Collaboration, Teams, Partnerships, Alliances. All buzzwords in business at the moment, which capture the concept of working in teams and highlight how important it is in business today. But what happens when one of the team members is technically brilliant but much less so socially? Often the team is disrupted and becomes disharmonious and less effective.
For leaders and managers this is a problem which needs to be fixed sooner rather than later or else risk slowing the entire organisation down. Usually the most expedient option is to change the team member. However this is not always feasible or warranted, especially if that team member has invaluable skills needed for the project. Unfortunately in a time-poor working environment leadership frequently sees these sorts of issues as hindrances that need a quick resolution. But maybe there is a better solution. One that may take a bigger investment of time up front, but one that yields a heftier reward in the long run.
In their recent blog, MindTools addresses this very issue (Managing Unsociable People) and propose some excellent ideas that can see the organisation bring out the best of these people and achieve way beyond initial expectations. The article is a great read and well worth the few minutes it takes to do so, but as a preview, here are some of the main points for working with that unsociable team member:
- Understand why this person is unsociable – there is more to them than meets the eye, and no two people are alike.
- Identify their strengths and weaknesses – focus on the strengths, work around the weaknesses, and whatever you do, don’t micromanage them.
- Identify their motivation – and then reward them accordingly
- Encourage communication – early, open and honest.
If you would further information on how Avondale Business School can help your organisation, contact Warrick Long
P: 02 4980 2168