The trouble with teams is drifters; people who hide behind the work of others. Drifters are more than annoying; they’re dangerous, damaging dead weight.
Drifters de-motivate the motivated and drain energy from the energized.
Poorly run teams protect low performers.
Energized team members ask, “Why am I busting my butt?” when drifters succeed.
Dealing with drifters:
- Keep teams small. Large teams are a drifter’s paradise. They present opportunities for drifters to hide behind the performance of others.
- Assign tasks to individuals. Teams achieve goals because individuals perform tasks. High performance teams consist of high performance individuals.
- Recognize and reward both teams and individuals. Individual performance drops when individual effort is marginalized.
- Show everyone their value. Explain the reason each individual is on the team. Identify and agree upon the unique skills and deliverables each individual brings to the team.
- Hold individuals accountable even when they’re on teams. Teams succeed on the efforts of individuals. Track individual and team performance.
Bonus: Expect candor on the team. Be candid when you see smoke blowing. Press for specifics when drifters give generalities.
Overcoming gullibility:
Skilled drifters convince leaders they’re contributing when they’re not.
Drifters use future tense to convince
leaders they’ve done something in the past.
Ask a drifter what they’ve done and they’ll talk about what they’re going to do. Ask a high performer what they’ve done and they talk about the past.
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How can leaders/managers identify and deal with drifters?
What factors enhance the performance of teams?
Is the formation and functioning of high performance teams managements greatest challenge?
