Leaders sometimes wonder why their team isn’t acting aggressively, working with urgency, or executing with vigor.
They know something is off, but they can’t put their finger on it. Instead of being fully engaged, the team seems to putter around, spend too much time in meetings, and operate in slow motion.
What is going on?
While there are numerous reasons for a lethargic or disengaged team, one possibility is the absence of a clear strategy or a decision that will establish a strong pathway forward.
Teams and team members waiting for a decision or strategy often appear as if they are in suspended animation for a reason—they are!
Leaders, meantime, aren’t really affected by the ambiguity. They also understand the reasons a strategy or decision has yet to materialize. So, they carry on with their normal focus and cadence.
They aren’t distracted or delayed because they are the driver and not the passenger.
However, downward in the organization or team, the lack of clarity has profound implications. Why pursue goals aggressively when they are likely to change shortly?
Teams can become paralyzed any time change is on the horizon but has yet to materialize.
Take, for instance, what happens during a leadership change. Teams are the least productive during leadership transitions for a good reason. They don’t want to waste their time pursuing outcomes a new leader may not find critical or important.
Compounding matters, a team waiting for clarity or a path forward is often misread by leaders.
They often presume the team is overwhelmed, distracted by adversity, or somewhat burnt out. While this may be the case, good leaders think more deeply about what else might be causing the sluggishness.
Simply asking team members what they need to be more productive and operationally aggressive will often yield the inkling that they are waiting for the leader to act or decide.
As a rule, teams are always wanting and waiting for more clarity from those above. Knowing whatever clarity is potentially missing in their eyes is of critical importance to good leaders.
In most cases, teams just need repetition of the existing strategy or goals so they can execute more effectively. But every once in a while, the team is waiting for much more.
The next time you scratch your head while trying to figure out what is causing a lack of urgency or action, consider that the team may be waiting for a decision or strategy. Now, do your best to give it to them.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
