
I recently had to have one of these conversations with an officer who was not meeting set expectations on a traffic grant. The officer did not meet the minimum requirements of the grant several times. I reminded the officer that the purpose of the traffic grant is traffic enforcement. That failure to consistently perform to the minimum standards would result in them being suspended from working on these grants in the future. It was pointed out that our department has a reputation to uphold by the people who provide us with the grant money. I sat the officer down and showed them the breakdown of the paperwork that I submitted and how their poor performance over a period of time can impact the department's ability to obtain extra grant money. The officer provided feedback that let me know he understood the expectations. They also commented as to how their performance impacts the entire department as well as our ability to deliver traffic enforcement that our community wants and needs.
Todd, I agree that a conversation need to be had with the underperforming individual. That individual might not understand what is expected of them or the consequences of their actions. They might also have personal things that they are dealing with that we do not understand. Having a meaningful conversation with them can shine a light on a problem no one understands. We have been discussing the importance of communication. This scenario is a time to communicate so everyone understand each other.
Well said Kelly. You went further than I did with my initial post. Yes, a high functioning team will cover for a member in need, and we will all be the one in need at some point, but repeated issues will wear at the team's trust of that member, affect performance of the entire group, and can cause a sharp divide. If that teammate is having legitimate issue, any support the team can provide should be given. But if there is abuse happening, that needs to be dealt with immediately as well. The team leaders should get to the bottom of the issue quickly to find out what is going on and the best move to get the team back on track. If they fail to address it, the rest of the team should step up and either approach the leader about the issue or do what is acceptable to address it themselves.
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time, the entire team is affected. Not only is the project or decision delayed, the team dynamic can shift. As we have discussed earlier in this blog, one of the most important parts of an effective team is trust. Not completing an assignment on time starts to chip away at that trust. The team will have to compensate for a late team member, which causes extra work on the rest of the team. A good team will bond over the challenge and ensure the project is completed. Unfortunately, if the late team member has consistent issues, shows little remorse, or comes up with repeated excuses for being late, resentment is going to build within the team. The untrustworthy team member will become a weight that the team carries. As a team leader, immediately addressing a late team member would be essential to maintain the integrity of the team. The team leader must maintain accountability. Having said that, it is important to remember that there could be several reasons for the late submission. There may be a legitimate reason for the late submission. In that case, it is important to provide resources or assistance to the team member in need, so he or she can correct the issue. Furthermore, communication with the team is imperative to avoid further conflict or judgments. For example, there was a K9 handler on my team that started to become distant and not perform as well as normal. Initially, she was allowed to lag and the team compensated for her. This caused resentment and rumors amongst the team. Ultimately, the handler came forward a year or so later explaining some personal issues she was having. Had the team taken the time to address this issue in the beginning, we could have saved ourselves some work and her some stress. In conclusion, the success of the team depends on the work of each team member, any glitch in that system will become an obstacle that the team will need to overcome. (Side note this is my second submission my initial was deleted somehow)
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time, the entire team suffers. However, each time something like that happens, it provides someone else with the opportunity to step up and provide leadership. With all the times I have worked in a group, there is something that does not go to plan. If a teammate can not get something done as agreed to and we are at our deadline, then we need to find a solution. I know as Chief, I do not have time to listen to the complaining or the excuses. I am interested in the solution and moving forward. In our line of work, we could be called away at any moment without the ability to let others know what is going on. With this class and this team, I believe we are all working through everything and would be prepared if someone could not meet their deadline.
ReplyDeleteBrian,
DeleteI like how you included the fact that when we have a downfall in one particular area, that it provides others with the opportunity to step up and become a leader. We know that there are so many things that can come at us at once in this career, so having a buddy check or being able to rely on others to pick us back up is certainly a great attribute of a good team. Often times, we need to improvise as a team if we are lacking the information that should have been provided or that we are missing.
Brian,
DeleteI agree with Nate in that I like how you put this in terms of a chance for another teammate to display some leadership skills. Albeit because of someone not coming through on their end. Turning a negative situation into a positive chance for someone else to shine. This is such a productive point that is made we often don't think of it in these terms. The Lou Gehrig story is a prime example of this. Lou Gehrig would have never been given the chance to show he was a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame player if not for Wally Pipp not being able to play one day.
