Tips for Team Effectiveness

Much is to be said for building an effective team.  The characteristics needed to build a team can have a lasting impact to do great things and succeed.  Building a team is much more than merely hiring people, training them, and hoping that things will magically happen.  Skills are needed to qualify individuals to contribute to the rest of the group. Team building needs a perspective that when shaped creates the potential for great and effective leaders. 

Each of us have different characteristics that make us unique.  Yet many traits or characteristics are lacking within us.   Some of these characteristics could be patience, determination, listening, or caring.  Whether these traits come naturally or are learned they should be used to benefit the group.  More specifically, the characteristic of accepting consequences for the actions of yourself and on the team as a whole doesn’t matter whether they are good or bad. (Teal)

Skills are also needed to help perform the necessary functions of the group.  Time management, communication, and discipline are some skills that help create an effective team atmosphere.  Communication is essential.  An environment needs to be created so the channels of communication are free and inviting. (Patterson)  In creating communication-free barriers, willingness to understand those channels of communication are needed.  This involves learning about the individual team members.  (Patterson)
 
With the skills and characteristics for an effective team also needs perspective to gain understanding.  Perspective includes having a clear vision of knowing what your team can achieve and become.  (Patterson)  Having a clear vision applies to setting realistic attainable goals that will help motivate the team.  (Patterson)  Motivating team members might include giving different leadership opportunities.  An effective group needs to be able to learn from its peers in various settings and roles to bring more unity to the group.  (Teal)

Building an effective team takes time and continual effort.  Nothing is going to magically happen overnight.  Every team member will need to take part and put forth some effort to make things happen.  Good communication, training, and coaching individuals to catch the vision will increase effectiveness within the team and with time ripple across the entire company. 

References

Patterson, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://biznik.com/articles/7-tips-for-developing-an-effective-team

Teal, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/business-guide-7-tips-improve-effectiveness-4068399.html?cat=3