They’re Just a Different Forum for the Boss to Tell You What to do and Why
Surprisingly, this isn’t necessarily bad. If your boss is honest about the fact that a team is needed to do something and then outlines fairly clearly what is to be done, it can actually be pretty positive. You’ll probably get sick of this if it happens continually, but once in a while it’s a good way to help a team be successful.
On the other hand, if your boss is a jerk, it doesn’t take long to generate a good hatred for the team. Everyone resents being treated like slaves in order to do some menial task which is below the dignity of the boss. Of course, if your boss is a jerk you’re probably doing menial tasks with or without the team so that’s not the real issue. The real issue is that you’re now stuck on a team that is supposed to accomplish something and no one really wants to be there. Short of quitting or finding devious (and probably illegal) ways of having your boss eliminated, there is no permanent solution to this problem. You just have to make the best of things and in this way strive to improve things over time.
Making the best of things starts with getting your boss to be absolutely clear (relatively clear might be best case though) as to what is expected of the team. Be aware that the boss may well have hidden agendas or other reasons for creating the team. Try not to allow these to interfere with what YOU are trying to accomplish. So check with the boss on a regular basis to make sure you are on track. If you wait until you’ve completed the task, you may find that the target changed when you weren’t looking and you will get roundly chastised, then sent off to ‘do it right’ this time. But if you sincerely try to get a clear picture from the start and honestly check progress on a regular basis things may get better. Sure, you’re playing games a bit, but it speeds up the process which is good for teams in this situation. It’s healthy to vent once in a while too but don’t go overboard. Get the work done quickly and maybe you can spend the extra time searching out a good headhunter or a new work address.
You may also find that this reason to hate work teams takes some time to recognize. The biggest red flag is a lack of clarity from the boss about what is required of the TEAM. Don’t be surprised if there are a couple of cycles of the target changing for no good reason before you catch on to what may be going on.
Oh, if you are one of the bosses who creates teams for a hidden agenda, at least be honest about it. Of course if you are one of these bosses you probably don’t recognize it. Just in case, take a look around you; if lots of teams in your area aren’t accomplishing much, you’re likely the problem, not them. Take a big dose of humility, ask the teams for help and listen, really listen to what they have to say, if they have the courage to say it. And good luck. You will need it.
Discussion and comment points for this post:
This is not an uncommon problem. What are some of the hidden agendas you have seen for bosses to create teams to deal with these agendas?
If a team is stuck in this reason and needs to vent, how can that venting be contained so it actually adds value and does not spill over into creating a generalized negative atmosphere?
Have you ever had to coach a boss that creates this problem? How did you coach them?
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