Introduction
Leaders need to build a strong team that can realise its goals by incorporating certain aspects of effective team building. Such aspects would ensure that the team is efficient and effective in its roles. In this context, team members must be aware of the objective of the team and specific periods for realising the set targets. A team must have a method of sharing responsibilities and leadership roles. This ensures accountability within the team. A team should have a clear purpose and concrete outcomes from inputs of its members.
Effective Team Building
A clear purpose is a characteristic of effective team building. All members of a team should agree on the team’s goals. Shared goals and responsibilities enhance team effort by providing a clear sense of direction. All members should contribute in formulating objectives (Mealiea and Baltazar, 2005). A clear purpose would ensure that all members of the team have clear roles and responsibilities. Moreover, other members will also support such roles and the purpose of the team.
Team building requires definitive decision-making strategies. This eliminates challenges related to prolonged and unproductive discussions, which could hinder the team’s effort. A definitive process of making decisions ensures that all team members contribute, and they may resort to consensus to overcome contentious issues. Members must express their opinions and review all areas of disagreements.
Building a team requires an open communication system. This allows members to exploit communication channels to express their opinions and offer relevant feedback, as well as share information among themselves. Communication must reach all members of the team. Moreover, it should be consistent through various channels of communications. This ensures that all members are up to speed on the team’s progress and setbacks.
Effective team building requires shared leadership. In this regard, the team carries out leadership roles like “contributor, collaborator, challenger, facilitator, and controller” (Mealiea and Baltazar, 2005). These roles are not exclusively for the team leader. However, shared leadership roles will differ based on the prevailing circumstances and skills of members of the team. Moreover, different members may also have different responsibilities in leadership.
This is a participatory style of leading a team. Team members can suggest various ways of improving team activities and services. Participation by team members in various activities enhances decision-making processes within the team. Members can also rely on the group participation to facilitate self-efficacy and development of new strategies.
Listening and acknowledging contributions of other team members can facilitate building of effective team. Team members should discuss and formulate strategies for problem solving (Taggar and Brown, 2001). Members of a team could use listening to enhance interpersonal sensitivity and understanding. Listening ensures that all channels of communication within the team are open for contributions and criticism. Listening also facilitates interaction among members of the team.
Summary
There are several approaches used in building effective team, but they depend on the prevailing conditions and characteristics of members. The role of the team leader remains imperative in ensuring a successful team that can realise its objectives. Leaders can only realise the overall purpose of the team if they have a clear framework that guides their roles and team activities.
The framework should show a clear purpose of the team, decision-making strategies, listening, communication channels, relationships, and shared leadership and members’ responsibilities among others. Building effective team requires action-oriented approaches and practical solutions to challenges associated with team building.
References
Mealiea, L., and Baltazar, R. (2005). A Strategic Guide for Building Effective Teams. Public Personnel Management, 34(2), 141-160.
Taggar, S., and Brown, C. (2001). Problem-solving team behaviors: Development and validation of BOS and a hierarchical factor structure. Small Group Research, 32(6), 698.