Transform Team Dysfunction into High-Performance Collaboration
The Insight:
Every team has invisible dynamics - unspoken alliances, informal influence networks, communication patterns, and behavioral norms that shape performance more than org charts or job descriptions.
These determine who speaks up, whose ideas get heard, how decisions get made, and whether people feel safe to take risks.
Most managers focus on individual performance while missing system-level patterns driving collective effectiveness. Reading team dynamics means observing behavioural patterns, energy flows, and interactions revealing how work gets done.
The Tool: Pattern Scanner
4 steps to try now
01.
Map Communication Flows and Escalating Patterns
Track
Track who talks to whom, when, and about what. Notice patterns beyond formal relationships: who do people go to for advice, whose opinions carry weight, and who gets information first versus last?
Pay attention to escalating patterns- are team members building on enthusiasm or mirroring tension?
Watch for opposing dynamics where criticism triggers more criticism, or withdrawal triggers more pressure. Document when these patterns accelerate and what triggers them.
02.
Identify Behavioral Norms and Contradictory Expectations
Notice
Notice what behaviors are rewarded, tolerated, or punished through team reactions, not just your explicit feedback.
Look for double-bind situations - being told to "take initiative" but criticised for making decisions without permission, or encouraged to "be honest" but punished for sharing difficult truths.
Ask: "What 'rules' create 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situations?" When people seem stuck - that's when they might be navigating invisible contradictions.
03.
Spot Energy Patterns and Sources of Vitality
Clarify
Pay attention to how energy moves through your team during different activities, topics, or interactions.
Notice where genuine vitality exists versus where it's absent - what awakens creativity and engagement versus what numbs it?
Track quality of engagement: when do people seem genuinely interested versus going through motions? Watch for emotional contagion and who tends to be energy influencers. If everything feels mechanical or drained, that's valuable data about team health.
04.
Understand Broader Context Through Strategic Questions
Ask
Validate pattern observations while exploring what larger forces might be shaping team behavior.
Ask targeted questions: "I've noticed we make decisions differently depending on who's in the room - what are you seeing?" or "What conversations happen that I might not be aware of?"
Consider bigger contexts - is tension about the project, or organisational changes, personal pressures, or cultural conflicts?
Ask privately: "What's making work feel harder than it should?" Issues might be systemic, not individual.
Why it works
Understanding team dynamics allows you to work with existing patterns rather than against them, intervene early when dysfunction emerges, and address root causes rather than surface symptoms.
Recognising broader contexts prevents oversimplifying complex human behavior.
Use it when
You sense tension but can't identify the source, notice inconsistent team performance across situations, want to improve collaboration, or feel like important conversations are happening outside your awareness.
Bonus tip
Keep a simple dynamics journal - note one pattern you observed each week. Over time, you'll develop stronger pattern recognition skills and catch dysfunction before it becomes entrenched in your team culture.
