People functioning in a manner that is either: 

1. "out of culture"

2. blocking team effectiveness in its task or relationship maintenance

For Example -- Frequently resistive, fighting, cynical, negative, withdrawn, missing, not completely agreed assignments, overly dependent, submissive, emotionally disconnected or emotionally over involved, controlling, etc.

WHY ARE THEY THERE?

1. They have competence that the leadership or others believes is essential and worth the additional trouble their presence causes.

2. They have allies that protect them.

3. The organizational culture overvalues inclusion, is overly tolerant of unacceptable behavior.

4. No one wants to pay the cost of trying to change the situation.

ACTIONS THAT MAY HELP

A. Limit or redirect the person’s role or participation

1. The person may not really be necessary to the team’s work, or

2. Occasional participation as a resource person might be adequate.

3. Give the person assignments that will serve the team’s work but can be completed as an individual assignment, or

4. Give the person a special role in the meeting, e.g., if they really have technical expertise, create a time in the process for them to present

B. Establish team structures, processes and a climate that make it more difficult for the person to behave in an inappropriate manner

1. A team operating with a trained facilitator, using common assessment and decision making processes, being intentional about group norms and with a number of people trained in communication skills may provide a context in which the difficult person can work constructively. It is also possible that the person will do everything possible to prevent structures, processes and a climate from being established.

2. The skills, norms, roles, etc. that you want to establish should in every case be useful for the healthy functioning of the team not just to manage the difficult person.

3. Offer the person special training or coaching.

C. Confrontation by the group, team leader or outside consultant

1. The above order is preferred -- the confrontation is most likely to help the overall development of the team and the long term inclusion of the member of the team accepts responsibility for maintaining its own relationship issues.

2. In the confrontation:

• Center yourself; stay focused on the agreement you are seeking not your reactions to the person’s behavior; pay more attention to your own behavior than to the problem person’s behavior; think and breath
• Clearly state the problem behavior, give specific examples and the negative impact of the behavior.
• Listen -- allow the person to share his or her own view of the situation. Use communication skills to be sure you understand and that the person knows you have been listening
• Affirm what you can affirm -- the person, special skills, common ground, feelings
• Invite the person to participate in a new way. Be as clear as possible about what you are looking for in the whole team and from this person. Do not try to force the issue immediately. Suggest that the person think about what has been said.

D. Remove the person from the team

If the behavior is simply too disruptive and the above solutions seem unworkable or have failed, you may need to terminate the person’s relationship with the team (or organization.)

WHEN THE LEADER IS THE PROBLEM

1. If the leader senses that he or she may be the source of difficulty in the team, the need is to get information. You can use a consultant to gather information from the team or you might go to a training program that provides feedback on your work in teams and on your leadership style.

2. If the leader doesn’t see that he or she is a problem but members of the team do see it

• Try to get the leader to involve an outside consultant.
• Try adaptations of "Actions that May Help".
• Live with it.
• Get off the team.

©  Robert A. Gallagher, 1997