Team Troubles: 5 Common Team Issues That Impact Productivity

Teamwork can often feel difficult and stressful, but it doesn’t always have to be this way!

There are many common issues that I see time and time again in teams that can easily be solved to create a harmonious and productive working environment.

As a manager, it’s important that we identify issues as soon as we notice them. This way, we can nip them in the bud and help our team to continue moving forward successfully.

Here’s some of most common issues, and how you can solve them as a manager.

1. Lack of goals and targets

If your employees don’t know what they’re working towards, and what’s expected of them, it can be hard to get started on any project or task.

At the start of any project, sit down with your team to define the goals and targets that they will need to hit for the project to be a success.

2. Team members not on the same page

As projects operate, you may find that your team aren’t all on the same page. This is usually down to their being a lack of communication and information-sharing within the team.

To solve this issue, make sure that there are always clear and open lines of communication available to all members of the team. It’s also good idea to have shared documentation that contains all the information team members may need.

3. Uncertainty around roles

If you’re bringing a team together in your business, it’s important to clearly define everyone’s roles and what’s expected of them individually to avoid confusion.

If there’s uncertainty around roles it could lead to your team working inefficiently, ultimately stopping them from being able to complete the work on time.

4. Demotivated staff

A common workplace issue in all industries is demotivation. This demotivation can be caused by a range of different reasons, but is something that you need to identify and solve straight away—one demotivated employee can bring down the morale of the whole team.

If you notice your employee is demotivated, talk to them about it and offer solutions to help get their motivation back, before it affects anyone else.

5. Unattainable workloads

Work can be busy and, especially in small businesses, you may feel like you need to run at 1000mph just to get everything done, but it’s important not to overload your team.

Unattainable workloads is a key cause of demotivation and stress. Even if you have a lot to do, try to break it down into small, actionable steps, rather than putting too much pressure on your team.