The love strategy as a team pitfall
At first I used to say : "There is no I in TEAM" - meaning : we have to think, feel and act as One in a team, if we want to be succesful, wouldn't you agree?
It happens to me once in a while, a perfect team! A team speaking in one voice, feeling aligned, supporting each other, acting and speaking as one. Too good to be true!? Being a peacekeeper myself, I could feel the harmony - almost the "love boat feeling" during my last team coaching session in an international back-office team. And I bought it...
When I asked the teamleader to act her leader-role taking a stand in the room,she hesitated for a while, her team members supported her untill she stood up. The others followed and took their positions. Then , something strange happened : no opponents in the room! Neither were there any bystanders, no, all took the positions of "followers -" (Note : cfr Kantor Team Roles). First time for me... I wondered what was happening there, I really grew very curious...
Teamdynamics were made very clear, expressing something like "I unconditionally follow you, dear leader"! Wait a second! : ""unconditionally?": I asked. "Well yes!" one member sais, and another, and another.... There they stood.. in the room, no dynamics at all, like all hand-in-hand, connecting and going for an unconditional loyalty. Wauww! I was impressed, almost buying in, cause tempting to me...Suddenly I asked : "what is happening next? Dear teamleader, how are you experiencing this?" The teamleader looked up and nodded her head...saying : "I feel confused, don't know where to go next. Paradoxally, I don't feel sure at all in this decision. Something is lacking to me .. I miss some resistance here, although I remain suspicious about it,..it does not feel right" This is when the words came to me : "what a great strategy! : The love strategy!" . Everyone in the room bursted out loud... like suddenly all understood the comic situation and more : the paradoxal effects of it. Instead of moving forward, this team was freezing on the spot, like no movement at all anymore, besides the hugging and the noddinng. Even though it came as as a shock to them, this awareness created great effects for the next sessions : "how can we stay loyal to the team, while each bringing in our uniqueness?" That is where the i in the team is standing for : creating diversity, each individual adding something very unique, each one having a differtent point of view with possibly some valuable information in it for the team! That is how we form A WHOLE TEAM (the I in the A-HOLE)
want to find out more? Kom naar onze eerstvolgende ontbijt sessie op 14/9 te Nevele 8-10 of vrijdag 13/10 te Nevele - dorothee@coachingtheshift.com