How to Work Effectively as a Team

by?Christian Banks,?Quicky Ha,?AnJu Hyppolite, and?Junior David Roche

We are the Slackerzzz, and we would like to share how we collaborate on tasks, our tips and tricks for team management, how we overcome obstacles and use them as opportunities to work more cohesively as a group, and lessons learned along the way. We hope that this blog will provide insight into our mindset and how we utilize Strategio’s?values?to maintain integrity in Slackerzzz. Take a ride with us on the Slackerzzz Team Express!

Time Management

Image Source:?Teodesk

In the Strategio Simulator, we use the?ABCDE?method to manage our weekly tasks. The letters?A?through?C?denote priority from highest to lowest.?A?is for tasks with high importance,?B?is for tasks with lower priority than?A, and?C?tasks are lower than?B.?A?and?B?tasks are things we need to complete in the current week, while?C?deadlines extend beyond the week. The?D?is for delegation, and the E is for elimination. We continuously analyze our strengths and agree to delegate tasks to the person who is best capable of completing them. We use?E?to remove any roadblocks that may stop us from completing tasks, such as having regular checkups, meetings, and reminders as we begin and complete tasks. This approach enables us to have mutual expectations of everyone’s role and contingency plans when things go awry.

Empathy and Teamwork

In the workplace, efficiency is highly regarded, but it should not come at the expense of your team’s well-being. Avoid thinking that a team member is slacking off if they are not completing their task as fast as you would like. Remember to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and that your teammates have other responsibilities outside of work. In Strategio’s Simulator, everyone comes from different backgrounds. Some have previous related work experience, others are only now pivoting from non-technical careers, and that’s a good thing! We are here not only to learn but to build a community of technologists. Offer a helping hand. We are here to bring each other up!

Make High-Quality Decisions As a Team

Image Source:?Rawpixel Ltd

Teams are powerful. Joining hands and brains makes for qualitative decision-making but can also cause controversies to arise. At Strategio, the Slackerzzz team finds the following four rules helpful in making high-quality decisions.

1. We get together and find the real problem.?We do not assume what the issue is and jump into brainstorming solutions. We discuss first to mitigate finding out later that the issue is rooted deeply.
2. We analyze the problem/issue at hand.?We find what the downstream or constraints could be as the outcome.
3. We generate possible solutions.?You can use any ideation technique like?nominal group techniques?or?mind mapping. Figuring out which one of those techniques to use is not essential, but making sure everyone’s voice is being heard is.
4. We elect the idea for commitment, not consensus. That entails one team member may not believe that this idea is the best way, but the individual can live with it, support it, and commit to the plan.

Evaluating and Playing on Each Other’s Strengths

It is a high recommendation that each team member extends the courtesy of assessing the other’s skills by paying attention to failures and successes. When looking at each member’s weaknesses and strengths, you must also consider the person’s success with the group before gauging the individual performance. Ascertain where the team overall has succeeded or failed and which teammate might have been responsible for each can yield substantial and positive results. Wherever strengths are detected, one should feel free to reach out to that person and ask for help. Alternatively, be a willing participant by offering assistance to those who may feel more challenged in certain areas.

Don’t Yuck My Yum

Image Source:?Rani Baker’s “Don’t Yuck My Yum”

When working on a team, it is crucial to express your thoughts and be transparent about anything that affects you adversely and how you feel about decisions the team has to make. There is, however, a way to do so respectfully and tactfully. “Don’t yuck my yum (DYMY)” is essentially a way to say do not critique this?thing?that I like. Conversations that affect the entire group should include each person’s voice. It is vital to a team’s cohesiveness that the decision-making process considers everyone’s contributions. DYMY, as I have affectionately dubbed it, is about respecting others’ opinions and ideas even when you are in disagreement. While some may find it challenging not to rain on someone’s parade, think about how you would feel if someone continuously dismissed an idea you had. If a suggestion is not in alignment with a particular project or approach, can the team use it at a later juncture in the process? DYMY is about being less judgmental, ensuring everyone has a say, and appreciating the diversity of a team.

Good time management, empathy, collaborative decision-making, playing to the team’s strengths, and respect are the keys to fostering a great team culture. These are some of the tactics we incorporate to work effectively as a team.We hope these tips will help you as much as they help us. Please feel free to share your suggestions as well!