10 mistakes to avoid when working in a group

by Alice Alessandri and Alberto Aleo

Working well in a group is a fundamental skill for success in every organization. Group work involves accepting others, communicating effectively, being pro-active, and many other aspects. Consistently focusing on one’s own growth by stepping outside of our comfort zone, which may protect us but also limit us, is especially important. 

In this article, we will look at best practices for managing team relationships by focusing on some common mistakes that can hinder group work as well as useful strategies to avoid them. 

It is important to keep in mind that we are all part of the same team regardless of our roles because – as far as Passodue is concerned – those in leadership positions are there to serve the group, and not the other way around.

Mistake #1: “Forgetting that we are on the same team.”

It may seem silly but oftentimes people don’t recognize that they are part of a team. They only worry about what concerns their specific role, without considering what happens before and after them on the value chain. To favor a group-oriented and team culture, it is crucial to find moments to connect and socialize with colleagues. Teams rely on shared rituals and spending time together.  

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– Learning 1 –

Open your mind and eyes to the entire process you are involved in. Build relationships with the other members on the value chain and recognize that your success is directly connected to their work, too.

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Mistake #2: “Not having a clear understanding of the different roles in the group.”

In many organizations, roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined. The complexity and speed of modern markets, the new economy have certainly made business organizational models more hybrid, imposing more fluidity that by some measures could be considered healthy. But this should not cause a level of confusion that could lead to two dangerous consequences: de-responsibilization and self-governing anarchy. Even if you have a young start-up and you hate hierarchies, we recommend clarifying roles and responsibilities for more important projects. Creating order does not necessarily mean being rigid. Instead, it can give people the opportunity to focus on their role by providing working conditions that allow them to work well with everyone.

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– Learning 2 –

If roles and responsibilities, starting with your own, are not clear, ask and clarify. Once you know what to focus on, you will better understand the roles of the other members of the team and see the full picture.

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Mistake #3: “Not having or knowing about shared objectives.”

Much like our previous point, a lot of companies forget to set clear, common and shared goals. Providing a clear goal is one of the most efficient ways to align your team, anticipate and contain problems, and review the effectiveness of the actions taken, thus triggering a growth spiral.

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– Learning 3 –

Ask questions about the purposes and objectives of your job or the project you are working on. Once the goal has been made clear, you can choose the right course of action to achieve it and establish intermediate verification points.

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Mistake #4: “Never having meetings or having too many meetings.”

Groups are nourished through time spent together, which serves to stimulate team spirit, share objectives, take stock of results, and many other things. Therefore, meetings are a requirement of group work but be careful not to substitute “work time” with “communication time” by holding too many meetings. Meetings should always have objectives that align with the purposes of the team, rather than having long or contradicting agendas.

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– Learning 4 –

Ask for team building meetings to align yourself with your colleagues, carefully choosing when, what and to whom you want to communicate. Remember that meetings are a work tool, not a universal key suitable to any and all situations.

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Mistake #5: “Not being honest for the sake of keeping the peace.”

Feedback is the foundation of all good communication: it helps us grow and improve. That is why it is important to give feedback to colleagues, even when it is negative or involves criticism. Not only is it important to voice our thoughts with respect but also to accept that others will do the same towards us, helping them express themselves in a constructive way. 

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– Learning 5 –

Accept criticism, even when it is not coming from you. Even negative feedback can teach us a lot when it is constructive. If someone is too direct or may be offensive, try to help them without silencing them.

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Mistake #6: “Resisting change”.

Working as a team entails pushing projects forward or meeting objectives that lead to change. Adopting an innovative, assertive and courageous approach is fundamental to make a constructive contribution. And yet, many people view these things with biases, acting as censors of every initiative. Statements like “this is how we’ve always done it” or “we already know it won’t work” are true killers of team spirit.

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– Learning 6 –

Check your biases at the door when working alongside your team. Listen carefully before judging, recommend testing and experimenting ideas to test their validity. Substitute “but” with “what if we tried…”

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Mistake #7: “No time management.”

In our experience, most group tasks fail because of poor time management. Group sessions that last too long or are poorly scheduled, an excessively slow or fast pace creates tension and doesn’t lead to good results. And be careful about using time as an excuse: saying “I didn’t have time” is truly counterproductive when working with a group because it sends the message that the team’s objectives are not a priority.

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– Learning 7 –

Ask for and give respect to the pace of the team’s work. Set clear deadlines and specific time commitments without being tyrannical about it. Each person has their own understanding of time and their own pace: working together means allowing room for flexibility.

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Mistake #8: “Complaining about or judging the work of others”.

While defined roles and responsibilities are important, it is also essential to remember that a team exists to support each other to meeting shared goals, not to surveil and blame each other. Successful teamwork involves a mix of clear procedures and good relationships. The latter are compromised every time judgement comes between us and our colleagues. No one should have the right to point their finger at others and no one should think that the team’s problem is not their problem. 

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– Learning 8 –

Take on a proactive approach. Before putting yourself in conflict with others, try asking yourself what you could do to help them. Embrace challenges instead of avoiding them, becoming part of the solution even if you didn’t create the problem.

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Mistake #9: “Only working with the people you like.”

Teamwork is an opportunity to grow, which is why we should challenge ourselves to collaborate with those we feel detached from. Doing so could help us realize that our biases about that certain colleague were wrong, and that actually their differences could be very useful for us. Making internal alliances or even positioning oneself as the counter-leader is truly counter-productive.

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– Learning 9 –
Accept differences and avoid running into a lose-lose mechanism of creating problems and difficulties for the team just to show them you’re right. When your team members lose, you lose!

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Mistake #10: “Not starting with yourself to improve the work of the group.”

Regardless of what you think about your team, if you’re on the team then its climate and results are your responsibility, too. Thinking that other people should adapt to us or should be the first to make themselves better goes against teamwork. An old adage reminds us that if we want to see change, we should first change ourselves. Our relationship with others is one of the most complex aspects of our lives. This is why we must practice and be ready to put our best talents and abilities to use.

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– Learning 10 –

Take every opportunity to work on your soft skills as well as your hard skills. Today more than ever, we must know how to communicate and work on a team to be successful.

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We will end with a motto that we really like: “Win together, lose alone.” It reminds us that building up, being part of and cultivating a team is a safe and stimulating recipe to achieve the results we are aiming for.

 

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