Two steps are required to correctly diagnosing behaviors that impede the teams’ progress
First, the leader should observe the behavior(s) without making inference(s)
Next, the leader should make sense of behavior(s) by inferring meaning to the observation(s) and test their inferences for accuracy by asking appropriate questions
The leader can overcome challenges to diagnosing process problems by focusing on individual/group behavior vs. content or intent
2. Diagnose Behaviors that Impact Team Effectiveness
3. Step 1 Observing Behavior
Observe verbal and non-verbal communications
Observe rather than infer (inference could be incorrect)
Use exact behavior(s) as raw data for your inference, diagnosis, and intervention
Compare behavior to ground rules
4. Step 2 Infer Meaning to the Observation
Infer meaning to the cause of the behavior (i.e., emotion, motive)
Make sure past inferences don’t coloring future observations
Ex. Ask “Is this inference based on a recent observation?”
Don’t make assumptions about team members intentions
Ex. Ask “I noticed you pushed away from the table, does that mean you disagree with the team?”
Look for behaviors, interactions, patterns, reoccurrences, and correlations
5. Challenges in Diagnosing Problems
Making diagnoses in the midst of the conversation
Solution: Practice observing comments and behaviors which are inconsistent with ground rules
Attending constantly to the team
Solution: Focus on reducing distractions in order to observe and simultaneously diagnose
Observing multiple behaviors simultaneously
Solution: Pay attention to repetitive behaviors that are not aligned with group processes or ground rules
Reducing distortion
Solution: Separate your personal issues, beliefs, and biases from your observations
Being drawn in by the content
Solution: Scrutinize content for the sole purpose of examining the process
Expanding diagnostic frames
Solution: Examine the perspective that you are using to diagnose team members’ behaviors to make sure that your analysis is not erroneous
