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The
long-term success of a team depends upon how it deals
with failure. Every failure should be viewed as a learning
opportunity and explored by the team. The purpose is not
to attribute blame, which is shared by the whole team,
but to examine the causes and to devise a mechanism that
prevents the failure from reoccurring. Here are some common
causes of failure:
Confused and Conflicting Goals - When team members
do not understand or share the common goal, then they
do not work toward it.
Unresolved Roles and Responsibilities - When team
members are not clear about their roles and responsibilities,
they lack a sense of accountability and might not complete
their task.
Lack of Team Trust - When team members do not trust
each other or their team leaders, they undermine the team's
efforts. They might withhold or doubt information, and
that will prevent the project from moving forward smoothly.
Lack of Support - When the team does not have the
support of an organization's managers, it often cannot
achieve its goals.
Lack of Communication - If team members do not
share their ideas, the team will not be able to make informed
decisions.
Negative attitudes - While it is important to maintain
a certain amount of critical objectivity when making decisions
and exploring options, it is detrimental to the team if
a critical or negative attitude prevails.
Deadlock - If the team is split on an issue, members
must find common ground in order to reach a compromise.
Before doing that, however, the team should decide how
important the issue is and allot time accordingly.
Losing the Big Picture - As each small point is
discussed, the larger picture can be obscured. Thus it
is useful to remind the team frequently of where it began,
where it is at the moment, and where it should be going.
Failing to Explore Alternatives - First ideas are
not always best. The team should always generate a list
of ideas before picking one.
In addition to these pitfalls, there can be areas of resistance
in the organization, among managers, and within individuals
that can undermine a team. Possible causes for resistance
are listed in the table below. Members should look for
these areas of resistance and try to remove them. See
Causes of Resistance chart.
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