Team Facilitation: Is your team in trouble?

Good people come to work together, intending to do good things for patients, but their potential may have been diminished because of major conflict within their ranks. The pain is heartbreaking. The loss of productivity and spirit is enormous. The outcome is always as unpredictable as it is precarious.

How do these things happen? Certainly not with deliberateness or intent. At least not initially. At some point, some issue was placed before the group. It might have had to do with an overlap of responsibilities or an approach to handling a particular situation or even a way of applying a practice principle. If that issue and/or the circumstances are new enough that the group has little or no experience in addressing it, there is no blueprint for behavior. Perhaps one or more of the team members are new. Or maybe the priorities are unclear. Or else the situation is so new or unique that the team must struggle with new concepts. For whatever the reason, the initial response is likely to be less than ideal.

The choices made at this point are crucial in determining whether the team will overcome the initial stress and grow together or begin the slow process of disintegrating.

When individuals have the perspective and skills to take on issues without taking on each other, they can be successful in almost any situation. When they lack these things - as they often do, for few of us have worked seriously on these skills - they can easily create an environment of distrust and a culture of disharmony.

It happens so quickly that almost no one notices. A thoughtless remark is passed. Others are unsure of what to do or how to feel and their response to the initial remark compounds the situation. Before long, the original issue is lost in the storm of yucky responses.

There are definitely not enough skills in many teams' tool boxes to manage this type of challenging and emotionally tense situation. The group can easily find itself on the slippery slope to disintegration.

Sadly, when we are called in to work with a group in this situation, they have frequently reached the point of meltdown. There is much to be sorted out and since emotions are so raw, the group cannot do it on their own. A facilitator is essential because the skills needed to untangle the mess are the same ones the group lacked in the first place.

Over the years, Sandy and her team of talented facilitators have worked with many groups in this condition. We have come to realize that there are two recurrent themes: *the inability to see beyond one's egocentric perspective and *an inability to take on issues of substance without personalizing the discussion. Both of these tendencies will make normal, natural conflict more difficult to address.

So, please remember how we define conflict: the gap that exists between expectation and reality. Because people frequently have specific expectations which don't match their experiences, conflict occurs naturally and is a normal part of any group working together.

We would greatly prefer to help you look at how you are serving your patients, not how you are hurting each other. If you are in trouble like this, please call us - and soon - before it gets worse. (800) 848-8326. It will destroy your practice and cost you mightily.