1. Flexibility: team members are flexible in their thinking and open to change, new ideas and ways of doing things.
2. Excellent communication: there are few "communication disconnects." All members feel they are receiving the communication they need to function effectively on the team.
3. Goals and objectives: every member fully understands the goals and objectives of the team.
4. Conflict management: members have an effective way to resolve problems within the team that do not result in hurt feelings.
5. Listening: team members use good listening skills with each other. They feel they are being listened to and are eager to receive input from others.
6. Problem-solving: team members value new, creative approaches to problems. They avoid the "we've never done it that way" syndrome.
7. Evaluation: reviewing past actions and evaluating the way the team functions.
8. Standards of performance: establishes strong ground rules and clearly communicates what is expected of team members.
9. Recognition: team members recognize and praise other members for their contributions.
10. Acceptance: members value the diversity and varying personalities of the team and consider it beneficial to the group.
How did your team do? If you don't have mostly A's you need to look at the way the team functions and make plans to improve it.
Remember that effective teams are engaging and interacting. The best teams have discussions, which include strong beliefs, differences, convictions and spirited interchanges. Yet in the end, they all work well together.
If you would like me to help make your team more effective or are planning a teambuilding retreat, please contact me at peggy@peggymorrow.com.
