Moments that Define Teams

Defining moments are often thought about as significant events that show the true nature for those involved. I don't disagree with that, but I also believe that defining moments happen more frequently and over time evolve - for the better or for the worse.

We all know that how a leader responds to a crisis can reveal a lot about the culture they have created and nurtured. Leaders who foster psychological safety and encourage proactive solutions can help their teams overcome challenges and grow stronger. Those who spread negativity, adopt a blame/victim mentality, or freeze up, will likely cause fear, anxiety, uncertainty, etc.

I also believe that the smaller day to day interactions define teams, only in a less dramatic way, and I believe most of it comes down to perspective taking and long term thinking.

Allow me to present a scenario - a person discovers a problem and sharing this with others means that something previously thought to be working well, actually isn't. Note that I haven't said this is a major crisis or a small issue, but as a reader your mind picked something so go with whatever scale your brain wants it to be.

Now imagine this person surfaces the issue, and the leader responds with any combination of the following: of course things weren't as good as I thought they were, we always have this happen to us. Just one more thing to add to the list that we don't have time for. Who messed it up this time? (I could keep going but you get the gist)

How did these responses make you feel? I feel a certain way about it.

Let's go with a second set of responses: Well that sucks, what do you need to help figure this out? Who should we get involved? Have we considered relevant impacts and options to move forward?

I know I feel more positively about the second set of responses.

Having a curious perspective and a mind toward a better tomorrow can be practiced every day. Small moments, repeated regularly, can define teams just as well as a large event to rally around, it just takes a leader to aim at the long term, take that first step, and keep walking in the right direction.