Personal Behavioral Patterns Can Interrupt Contact Between Team Members

Interaction between individuals can have a profound impact on their lives. This is caused by the different personalities and directly impacts how teams work. Teams must be in contact with one another in order for teams to grow effectively.

Specific individuals are more likely to initiate contact with the team without hesitation by engaging in or actively participating in discussions and conversations. Some prefer to initiate contact until they are invitations to interact. This is a direct reflection on their personal styles of personality and their relationship with the people around them and to their surroundings.

Every member of the team has many relationships within the group. The majority of these relationships are just one-to-one with other members. But, it must be noted that each member is also in contact with the team and with each of the sub-units that is part of it.

Leaders need to think about how their emphasis on relationships with their own people and the determination to work towards making interactions more productive directly affects the performance of their teams and outcomes. The fact that different personalities can either enhance or derail personal relationships can have implications for team communication and influences the members’ ability to resolve issues, come to a consensus, and make effective decisions. It is therefore crucial for leaders to be aware of these aspects and intervene whenever they arise to restore or maintain positive relationships.

Five different patterns of behaviour in a person can disrupt contact among team members. These patterns are responsible for the many ways in which individuals restrict or hinder their interactions with other team members and cause barriers to team efficiency.

Each of the five actions listed below is interconnected and are exhibited by any individual, not just those who lead.

Mirroring and Projection

Projection disrupts communication by causing an overreaction to certain traits that are displayed by others. A lot of times, people who use forecasts are unaware that those in the team who typically overreact exhibit similar tendencies in behaviour.

Mirroring can be seen in situations where individuals accuse someone else of saying or doing something that mirrors their personal behaviour.

Both of these actions are so common in particular individuals that they are hypersensitive to their reactions and actions to other people. Mirroring and projection can effectively block contact because there is always a factor of judgement involved in the interactions. This can put teammates in defensive positions that can lead to an ongoing conflict within the team.

Introjection

Introjection disrupts communication through an inability to discern thought by certain people who are able to accept thoughts, ideas, and perspectives without hesitation. People with a tendency to introject can be in close contact with select team members whose superior knowledge is regarded as unquestioned and unquestioned by respect or fear.

People who are inclined to introduce typically lack the knowledge or training to confidently and openly test new ideas, ideas, and ideas. Therefore, introjection is seen as to be a component of their learning process.

Retroflexion

Retroflection disrupts communication, and those who display this type of behaviour act their own self-interests in the same way as they perform for others or as they would prefer others to achieve for themselves. Personal guilt is the most common form of retroflexion. This is where the blame is accepted by the individual without condemning the other.

Retroflection is also an excellent method of personal defence. It’s usually displayed by avoiding conflicts, which can create a “dead space” in the team relationship. Due to retroflexion, members of the team are likely to become down or deflated.

Confluence

Confluence disrupts communication due to an individual’s reluctance or inability to reflect on their inner world. Contact with others is seen as essential and top of the list for those who exhibit this characteristic. Individuals who are highly focused on teamwork and often resist breaking up their teams once tasks are finished. These individuals keep in touch with specific team members even after their teams are taken down and their projects end. In addition, those who display confluence are often found to have the inability to effectively manage their time with their assignments and tasks.

Deflect

Deflect is a natural abstention from contact. It’s often demonstrated through the inability to communicate personal thoughts, feelings or provide feedback. It is also evident by the interruptions made to switch topics, broaden discussions or even tell stories, rather than focusing on the task at hand. Specific individuals employ deflection in order to keep away from emotional interactions with other team members.