Are Your Team Members On Target?

At the beginning of the student leadership year, most everyone is excited to be a part of things. People like to get involved.

Calendars aren't full yet.
Assignments aren't due yet.
Priorities aren't screwed up yet.

As the student leader year continues on, there seems to be an increasing need for...well...leadership.

That's because the people on your team start to fade away, pull away, or find a way to get less involved. It just happens. So be prepared.

The goal for any team is to have it's members live in the center of the target - to be engaged and active. When they live here, they are thinking about the team and working hard within their role and responsibilities. They are a "team player."

But something may happen that causes the team member to start to move out of the center. It may be barely noticeable, but it's happening. They move into the interested and sporadic area. This means that it appears that they're still invested in the team, but it's hit-and-miss. They don't seem as dependable as they once were. They're a little more quiet and it feels like they're sitting on the second row of the circle.

If left unchecked, a team member can continue to pull away and move farther from the team and what it's trying to accomplish. Communication is virtually absent from this person. They are becoming a team member that is merely watching and inactive. This team member starts to offer all kinds of reasons why he can't participate, why he's absent from meetings, and why he can't fulfill his obligations. He is still on the team...but in name only.

Finally, a team member will make a complete break from the team. This person moves into the absent and apathetic space completely outside the target. This former team member no longer wants to be a part of the team or involved in what the team is doing. She has checked out completely and has moved on to something else. At this point, it is very rare that this person will ever return to the team.

It's important to realize that a team member rarely jumps from "engaged and active" to "absent and apathetic" overnight. A student leader must keep a watchful eye on her team members to notice the little signs that point to them moving off target.

A student leader can keep her team members on target by continually...
1. Touching base with team members on an individual and regular basis.
2. Getting to know team members personally.
3. Helping team members engage in significant and meaningful work.
4. Celebrating the small successes with team members.
5. Following up after any conflicts or passionate disagreements.