Even the strongest teams hit rough patches. What separates consistently high-performing teams from the rest isn’t avoiding challenges – it’s recognising when something’s off and taking decisive action to course correct. But how do you know when your team needs more than a minor adjustment?

Let’s explore five unmistakable signs that your team needs a reset and practical steps you can take to get back on track.

1. Communication Has Become Superficial or Non-Existent

The Warning Sign: Team meetings feel like a formality. Conversations stay surface-level, with everyone nodding along but not truly engaging. Important information gets shared in hallway conversations or not at all. Team members seem surprised by decisions or project updates they should have known about.

Why It Matters: Poor communication creates inefficiencies, mistakes, and a culture of mistrust. According to a Salesforce study, 86% of employees cite ineffective communication as a primary reason for workplace failures.

The Reset Solution: Create structured opportunities for meaningful dialogue—To encourage presence and participation, institute a ‘no-devices’ rule in meetings. Consider implementing a communication framework that clarifies when to use email versus when to schedule a meeting. Most importantly, model vulnerability by speaking honestly about challenges and inviting others to do the same.

2. Accountability Has Disappeared

The Warning Sign: Deadlines are routinely missed with elaborate excuses. Team members point fingers rather than taking ownership. The same issues reappear in projects without being addressed. ‘That’s not my job’ becomes a common refrain.

Why It Matters: Without accountability, trust erodes quickly. High performers become frustrated carrying extra weight, while underperformers receive the implicit message that mediocrity is acceptable.

The Reset Solution: Revisit and clearly define roles and responsibilities. Create visual project trackers that make progress (or lack thereof) visible to everyone. Institute regular check-ins focused specifically on commitments made and kept. When celebrating wins, highlight the achievement and the accountability that made it possible.

3. Conflict Either Explodes or Stays Underground

The Warning Sign: Your team exhibits one of two extremes: tensions simmer beneath the surface with passive-aggressive behaviours, or disagreements escalate into personal attacks. Either way, healthy debate about ideas rarely happens.

Why It Matters: Productive conflict is essential for innovation and quality decision-making. Teams that can’t disagree effectively either make poor decisions through artificial consensus or create toxic environments that drive away talent.

The Reset Solution: Establish ground rules for productive disagreement. Teach team members to critique ideas rather than people. Consider using a structured approach like Six Thinking Hats to separate different perspectives. Most importantly, address unhealthy conflict immediately rather than hoping it will resolve itself.

4. Energy and Initiative Have Flatlined

The Warning Sign: Team members do exactly what’s asked – nothing more. Innovation suggestions have dried up. People arrive exactly on time and leave precisely when their hours are complete. There’s little excitement or enthusiasm for new projects.

Why It Matters: In today’s competitive landscape, organisations need engaged employees who bring their full creativity and discretionary effort. A team going through the motions will inevitably fall behind more passionate competitors.

The Reset Solution: Reconnect the team with purpose by clarifying how their work impacts customers and the broader organisation. Allow team members to shape how they achieve outcomes to create space for autonomy. Introduce skill variety by rotating responsibilities or creating cross-training opportunities. Consider whether team members are in roles that leverage their natural strengths.

5. The Same Problems Keep Recurring

The Warning Sign: Despite multiple attempts to fix issues, your team repeatedly faces the same obstacles. Solutions feel like Band-Aids rather than true resolutions. Team members express déjà vu during problem-solving discussions.

Why It Matters: Recurring problems drain energy, resources, and morale. They indicate that the team addresses symptoms rather than root causes, often because deeper organisational or interpersonal issues remain unaddressed.

The Reset Solution: Take a step back and examine patterns rather than individual incidents. Consider bringing in an external facilitator to help the team see blind spots and have difficult conversations. Use structured problem-solving methods like the “5 Whys” to dig deeper into root causes. Be willing to question fundamental assumptions about how the team operates.

Taking Action: Your Team Reset Plan

If you recognise your team in any of these warning signs, now is the time for action. Remember that team dysfunction rarely resolves itself—in fact, without intervention, most team issues compound over time.

The good news is that teams can transform quickly with the right approach and commitment to change. The key is addressing issues systematically rather than hoping for an overnight miracle.

Ready to Reset Your Team?
Take the first step by scheduling a complimentary Team Health Check consultation. In just 30 minutes, we’ll identify your team’s challenges and outline practical next steps for getting back on track.