Teams are a primary mechanism for getting things done in today’s healthcare world. Improving team effectiveness is as essential as enhancing individual effectiveness, and coaching plays a vital role in both instances.
Developing teams is not as simple as developing the individuals within the teams because the dynamics that occur with groups are absent with individuals alone. One group dynamic is especially significant in teams: social influence.
Social Influence
People use their immediate social environment as a source of information to construct their reality and formulate perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors.(1) As you might expect, people are susceptible to social influence based on their interactions with others. This social influence is more potent when individuals are part of a close-knit social network, such as a work team.
The atmosphere of the team environment and the expected norms of behavior shared by team members are powerful influencers in determining the performance of that team.(2) These factors are referred to as team climate.
Team Climate
Simply put, team climate is the perception of how it “feels” to function in a particular work environment. The atmosphere within a team influences individual and group behavior patterns through a complex mixture of norms, values, expectations, policies, and procedures. Another way of looking at it is that a team’s atmosphere (climate) influences the individuals on that team, and they, as explained previously, influence each other.
A favorable climate creates an easy and comfortable workplace, leading to elevated team performance. Six dimensions of team climate have been proven to affect team performance: clarity, commitment, excellence, responsibility, recognition, and team spirit.
Clarity: the degree to which team members understand team goals, their job requirements, and the elements of good organization.
Commitment: the degree to which team members are dedicated to their role and goal achievement.
Excellence: the degree of emphasis put on setting high-performance standards.
Responsibility: the degree to which team members feel personally responsible for their work and accountability for the results.
Recognition: the degree to which team members feel appreciated and acknowledged for doing good work.
Team Spirit: the degree to which team members feel they are part of a cohesive, cooperative work unit, and the sense of pride that arises from being on the team.
Diagnosing Team Climate
Team performance relies on a healthy team climate. Assessing team climate is analogous to ordering a comprehensive metabolic panel for a patient so that you can determine and address underlying problems. Just as different components make up a comprehensive metabolic panel, team climate consists of dimensions that have been proven to affect team performance.(3)
Assessing team climate can be a formal process that involves using surveys to collect data. However, a formal process is not necessary unless there are known problems within the team and the survey is part of a planned intervention. It is generally best if you, as a leader, take it upon yourself to observe and inquire about the health of these dimensions.
You can get a sense of the team climate by asking specific questions relating to each climate dimension. Here are some examples:
Clarity: Are there unnecessary rules and procedures that hinder the way people do their jobs? Do people feel that they have to fight against unreasonable constraints? Do people know whom to go to in order to get the information or help they need? Are roles and responsibilities clear and understood?
Commitment: Do people feel involved in actions and decisions that affect them? Do people seek feedback and evaluate their performance without pressure from management? Do people exhibit discretionary effort by doing more than they have to or doing what it takes to get the job done?
Excellence: Are there expressed expectations of high performance? Do people receive regular feedback outside of performance appraisals? Is there pressure to continually improve one’s performance and professional skills? Do people take pride in their performance?
Responsibility: Do people believe they have the autonomy to do their job and that their judgment is trusted? Are people encouraged to take on increased responsibility? Are they given control over the means necessary to accomplish that for which they are accountable? Are people held responsible for the results of their efforts?
Recognition: Is appreciation expressed when it is deserved? Are recognition and rewards tied directly to results and not personality variables? Does positive feedback outweigh criticism?
Team Spirit: Do people on the team back each other up when needed? Do team members display a sense of loyalty and pride in the team? Are disagreements handled professionally when they occur? Do people communicate openly and honestly with each other?
These types of questions can give you a sense of the team climate, but they also communicate what is important to you as a leader. What you ask people about lets them know what you value. Wall posters might proclaim the importance of teamwork, but if you never ask about teamwork, it is just a word on a piece of paper.
In addition to asking questions, use your powers of observation. Think of these climate dimensions as lenses through which you can gauge the atmosphere within your team. Are people taking the initiative and using good judgment to get things done? Are people open to and even eliciting feedback to improve? Are individuals cooperating to resolve conflicts? How is information flowing between and among team members? Are you showing appreciation for what people do? Do people do more than the bare minimum and show enthusiasm for what they are doing?
Summary
The importance of creating an atmosphere that facilitates the ability of a team to do its work cannot be overemphasized. A healthy team climate is directly correlated to productivity, job satisfaction, and retention of employees. Coaches are invested in improving the lives of the people they help, and leader-coaches must be committed to creating an environment that promotes team success. It all starts with monitoring team climate and adjusting where needed.
References
Salancik GR and Pfeffer J. A Social Information-processing Approach to Job Attitudes and Task Design. Administrative Science Quarterly. 1978; 23(2): 224–53.
Liang H, Saraf N. Hu Q, and Xue Y. (2007). Assimilation of enterprise systems: the effect of institutional pressures and the mediating role of top management. MIS Quarterly. 2007; 31(1):59–87.
Hay Group/McBer. The Dimensions of Organizational Climate. Boston, Mass: McBer and Company;1995.