Most Common Challenges Faced by Teams Nowadays

Often it is said that “teamwork makes the dream work”, however, the challenges that teams face can make it difficult to achieve a set goal. Teamwork is great because it fosters creativity, boosts staff motivation, improves morale, and enhances productivity. To enjoy these benefits, it is ideal for you to first identify the challenges faced by teams today and how to address them. Here are common problems among teams:

 1) Trust issues

In any working environment, there exist office politics where some employees tend to backstab their colleagues to look good before the boss. Mostly, this happens so that employees can get limited promotion opportunities. It is such activities that contribute to a lack of trust among team members. When people do not have faith in one another they tend to misunderstand each other which can lower their productivity immensely.

 2) Failure to share information

Despite the numerous inventions and advancements in technology we have these days, some team members still fail to share information with others. There is a need for people to share their knowledge, skills, and experience so that the project they are working on can be achieved. Therefore, as a leader, you should encourage the sharing of information among teams for them to work cohesively.

One of the ways to solve this problem is to have teams share zip files of information among themselves. The advantage of compressing files is that they leave you with sufficient storage, there is a possibility of encrypting files and they can be shared easily and faster among teams. For this reason, you should encourage information dissemination among team members to avert challenges.

 3) Reduced engagement

In the last ten months, we have seen teams’ engagement reduce drastically as a result of COVID-19. With numerous people working from home, it has become difficult for teams to reach a consensus regarding work despite the increased use of video conferencing solutions. To be honest virtual meetings do not have the same interpersonal appeal as face-to-face meetings hence reduced engagement. Additionally, not all team members are tech-savvy makes it difficult for them to engage with others.

Employees who are engaged tend to commit to a company’s mission and would go the extra mile to help the organization achieve its goals. This problem can only be solved by involvement. When you have each team member involved, it will be difficult for them to detach themselves from the team.

 4) Change management problems

Change is inevitable in life. In an organization, when change is not managed properly, it could have negative effects on teamwork. Change and communication go hand in hand. Therefore, you should ensure that when you communicate, your teams understand which will make it easy for them to execute their assigned duties. One of the major changes affecting businesses right now is the shift from onsite to remote working. Given that most people are not cut out to work from home, there are issues of resistance, denial, and failure to commit to work among teams. As a leader, you ought to recognize these issues and help your teams to transition to conform to the new normal.

 5) Silo working

Among the things that are killing teams is silo working. It is easy to find a group of professionals calling themselves a team and yet, they are not working together. Such behavior reduces performance and kills productivity immensely. To do away with silo working, members of the professionals need to recognize that they are a team and begin to dedicate their time and efforts towards reaching a common goal. Additionally, encouraging collective thinking and execution of work solves this challenge immensely. 

6) Corporate conflicts

One of the major challenges of teams these days is corporate conflicts. The fact that people have varied ideas and opinions it is easy for conflicts to ensue. The presence of conflicts creates tension which makes it difficult for people to collaborate, expand their knowledge, and innovate. While people having different opinions is not entirely bad, it is how these conflicts are resolved that matter. 

Conclusion

Working or managing a team requires great skill. Teams are often composed of people with different ideologies, backgrounds, and ideas. Being different is not bad at all. It is what makes a team seasoned enough to handle big tasks. Challenges will always be there when people work in a group. Thus, the goal is to devise problem-solving mechanisms so that people can respect one another and endeavor to work together.