The End-of-Year Team Health Check: What Are the Behaviours Holding Your Team Back?

As we head into the final part of the year, we can’t help but notice just how much change is still happening. It feels like 2025 is the year that will not stop and the pace of that change can feel relentless.

If you’re anything like us, this is both the busiest time of the year and the time when you need to watch your energy the most. It’s also when you start to see the cracks appear - the signs of fatigue, stress, and the strain that creep into the way your team communicates and works together. 

We’ve noticed a few clear signs that tend to show up when teams are at maximum capacity. So, in the spirit of some light-hearted reflection, we thought it might be fun to do a little Cosmo-style quiz to see where your team is right now and what might be impacting you.

The Quiz

Answer honestly, there are no wrong answers (just a few revealing ones).

1. When something goes wrong on your team, the first reaction is usually…

A. A long list of reasons why it wasn’t their fault - complete with context, backstory, and possibly a PowerPoint.
B. Radio silence. Everyone pretends it didn’t happen and quietly avoids the topic.
C. Eye rolls, sarcasm, or a “Well, some of us tried our best…” comment.

2. In meetings, when feedback is shared…
A. People get defensive, explaining or justifying rather than listening.
B. People go quiet - cameras off, heads down, minimal engagement.
C. You can feel the tension... crossed arms, sharp tone, or dismissive jokes.
 

3. When projects hit a snag or deadlines slip…
A. Everyone scrambles to prove they’re not the one to blame.
B. Progress stalls because no one wants to say out loud that things are stuck.
C. Frustration spills over into snide comments or behind-the-scenes gossip.

4. Rather than handling conflict with thoughtfulness and compassion, your team deals with it...?
A. By explaining their side (in detail) until the other person gives up.
B. By avoiding the conversation altogether - pushing it back until it "feels easier:.
C. By letting it leak out through sarcasm, tone, or visible frustration. 

Now tally up your answers!

💬 Mostly A’s: Defensiveness

If you answered mostly A’s, there’s a good chance that the behaviour showing up in your team right now is defensiveness. There’s a sense that everything they do might be wrong, that they might be in trouble for getting it wrong, and that they should have all the answers already. You might notice that they’re trying to do everything at once, hold all the plates in the air, and never ask for help. And if you challenge them - maybe asking why things aren’t being completed as quickly, or why a project isn’t moving - you’ll often get push back but never a clear sense of ownership or solution. 

💡 What helps: When this is happening, what’s needed is honest accountability. Create space for truth-telling that isn’t about blame — just honesty. We use exercises such as Raw Truth-Telling to help teams say what’s really going on and reset that foundation of trust and responsibility.

💬 Mostly B's: Stonewalling

If you answered mostly B’s, your team might be in stonewalling mode. This looks like people being so overwhelmed by everything that needs to happen that they actually feel frozen. Rather than owning what’s going on, they push things back -deadlines get missed, meetings get postponed, and everything becomes about avoiding awkward conversations. It can feel impossible to pin them down and you might notice that people start showing up in the office less or turning their cameras off on Teams calls.

💡 What helps: We often use Courageous Conversations, inspired by Brene Brown. Sit down and create a space where people feel safe enough to be honest about what’s happening for them. Once that happens, you can start exploring the real issues — and from there, begin to design new systems, structures, and behaviours that allow people to move forward again.

💬 Mostly C's: Contempt

If you answered mostly C’s, what you might be seeing is a lot of passive aggression or general frustration — the kind that shows up in meetings as folded arms, rolled eyes, or sarcastic side comments. What you’re really facing is contempt. Contempt means the team has lost respect for each other. They no longer value what each person brings, and they’ve stopped seeing themselves as being on the same side. It’s not that they don’t care — it’s that disconnection and fatigue have eroded the sense of trust and psychological safety.

💡 What helps: Go back to building trust. Contempt is a signal that people no longer feel safe or seen. Very often, we assume that what we personally need to feel safe is what everyone else needs too — but it isn’t. Each individual has their own version of safety and belonging. Take the time to understand what that looks like for your people and how the team can provide it for one another. That’s what will move you from contempt back to alignment and mutual respect.

As the year winds down, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush to the finish line. But this is also the moment to pause, reflect, and reset.

Whether your team is showing signs of defensiveness, stonewalling, or contempt, remember - these aren’t signs of failure. They’re signals.

Signals that your people are stretched, that they care, and that they need a safe space to be honest about what’s really going on.

So grab a coffee, take five minutes, and check in with where your team is right now. A little awareness can go a long way and it might just be the thing that helps you start the new year with energy, clarity, and genuine connection.

And if you want them to come back fresh for the new year and think we could help provide that, then get in touch. Our Team Reconnection workshop is perfect for getting everyone back on the same page or a bit of 1-2-1 coaching might be all that’s needed to move someone from burnt-out to star performer.