Effective team communication has to be built

Posted: April 26, 2012 | Categories: Team Building

In an earlier blog, I talked about a working agreement and how a team can construct one together.   (http://www.durhamcoach.com/blog/2011/10/19/does-your-team-have-a-working-agreement/)  I outlined the process for quality communication.  Now it is time to look at the skill level needed to generate consistent quality conversations.  There are three phases.  Here they are:

Level one:  Win-lose

This is the lowest level of communication.  There is no trust.  It is a zero-sum game.  I win – you lose.  For example, recently there was a dispute in the Wisconsin State Legislature, and this resulted in some of the representatives going to Illinois.  They were staying in hotels, holding out until they were sure that had the votes.  In the end, one side won, and the other lost.  It doesn’t take much skill to communicate at this level.  If your team communicates like this, give me a call.  We need to talk!

Level two: Let’s Negotiate

This is the level I find most companies operating in.  It is not bad.  Trust has been built, and different teams or departments look to find common ground.  They do some “give and take”, and end up with a plan that they both can live with.  To illustrate, last year there was a dispute in the US Congress last about the debt ceiling.  Just when the government was on the brink of shutting down, Congress worked out an agreement, and they were able to move forward.  Each side had to give up something.  No one was thrilled with the plan, but they agreed to abide by it, and the country was back in business.

Level three: Synergistic communication

This is the highest level of teamwork.  Teams that perform consistently at the championship level know all about this stage.  Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi used this as his secret weapon of success.  Let’s look at what it takes:

To begin with, we need to have built a very high level of trust.  This is something that is not done overnight, but it can be done.  Anyone who has ever been through military boot camp is aware of this.

Once trust is built, teams learn how to solve problems.  Here is how it goes:  One person describes a problem or a challenge.  He or she appeals to the group for suggestions.  One person says, “I think we should do this”.  Someone else might say.  “OK.  As I am thinking that through, I like this about the idea.  I am also thinking that if we added this, it would better accommodate _______.  What do you think?”  This pattern continues, and in the end, the team comes up with an idea that everyone had a part in.  The best news is, the final solution was built with team synergy, and it is better than any one idea alone.

Of course, good problem solving involves several steps.  The key point here is that when a team operates at a synergistic level of communication, they have the ability to do a better job of solving problems, and are likely to be more productive.