I am sure we have all seen situations when people on a team don’t get along.
Maybe they compete with each other, vying for the boss’s favor, and in the process failing to work together.
Maybe they simply don’t like each other and would like the other person to fail, or at least look bad.
Maybe they would do things that aren’t in the best interests of the team or the organization as a whole just so they can undermine the other manager. For example, by withholding information, resources, or simply not answering questions fully.
Or maybe they are ambitious enough to try to get to the top by stepping on their competitors’ backs.
It could be that the boss doesn’t know how to get everybody to work as a team.
I have known some who are ineffective team leaders, and others who seem to enjoy pitting their direct reports against each other.
This can be a serious source of risk to the organization.
So what needs to be done about this?
In fact, what is the root cause of the problem?
Is it:
- A bully of a manager, maybe even the CEO?
- A weak team leader?
- An ineffective HR function, that can see the issue but doesn’t get involved?
- Goals and objectives that reward independent rather than team efforts?
- A culture that doesn’t sufficiently enable and encourage teamwork?
- A set of executives who are either blind to…
