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The Challenge of Teambuilding

What common challenges would you say significantly impede team progress?

I would suggest that when team members don't share common goals, progress may be impeded. It's quite natural for people to have their own agendas, or to strive for goals that don't necessarily align with that the team is aiming to achieve. It becomes imperative for team leaders to clearly establish team goals, and to ensure that team members buy into those goals. When members possess a sense of ownership of the goals, they will be more inclined to work together for the common aims. Should certain team members fail to re-align their goals with those of the team, then the team leader is obligated to work individually with those people to reach an understanding about why team outcomes are more important than individual outcomes.

Some times teams are formed randomly and without consideration of experience or common goals. You may want to consider enriching the team experience and outcome by inviting team members that have a contrary point of view. This combination often forces the team to think more diversely. It is then critical for the team leader to ensure this dynamic is managed as to not damage the team outcomes.

Irwin,
I agree. The key is to work with the individual and the other team members toward the team's common goals. This should prove to be a valuable lesson around working with people with diverse points of view....just like in real life.

Ron Obstfeld

A big challenge I have seen with teams is when team members do not respect the capabilities or opinions of other members. This is where active listening and even outside moderation can help. Remind the team members of the overall goals of the group.

Paul,
This might not just be a team problem. You may need to consider counseling for professional development for the team members you described.This type of behavior is destructive to a team, project and/or department/

Ron Obstfeld

I have found that the biggest team problem we have is how limited we are with decision making while following coporate standards. It may be hard to always follow the exact steps a team should follow, however, it's vital to follow the specific guidelines, since they are the employer.

Danielle,
Employers usually provide such guidelines to ensure consistency and predictable outcomes. The structure is usually very sound. If you experience problems that impede decision making you should discuss with your immediate boss. If possible, offer enhancements or improvements to the current process. Any structure should be flexible enough to accommodate positive process improvements.

Ron Obstfeld

1. Internecine interactions among faculty
2. Individuals forming "cliques" within the team
3. Team members making decisions without discussing it with the entire team and/or leader
4. Team members going "over the head" of the leader when they are not satisfied with his/her performance

I would say the most common challenges that have impeded progress in my experience deal with communication styles. People communicate differently and a good team understands how to communicate with their team members. This involves learning more about the people on your team.

David,

What are the actions you take to overcome these challenges?

Ron Obstfeld

Michael,
I would also say that leadership is a key ingredient. The leader can identify different communication styles - share with the group and discuss what is the best communication strategy to ensure effective communication among the team members.

Ron Obstfeld

I work for a really small school and sometimes employees are so busy on their day to day operation that they really dread being a part of a special task force. I feel like some employees that go by the law of the minimum effort are really hard to rally.

German,
Very true. Your colleagues probably do not see any advantage to participate...WIIFM (What In It For Me). Since they are so busy, they probably view this as EXTRA work they don't need or want. Perhaps there is a way to free up some of their time...or extra compensation(gift certificate, tickets, etc)....or special recognition. The trick is to find something that would motivate them to actively participate.You might also consider using parents. Especially in a small school, parents may want to be involved in special projects that will benefit the students.

Ron Obstfeld

One of the challenges we have is that we each spend so much time working independently that, even though we are working toward the same goal, we are taking vastly different paths to get there. While variety can be good, if it's too great it cam impede progress.

Toni,
You may want to consider pairing up people when forming a team.The pairs could work together thereby reducing the different paths. You might also touch base with team members on a regular basis to ensure they are proceeding along a path that will meet your goals.

Ron Obstfeld

Individual team members not getting along. I think an off-site team building or social gathering can really help staff members bond and connect better so that at work, even though they may disagree, they can relate to one another and put their disagreements aside for the sake of the team.

Jessica,
Depending on the circumstance, individual counseling and action may be required. Not everyone is comfortable in social settings especially if there is tension within the group.

Ron Obstfeld

The biggest challenge I have found with teambuilding is conducting a team meeting and not everyone there. When someone comes in late they tend to want to put their ideas on the table without realizing they have already been dicussed. It tends to slow everybody down. If we have began the process of planning I will not allow someone late into the meeting.

Harold,
Hopefully, coming late to a meeting is not a frequent occurrence. You might start meeting minute taking as a record and for people not present to keep informed. On an individual level, you can comment that the topic as already been discussed and the team member can catch up with you after the meeting.

Ron Obstfeld

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