You're a new manager with a team that's struggling to get along. How can you turn things around?

1 Assess the situation

Before you try to fix the problem, you need to understand it. Observe how your team interacts, what triggers their conflicts, and how they handle them. Ask for feedback from your team members, your peers, and your boss. You can use surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather their perspectives. Identify the root causes of the team's dysfunction, such as lack of trust, unclear roles, or poor leadership.

4 Manage conflicts constructively

Conflicts are inevitable in any team, but they can be either destructive or constructive. As a manager, you need to manage conflicts in a way that fosters learning, creativity, and innovation. Avoid ignoring or suppressing conflicts, as they can escalate and damage relationships. Instead, address conflicts early, openly, and respectfully. Use a problem-solving approach that focuses on the issues, not the personalities. Help your team members to understand each other's perspectives, find common ground, and reach win-win solutions.

5 Celebrate successes and failures

One of the best ways to motivate and unite your team is to celebrate their successes and failures. Celebrating successes can boost your team's confidence, morale, and loyalty. Recognize and reward your team's achievements, both big and small. Share positive feedback and testimonials from customers, stakeholders, and senior management. Celebrating failures can help your team learn from their mistakes, overcome setbacks, and embrace innovation. Encourage your team to share their failures, lessons learned, and best practices. Create a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.

6 Invest in team development

Finally, you need to invest in your team's development to help them grow and perform better. As a manager, you need to provide your team with the training, coaching, and mentoring they need to acquire new skills, knowledge, and competencies. You also need to create a learning environment that supports your team's curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. Provide your team with the resources, tools, and feedback they need to excel. You can also organize team-building activities, such as workshops, games, or retreats, to enhance your team's cohesion, communication, and trust.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?