It’s not unusual for strained relationships to develop among groups of people who work closely together. As creative professionals, we have the added stress of deadlines, client demands, and the self-imposed need to produce brilliant work … making it even more likely for strife to appear. The first step in solving the problem is for group members to individually reflect on what they believe is the root cause: What is the origin of the friction? The goal in pinpointing the issues affecting the team is not to place blame; rather it is to achieve consensus on what needs adjusting. By reviewing the situation privately—perhaps with the aid of a questionnaire or survey—the potential for a gripe session is removed, and team members are better able to come to the table in a spirit of open-mindedness and cooperation. Of course one person’s perceptions of what a team’s shortcomings are may not match another’s, but, if conducted properly, the mere exercise of sharing insights will be an important step in resolving many of the problems.

Remembering that a group can be (and usually is) plagued by more than one issue, let’s look at five reasons for discord among creative colleagues:

1. Team members have dramatically different work styles.
Whether it’s the Early Bird vs. the Night Owl, or the Free Spirit vs. the Corporate Thinker, there are as many ways of working as there are sans serif fonts. In a dysfunctional team environment, differences become rifts and points for polarization. A “we/they” mentality develops as cliques vie for position or favoritism. In healthy teams, differences are valued and seen as a way for the group to achieve depth and balance.

2. There is no shared vision or common goal.
When teams lack accord on where they are going, the result is a sort of pandemonium and directionless feeling. When teams agree on certain values, there is less need for elaborate procedures, documentation, and formality. If everyone knows—and agrees on—a destination, the group automatically rows in the same direction. Conversely, if the group, company, or department is without a mission, it will get somewhere, but how will it know when it has arrived?

3. Stress and pressure are taking a toll.
Perhaps the single most beneficial condition for fostering creative work is a supportive and nurturing environment. Stress, pressure, and anxiety are antithetical to a productive creative environment. When a team does not honor individual contribution, celebrate group performance, or simply allow for down time, it runs the risk of burnout, stagnation, and, of course, excessive group conflict.

4. Team members have differing expectations.
Whether you call it work ethic, work/life balance, or simply passion, people have different levels of dedication to their careers at different points in their lives. Newlyweds or new parents, for example, may invest fewer hours at the office than new hires trying to establish themselves. When one faction feels it is giving more—or entitled to give less—team conflict is sure to present itself.

5. Good leadership is lacking.
People tend to perform at peak capacity when they have leaders they look up to and trust. Just as a sports team wants to “win one for the coach,” creative teams are empowered by leadership that effectively balances encouragement with constructive criticism, discipline with freedom to explore, teaching with learning. When a group leader has a hidden agenda, is insecure, or is not forthcoming, optimal group function is unlikely. Once each team member has had a chance to think about the sources of conflict, it is time for the group to come together to share their assessments out loud … and reach a consensus about how to remedy the situation. Most often this will mean a facilitated session (sometimes more than one), with an agenda dedicated to the topic at hand. How this session is positioned and conducted will influence its outcome; carefully plan it out well in advance.

Part 2: In the next installment, I’ll explore how to conduct the assessment session, correct the team’s trajectory without bruising egos, and get buy-in for the long term.

Recommended Resources
The ABC's of Building a Business Team That Wins, by Blair Singer, $16.95, Warner Books, www.richdad.com

Everyone a Leader: A Grassroots Model for the New Workplace, by Horst Bergmann et al, $24.95, Wiley.

Group Dynamics for Teams, by Daniel Levi, $58.95, Sage Publications.

The Team Handbook, by Peter R. Scholtes et al, $39, Joiner/Oriel Inc., www.bn.com

The Wisdom of Teams, by Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, $17.95, Harper Collins