“Tips for Team Effectiveness”

I have been on a lot of teams-some successful and some have fallen apart.  When I look at the teams that were very effective I see a lot of common denominators.  The three things that make up an effective team are a strong leader, good communication, and clear expectations.

First, a group needs an identified leader to function correctly.  The person in charge should identify themselves or the team should identify a choice person to lead the group to victory.  This is most effective if it is done at the very start of the team’s first meeting.  I have seen teams fail because they don’t have someone who is in charge; this leads to a lack of structure. 

Second, good communication is key when it comes to succeeding as a group.  These days, there are many different ways to keep in contact with our peers.  Cell phones and the internet can help keep groups in touch when each member is working independently.  I have seen Google Docs work very well for many teams because documents can be shared and revised by multiple people at the same time.  

Third, clear intentions can make or break a team.  There should be “a clear unity of purpose.” (MacGregor, 2005) If members do not have defined jobs and deadlines then nothing will get done.  It is a group leader’s responsibility to distribute work to each member and make sure they are on the ball about getting it done.    

In conclusion, groups can be very strong or weak depending on a few factors.  The most important elements to make a group function properly are having a strong group leader, having proper communication, and setting defined intentions for each member.  Doing these three things will lead a team to efficiency and success. 

Sources

MacGregor, D. (2005, December 21). Characteristics of effective teams. Retrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/class/e140/e140a/effective.html

Malan, J. (2011, October 6). How to make sure teams work effectively with each other. Retrieved from http://www.managementexchange.com/blog/how-make-sure-teams-work-effectively-each-other