'No problem is solved on the same level of thinking that created it…'

Most organizations identify a complaint before they set out to improve things. But without a new way to frame the problem, most groups will continue to rehearse it. Here are the most common complaints we run into.

Complaint: We have great people, but we don’t produce!
Organizational teams are much like sports teams. Individual talent is a great place to start, but by itself it will not create synergy – the quality of each member’s talent bringing out the best in each other. Teamwork requires systematic disciplines that most organizations do not practice.


Complaint: Our meetings are boring and unproductive.
The “common cold” of organizational life is that individuals often express their true attitudes with their allies in the parking lot after the staff meeting rather than face the discomfort of hammering out their differences openly during the meeting. As a result, their meetings are inauthentic, and the team never gets their full energy moving in a unified direction.


Complaint: Despite having an overall vision, our departments compete more than work together.
Having a written statement about the overall purpose of an organization is not enough to tie the people and the departments together.  Many organizations pay lip service to a vision statement but see little connection to their daily activities. The prevailing culture becomes one of “just trying to keep up with the work”. Competition for resources is the natural outcome of this environment.  Having a unifying goal across departments that sets the agenda for all weekly meetings is a critical component of cooperation.

Complaint: The only consistent thing about accountability around here is that it is inconsistent. We go from doing nothing to yelling, threatening or firing!
Most organizations view accountability through the lens of “punishment” rather than the lens of protection.  As a team works through conflict in order to achieve clear commitments, they are ready to learn how to use accountability as a tool of protecting their commitments and their culture.


Complaint: We actually could be a great team, but one person is “holding us back”!
Individuals are only capable of holding back a team to the extent that the team allows it. Healthy teams gather their collective wisdom and courage and confront the problem.

Complaint: Our organization actually “produces” pretty well, but people do not seem to enjoy their work. Employees still look around despite good salaries.
Just because an organization is productive and SMART does not indicate that it is necessarily HEALTHY.  A healthy organization has clarity, a minimum of politics, and high morale. Good people want to stay in this environment. Most organizations would like to be healthy, but they do not understand the disciplines they must practice to develop it.

Summary: The sad reality is that because so many people have experienced these problems in multiple settings, they have learned to accommodate them. In short, they believe “this is just the way it is” in work life.
The consultants at Teamworx² have simple wisdom and practical solutions to each one of these complaints that your team could begin implementing TODAY.  For a more detailed explanation of our services, go to Consulting Services.