Christopher Ellis
Chris Ellis is an HR Consultant with Mace & Jones. He has been in HR Management throug...  full profile

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Oh for the days when.................!

(24th August | 09:23)

Oh for the days when..........!

We have heard a lot over the last few week about team members falling out with each other and relationships being at a low ebb and this has made me reflect on how important team working is for the success of an organisation, whether it be "Team McLaren" or anyone else.

Team working is about mutual respect, mutual accountability and shared goals and values. It is also about liking one another and providing support during difficult times. I often get involved in situations when, for a variety of reasons, team members are no longer functioning effectively. Relationships deteriorate and the trust and openness which bound the team together quickly starts to erode. These situations need to be caught early and sorted out quickly but the plethora of employment legislation and in particular compliance with statutory minimum procedures often conflicts with the need to move quickly and sort out the issues before they inflict irrevocable damage on the team and the business. Situations, which once would have been sorted out by knocking heads together and going out of for a pint now result in investigations, hearings and appeals by which time any chance of restoring the previous team spirit has gone out of the window.

I would suggest that we need to have the courage to deal with team issues in a pragmatic, timely and effective way without being totally bound by the procedural straightjacket. I am sure there are examples in all organisations where team problems have spiralled out of control for this very reason.

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