How does the need to be right affect team collaboration?

The steps to transform a group of people into a functional team include building trust among team members, encouraging open communication, fostering a collaborative environment, setting clear goals and roles, and promoting mutual respect and understanding. Trust is particularly important as it allows team members to show their weaknesses and be open to new ideas without fear of judgement. Teams without trust are just groups of people who feel the need to be right and to play it safe.

A leader can address this issue by fostering an environment of trust and openness. They can encourage team members to be open to new ideas and to not fear being wrong. This can be achieved by promoting a culture of learning and growth, rather than one of judgement and ridicule. The leader can also model this behavior by showing their own vulnerability and willingness to learn.