“Team Starts with Attitude”
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
A good team is kind of like art: hard to describe but you know it when you see it. And more critically, we know a poor team when we see it even more clearly.
Some people are naturally team players, and some simply are NOT. Sociologists might argue whether this is because of their genetic makeup or because of their social background, but that part is academic. It’s up to the manager to (a) read this potential and then (b) decide whether or not the remaining virtues outweigh the lack of team attitude.
If we decide the person brings sufficient valuable tools to the team but lacks a team-focused attitude, we can go into the relationship with a plan and a desired outcome. If, however, the person’s selfish attitude isn’t compensated for by outstanding talent, it’s time to cut bait. It’s been said, “We’d rather have an empty chair than just a warm body.” A single team member with a bad attitude will cause the manager more headaches and “grass fires” to put out than any single other challenge in the workplace.
The savvy—and ambitious—manager, who knowingly takes on a selfish but talented employee, needs to have intentional interventions in place to incrementally work with the employee on their attitude, help them to shed selfish habits and responses, and to slowly come to embrace and live out the team culture. Some people simply don’t know they’re a pariah, and they’re very coachable; they may simply never have been a part of a collaborative team and have never had effective, hands-on leadership. However, if progress isn’t made in these areas, be ready to end the relationship for the benefit of the organization and team productivity and morale.
In the long run, having a unified, cohesive, mutually supportive, and productive team is more important than any short-term infusion of talent or expertise, because the gains will be equally short-lived and may be detrimental to the productivity of the entire organization. If the long-term health of the team is in jeopardy, it may be time to remove the unhealthy element in question, or else not bring it to the party in the first place.