by Elle Morena

Created on: September 19, 2011

In every aspect of life and especially at work all of us have to work in teams. Formal and informal teams exist in every organization to achieve certain objectives, either to complete a simple office beautification project, to complicated multidisciplinary and multi-cultural global initiatives. No matter how big or small a project, for teams to work effectively within the project deadline to achieve its stated objectives, there is a need to follow a process.

Following the process will lead to an effective team. An effective team will synergise, where the whole will be bigger than the sum of its parts. Each individual members has to play their role and be motivated enough to apply their expert skills where ultimately the final product will exceed their efforts of their individual ability.

Team members

Ensure that the team has the right members with the right skills at the right level. If it is a global/regional project, ensure that members from each country are represented. If decisions need to be made, senior members with the right authority has to be present and be part of the team. For example, if the project is to build a multi-story building, the team will consist of an architect, a civil and structural engineer, a quantity surveyor, and an electrical engineer. The team has to have the right leader, who will guide the team members who are all experts in their own area. The leader has to ensure that the team achieves its objective within the time-frame provided. Normally, in a construction project, the project manager is the architect.

Vision

The Vision is the final long term objective of the team. Each team member has to get and understand the Vision as it will focus the team to reach the final aspiration of the team. If there is no vision, then there is no “destination”. Each team member will then travel their own path and at the end of the day, all the members of the team will end at differing destinations at different times. A vision is not merely a destination; it is an overriding inspirational organizational long term goal in a leap to achieve the dream of what the team aspires to be. Examples of vision for organizations abound, be it, to be the best, to be the biggest, to build the world’s tallest building, to be the world’s local bank-HSBC, etc.

Goals

Goals are small steps measured by deadlines or achieving Key Result Areas. KRAs should ideally be set periodically to measure the teams’ progress. KRAs should be measurable,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>