Better collaboration always begins with an accurate assessment of how well the team is currently functioning. There are a variety of ways to gather this information.

Here’s what you need to know:

• What impacts (positively and negatively) morale and engagement?
• What motivates each individual on the team?
• What is hampering performance?
• How well you are supporting employees?

To figure this out, you could simply ask people for their opinions. The problem is that they probably won’t tell you what they really think. No matter how strong your relationships are with individual team members, people still hedge when talking with the boss about problems they see.

Overcoming This Obstacle

That’s where we come in. While they might not tell you directly, they will share their opinions if they can do so anonymously and without fear of repercussions.

Over the years we’ve used a variety of tools to help team members share what they really think by creating a safe mechanism for them to do so. Some of the tools we use include:

• One-on-one interviews
• Focus groups
• Email surveys
• Online assessments

DIY Assessments

If you want to start thinking about your team, you might try out one of the following free self-assessments.

In the Know

You can’t address what you haven’t noticed or don’t understand. Let us help you figure out what’s going on with your group, so together we can develop a plan to help put the team back on track.