Team Dissonance: The Invisible Energy Drain
You can have a brilliant idea, a sharp strategy, a meticulous execution plan, and perfect market conditions. But if there is dissonance within your team and it goes unaddressed, it spreads silently like a weed—slowing progress, lowering morale and productivity, and preventing the team from reaching its full potential.
The question is, how can you address this invisible force of destruction? In this article, I'll focus on a manager's role in handling team dissonance. Future pieces will explore what the team can do as a collective and what individuals involved can do to transform the energy of disharmony into harmony.
Let's delve right in, starting with five most important considerations: When, What, How, Where, and Why. These questions will guide us in addressing team dissonance effectively.
When?
Addressing team dissonance early is critical. The longer it festers, the harder it becomes to manage. Think of dissonance as hot metal—it's malleable and shapeable in its early stages but hardens over time, making transformation far more challenging.
The best strategy? Address it the minute you become aware of it. If you see it, it's probably been brewing for some time and has only surfaced when it has gained enough momentum. The more you try to unsee it, the worse the effect on the team.
It's important for the manager to acknowledge dissonance. This action signals to the team that people will be held accountable for their actions and that you, as a manager, are invested in their well-being. By naming the problem, you start to diffuse its power and create space to address it constructively.
What?
Identifying the root cause of dissonance is crucial. Once you've acknowledged the presence of disharmony, the next step is to observe.
Putting yourself in the position of a neutral observer helps you understand team dynamics without bias. Dissociate yourself from any preconceived notions about your team members, and observe how they communicate. The quality of communication will serve as your compass for identifying the source of the dissonance. The key to effective observation is maintaining a neutral stance. By stepping back and letting go of preconceptions, you'll gain better clarity on the underlying issues.
How?
Once you've identified the cause of dissonance, the next step is open and honest communication. Yes, we all know this, but how many of us actually have the courage—and the flair—to hold these conversations effectively and authentically?
It takes practice to develop the courage and finesse required to address team disharmony. A well-conducted conversation works on multiple levels: firstly, it provides a safe space for people to express themselves and feel understood. And secondly, it helps loosen the knots of disharmony. Only when you loosen these knots can the team form new ones—knots of trust and harmony.
Where?
It's important to consider the setting of the conversation. In today's culture, people often assume that the more informal environment for difficult conversations, the better it is. I believe the opposite. Team dissonance is a significant issue, and the setting of the conversation subconsciously communicates how seriously you take it. Since it's a workplace issue, the conversation should ideally happen in the workplace. If you're working remotely, then of course it will be a virtual meeting, during office hours and definitely not a stand-up call.
Either way, the key is to schedule a dedicated meeting intentionally with sufficient notice for participants rather than waiting for a spontaneous "right moment" to arise.
Why?
Why is it important to address team dissonance? Aside from the obvious impacts on business goals and team productivity, the "why" can be deeply personal to each individual.
For me, I love the energy at work when team members are working in unison. The atmosphere feels lighter, communication is effortless, everything seems to click, there is no stress (literally!), and work is actually fun and joyous. When there is harmony amongst the team, it allows the team to tap into the magic of collective intelligence—when the sum of the parts becomes greater than the whole. There's a vibration of flow that takes over, allowing the team to realise their greatest potential, which they didn't even think was possible when they were entangled in the energy of disharmony.
Most importantly, why would you choose to keep life complicated when you have the power to simplify it?
