3 Reasons Why You Should Be Discussing Team Dynamics Openly

I recently read a blog about companies not discussing their team dynamics enough.  Meetings are usually put in place to discuss opinions and views and to draft and confirm ideas; however, it's never about the dynamics of the company and current affairs – these topics are usually left in the dark and are only discussed as whispers in the office.

Company dynamics refers to the people, the general environment of the office, people's thoughts, actions and body language – which is forever changing.

The team dynamic has to be taken seriously in any company, and even more so in a start-up, if a thriving culture and work environment are to be established.

Why should we discuss team dynamics more?

1. If you know what's wrong, you know what to fix

   If you're a manager and you know your team's dynamic, you'll know what to change and improve. Never presume to know the team dynamic; ask and find out, as it's never the same for everyone.  People should be able to speak freely about how the team gets on and the office dynamics.  Once you know how people are feeling, you can take the right steps to make changes and discuss issues. One of the key challenges is to allow people to feel free to open up and be candid with their feedback. People must know that their views will be taken constructively.

2. If people are on the same page, the company is more aligned

   Addressing issues of the people in the company ensures people are on the same page and understand one another.  If there are any disagreements, these can be addressed.

3. Discussing issues out in the open stops whispering

   If an issue is apparent, openly discussing it in a group encourages people to be honest instead of discussing it privately.  Office whispers are never positive and can destroy your company culture and work environment. Creating an open environment where people feel comfortable talking and where they can be honest will positively add to your company culture.

Great leaders care about their team because they understand that their business is its people.  Talking to them about how they feel about their environment, their time, and the team dynamic enables you (as a manager) to address people's issues.  If multiple people have the same issues, you must make some changes.  People could have problems regarding any business area, and you may not even know what these are if you don't ask them.

A healthy company culture focuses on its people and keeping them happy - you can only do this when you know what improvements to make.