Why Personality Matters in Team Success
Why Personality Matters in Team Success
As humans, we have evolved as group-dwelling animals. We are social beings and belongingness is a basic need. Over the years in all primate societies, norms and rules have been created to ensure that members of society can coexist. As humans we are extremely sensitive to threats of rejection or exclusion from others - these are often present as limiting fears people hold.
Dr. Robert Hogan talks about the fact that in teams we often need to "get along" collectively and there is the individual need to "get ahead" so there can be competing priorities.
In organisations, we can often achieve more in a group or team than we can on our own, so it's important that we get along with others and can create and maintain relationships.
Humans display status hierarchies and show measurable differences in the degree to which they want to compete or advance. Personality evolved as a way of managing these different priorities. We vary on these fundamental approaches to life, and these variations determine how we act, think, feel, and relate to others.
A team is more than the sum of its parts and synergy is achieved when the team outperforms its best member. A good team won't always matter, and good teams are more important in some situations than others (eg SLTs). While a good team can make a positive impact on outcomes, bad teams definitely undermine performance.
The personalities of individual team members can have a significant impact on a team's performance. For example:
Leaders with strong communication skills can help build team cohesion and facilitate the decision-making process.
Team members with a positive attitude can help create a constructive work environment and improve morale.
Individuals who are self-motivated and proactive can bring in new ideas and drive the team forward.
Collaborative team members can facilitate teamwork and help resolve conflicts.
On the other hand, individuals with negative traits such as poor communication skills, lack of motivation, or disruptive behaviour can hinder team performance. It is important for team leaders to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and to create an environment that leverages these traits for optimal performance.
So, what we really need to understand is what the personalities of each individual, when brought together in the team, look like. How is that collective personality profile contributing to (or not), what the team is trying to achieve; the reputation they have within the organisation, and the way they identify and execute strategy.
When building cohesive high-performing teams, I often see a lot of focus and energy going into the 'outer game' of the team results. And, what we should see more of is a team doing a deep dive around the 'inner game', the collective strengths; derailers or blindspots; the team's profile around values and preferences. Remember, values and preferences drive behaviour so if you want your team to be clear on this, and have an action plan around achieving results, strategy, and/or culture work (or you can insert whatever outer game results you are looking for), then we need to know what this inner game looks like so we can create a plan for an outer game that feels congruent for the team members and won't look weird to the rest of the organisation.
Just as different instruments in an orchestra each contribute their unique sound to create a harmonious piece of music, each team member's personality contributes their unique strengths and abilities to the team. When these personalities work well together, the team can be like a well-orchestrated performance, creating a symphony of success. However, just as in a musical ensemble, if one member (or more) is out of sync or playing the wrong notes, it can negatively impact the overall performance. It's the team leader's job to bring out the best in each team member and ensure that everyone is working together harmoniously towards a common goal.
So, the message is this, if you want to make meaningful progress and have the right impact with your team(s) for 2023, start with understanding your collective inner game. Then, and only then, will you be able to create an outer game plan that makes sense to how your team operates best.
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If you would like some help working through your team's collective inner game, give me a call for a complimentary 20-minute discovery session. It is absolutely possible to create and maintain winning teams sustainably, with an inside-out approach.