Everyday Drills
Whether in a sport, at a job, or in a family, everyone everywhere is part of a team. The Everyday Drills blog is designed to create a moment each morning where we are intentional about becoming better teammates and team leaders. Subscribe for thoughtful ways for you and your team to be challenged each and every day.
Real or not?
Every sport has its superstitions that teams follow. These are small little practices and rituals that don’t really have any actual impact on an outcome. Why do we do them? Comfort? A sense if control? Yes. But, although it’s a false sense of comfort and control, that false sense can provide a missing piece in the mind which allows for actual confidence or belief. That can actually affect the outcome in a small way in that a team or individual has what it takes to start where they otherwise hesitate.
Tool or weapon?
If you are being managed by a micromanager, effective communication will highlight the micromanagement tendencies. Most micromanagers don’t know they micromanage. They are proud of their attention to detail and do not trust that others have the same concerns and attention they have. Effective communication is an amoral tool and in the hands of a trusting and emotionally secure leader it can pull a team together. Unfortunately, in the hands of a micromanager it will exacerbate their distrust of others and the system will become oppressive. This is why communication is often suppressed. Micromanagement is exposed the more people talk. This doesn’t make effective communication a bad tool anymore than a ordinary hammer has the potential to become a murder weapon. The good news is that if you find yourself under the oppressive micromanagement of a distrustful person, communication will make it clear enough that you can leave the team with a clear conscience.
Highlighting Insecurity
If you are managing insecure people, effective team communication will highlight that insecurity. The good news is that highlight may spark some crucial conversations which will allow you to move forward. This may result in a new opportunity to connect and work as a team but more likely, the consistent practice of team communication will document and highlight the amount of distrust the insecure teammate has. Hopefully the outcome of the communication will allow you to find a path forward, but a transition may be required.