Toxic Behaviors That Poison Teams

Toxic teams spiral inward and downward.

Reaching high requires high-functioning teams.

How to lead a toxic team:

Assume silence is agreement.
Question motives.
Avoid tough topics.
Begin sentences with “you.” For example, “You always,” and “You never.”
Use language that obscures meaning.
Tolerate drifters.
Allow power members to drone on and on.
Share feelings without regard for others.
Make decisions before or after team meetings.
Fight for everything you want without regard to others.
Refuse to adapt to each other.
Start over when late comers arrive.
Interrupt each other.
Use sarcasm to put people in their place.
Refuse to admit you’re wrong.
Marginalize new members who don’t know that you’ve always done it that way.
Invite the same people to the table, year after year.
Explain why new ideas won’t work before exploring them.
Get lost in the weeds.
Don’t assign champions to projects.
Don’t talk about purpose and goals.
Assume things won’t work.
Solve every problem and address every imaginable contingency before trying something.
Don’t announce the purpose of the meeting.
Write long agendas.
Deal with a few “quick” items before you address important topics. Leaving too little time for big stuff.
Discuss but don’t decide.

5 tips for high-functioning teams:

Explain why the team exists.
Connect everything you do to the reason for the team’s existence.
Assign champions and establish deadlines.
Monitor and manage energy.
Encourage equal participation over time.

What’s the most toxic behavior that poisons teams?

What’s the secret to fueling team success?

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Previously Published on leadershipfreak with Creative Commons License

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