A Fortune 500 manufacturing manager was transferred to the largest plant in the firm and inherited a very dysfunctional group and wanted the department to operate as a high performing team.
Challenge
A manufacturing manager inherited a very dysfunctional team. They were particularly bad in project team meetings, but they were also too unruly to even hold a simple check-in meeting. They commandeer discussions by questioning every move the manager made and outside of meetings, they generally needed a lot of handholding to keep them on task despite being quite talented. To sum up, they were playing the blame game, taking their negative emotions out on each other, and letting their emotions dictate decisions leaving most of the facts out of discussions.
Solution
PCG and the manufacturing manager decided to take a longitudinal approach to this very sticky problem. We decided to focus on weekly group meetings and individual one-on-one coaching meetings. PCG played a strategic advisor role throughout the process.
We recommended that the manager focused on:
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Creating a shared set of rules of engagement with the team which resulted in:
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Accepting accountability and responsibility for one's own actions and reactions to events
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Positive leadership – looking for what your role is in both positive and challenging encounters with others, and asking the question – what might I do to improve the encounter the next time?
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Providing positive feedback as often as possible and providing corrective feedback that preserves the relationship
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Coming to the team meetings with solutions, not just complaints
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Trying to communicate from an emotionally neutral place after assessing the pros and cons of a situation
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At the start of every meeting, beginning with a positive aspect of one's life whether personal or work-related
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At the end of every meeting, doing an after-action review and ask; What did we do well? And what can we improve on?
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Executing a customized 360-degree assessment to see how team members were showing up to the rest of the organization with coaching sessions to debrief the results identifying possible behavioral changes
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Celebrating success each quarter with an optional after-work event for friends and family.
Results
Before the end of the six-month intervention, the team:
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Created a culture of accountability, inclusion, innovation and positive team leadership
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Became a team versus a workgroup
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Began to self-regulate and manage each other when the old behaviors emerged
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Took the philosophy of the Johari Window to the next level.