Brian,
DeleteI too like the point you made about bringing out the best in others as result of one team member being late. Sometimes when you are the team member on the team, it is hard to think of the situation in this positive light. I am extremely competitive but I have been in situations like this in the past and found myself whining and complaining instead of jumping at the opportunity to advance my own skills and abilities. Todd gave one example of an athlete that took advantage. Tom Brady came to my mind. He took full advantage of the opportunity he was given and is now a hall of famer. I am sure at some point during my career I will find myself judging a teammate for being late or not bringing enough to the table. Hopefully I can reflect back on this blog and remember to take advantage of the opportunity.
Brian, very well said. I did not think of the fact that working as a team allows everyone an opportunity to step up and provide leadership. I think to professionally grow and succeed this is very beneficial. Also, I completely agree that everyone suffers when someone does not get their information back to the others during the agreed upon time. In law enforcement I think that this requirement is crucial. In certain situations, seconds matter, and the need to be structured and timely with what you are seeking to obtain is very important.
DeleteWhen a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed-upon date and time, the whole team suffers and fails. This situation is one that seems to appear when completing group assignments with individuals who have little experience with group work and do not understand the importance of each member, are immature, or are (to be frank) lazy. I look at team assignments and roles as parts of a machine. If one part of the machine is missing, whether it is big or small, the whole machine may not work. Unfortunately, what seems to happen is other people pick up the slack for the person who did not provide the missing piece, to keep the machine running. Everyone on a team must understand fully that their success is only measured by the success of their teammates. Collaborating and checking in with each other to ensure that each person's assignments are being completed and supporting each other to enable this success is imperative. It is also extremely important to stay in touch with teammates and discuss what struggles each one is having with their task/responsibility (or information in this case). By doing this it can allow for every member to support each other and provide the highest quality outcome or finished product.
ReplyDeleteReed,
DeleteI think the key sentence you have is collaborating and checking in with each other to ensure that each person's assignments are being completed. As a team we should work together and share what we are working on. A solid team would be able to figure out that a teammate will not be able to meet the deadline before the deadline has approached. Like the assignment for tomorrow where we needed to brainstorm. The original idea was to get ahead by one day and have everyone work on it alone. However, this course has safeguards in place to force us to work together. The instructions pointed out specifically not to work alone. So we adjusted and completed the task today as a group. Communication and collaboration will prevent a situation where we are not prepared for a teammate that got behind.
Reed,
DeleteI like your example and relating it to a machine. We have all heard the term "well-oiled machine" and I think that is directly relatable to a high functioning team. Also, you explained that often times when someone is slacking, others will essentially pick up their downfalls and essentially let them off the hook. We all know this happens every day and depending on the type of team, can go unchallenged. I believe that it is certainly our job as leaders to make sure issues like this are addressed in the proper way depending on the individual. Everyone needs to be trusted that they are going to pull their weight and contribute to the team to ensure that it is successful.
Great analogy Reed. In any group there will be times when an individual plays a bigger role in a particular event and a smaller role another, but everyone needs to do their part in order for the machine to efficiently work. The problem can come in when it is always the same member who plays the small role, doing a little as possible. This is no longer a team picking up their teammate, its now a liability. The team will suffer if its not addressed and corrected quickly. Morale can dwindle and division can result. Open and honest communication and collaboration can help keep everyone on the same page and address concerns in a timely fashion.
DeleteWhen a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time, there is always going to be a decrease in the team’s productivity. Not only the fact that the team will have to now slow down and wait, but it will also bring about a decrease in trust of that individual. It is understandable that people make mistakes or can forget, but a team needs to be able to trust that all members are doing what they are supposed to do. Especially in the police world, when someone is not prepared or can’t be trusted, it can have the direst of consequences. On a team such as our staff and command groups, everyone is striving to do their best and exceed expectations. When one member does not get their information in on time or complete a task, the entire team is going to suffer. On top of one’s own self accountability, the team should also voice their opinion the importance of these tasks and that this individual needs to be relied upon for everyone else to succeed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you wholeheartedly Nate that the groups productivity suffers. Usually resulting in an inferior work product that what could be accomplished if everyone was doing their part. I like that you brought up it could result in the direst of consequences. You put this into perspective well as often I as well as others are only thinking in terms of paperwork not being done. Forgetting that a teammate not providing information on time could result in physical injury or even worse.
