Strengthening Team Cohesion: Overcoming Disrupted Relationships in the Workplace

In today's fast-paced society, keeping everyone in your organisation aligned is crucial for success. Cohesive teams play a vital role in maintaining consistency, agility, and achieving organisational goals, driving your organisation forward in the direction you want.

Unfortunately, though, fragmented relationships and disrupted team cohesion can create challenges that no organisation wants to face when trying to stay ahead of the competition.

But what exactly are these challenges, and how can you overcome them? 

Our team is here to help you find out!

1. Lack of Trust and Collaboration

Sports teams depend on mutual trust and support to succeed, and professional teams are no different. Relying on effective collaboration and cohesion to achieve team goals and keep organisation-wide objectives on track, trust really is a key component of every successful team.

When trust is lacking, individuals may be more reluctant to share ideas or provide support, leading to siloed working environments, reduced collaboration, and ultimately, poor business results.

Want to spot a lack of trust and communication within your teams as early as possible? 

Here’s what to look out for:

• • Disengagement during team meetings: When employees seem disinterested or avoid participating in workplace discussions, this can indicate a lack of motivation for their role, often due to a misalignment of goals or absence of personal development strategies.

• • Minimal interaction outside of work tasks: Team members that only communicate when necessary for work-related tasks — rather than engaging in social interactions or building rapport — may lack a sense of trust and comfort in their team environment.

• • Lack of transparency: When individuals feel isolated, uninformed, or unable to share important information freely, this can result in uncertainty and distrust. 

• • Limited willingness to seek help or offer assistance: Team members that hesitate to support each other or ask for help when they need it, may not feel fully confident in their colleagues' abilities or collaborative skills. This can slow down problem-solving efforts and impact overall team productivity.

• • Increased conflicts or tensions: A noticeable increase in conflicts or tensions among team members may be a sign of underlying issues relating to miscommunication, differing priorities, or unresolved conflicts — highlighting a lack of trust and collaboration within the team.

• • Inconsistent decision-making processes: Team members that exhibit hesitation or resistance in making decisions together may lack trust in each other's judgement. This can lead to delays or indecision, and increase anxiety across teams.
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• Tip: While employee conflict might be less noticeable in larger organisations, in smaller teams, even minor disagreements can have a significant impact on team dynamics and productivity. When even two team members work together and don’t get along, their relationship can greatly influence the overall cohesion of the team. To maintain a cohesive team, it’s a good idea to look more closely at your team’s behavioural traits and see if the conflicts that arise stem from differences in communication styles, work preferences, or personality clashes.

2. Communication Breakdowns

Poor team cohesion can also result in complete communication breakdowns, where important information is not effectively conveyed or understood. 

This can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and even a lack of trust. And, with 50% higher productivity rates from ‘high-trust’ companies, it’s in your best interests to get your communication strategy on track.

Luckily, if you notice a breakdown of communication within your teams, there are plenty of ways to rectify this issue.

We suggest starting with a focus on:

• • Improving communication channels: Evaluate the existing communication channels within your teams and identify any gaps or inefficiencies. In particular, look out for channels that may be causing bottlenecks or preventing the flow of information. 

• • Encouraging open and transparent communication: Establish an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas openly. Encourage active listening and provide opportunities for feedback to ensure that everyone's voice is heard and valued.

• • Clarifying roles and responsibilities: Clearly define each team member's role and responsibilities to minimise confusion and ambiguity. Establishing clear expectations helps streamline communication and ensures that tasks are delegated effectively.

• • Providing communication training: Offer communication training workshops or seminars to equip team members with the skills they need to communicate effectively in the workplace. Focus on topics like active listening, conflict resolution, and assertive communication to improve interpersonal communication skills within the team.

• • Promoting a culture of accountability: Hold team members accountable for their communication practices and encourage them to take ownership of their communication responsibilities. By promoting a culture of accountability, team members are more likely to prioritise effective communication and address any communication issues promptly.

• • Leveraging technology: Make use of digital hiring tools and behavioural profiling software like C-me to gain a better understanding of your team’s core traits and help them understand their peers more effectively. From personality assessments to professional development tools, the right approach to technology can reduce communication barriers and improve your team’s overall communication practices.

