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12. Not benefiting from diverse views? Practice perspective-taking. Could be that even after you’ve
selected team members for their diverse value, you still get too much sameness. Could be that those
with minority views are just quiet. Could be they’re snuffed out. Be assertive and gather input from
everyone, not just the dominant players. Ask for different ways to frame a problem. If an idea initially
seems ridiculous, get curious instead of judgmental. “Tell us more.” Play out various “what ifs” and
“how abouts.” Encourage people to question assumptions and poke holes in solutions. Make
perspective-taking a habit to sharpen the team’s mind and arrive at better outcomes. You’ll also boost
morale, because everyone wants to be heard and understood.

13. Arguments heating up? Referee unproductive infighting. Passionate debates are good for a team
and generally get out information and ideas that might remain hidden. These should not be stifled.
But do monitor the degree of heat and jump in early if people are headed toward personal attacks that
are counterproductive. Steer the focus to the task or process issues that are causing conflict. If
personal attacks occur or feelings are hurt, let things chill a bit. Then get both sides together to speak
their minds. Remind them not to take things personally (e.g., “both sides presented good arguments
and the team would not have made an informed decision if we hadn’t viewed the issue from all
sides”). Redirect the energy toward common goals and productive next steps.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
The HR Specialist. (2012, February 29). Team dysfunction: Why it happens and how to fix it.
Business Management Daily.
Zwilling, M. (2010, July 26). How the best bosses foster team accountability. Business Insider.

14. The team losing its spark? Prioritize continuous learning and development. Development is
motivating and productive. Provide team members with challenging assignments that are in sync with
their career aspirations and also accelerate the team’s progress. Who can mentor whom to grow
knowledge and expertise? Provide training or coaching to help the team collaborate better, like
learning problem-solving or idea-generating techniques. Gain insights together with trips to see
customers. Conduct periodic team assessments—even if things are going pretty well, the best like to
keep getting better. Try making a list of 10 key factors of team effectiveness. Have each person
indicate whether they think it’s a strength, OK, or area for improvement. Tally up the scores, talk it
through, and decide how to leverage strengths and address weaknesses.

15. Strong headwinds? Ensure organizational support for teams. No team is—nor should be—an
island. Develop strong relationships with leaders, sponsors, stakeholders, and other groups for
necessary information, technology, resources, collaboration, and troubleshooting. Influence people to
get team efforts rewarded more than individual achievements—through recognition and other
incentives. On a broader scale, when attracting and promoting talent, go for those with a track record
and motivation to excel in team settings.

© Korn Ferry 2014-2015. All rights reserved. WWW.KORNFERRY.COM

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