You’re managing a team with a lot of different personalities. How can you keep everyone working together?

Getting to know each member on a personal level is crucial for effective management. One team member, prefers detailed instructions and structured feedback to feel confident in his work. Knowing this, I make sure to provide clear guidelines and regular check-ins to support his needs and foster his productivity. On the other hand, another team member, thrives in a more collaborative environment and enjoys brainstorming sessions. Understanding her preference, I encourage team meetings where everyone can share ideas freely and provide opportunities for her to take the lead on collaborative projects. From this, I can tailor my management approach to effectively support their individual needs.

? Embrace the symphony, not the solo: Value each team member's unique strengths & create a space for them to shine. ? Speak their language: Adapt your communication style to different personalities, fostering open dialogue and active listening. ? United we stand: Set clear goals & expectations, ensuring everyone is aligned on the "why" and "how" of collaboration. ? Celebrate the wins (big & small): Recognise and reward both individual and team achievements, building morale and motivation. ? Team building isn't just a game: Invest in activities that help your team bond, fostering trust and understanding.

Actually a team is a group of people whose work is interdependent. For success a leader must undertake a number of team development activities including: 1. Clarifying the business goals of the team and how they will measure success. 2. Clarify how the team will work together to achieve the team goals (which will be linked to a broader organisation set of goals)- ground rules, behaviours, individual as well as team goals, etc 3 clarify and agree individual roles and accountability’s as well as any team roles for each. 4 the team will agree how they will assess individual and team performance and how often 5 how they will communicate and collaborate to achieve the team goals 6. How they will manage boundary issues with other related teams

Right alignment with Management is the main success factor for any team and demarcation of roles and responsibilities for each team mate is important with due weightage. Some points merit attention: 1. On basis of skills, experience and capabilities of each member of the team, tasks must be assigned with expected timelines. 2. A leader must avoid any indulgence in creating a divide on basis of gender, religion, region, caste and any other such factor. 3. Ensure no competition within the team as this is detrimental to productivity of the team as a whole. 4. Team Bonding - This is very important as entire team gets to understand each other much better.

Equally important is emotional well being and respectful behaviour. It will reduce the stressful environment and build trust.

Setting clear expectations also means not to change expectations. Often times we set high expectations in hope that they will meet them, and even if it falls short of it, they wouldn’t be off too much, even for ourselves. Working with the team on what is expected helps- for example deadlines. If it’s not possible to meet it, be open to set it right from the get go and not commit to a unrealistic one, only to result in necessary pressure and deadline slips.

Adding clear expectations helps the team to know exactly what they need to deliver. It eliminates ambiguities on deliverables. It also helps one to stay focused, and motivated on achieving goals and objectives.

The diversity of views after the functions and responsibilities is wealth, not a problem. Conflicts, if managed timely and properly, will make one's team more efficient than before. If diversity of views and working styles are discouraged within the team, its members will not be challenged. Challenges are manageable only by embracing diversity of each team member.

A great thing would be to be a great listener and be patient with the team member even if you (initially) tend to disagree. Give example of members who have successfully contributed despite the challenges he faced due to his diversity. Give the feeling of empowerment, contribution and a sense of belonging to the team.

When I supervised a floor full of nurses, with different backgrounds, ages and personalities, it was important for us to get along at least well enough to be willing to help any single nurse who needed it in the interest of patient care. I aimed to see the positive in each person, so I could make a point of publicly commenting on their strengths. "Amy may come off as abrasive at first, but she's the first person you want with you at a code, and have you seen that new guy Boris's IV skills?" We also started having each nurse introduce the oncoming nurse to their patient with a true and positive statement that would leave the patient feeling that they were in good hands. This forced everyone to start looking for each others good qualities.

Being born and raised in Singapore - a diverse race and culture society helps us understand and appreciate one another’s strengths and limitations. For example, someone in our team is stronger in the Malay language and therefore would be better in communicating to our Malay clients. (Home reno works for elderly Malay couple for example).

Embrace the diversity within your team, acknowledging that varied perspectives and experiences contribute to innovative solutions. Encourage open discussions where team members can share their unique viewpoints. Valuing diversity not only enhances creativity but also promotes a culture of inclusivity, where everyone feels their input is valuable.

I have found that no one knows the conflict better than the parties involved. Therefore, leave responsibility for the conflict with the respective team members involved, and support them in resolving the conflict themselves. Create a safe, neutral space for conversation and establish rules for communication. Support the parties by facilitating the discussion using methods such as active listening, different questioning techniques or visualizations to analyze the conflict. Your aim should be to identify the true interests and needs of those involved. In this way, you can create a mutual understanding and create a baseline for empathizing with each other. This shift of perspective will make finding a common solution easier.

I totally agree to this. Implementing proactive conflict resolution techniques works magic. This has helped my team foresee many red flags we ended up tackling prior. I always love to Emphasize on empathy and understanding. They go a long way to navigate disagreements and maintain team harmony. I believe that’s what we all want in our projects. Peace and love always.

Conflicts are inevitable when dealing with diverse personalities. Instead of avoiding them, address conflicts promptly and constructively. Create a safe space for open communication, allowing team members to express their concerns. Act as a mediator when necessary and guide the team towards resolution. Successfully managing conflicts fosters a healthier team dynamic.

I guess this to me is the most important step, you may have diverse people with differences ranging from gender, background, thinking, culture, geography etc...but if you as a leader do not identify each member and support them as per the need and the relevance, the team won't remain one...it will become a market with vendors competing against each other. You as a leader need to be available, have an immense ability to listen and understand, support, uplift, acknowledge and celebrate success as a team.

True. In my case I Regularly engaged in team building activities that promoted collaboration and mutual respect, this helped to bridge gaps between different personalities and also helped strengthen team unity. Easy to say, I know. When enforced it works magic.

Foster open communication, acknowledge individual strengths, and encourage collaboration. Establish clear goals, ensure everyone feels valued, and address conflicts promptly to maintain a positive team dynamic.