3 Pesky Weeds That Can Strangle Your Team's Growth

I must say I'm not proud of this picture of one spot in my vegetable garden. One of the new favorite leafy vegetables for my family is Swiss Chard and those are the plants with the reddish-purple veins you see in the photo. In my part of the world they grow best in spring and early summer so we need to maximize their growth before the heat (and insects) overpower them.

As you can see from the picture however, they are already severely limited in their ability to produce good results. Nutrients and water in the soil are being sucked away by the plethora of weeds we haven't taken the time to remove from around them.

For a moment, think of your team members like these swiss chard plants. They are trying their best to produce desirable results, but are struggling because of "weeds" draining their physical, mental, and emotional resources. Three of the most common weeds I see for teams include:

Busyness. If team members are content to check off the 27 things on their list each day and not stop to ask if they are working on their most important priorities, how can real growth occur?

Drama. Whether it's personality styles, generational differences, or lack of understanding for how to work together, teams waste so much energy trying to dance around disagreements and avoid honest conversations.

Lack of proactive leadership. Leaders who spend the majority of their time "pulling weeds" rarely have time to think and act strategically. Ironically, it's the thinking and acting with the future in mind that often prevents weeds from being able to take root in a team environment.

What are some of the weeds you see that are limiting your team's ability to grow? I'd welcome your comments below or send me an email to tell me about your growth struggles.

For more on this topic:
How To Grow Your Team When You Are Juggling Elephants
3 Weeds You Need To Address As A Leader