Tone Nordling

Create a forgiving atmosphere between groups

The next time you notice that the team is complaining about another department, a business partner, or a customer, you can draw up a list of the behaviors in your team that are liable to make things difficult for the other group. For example: you respond with counter-arguments instead of asking questions, choose separate tables in the lunch room, only reply to emails after reminders.

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Happier teams

Create a forgiving atmosphere between groups

Conflicts between groups may be differently charged. Sometimes a slight frustration over another party’s failure to deliver, other times a reluctance to help people outside your group, and sometimes a hostile atmosphere. How do you achieve forgiveness? According to a large-scale survey study by researcher Daryl R. Van Tongeren et al., groups need to stop defending their own behavior and assume joint liability for any errors that may have been committed. Choosing to believe that the other party wants to cooperate is also a positive step.

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Oskar Henrikson

Feedback loop

Go around the team. Each person receives feedback from everyone else. Talk about a situation in which you think the person did something well and helped achieve your shared goals.

Oskar Henrikson

How to stop favoritism

Try to bring two groups together by discussing a shared and important goal for them.

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Your favorite tasks

What tasks do you find add motivation and are an enjoyable challenge? Go around the team and ask each person to talk about an example. Then discuss whether you can help each other to do more of the fun tasks. If many people enjoy the same kinds of tasks, discuss how you can allocate these in a fair and reasonable manner.

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