Use Team Norms to Lessen Team Conflict

Do you feel there are undercurrents of tension that may be sabotaging the success of your team?

No-one in particular is breaking any rules, but there's some on-going niggling, people clashes and actions that prevent your team from being all that it could be? If you do, then may be you haven't clearly, documented team norms.

What Exactly Are Team Norms?

Norms are the bridge between principles and rules. They are different from rules in that rules state exactly what must occur, when and how.

Principles are more general truths of 'what' to do but never provide the 'how' to do it. Therefore to bridge the gap we use norms which are more closely defining than principles, but looser than rules.

In effect with norms you are saying "this is what we normally expect to see happen, but we do understand that occasionally circumstances may cause you to perform outside the norm".

Applying team norms calls for good judgment.

Have you ever encountered a couple of misbehaving children that you needed to draw attention to their behavior?

One child you simply look at sternly and a torrent of tears ensues? Yet their sibling requires the strongest hauling over the coals in order to get them to change their behavior.

Correcting the misbehavior is the norm. How you do it, calls for your good judgment.

Advantages of Creating Team Norms

1. Reduces Conflict & Stress within the Team.

   When team members know what's expected and acceptable interpersonal conflict is reduced. Team members arrive with their own rules, attitudes, values and personality styles. For one team member, being a couple of minutes late to a meeting for a meeting is no big deal. For another, people coming late to meetings is a sign of disrespect. Having a team norm that says "Be on Time" that is abided by all will reduce conflict and stress between these two team members.

2. Enables Team Members to Hold Each Other Responsible

   Norms enable team members to quickly provide each other with feedback when performance is going off the rails.

   Without norms, if Team Member A gives Team Member B feedback, then Team Member B may well come straight back with "and who says so?" Leaving Team Member A with little place else to go but say "Well that's the right thing to do according to me".

   With norms in place Team Member A can respond with "This is one of the team norms that we all agreed to".

3. Early Resolution of Issues

   When team members have the tools to provide each other with feedback or develop new team norms if required, then niggling issues are resolved quickly.

4. Enables Team Members to Focus On their Goals & Objectives

   How much time do you lose every day because of team conflicts? Teams come together to achieve some type of goal or objective.

   When there are niggling issues and conflicts going on, team members spend an inordinate amount of time on the niggles rather than on the business at hand - which is to achieve their strategic purpose.

Tips to Make Sure Your Team Norms Are Successfully Implemented

• At your initial brainstorming session, use an external facilitator who is not caught up in the personality issues
• Make sure they are written down and each team member signs off that they are committed to using the norms and to providing each other with prompt constructive feedback when a norm is not being upheld
• Post them somewhere prominent
• At least once a month, review at a team meeting, how effectively the norms are being applied, whether they are still relevant or if others need to be included
• Be wary of using the norms as a rule book. They are simply how you normally expect people to perform. Don't try to legislate every single conflict - keep to the more important issues.
• When new team members join, as part of the induction process, have a team member take them through the norms and explain why each one is important and how to apply it for best effect

Sample Team Norms

• We have respect when we listen without being defensive and speak without being offensive
• We have a tidy workplace when we put everything in its place and clean up after ourselves
• We improve our productivity when we have running shift handovers, all logs are read before the start of the shift and the new team member coming on is adequately briefed by the handover person
• We adhere to meeting and agenda times when
• Only one person speaks at a time
• Every meeting has a designated facilitator and minute taker.
• You organize an alternative to take your role if you are going to be absent
• We voice our opinion during the meeting, not after
• If a person is late to a meeting they are responsible for discovering what they have missed after the meeting. The meeting should not be disrupted to go over information that had been previously discussed
• A person who is regularly late or misses meetings, will be asked to leave the group. (We will assume they are not committed to the objectives of the meeting)
• Absences are notified before the meeting commences
• All team members are involved and encourage quieter team members to have their say
• Minutes are typed up and posted within 24 hours
• Action lists are generated and published for every meeting and are completed by their due date

High Performance Teams take the time to clearly articulate and agree the norms that will enable them to function effectively, efficiently and cohesively.

Diminish stress and conflict in your team by giving them the tools to sort through and minimize the number of divisive issues they are confronted with.

Team Norms are just one of the tools in your tool bag to setting your team well along the path of high performance.