DeleteNate,
DeleteMy initial response also highlighted the destruction to trust that a late teammate causes. I didn't think to highlight the importance of trust in our careers as police officers. I think that is an extremely valid point. After 18 years in this career, I already have enough difficulty establishing trust with anyone, if that trust is broken, getting it back is almost impossible. While this may not be the best way to succeed, unfortunately, it is a behavior I have established. Good communication from the lacking teammate could prevent broken trust, but I will probably establish red flags surrounding that person until he or she has proven the late information was a one-time thing.
Nate,
DeleteThe aspect of decreasing trust of teammates when not meeting deadlines is something I also did not think of. The breakdown of trust can dissolve the effectiveness/efficiency of team work and collaboration. Trust is like a glue that holds everything together. I also agree that voicing the importance of these tasks is needed. That brings the idea to mind that with newer hired individuals, we are frequently seeing less "buy in" until they fully understand the "why." By voicing the importance of the tasks, it may eliminate that struggle.
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time they are essentially failing the team. In order to be an effective team, every member needs to participate and pull their weight. If you are tasked researching or producing something for the team, as a whole, and fail to bring that required information back to the team, one of three things is going to happen. More time is needed before you can move on to the next step, someone else on the team ends up doing the work of two, or the end product suffers. Regardless of which of those three things happens, it is a burden on the team and can affect both the project that the team was working on and/or the team’s cohesiveness.
ReplyDeleteI again can’t help but to think back to my years on the tactical team for this STEM question. When planning an op, you are expecting all of the people gathering the intel to get it back to the operator(s) in charge so they can effectively make the plans and contingency plans. Whether it be on the target location, the route, the suspects, etc., all of that information needs to get back to the team in the expected time frame so plans can be made and then briefings can be conducted. Failure to have the required information back to the team can delay, alter, or cancel the op altogether.
Clearly, if there is a legitimate reason a teammate cannot perform their task, a high functioning team will collaborate to take up that slack and cover for them. The key to this comes down to effective communication. Once the problem is communicated, the rest of the team can come together to fill in that gap. There will be a time when everyone needs help. A high performing team will gladly work together to ensure a task gets done and lift up/cover for a teammate when needed.
I agree that a high performing team will make sure the task gets completed. There are times when something does get in the way and tasks are not completed. Teammates can pick up the slack from time to time. However, when the same person is continuously failing the team swift action needs to happen. A team is only as good as its weakest link. The strongest link can only keep everything together for so long. At some point the team will have to make corrections including the removal of underperforming individuals. This class specifically has strict guidelines that will hold someone accountable for not performing to the standards.
DeleteI for one am glad that I am part of this team. I believe we all work well together and everyone has the work ethic to not only do our part, but also to push each other to be successful.
Curtice,
DeleteI also related this to our SRT team and our drug raids. I noted in my initial response that if someone doesn't pull their weight, it can have dire consequences. Trust is such an important aspect on teams like this and it is the expectation that every member will be doing their jobs. When one person starts to slack, the whole team will realize it and starts to form a void because the trust factor starts to fall. As I believe, it is every member of the team's responsibility, not just the leaders, to get everyone on track and making sure that their responsibilities are handled on time and to a high standard.
Curtice,
DeleteI completely agree. Especially in a tactical/high risk environment, the need to relay gathered information is extremely time sensitive. Failure to do so can not only delay the entire operation, but have catastrophic/deadly consequences. I also like that you mention that everyone will need help at some point, and having the assistance be fluid to fill gaps when needed is very important.
