Team Dynamics

Team Dynamics

Teams differ from other type of groups in that members are focused on a common goal, such as a presentation, completing in-class exercises, taking notes, discussing a topic, writing a report, or creating a new design or prototype. The most common definition of team is: "A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they are mutually accountable." (Katzenbach and Smith, 1993) Effective team members need the following three basic skills: Communication and Negotiation - Team members need the ability to state ideas or questions clearly, listen to others attentively, and to resolve disagreements in a non-confrontational manner. Team members also need to be in constant contact with each other about where they are at in the development of their project. This is a skill that many people may lack. Analytic and Creative Skills - Team members need to evaluate information and propose creative solutions. Many people have these skills, but may not be able to effectively communicate their views or concerns. Organization - The team needs to be able to track and complete all its tasks on time. Tensions can often arise if deadlines are missed. There are some tips that can help team members communicate more effectively. Listen actively, ask questions, give constructive feedback, don't express an opinion as a fact, explain your reasons, restate the original idea to be sure it's understood, compliment another's idea, respond, don't react, don't interrupt, critique the idea and not the person. Teams mature as their members learn to work together on the assigned task.

During the process of maturing, teams tend to go through predictable stages of growth. The four stages of the development cycle are: forming, storming, norming and performing.