1. Team work.
A short time ago, in an experience in which several people had to work as a team to achieve a specific objective, one of the members commented that he "was told what to do, that we stop being teams and stories." Another commented in passing, "We will soon be fighting among ourselves."
That is the conception that many people actually have of teamwork.
And it is that working as a team places us in no man's land.
But we do not realize that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Team is a group of people with different and complementary capacities, committed to a common purpose and objectives of results. All should be held jointly responsible.
2. Characteristics of effective equipment that works.
It takes more than a round table and hot coffee for five or six people to become a team.
The team work atmosphere tends to be informal, comfortable, relaxed and stress-free. People participate and show interest. There are no signs of boredom.
There is a lot of discussion in which virtually everyone participates, but without losing sight of the objective. If the discussion strays from the topic, someone will re-channel it soon. No one should remain silent or absent, nor should anyone excessively monopolize the word. Above all, the "formal leader" of the team must try at all costs not to be the one who speaks the most.
The task or objective of the team is well understood and accepted by all its members. There will be a free discussion about the goal, until it is formulated and understood, so that group members can commit to it.
Members listen! The discussion does not jump from one idea to another unrelated. All ideas are heard. Members are not afraid to look ridiculous when mentioning a creative, daring, or extreme idea.
Where everyone thinks the same, nobody thinks much, so there must be disagreements. The group is comfortable with them and shows no signs of having to avoid conflict or keeping things on a level of sweetness and softness. Disagreements are not restricted, nor are they overlooked by premature group action. The reasons are carefully examined and the group seeks to solve them rather than dominate the dissenter.
There is no "tyranny of a minority." Individuals who disagree do not try to dominate the group or express hostility. Their disagreement is the expression of a true difference of opinion and they wait to be heard in order to find a solution.
The team should have a designated "formal leader", ultimately responsible, who acts more like a primus inter pares than a boss.
In extreme, infrequent cases, where consensus is not possible after honest discussion, this "formal leader" is the one who makes the decision on the way forward. After that decision, the team must continue to work effectively, overcoming the ideas of "winners" and "losers." In an effective team, everyone is always a winner.
The formal leader has to openly admit that although everyone is responsible for the good progress of the team, he is the main responsible for the good result of the profile of the 7 fundamental parameters that determine the operation of a work team (trust, mutual support, communication, objectives, conflicts, participation and leadership) that is carried out among all, always requesting at the end of the team work a sincere and merciless assessment of such parameters.
Most decisions are made by a type of consensus, in which it is clear that everyone is generally in agreement and ready to move forward. However, there is little tendency for members who oppose the action to keep it private and thus allow an apparent consensus to mask a real disagreement. Formal voting is rarely used, the group does not accept the simple majority as its own basis for action.
Criticism is frequent, frank, and relatively comfortable. There is little evidence of personal attack, be it overt or covert. The criticism has a constructive flavor, as it is aimed at removing an obstacle that the group faces and that prevents it from doing its job.
People are free to express their feelings and ideas, both about the problem and the way the team works. There are few indecisions. There are no hidden agendas, surprises or locks. Everyone seems to know quite well how others feel about any matter being discussed.
When action is taken, tasks are clearly given and accepted. The decision made, who should do each thing, the date of its completion and the date to report on the progress made are precisely stated. Obviously, although each person can take on a different part of the team's objective, they have 100% responsibility for the success of the team.
Although the formal team leader adheres to those leadership principles that create an atmosphere of support in the team and a non-competitive cooperative relationship among its members, it does not dominate it, nor does the group show too much deference to it. In fact, as one observes the activity, leadership takes turns from time to time, depending on the circumstances. Different members, due to their knowledge and experiences, may temporarily occupy the position of "informal acting leader". In any case, there is little evidence of a power struggle while the group is working. The important thing is not who controls, but how to carry out the work.
The team is self-aware of its own operations and systematic. Frequently he stops to examine whether he is doing well or is interfering or drifting. The problem may be an issue, a procedure, or an individual whose behavior is in some way holding back the team's goal. Be that as it may, an open discussion is devoted to it until a solution is found.
You always have to work from the Strong Points of each team member.
