Facilities Check List
Practical, step-by-step guides for the busy FM
May 2000
Symptoms of Low-Performing Teams
In the April installment of FM Check List, we described the characteristics of high-performing facilities management teams. This month, we will look at the “dark side” of that issue: low-performing teams. Many problems can lead to low-performance teams. The absence of the basic conditions for a cohesive group – trust, complementary goals, and a clear mission – will usually result in low productivity. Various symptoms, outlined below, should help you recognize low-performing teams.
Cautious or guarded communication. Low-performing teams may have members who fear some form of punishment, ridicule, or negative reaction, and therefore say nothing, or are guarded in what they do say.
Lack of disagreement. Lack of disagreement among team members may reflect poor team interaction, indicating that members are unwilling to share their true feelings and ideas.
Use of personal criticism. Personal criticism such as, “If you can’t come up with a better idea than that, you better keep quiet,” is a sign of unhealthy team relations.
Ineffective meetings. Low-performing teams often have ineffective meetings characterized by boredom, unenthusiastic participation, failure to reach decisions, and dominance by one or two people.
Unclear goals. Low-performing teams often do not have a clear sense of mission, and members are often unable to recite their team’s objectives.
Low commitment. Without a clear sense of purpose, low-performing teams tend to have low commitment.
Destructive conflict within the team. Low-performing teams are often characterized by a suspicious, combative environment and by conflict among team members.
This installment of FM Check List is adapted from BOMI Institute’s Administration course, (www.bomi-edu.org), a required course in BOMI Institute’s Systems Maintenance Administrator (SMA) program.
