Individual perspective filters the way we see the world, but also how we communicate. When working with teams, I help each member become more aware of her/his biased perspective. And how to increase their ability to engage with others.
Present versus Future tensions:
Anticipation can easily turn into a weakness.
The pressure to plan ahead limits organization’s ability to live in the present. Team brains are wired to anticipate possibilities.
Worrying about potentials risks or problems promote a “Stuck” mindset. Instead of being mindful about the current situation, the mind gets paralyzed evaluating every possible (negative) outcome.
That’s how “future tensions” get teams stuck.
You can only solve the problems that exist, not those that might happen. Move ahead, address “Present” tensions. Leave “Future” ones for when they happen. If they happen.
Real versus Perceived tensions:
Building on the above, emotions and anticipation create tensions even when there’s no real reason behind it.
Most of the problems don’t exist, we create them.
We fill the silence with imagination. When there’s no room for candid dialogue, people try to read everyone’s mind.
Blame. Guilt. Lack of trust. All the emotions that hurt a team’s performance are, most of the time, unfounded feelings.
They are not based on what people know but on what they perceive.
Small versus High dose tensions:
The earlier you deal with a tension, the easier it will be to eradicate it.
Research by Carnevale and Probst showed that a competitive and hostile (high conflict) environment hurts the team. As a conflict intensifies and arousal increases, the ability to learn and to think creatively decreases substantially.
Fixing a small behavior that irritates the team is easier than overcoming a behavior pattern once it has become toxic.
By minimizing tensions, managers are giving them room to grow and become more dangerous.
How tensions can improve performance
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” — Abraham Lincoln
Tensions run a relatively constructive course when teams have high levels of Psychological Safety, according to Amy Edmondson.
Encouraging people to openly address tensions can only build trust and safety. Disagreeing with a purpose is more mature than consensus by default.
Here are some initial ways to address tensions to improve your team’s performance.