When a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed-upon date and time, the entire team is thrown off balance. Depending on the importance of the information, this could be devastating, or it can be overcome with minimal effort by other members of the team. Either way, failure cannot be seen as a viable option and other team members need to step into place in order to fill the void that is left. This can ensure there is minimal disruption to achieving team goals.
ReplyDeleteThere is always a follow-up that needs to be done with the teammate who missed the deadline. Asking a question such as “Were you clear on what the team expectations are for you?” By asking this question it allows the teammate to express their thoughts on what the expectations are and for other teammates to further clarify. It also lets this teammate know that other teammates are relying on them and the burden they have created was noticed by the other members of the team.
I am, however, a firm believer in not only stating the problem, but also offering a solution to the problem, and trying to mitigate issues in the future. These can be tough conversations to have. However, they need to be done. Failure to have these conversations can result in the unintended consequence of the teammate thinking that this type of performance is acceptable. Training and further assistance may be necessary even if it is brief. This allows for a progressive consequence to be understood in case it happens again. It also further reinforces to every member of the team what the goal is and how each teammate is valuable to the team achieving set goals.
I recently had to have one of these conversations with an officer who was not meeting set expectations on a traffic grant. The officer did not meet the minimum requirements of the grant several times. I reminded the officer that the purpose of the traffic grant is traffic enforcement. That failure to consistently perform to the minimum standards would result in them being suspended from working on these grants in the future. It was pointed out that our department has a reputation to uphold by the people who provide us with the grant money. I sat the officer down and showed them the breakdown of the paperwork that I submitted and how their poor performance over a period of time can impact the department's ability to obtain extra grant money. The officer provided feedback that let me know he understood the expectations. They also commented as to how their performance impacts the entire department as well as our ability to deliver traffic enforcement that our community wants and needs.
Todd,
DeleteI agree that a conversation need to be had with the underperforming individual. That individual might not understand what is expected of them or the consequences of their actions. They might also have personal things that they are dealing with that we do not understand. Having a meaningful conversation with them can shine a light on a problem no one understands. We have been discussing the importance of communication. This scenario is a time to communicate so everyone understand each other.
Well said Kelly. You went further than I did with my initial post. Yes, a high functioning team will cover for a member in need, and we will all be the one in need at some point, but repeated issues will wear at the team's trust of that member, affect performance of the entire group, and can cause a sharp divide. If that teammate is having legitimate issue, any support the team can provide should be given. But if there is abuse happening, that needs to be dealt with immediately as well. The team leaders should get to the bottom of the issue quickly to find out what is going on and the best move to get the team back on track. If they fail to address it, the rest of the team should step up and either approach the leader about the issue or do what is acceptable to address it themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhen a teammate does not get his/her information back to others on the team by the agreed upon date and time, the entire team is affected. Not only is the project or decision delayed, the team dynamic can shift. As we have discussed earlier in this blog, one of the most important parts of an effective team is trust. Not completing an assignment on time starts to chip away at that trust. The team will have to compensate for a late team member, which causes extra work on the rest of the team. A good team will bond over the challenge and ensure the project is completed. Unfortunately, if the late team member has consistent issues, shows little remorse, or comes up with repeated excuses for being late, resentment is going to build within the team. The untrustworthy team member will become a weight that the team carries. As a team leader, immediately addressing a late team member would be essential to maintain the integrity of the team.
ReplyDeleteThe team leader must maintain accountability. Having said that, it is important to remember that there could be several reasons for the late submission. There may be a legitimate reason for the late submission. In that case, it is important to provide resources or assistance to the team member in need, so he or she can correct the issue. Furthermore, communication with the team is imperative to avoid further conflict or judgments. For example, there was a K9 handler on my team that started to become distant and not perform as well as normal. Initially, she was allowed to lag and the team compensated for her. This caused resentment and rumors amongst the team. Ultimately, the handler came forward a year or so later explaining some personal issues she was having. Had the team taken the time to address this issue in the beginning, we could have saved ourselves some work and her some stress. In conclusion, the success of the team depends on the work of each team member, any glitch in that system will become an obstacle that the team will need to overcome. (Side note this is my second submission my initial was deleted somehow)