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The purpose for teams is to combine a group of members to work together to accomplish certain goals that cannot be achieved effectively by an individual. Do you wonder why I keep repeating this? Its because sometimes teams can get off-track like an elementary school student who starts reading an encyclopedia entry for a class and ends up following a cow path far from the subject because he loses focus.
There are ten characteristics of well-functioning teams.
Have you ever found yourself in a well-functioning team? What were your experiences? Please comment in the box below.
This information is from Washington State School Directors Association and found on http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/.
Jaco Grobbelaar, owner of BroadVision Marketing, helps business owners and business professionals put marketing strategies in place that consistently secure new clients. He can be reached at jaco@broadvisionmarketing.com or 707.799.1238. You can Like him at www.facebook.com/broadvisionmarketing or connect with him on www.linkedin.com/in/JacoGrobbelaar.
[/caption]The purpose for teams is to combine a group of members to work together to accomplish certain goals that cannot be achieved effectively by an individual. Do you wonder why I keep repeating this? Its because sometimes teams can get off-track like an elementary school student who starts reading an encyclopedia entry for a class and ends up following a cow path far from the subject because he loses focus.
There are ten characteristics of well-functioning teams.
- Purpose: Team members feel pride as they share the reason why the team exists and so they are personally invested in accomplishing its mission and goals. In a sense they become owners of the project and want their project to be its best.
- Priorities: With the help of That Leader the members decide what needs to be done next, by whom and what is the deadline to achieve the goal.
- Roles: Members as self-assured in knowing their roles in accomplishing the tasks; and when to they need to allow more skillful members of the team to do certain tasks, without feeling like they have lost their part in the process.
- Decisions: Lines of authority and decision making are clearly understood. While the team may offer solutions to the problem, they will know who will make the final decision.
- Conflict: Conflict in a well-functioning team is handled openly and considered important to decision-making and personal growth. We have spent a lot of time looking at conflict from the perspective of That Leader if you wish to refresh your knowledge of this part of the equation.
- Personal traits: members feel that their unique personalities and expertise are appreciated and utilized. Nothing is more frustrating to a team member than to know how to solve a problem, but not be considered as one who does.
- Norms: Group norms for working together are set and seen as standards for everyone in the group. The first rule should always be to show respect to all other members. That Leader is responsible for clearly stating the standards and seeing that all abide by them.
- Effectiveness: Members find team meetings efficient and productive and look forward to the time together. Again the responsibility for this rests with That Leader and anyone he asks to lead the meeting if he does not.
- Success: It has to be made obvious to members when the team has been successful. That Leader will bring the news from his up-line team leader and will see that all members share in the success equally and with pride.
- Training: Opportunities for feedback and updating skills should be given to team members and they in turn should take advantage of these.
Have you ever found yourself in a well-functioning team? What were your experiences? Please comment in the box below.
This information is from Washington State School Directors Association and found on http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/.
Jaco Grobbelaar, owner of BroadVision Marketing, helps business owners and business professionals put marketing strategies in place that consistently secure new clients. He can be reached at jaco@broadvisionmarketing.com or 707.799.1238. You can Like him at www.facebook.com/broadvisionmarketing or connect with him on www.linkedin.com/in/JacoGrobbelaar.
Related articles
- Bertrand Duperrin: Why Teams Fail -- and What to Do About It (hreonline.com)
- Team settings - team composition (issabloomorg.wordpress.com)
