We are social beings. Sometimes team meetings are boring and no fun whatsoever. All work and no play. Yuck! We get our work done. We cover the agenda, but nobody enjoys the experience. It would be nice to enjoy each other’s company and maybe even have some fun.
Working on teams can be fun. There are many social/maintenance roles that need to be played on a team. These are important roles that help team members get along. Teamwork is a task event and a social event.
You can be:
A Supporter/Encourager and accept and praise others’ ideas and suggestions.
Or a Harmonizer who mediates disagreements and discuss differences.
Or a Tension Reliever and relax the team with your delightful sense of humor.
You could also be a Conciliator and be willing to admit your own errors in ideas or judgment and demonstrate the willingness to compromise.
You could play:
Gatekeeper and encourage silent or shy members to participate.
Or a Feeling Expresser and share feelings and moods, whether emotional or physical.
Or a Follower, that is sometimes willing to go along with the team’s ideas passively.
It’s nice to get things done and it sure is nice to get along. So go ahead and be the tension reliever and make it kind of fun when the pressure starts to build. Be the gatekeeper and draw out the quiet members. The team has smart people and it would be good to hear their ideas.
Social maintenance roles help teams establish and maintain cohesiveness. It’s okay to have some fun. It is critical that team members look forward to team meetings rather than resenting that they have to attend. It is important for the team to get things done and for the team members to get along.
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