NEWS
CHANGING TEAM BEHAVIOUR
things and that sometimes you might be the spanner in the works without realising it. Not because you intended to be, but because you might be the one who is out of alignment. Different perspectives are needed in a team to prevent group think, and everyone will have different knowledge, experience or values to bring to the team. Change your approach It often seems easier to do what you’ve always done, and it’s more comfortable to carry on as before. You know how that ends. Unresolved differences of opinion. Frustration. Tension in the team. Stress.
Everyone tells me that changing someone’s behaviour is difficult. I’d say it’s almost impossible. But you can change your own writes Jude Jennison, Founder of Leaders by Nature, a leadership and team development company specialising in non-verbal behaviour and disruptive change. As you kick off 2022, you can be certain that there will be changes ahead. Some of those changes may be instigated by you, your team or organisation. Other disruptive change will be thrust upon you – health or family issues, job changes, market changes, the ongoing pandemic. You’ll have to adapt, whether you like it or not. Whenever there is change, there is uncertainty, and we need to develop the skills to continually flex and adapt. This is harder in a team where everyone adapts in a different way and at a different pace. One of the questions leaders ask me most is: how do I get people to do what I need them to do? This question implies that you have all the answers, and if you can get everyone to do what you want, then you’ll have brilliant teamwork and achieve what you set out to achieve. If only it were that simple! Instead, explore a different question: Who do I need to be to lead a team (or to be an effective team member)? And: who do we as a team need to be together to do great work? Be curious We like to be in control, but we rarely are. So when other people don’t behave as we would wish, we often blame, judge and criticise. Instead of trying to get others to change, consider how you can 16 www.birminghamlawsociety.co.uk
change your own behaviour. If you are not getting what you want, what happens when you change? How might that achieve a different result? Changing behaviour means exploring what is working and what is not. Be curious about what you want and need, and be curious about what other people want and need too. They may not be the same. Consider a different approach from your default one. When you shift your attention from what you want to being curious about what the team needs, you act in service of the whole team, rather than self-serving. That’s not easy, but it’s the role of everyone in the team if you want to be aligned, to inspire and engage each other. Create clarity When you change your behaviour, those around you change theirs too, so a team is always in a state of flux, requiring adaptability and awareness. The non-verbal behaviour in a team continually influences everyone’s behaviour as much as the verbal, but it is by its very nature unspoken and therefore often overlooked. Although we experience dissonance in teams, we often continue as though it does not exist. Some members of a team will be more vocal than others, so the quieter ones may appear compliant even though they disagree. Seek to understand what is not being said and have an honest dialogue to create clarity and a common understanding in the team. You may not always agree, but if you understand the different points of view, you can keep everyone engaged and will be one step further towards aligning as a team. It’s uncomfortable to accept that there might be a better way of doing
When one person changes their behaviour, everyone responds differently and so the team is changed. Focus on how you can change your behaviour first and let go of blame, judgment and criticism. Know that everyone is doing their best and may need your support. A 2019 McKinsey report on high-performance innovation teams highlighted that whilst most leadership development is focused on the individuals in an organisation, ‘reframing the discussion from individuals to teams helps tremendously to unlock performance.’ Therefore, it is beneficial for teams to explore their development together, so you adapt together in a more conscious and supportive way and increase understanding. Changing behaviour is challenging because it requires you to accept that there is a different way of doing things, to let go of the old behaviour and practice the new. Embrace the uncertainty of change. Create a culture where it is safe to be honest, to say what you think and feel without judging others’ behaviour. Above all, if you want someone else’s behaviour to change, change your own. It will create a different response, and it’s much easier to change your own behaviour than to change someone else’s. Leaders by Nature develop leaders and teams to create alignment through disruptive change. We work with a herd of horses to reveal your default patterns of non-verbal behaviour and invoke lasting behavioural change. If you would like to know more or get support for you or your team to lead through change, email jude@judejennison.com for more information or call 0800 170 1810.
