Team Killers #1: Aiming for the Hoop

Most meetings aren’t working.

Unconscious group behaviours during meetings are stifling team potential and performance. But teams can change this by becoming more aware of group dynamics as they unfold in the moment, creating a safe space for people to express what they observe, and consciously choosing better practices.

As a leadership coach and team facilitator, I've spent over a decade watching how teams interact and analyzing how those interactions impact their potential as a cohesive unit (rather than just individual parts of an organization). This is the first in a series focusing on simple steps teams can take to quickly transform into high-performance, motivated, collaborative powerhouses.

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𝗔𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗽

Here’s a typical meeting: Someone speaks. Then someone else speaks. And then another. So far, so obvious. But in many meetings I observe, it’s as if there’s an invisible basketball hoop in the centre of the room or between participants in a virtual setting. And most of the time, people are trying to shoot for that hoop when they speak.

Why? Here are some reasons (no blame or shame - we can all do these - including me):

*𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘃𝗲: Hoping the boss will notice them.

*𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼: Something someone said triggered an idea and they want to get it out there before they forget it or the moment passes.

*𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣.𝗘. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻: Waiting their turn, then taking their shot once someone else finishes.

But what’s missing? 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹.

Teams rarely acknowledge one another when they speak, ask questions to understand more, or help build on someone else's thoughts. Ideas and experiences are thrown out there but miss the target. Valuable insights get overlooked or remain unearthed, the potential of the meeting is wasted, and - in the worst case - participants can leave feeling demotivated, isolated, and unheard.


𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀

Instead of lining up your shot, listen to what’s being said, acknowledge it, and engage.

Here’s a simple (but not exhaustive) list of how you can pass the ball to your teammates:

- 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬: “That’s intriguing. Can you tell me more?”

- 𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪𝗟𝗘𝗗𝗚𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧: “I love what you just said. It shows real creativity/perception/guts, etc.”

- 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: “That sounds tough. Is there any support you or your team need?”

- 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥: "I'd like to get involved/help/learn more. How can I do that?"

- 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘: “What’s most important for you here? Can you share what you’ve learned that might help us all?”

- 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗: “This is important. How can we do more of this?”

This isn't the leader's responsibility—everyone on the team contributes to this dynamic. If you are interesting in learning more about how you can work with me to discover other behaviours in meetings that reduce team effectiveness, get in touch.