Team morale is closely related to team spirit discussed earlier. But where team spirit is about creating a cult of special-ness for your team, team morale is about being able to manage the intensity of the cult. You need to be in a position to control it like a tap, today more, tomorrow less.
You begin by identifying the “neutral” position. This will tend to depend on the individual personalities within your team and needs to be achieved through observation, not manipulation. Then you need to try out the controls, in the same way as you need to learn to drive a car.
“Up” is achieved by allowing them to persecute you a little more. Let them win a few more arguments than normal, or perhaps ridicule a you little more in public than the you would normally permit. Better still, create some artificial issues in which you take a patently ridiculous position, ideally one which can be painted as a “management view”, and let them talk you out of it. Then admit you were wrong. (If your organisation practices 360-degree appraisals or some relative of it, practice “up” before assessment time.)
“Down” is achieved by transference. All teams have one or more individuals who are either generally resented as more incompetent or obnoxious than the rest, or alternatively have individuals who are under stress as a consequence of their unfortunate home lives and therefore behave somewhat eccentrically at work, particularly if you can put them under pressure. Most of the time, these individuals serve a purpose within the team for letting off steam and/or holier-than-thou-ism, in a harmless sort of way.
However it is straightforward to encourage it to turn into something a little more sinister, by supporting the persecution of such individuals behind their backs. As it contains a lower element of risk than persecuting the boss, staff will tend to prefer it to persecuting you. Persecution can soon be turned into resentment. And from there, they are no longer resenting you so much, as they will have transferred a part of their quotient of resentment on to their alternative victims. It requires a little practice to get this right, since it can’t be overdone without becoming illegal or bullying. Make sure you try it out before you really need it, since the last thing you want at a difficult moment persuading people to take on tasks against their will is the distraction of a harassment case.
However it is straightforward to encourage it to turn into something a little more sinister, by supporting the persecution of such individuals behind their backs. As it contains a lower element of risk than persecuting the boss, staff will tend to prefer it to persecuting you. Persecution can soon be turned into resentment. And from there, they are no longer resenting you so much, as they will have transferred a part of their quotient of resentment on to their alternative victims. It requires a little practice to get this right, since it can’t be overdone without becoming illegal or bullying. Make sure you try it out before you really need it, since the last thing you want at a difficult moment persuading people to take on tasks against their will is the distraction of a harassment case.
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