“Hell is other people”.  Except it doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be when it comes to your team. For a team to function well there needs to be a certain amount of openness and vulnerability between members. Sometimes this means taking a candid look at what might be happening and understanding the impact on performance.

Here are some things to watch out for that can be going on in a team, impacting performance:

  • Imposter Syndrome leading to burn-out.

    “There can be a huge amount of pressure … not to fail in order to avoid being ‘found out.'” – https://hbr.org/amp/2008/05/overcoming-imposter-syndrome

  • Hero Syndrome causing disruption and alienation. Can also lead to making mountains out of mole-hills (see below).

    “Hero Syndrome or Savior Complex, is when someone strives to be the hero of the situation. No matter the situation … they want to be the one that saves the day. In some definitions, a person with a hero complex will even create situations … just so they can take credit for fixing it later.” – https://novelcoworking.com/hero-syndrome-in-the-workplace/

  • Mountains out of mole-hills. It’s easy to talk something up, making unnecessary work for the team, when in reality there may be a very simple solution. Good examples are time wasted on things that aren’t in scope or risks where the probability or impact are over-estimated. This can sometimes be linked to Hero Syndrome (see above).

  • Mind Reading – assuming stakeholder needs or wants, often leading to unnecessary work for the team.

    Usually ppl are pragmatic and happy to be given recommendations, especially if they’re not close to the subject. Assuming what stakeholders want rather than managing expectations can be problematic.

  • Managing rather than leading/serving the team – if we’re not working to remove blockers for our team, what are we doing with our time?

We’re all only human – infinitely different and yet the same. Recognising this and identifying what may be going on in your team or your own interactions with your team can help you tackle problems effectively. If you do this in a way that aligns with your value system you can’t go wrong.

Please feel free to reach out and let us know if this has helped or if you have things you watch out for of your own. We’re keen to hear from you.