3. Reduced Morale and Engagement

When team cohesion is disrupted, morale and engagement levels often suffer. And, with low employee morale, overall work efficiency and productivity can be reduced by as much as 18-20% (Deloitte, 2022).

When employees feel disconnected from their teams, it can also lead to decreased motivation and job satisfaction — making employee retention feel like a constant uphill battle.

To prevent this from happening, here are 5 key signs of low team morale and engagement to look out for:

• • Increased absenteeism or lateness: Employees who are disengaged or demotivated may exhibit higher rates of absenteeism or regularly arrive late to work, signalling a lack of dedication to their roles.

• • Lack of enthusiasm during team activities: Team members may show little interest or participation during team-building activities or social events, indicating a low level of camaraderie and team spirit.

• • Decline in quality of work: Disengaged employees may produce work of lower quality or standards compared to their usual output, reflecting a decrease in motivation and commitment to excellence.

• • Negative attitudes and interactions: Team members may display negativity, cynicism, or irritability towards colleagues or tasks, creating a toxic work environment that further erodes morale and engagement.

• • Increased turnover rates: A rise in employee turnover or voluntary resignations may indicate underlying issues with morale and engagement within the team, highlighting the need for intervention to address these concerns and retain talent.

4. Inefficient Decision-Making Processes

Disjointed teams may also struggle with decision-making processes. Conflicting opinions and lack of alignment can slow down progress, resulting in delays, missed opportunities, and frustration among team members.

To increase team cohesion, we suggest:

• • Establishing clear decision-making protocols: Define roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes within teams to maintain clarity and create a sense of accountability. This helps streamline decision-making and minimises the risk of conflicts or misunderstandings.

• • Encouraging open dialogue and brainstorming sessions: Establish an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and having their voices heard. Encourage brainstorming sessions to explore different perspectives and identify innovative solutions collaboratively.

• • Conducting post-decision evaluations: After making decisions, evaluate the process and outcomes to identify areas for improvement. Gather feedback from team members to assess the effectiveness of decision-making strategies and implement adjustments as needed.

• • Leveraging technology for streamlined communication: Utilise communication tools and project management software to facilitate real-time collaboration, document sharing, and decision tracking. This promotes transparency, accessibility, and efficiency in decision-making processes.

Tip: Technology is also extremely useful for optimising team dynamics and identifying areas for improvement. For example, using behavioural profiling tools and personality assessment software, you or a designated team leader can better understand the strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and even communication styles of new and existing employees within collaborative teams. You can then use this information to optimise team dynamics and improve team collaboration.

How C-me Software Can Help Overcome Disrupted Team Cohesion:

When it comes to building team cohesion, the right collaboration tools can be key for achieving you and your team's goals.

Here’s how the C-me platform can support team development, alignment, and productivity:

• • Strengthen team dynamics: C-me provides powerful insights into team dynamics and traits, allowing team or group members to gain a deeper understanding of how their behaviours impact group interactions. By identifying areas of strengths and areas for improvement, teams can work together more effectively and collaboratively.

• • Promotes a common language: The C-me software promotes team unity with a shared language for team dialogue around roles, working culture, team communication, and more. This not only establishes a better understanding of each other's strengths, motivations, and behavioural tendencies, it also supports a more harmonious work environment and improves team dynamics.

• • Enhance team performance and productivity: C-me offers employees the opportunity to engage in learning experiences, with tools and learning resources designed to improve engagement, enhance performance, and support a more positive and people-first environment. With resources also designed to boost employee self-awareness and strengthen core communication skills, your organisation can create a culture of continuous improvement that also aligns with organisational goals.

• • Improves communication and collaboration: With C-me, teams can enhance communication and collaboration by gaining deeper insights into individual behavioural styles. By understanding how to effectively communicate and support each other based on their unique preferences, team members can minimise misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication.

• • Supports decision-making processes: By providing data-driven insights, C-me helps teams make more informed decisions and drive alignment. The better they understand each other's perspectives and behavioural tendencies, the better teams can streamline decision-making processes and achieve better outcomes.

Discover How C-me Can Work for You

If you’d like to learn more about how the C-me platform can help you create high-performing teams that achieve their goals with cohesion, collaboration, and confidence, book a demo today.

Support your teams. Enhance their performance.