Stay calm, assess recent changes or challenges, and discuss the results openly with your team. Identify key issues and introduce a simple, actionable ritual to address them and foster improvement.
If your team's Quan results are lower than expected, don't panic. It’s actually to be expected at some point for every team.
As teams work together over time they encounter all kinds of challenges and cycle through all kinds of ups and downs.
So at some point, your assessment might be the lowest in the company or at least lower than it has been previously.
Here's how to handle it calmly and constructively.
Understand the Context
First, step back and understand the context. Results are just a snapshot of the past few weeks and may not reflect things within your control.
Are there significant changes going on the company, the world around you, or team members' lives?
Has this built up over time or is it a sudden spike?
If you aren’t sure, ask for input from your manager, colleagues or your team. Sometimes the context is the best thing to discuss. Also, remember that well-being is a shared responsibility and not solely on your shoulders. It’s not on you to solve this problem, it’s only up to you to open the dialogue and engage others to explore it.
Next, take time to self-reflect on how your management style might influence results.
What aspects of your position or style might be a factor in these results? If you think you could be a factor driving the results, consider doing a 360-pulse survey to gather anonymous input. If you already have strong trust in the team, ask them directly if there’s something about your approach that’s causing them stress.
Finally, reflect on recent team and organizational situations. Sometimes a minor trigger, like someone missing a deadline or submitting rushed work can cause doubt or over-steering, and destabilize relationships.
Review recent organizational changes or external stressors that could have impacted the results. Consider factors like restructuring, workload increases, and social pressures that could have influenced your scores.
Facilitate an Open Dialogue
Don’t hide from the results or bury the issue. Use the Quan Retro to discuss the results in a structured dialogue to help you through any personal concerns you might be having.
Remind your team to agree on confidentiality and respect and allow people to process emotions as you move through the process.
Try to identify what went wrong without assigning blame. Prompts like, 'What surprised you about our results?' and 'What challenges do you think contributed to this?' can help uncover valuable insights.
As you have heard at every juncture in our Quan approach, psychological safety and vulnerability are crucial if you want to uncover issues affecting your scores.
Encourage your team to be honest about their emotions and be open about your own. This will help build resilience and see the low spot as an opportunity for growth.
Implement a Science-Backed Ritual
After processing the emotions around the low scores, choose one risk area to focus on, and then brainstorm one ritual your team can implement. Simple steps forward in challenging times create momentum and hope.
Even something as daunting as a departing executive can be addressed with small steps. Agreeing on a ritual that creates a common point of relief can have a big impact. Low results aren't a cause for alarm; they're an opportunity for growth.
Facilitate open dialogue, choose one action area, and guide your team toward improvement with one new ritual.
Together, you'll turn these challenges into strengths.
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