The Bigger Problem

Starting in the late spring of 2021, and then clearly into the summer and fall, I began seeing and hearing about more and more problems with teams. Over the course of the pandemic, many teams had de-evolved into single leader work groups with the leader being the funnel for everything. Many single leader work groups had de-evolved into just being work groups. And many 4-D teams began suffering from the “tyranny of structurelessness”, i.e. nobody knew exactly what to do so people just did their own thing. 

Note: a 4-D team is one defined by members of the team being diverse, dispersed, digital, and dynamic which means there are frequent changes with the membership of the team. For information on 4-D teams, I encourage you to read the following: Haas, Martine and Mark Mortensen. “The Secrets of Great Teamwork.” Harvard Business Review, June 2016.

From my vantage point, the main problem is that many of these struggling teams lack role clarity and/or clarity of purpose. Furthermore, many team meetings over the course of the pandemic have turned into information sharing with some coordination. There is little consultation, collaboration, or decision-making. The result is that team members are not involved in the decisions that will affect them, which is resulting in a continual decline of personal, operational and strategic trust.

However, I think there is a bigger problem taking place which is the root of many of these team problems. Individually and collectively, we are experiencing a mix of pandemic-grief and pandemic-anxiety. Over the course of this winter, people on teams have been experiencing a wide range of feelings including helplessness, depression, fear, fatalism, and resignation. The outcome is that people are more focused on their losses than on their gains at the personal and team levels. They also are more focused on their problems than their short term wins.

In essence, I believe we are tending to get lost in the darkness of the pandemic. The outcome of this choice is that we have lost touch with personal and collective awe, joy and light-ness for lack of a better term. I do not believe we need to not hide from pandemic darkness, but on the other hand, we should not get lost in it. We need to learn new ways to deal with our pandemic grief and anxiety. This may not be easy or simple but it is an important first step if we want to create healthy teams and single leader work groups this spring.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257