Meet Mary, a team leader who felt overwhelmed and out of her depth. Mary’s team had been plagued by high turnover for years, making it nearly impossible to succeed at work and maintain momentum as a team. Following Covid, the external context made the work more challenging and the team’s targets felt insurmountable. Mary understood that both structural and cultural factors were driving the turnover, but she didn’t know how to address these problems at her level.
The Ask
We were called in to help stabilise the team so that they could reach their productivity targets, which were central to the organisation’s ability to deliver on their core mandate. We worked with Mary and her team to understand what was at the root of their problems so that they could be addressed and solved.
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We quickly discovered that senior leadership in the organisation had been unintentionally disempowering Mary, leaving her defensive and lacking confidence. They often bypassed her to communicate directly with her team members and giving them other tasks, which undermined both Mary’s authority and her ability to manage team resources effectively. She felt cornered, burdened by the massive responsibility of delivering critical revenue targets without adequate support. Ambitious team members recognised that their own careers would be better serviced by working with senior leaders rather than Mary.
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How could she deliver results with her team when her team members kept being pulled in different directions?
How could she tell her boss and other senior staff that they needed to back off?
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Mary struggled to communicate these challenges effectively to her team or superiors. Her role had become all about putting out fires—dealing with the consequences of under-resourcing, ambiguous communication, and the growing apathy spreading among team members. With each setback, her confidence waned. She felt disempowered, and her team could sense it.
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The impact was clear. The team were struggling. They worked well together on an interpersonal level with high levels of respect, trust and empathy. Each employee committed to the organisation’s purpose, yet they struggled to perform well as a team. Why?
The Answer
We identified two crucial issues at play:
1. The team were not aligned in their goals.
2. The team, and their leader, were not positioned for success within the wider organisation.
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Our coach worked closely with the team on both these issues. He didn’t just observe from the sidelines; he joined their routine meetings, acting as a team member and asking the innocent questions that often go overlooked. His focus was on helping the team model healthier, more cohesive behaviours.
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We also developed a one-to-one coaching plan for Mary alongside the team’s development work. We helped her identify patterns in her communication—like her tendency to react defensively or give ‘knee-jerk’ answers—and encouraged her to practice active listening. The shift in Mary’s approach was immediately noticeable, and the team began to respond positively.
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Our work with Mary and the team focused on guiding them toward a different style of communication. The new emphasis was on each member’s area of responsibility and understanding how their contributions impacted the team’s outcomes. Everyone’s role became completely clear. Team members began to hold each other accountable, celebrating successes and constructively addressing underperformance.
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The transformation was remarkable. Team communication became direct and unambiguous. Mary, now empowered and more confident, was able to focus on improving team performance rather than constantly firefighting. Her communication with senior management also improved significantly, reducing the impact of the previous systemic issues.
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The result? The team stabilized, and staff turnover significantly decreased – a clear win for the team. In addition to addressing the original problem, Mary’s growth was substantial. No longer a leader in a corner, she became a much clearer and stronger voice within the organization. She could finally contribute to strategic decisions in the organisation rather than being bogged down by operational issues.
So What?
One thing that stands out in Mary’s story, is the challenge of managing upwards. At the start Mary felt disempowered by the senior leadership team, but it turned out that there was a lot she could do to change how she and her team were treated by the senior team. At the core of the shift needed though, was communication and clarity within her team.
So, if your team feels like it’s losing its way or struggling to stay on course, remember: Clarity is key. Clear goals, clear roles, and clear communication make all the difference. Without clear, common objectives, no team can perform effectively. And if you need a hand getting there, we’re here to help.
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