Don’t make Teambuilding Mistakes… Teamwork Misconceptions…

There is no single answer as to “how to” build a Team.? Some organizations use personality profiles.? Some Japanese organizations use blood type.? Whatever tool you use, keep the following in mind:

• Select people with differences – different backgrounds, different social identities, and different experience levels.?These differences help create balance and increase available skill sets and ideas.
• Manage size – Teams should have fewer members than the task at hand requires.? Adding people only complicates things and enables “social loafing”.? Too few people are ineffective.? In numerous studies, it was demonstrated that teams of between 4 and 5 people are the ideal size.
• Don’t lose valuable experience.? In the U. S., especially, there is an age discrimination that loses people with valuable skills and experience.? Don’t assume that older workers lack the capacity.
• Don’t neglect the newcomer. I have hired people with little experience, and they turned out to be very productive.? Through training, I gave them the opportunity to learn and grow.? So, when you bring in someone with little experience – be sure to provide training.
• Observe how people interact during group meetings.? When I held group meetings with our staff, I observed to see who connected and who didn’t; who was an emerging leader and who was a follower; and how each person interacted with the others.? Observation gives you input to structure the team and sub-teams.?

Teams are fluid.? You can change them if the situation dictates.? Varying the makeup of various sub-teams also helps.? If you are open and honest in communicating with your Team and treat them with respect, they will respond.

"No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it."? Andrew Carnegie

Misperceptions about Teamwork

J. Richard Hackman, a professor at Harvard University, wrote, “Six Common Misperceptions About Teamwork” for the Harvard Business Review, June 2011.? The misperceptions are summarized as:

Misperception 1 – Harmony helps – Just the opposite.? Well-managed conflict generates creative solutions if the disagreements are about the issue, not personal.? In fact, disagreements can be good for a team.

Misperception 2 – It’s good to mix it up – The longer people stay together, the better they do.? This enables teams to move through the Group Life Cycle.

Misperception 3 – Bigger is better – Excessive size is one of the worst impediments to effective collaboration.? The larger the group, the greater chance for “social loafing” and requires more effort to keep activities coordinated.

Misperception 4 – Face-to-Face interaction is passé – Teams that work remotely are at a disadvantage.? People need face-to-face interaction to get to know each other.? Bring teams together in the beginning, middle, and end of an effort to maintain teamwork.

Misperception 5 – It all depends on the leader – Leaders are important, but not in hands-on activities.? Leaders need to focus on creating the conditions that foster collaborative behavior and ensure that the team effort is launched productively.

Misperception 6 – Teamwork is magical – It takes careful thought and preparation to ensure success.? State, clearly, what is wanted from the team, ensure that the conditions are supportive and that the team has the needed resources.?

Empower Your Team

Once you build your team, empower them.? Micromanaging is a team killer.? Leadership principles tell you to develop a sense of responsibility in people and use the full capabilities of the organization.? The more you empower them, the more effective both you and they become, and they will feel good about what they do.? When you don’t empower them, you are telling them that you don’t trust them, and they respond in kind.? To empower your team:

• Give them the necessary skills to do their job, e.g., training.
• Give them the authority to make decisions.
• Support them in their decisions.? If the decisions are sound, rally behind them.? If not, privately correct them.
• Make responsibilities clear.? Use the RASI – Responsibility Matrix – to help.
• Tell them what to do – not how to do it.
• Observe what they do but don’t look over their shoulders.

The Power Principle

“Never tell people how to do things.? Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”? General George S. Patton.

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