The SILENT Killer of Great Teams

Business coaches Lil & Ted Jedynak emphasise the importance of customised coaching for clinic owners. 

They caution that even strong teams can falter due to "a silent killer," where underlying issues go unaddressed. 

This silent killer arises when leaders assume everyone is on the same page, preventing open communication and fostering frustration. 

To combat this, they advise creating a culture of constant clarity through regular check-ins and proactive leadership. 

The coaches offer resources, explain strategies to prevent team deterioration and ensure continued success. 

Ultimately, the resource encourages leaders to avoid complacency and actively maintain team cohesion.

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Prefer to read? Here's the transcript:

The Silent Killer of Strong Teams

[00:00:00] Hey welcome back. You know how we do things here, right? We get our hands dirty and dive deep into a single source and really unpack it today. From none other than the Dynamic Duo. Dr. Lil and Ted Jedynak, the Jedynaks.

Now, these folks, let me tell you, they're not your average business coaches. They've got this incredible background working with everyone. Everyone from health care practitioners Business owners just like you listening. Exactly. So they know a thing or two about building and leading high performing teams.

And in this email, they're giving us a heads up about something they call Assumed alignment. Assumed alignment, right? Which can be a real silent killer for even the best teams. Silent killer, huh? That sounds ominous. What exactly are we talking about here? Picture this. You've got a team.

Everything seems to be running smoothly, projects are on track, people are showing up, getting things done. Okay, yeah, sounds good so far. But under the surface, you might have these little, almost invisible frustrations simmering. Ah, okay, so maybe someone's not thrilled [00:01:00] with their role, or there's a bit of tension about how decisions are being made, but nobody's really saying anything.

Precisely, and that's the insidious thing about assumed alignment. Everyone just assumes, oh, we're all on the same page, but those unspoken frustrations, we're they can fester. And then what happens? What's the killer part? Morale starts to take a hit, right? Things that used to flow easily suddenly become a slog, and that trust that's so essential for any team it starts to erode little by little.

And the worst part is, often, the leader, the one at the helm, is totally clueless until, boom, something blows up. Yikes. So we're talking about like a ticking time bomb situation here. But isn't there always going to be some level of assumption in teamwork? We can't Constantly be dissecting every tiny detail, can we?

Of course not. You're right. Micromanaging is definitely not the answer. But here's the difference. The jettynecks advocate for something they call constant clarity, and that's about being proactive. Constant clarity. I like the sound of that. It's got a nice ring to it. So how do we [00:02:00] actually cultivate this constant clarity?

Is it like a meditation app for teams? Not quite, although mindfulness definitely plays a role. Practically speaking, constant clarity is about making communication a habit, a regular part of your team's DNA. Okay, so we're not just talking about those once a month status meetings where everyone drones on about what they're working on.

No, we're talking about regular check ins, but not just about tasks and deadlines. It's about actively making sure that everyone is truly aligned on goals, roles, even those little processes that can cause friction if they're not clear. You know what? This reminds me of when we were planning that company retreat a while back.

We all just assumed everyone wanted a beach getaway, sun, sand, the whole shebang. Sounds idyllic. It does, but then it turned out like half the team was secretly craving a mountain escape. Hiking, fresh air, that sort of thing. We could have saved ourselves a lot of back and forth if we just clarified that from the get go.

Exactly. And that's where the leadership piece comes in. As Lil and [00:03:00] Ted say, the moment you assume everything's fine, you've stopped leading. Leadership isn't about sitting back and hoping for the best. It's about being present, engaged, and asking those questions even when on the surface, you Things seem to be smooth sailing.

So to bring this back to our listeners, everyone listening right now, take a moment to think about your own teams, your projects, even your personal relationships. Where might this assumed alignment be lurking? Yeah, are there any seemingly small misalignments that could be brewing under the surface just waiting to erupt?

Because here's the good news. Good news. There's good news. There is. Even if you've accidentally fallen into this assumed alignment trap, there are absolutely things you can do to course correct to get things back on track. Give us the goods. What can we do? First off, start by scheduling those regular check ins, even when things seem fine.

Remember, this is about being proactive, not reactive. Okay, check ins. Got it. But what about the content of those check ins? What are we actually talking about? We'll make it clear to [00:04:00] your team that open communication is not just tolerated, it's valued. Create a safe space where people feel comfortable voicing concerns, sharing different perspectives.

So it's about setting the tone, really emphasizing that it's okay to not always be on the same page. Exactly. And don't just wait for feedback to come to you. Actively seek it out. Ask questions like, hey, are we all still feeling good about this project? Are our individual roles still playing to our strengths?

I love that. It's like Taking the temperature of the team's alignment regularly, not just waiting for a fever to break out. That's a great way to put it. It's about prevention, not just treatment, and that's what sets constant clarity apart. So to wrap things up, what have we learned today? Even the most amazing, high functioning teams aren't immune to this sneaky little trap of assumed alignment.

But by embracing this idea of constant clarity, being proactive with communication, really listening to each other, and being open to different perspectives, we can keep those teams strong, cohesive and [00:05:00] well thriving. And to leave you with one final very important thought from Dr. Lil and Ted themselves.

Don't get too comfortable. Even when things are going well, that's when you need to be most vigilant, most proactive. So true. Complacency can be a real killer. It really can. Ask yourself. How can I As a leader, or even as a team member, prevent this silent killer from creeping in and undermining our success.

That's the question we all need to be asking ourselves. And if you want more wisdom from Lil and Ted, make sure to check out their vlogs. And thanks for joining us for this deep dive into team dynamics. Remember, clarity is key. See you next time. Bye .