As I work with leaders across various industries, a common frustration occurs:
Their teams aren’t working well together.
Despite having talented individuals on board, teams struggle for a number of reasons.
- They don’t share information.
- They don’t coordinate efforts.
- They spend a lot of time bickering and complaining.
- They outright avoid each other.
The root cause of these issues isn’t always clear cut, so leaders search for answers and latch onto what is simple and obvious.
They blame vague and obvious issues like communication, alignment, commitment, and attitude; and they talk about these concepts in meetings to see if they can convince their team to change.
Unfortunately, the more they talk about vague and obvious concepts the more frustrated they become because people tune them out and continue to behave in alignment with their anti-teamwork habits.
I’ve witnessed this pattern time and time again, and my suggestion is to reframe the issue. We have to start talking about the real root cause if we ever want to break the pattern.
The Real Root Cause
The biggest barrier to your team’s success is inconsiderate behavior.
Small, inconsiderate behaviors, though seemingly minor on their own, can accumulate and become a significant impediment to effective teamwork and collaboration.
Take something as simple as being late to meetings. It might not seem like much, but it tells everyone else that your time is more important than theirs. This can make your teammates resentful, and pretty soon, they’re not as willing to put in extra effort because they don’t feel respected.
Then there’s interrupting others when they’re speaking. If people keep getting cut off, it’s not just rude—it stops the flow of ideas. This makes some folks reluctant to speak up, especially if they’re naturally quieter. The team loses out because not everyone’s ideas are heard, and over time, only the loudest people get listened to.
Not recognizing others’ contributions can also be a real problem. When people don’t feel acknowledged, their motivation disintegrates. They might start holding back on their ideas or stop pushing for excellence because they think, “Why bother if no one even notices?”
And let’s not forget about withholding information. Sometimes it’s by accident, but often people keep info to themselves on purpose. Either way, it leads to inefficiency because not everyone has what they need to do their jobs. Worse, it can create a vibe of mistrust and competition instead of teamwork.
Talking behind someone’s back is another inconsiderate behavior that will erode trust within a team. When team members gossip or speak negatively about others who aren’t present, it creates an environment of insecurity and suspicion. People start worrying about what others are saying behind their backs instead of focusing on their work, which can lead to a divided team where cooperation and openness suffer.
Each of these behaviors might not wreck a team on their own, but put them all together, and you’ve got a serious issue. The team won’t be as strong as it could be because people feel overlooked, ignored, or unappreciated.
The way forward is clear: these behaviors need to be called out and stopped. Teams need the opposite of these behaviors and it’s up to leaders to point out these issues and show what being considerate looks like.
By setting the example, leaders define what’s okay and what isn’t.
How to Break The Pattern
Stop talking about vague concepts like…
- Communication,
- Culture,
- Collaboration,
- Motivation, or
- Trust.
Start calling out inconsiderate behaviors that are breaking down the team.
- Call someone out when they do something that is inconsiderate and detrimental to the team.
- Point out when someone doesn’t recognize a team members’ contribution.
- Have a one-on-one conversation with someone who is withholding information and ask them to stop doing that.
- Hold someone accountable when they do not adhere to an agreed upon deadline.
In essence, hold others accountable for being inconsiderate and do so in a considerate way.
We also need to model considerate behaviors and ask others to commit to them.
- Ask others to go out of their way to keep someone else informed.
- Talk about how important it is for everyone to make and keep commitments.
- Ask others to improve relationships with people they don’t want to work with.
- Highlight examples of considerate behavior and ask others to behave in similar ways.
Model what considerate behavior looks like by being candid and caring.
Conclusion
Inconsiderate behavior is the hidden barrier to team success, and leaders need to hold others accountable for inconsiderate behavior.
By fostering a culture of consideration, promoting open dialogue, acknowledging individual contributions, and ensuring accountability, teams can transcend these common pitfalls and collaborate more effectively.
If you’re ready to transform the dynamics of your team and cultivate a more considerate and collaborative environment, schedule a meeting to discuss how we can implement these strategies together.
