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Shift in Team Dynamic

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Shift in Team Dynamic

Hello. I am seeking advice to potentially get ahead of a situation. I manage multiple teams. One team is a group of four. I have regular 1-1s and staff meetings with them. Over the past couple of months, I have noticed a couple of those team members regularly seeking advice (regarding clients, frustrations, questions, and concerns) from one specific team member. I am glad they get along, and I want to encourage team members working together. The team member they are confiding in, who happens to be a man, is not a team lead, but he does have more experience than the other two. The reason I have been mulling it over is I am noticing it is beginning to shift the team dynamic. At times, I sense they are using him as a sounding board, to vent (about situations, not a specific person), or when they aren’t sure what course of action to take. It seems to be creating an unofficial team lead structure. It is putting some pressure on the team member who is giving advice to share perceptions and issues with me indirectly. It is also affecting my working relationship with the team member giving advice. I think it is important they have a good rapport and talk to one another. What gives me pause is that I need to hear about questions or concerns, when they exist, directly so I can address them, and so I can support my staff. I also need to protect the energy and time of the go-to staff member. I am considering speaking to some team members individually. However, if I do something, I want to do it thoughtfully. I have worked hard to foster a sense of collegiality, and I want to avoid micromanaging. I’m wondering if members here have some advice.

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  1. Sa'eeda Sopazi

    Hi. Unless there is a serious issue that you need to know and attend to urgently, the advice-giver should not share anything they say to him, and you should not entertain hearing it from him. I would ask the advice-giver to redirect any questions or concerns they have to you., the Team Lead or a relevant person. Coach him on how to do this. He should redirect his colleagues without breaking his rapport with them while communicating his role and powers, and that you or X is the person to speak to if they want answers or their concerns resolved.

  2. Anonymous

    I agree with this approach. I want to add that the only way to move up in an organization is to have someone who can do your job and is ready to go when the time comes. OP: Consider this - you are training your replacement. Work on giving this person more responsibility by potentially making him an official (or unofficial) lead in the group. This seems to be happening organically, anyway. The last thing you want to do is assume that this person is trying to elbow you out of your job. As long as you make it a collaborative effort where you make difficult or complex decisions, you should be fine.

  3. Anonymous

    I would use a portion of you staff meeting to review concerns on specific protocol and specific clients.

    The dynamic will evolve within your groups. I would suggest you encourage your go-to staff member to point the staff your way with concerns and questions. Either that or promote him to lead.

  4. Anonymous

    Why not start with meeting with this specific individual directly, sharing you concerns with them and working together to come up with a solution?

  5. Anonymous

    Maybe he should be given a promotion to team lead sounds like he has been doing it anyway

  6. Anonymous

    What did he say in his 1:1?

  7. JB09718

    team dynamics are fluid and what you described is just standard lifecycle. (Newer employees will always look to senior employees. Senior employees eventually move on. Newer employees become senior employees and cycle repeats.) I would embrace the natural development and make him an official team lead. (Assuming there are no obvious reasons why he wouldn’t be a good candidate and assuming he is genuinely interested in a leadership role and you can compensate him for the added responsibility.)

    Another thing to consider, your team may not be reaching out to you on purpose. If you’re managing multiple teams with team meetings and 1-1s plus any other additional tasks/responsibilities, how available are youespecially for time sensitive matters? I would also look at how senior employee responds to them compared to how you respond. If they come to you for help, do you take over or give them the resources to work it out on their own? There are some things that you could potentially correct for too.

  8. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

    I would consider that in addition to your one-on-one's, you add team meetings.

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