Building effective work teams

Six criteria for team success follow below:

1. Measurable, Mutually Agreed-Upon Goals

Team members need to agree upon a clear picture of the tasks that they are going to perform and the desired outcome. They also need to define how they will measure their progress.

2. Clear Roles and Expectations.

Members of effective work teams recognize and accept their mutual interdependence. Everyone

on the team brings to it certain skills or talents that can contribute to the overall effort. Each can perform a specific role or job to meet the stated goals. Team effort can be hampered when these roles or jobs are not well defined. The role of the team leader should also be discussed in depth. When each person on the team understands and accepts what the team expects of them and what is expected of other members, it is easier to discuss how the team will operate. This will help eliminate potential conflict and misunderstanding and focus the team’s creative energy where it belongs—on following the process and achieving maximum results.

3. Trust and Open Communications

An atmosphere of trust and open communications characterizes successful work teams. In such a team members can speak freely, their ideas and opinions are valued and listened to without ridicule, they are accepted and supported by the other members, and they can take risks and grow professionally. Therefore, the following are key to the development of trust and openness:

Free flow of information—frequent meetings, structured so that each member presents his or her progress and problems.
Active listening
Constructive feedback

4. Productive Conflict Resolution

Conflict is normal and should be expected from time to time on any team. However, conflict

should not be ignored. Valuable exchanges of information and ideas can result from constructive conflict.

To make conflict constructive:

Confront in a direct, supportive, calm manner
Consider the conflict as a team problem; everyone is responsible for its resolution.
Clearly identify and describe the source of the conflict
Use problem-solving techniques, not emotional arguments, to reach a solution

5. Decision-Making by Consensus

6. Operating Ground Rules

The most productive teams establish basic ground rules for team operation at the first meeting.

Ground rules are the accepted norms and standards for member behavior, interaction, participation, and how team meetings will be conducted. Effective and efficient meetings include having agendas for the meetings and, at the end of the meeting, individual assignments: what needs to be done by whom, and when it needs to be done.