How can my team have implicit rules?

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When teams are designed in organizations very often the focus goes on structural design. In purpose driven organizations, they also focus on setting clear goals, tasks and manage dependencies.

But putting a nice structure around a team is not everything. There is more.

If a team performs or not, is basically determined by various input factors. To put it simple, let’s divide them in two:

Within team factors many so called soft factors are present. But how do you actually work with them?

And group norms?

What are these mysterious norms?

A behavioral norm motivates people to adjust to fit in a certain group.

If a member does not follow the group norm, there is a way of “punishment” by the group, eventually it’s about exclusion.

And based on evolution, we don’t want to be excluded by a group. In former days this was because exclusion from your tribe would mean, you are alone in the wilderness fighting for food and shelter. In a group that was easier and basically meant survival.

Luckily we are not in such extreme situations anymore – but if you are accepted by the group you are in or not, might define your “survival” in the organization.

Will your results be recognized? Will you be seen as a good employee? Will you be on the next cool project? Will you receive the next bonus pay? Will you get a promotion?

If people don’t like working with you, these things will get hard

So a natural tendency to align with group norms arises. This can get so far to depersonalization, single people build up a “group-identity” – a version of them that fits to the group.

How do group norms get built?

Usually when a group is new, they arise given by specific organizational circumstances and personalities people bring. Once established, if the team changes, new team members might influence them, but often adapt to what is given.
To simplify it – this can be observed following Tuckman’s team phases in the “norming phase”.

Group norms are a often overseen and undervalued, but very important aspect of team dynamics.

Norms related to performance directly and indirectly impact how teams perform. As they impact behavior, collaboration and even results delivered.

What is expected to be delivered? What is too much? What is too different too far fetched? How many mistakes are allowed?

How can you work with group norms?

You will have group norms, if you are aware of it or not. So the best option is to observe and actively influence them towards your and your team’s favor.

This means fostering perspectives, beliefs and behaviors that allow a healthy performance.

Healthy because it doesn’t contribute on the long term to pressure your team members to performance, it will have a negative effect – burnout or higher fluctuation for example.

A key norm that has continuously been identified to indirectly foster performance is Psychological Safety – a common understanding of interpersonal risk behavior. This means, that team members won’t be rejected within their group when showing their true self and opinion, they respect each others competencies and are interested in each other (Edmondson, 1999).

This directly fosters behaviors that question the status quo, the goals the way things are done and motivates to give suggestions to better reach a common goal.

But this is just one example.

I encourage you to think with your team:

What beliefs and behaviors would allow us to perform better while we are satisfied and enjoy our work?

Any behaviors can be reflected and worked on.

With warm regards,

Magdalena