Page 321 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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Team-building Skills | 309

TEAM

‘A group of people, working together, reporting to one boss, flexibility,
co-operation, having one aim, synergy, whole is greater than sum of its parts’
are the terms and phrases that are used to describe ‘a team’. Some of these
terms are the features of good teams. For example, ‘whole > sum’ is a feature
of a team that is working well together, but there are some teams whose
collective performance falls short of what you might expect given the quality
of individ uals. The Apollo Syndrome is a good example–where a team com-
posed of highly intelligent people often performs worse than teams made of
up ‘mess-able’ members.
The term ‘reporting to one boss’ can be misleading. In a well-designed
organizational structure, people reporting to one boss do often form ‘teams’.
But reporting lines are frequently designed within the constraints of grading
structures. There is often a compromise between pay structures or traditional
reporting lines, and grouping people together who are a team, out of sheer
necessity. In reality, team structures are often complicated, and people can be
members of several teams, as a team is a group of people working together
for a common goal.

Characteristics of Well-functioning Teams

• Purpose: Members proudly share a sense of why the team exists and
are invested in accomplishing its mission and goals.
• Priorities: Members know what needs to be done next, by whom,
and by when to achieve team goals.
• Roles: Members know their roles in getting tasks done and when to
allow a more skillful member to do a certain task.
• Decisions: Authority and decision-making lines are clearly understood.
• Conflict: Conflict is dealt with openly and is considered important to
decision-making and personal growth.
• Personal traits: Members feel their unique personalities are appreci-
ated and well-utilized.

• Norms: Group norms for working together are set and seen as
standards for every one in the groups.
• Effectiveness: Members find team meetings efficient and productive,
and look forward to this time together.
• Success: Members know clearly when the team has met with success
and share in this equally and with pride.
• Training: Opportunities for feedback and updating skills are provided
and taken advantage of by team members.

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