TrustBUSTER™ #7 – Values individual success over team goals
I facilitated 30 people from a department doing a basic what is your behavioral style activity that divided the team up into 4 styles. I made the comment that it is not uncommon for a senior leadership team to be almost 100% concentrated in the more task focused groups in an exercise like this. I asked the leaders in the room to raise their hands. The count was 5 task focused to 1 people focused. Surprising to them, but not to me.
This TrustBUSTER™ is almost 100% focused on people who tend to put task (getting job done) before people (building relationships). This happens for two reasons. First, executives have been rewarded for getting work accomplished. Their talents for achievement, problem solving, and energy to overcome obstacles helped bring them to the c-suite. They are used to winning. If you are on their team it works. If you are on another team it often looks like TrustBUSTER™ #7. Secondly, communication and change management come after the debate and decision-making has already happened within the executive team. Unfortunately, it is the communication plan and ensuing change management that gets overlooked because all the energy has gone into the decision. Without providing the reasons why this is a good move for the overall organization, teams will fill in the blanks. This is where people begin to assign reasons for the change that are based on what they perceive is important to the leaders. Is it reality? Without any other information, perception becomes reality. Enter TrustBUSTER™ #7.
How do leaders avoid this? Here are three steps to making this TrustBUSTER™ less of an issue:
- Be diligent about establishing goals and resolving conflicting goals as part of the planning process. This team should leave this process ready to support the decisions that were made.
- Communicate WHY a decision is made when rolling out a change to your teams. Be transparent about the reasons and get their input during the decision making when possible.
- Focus on building relationships and trust all the time. There will be decisions you have to make where you cannot share the entire WHY. Having built trust will make forgiveness available when it is needed.