by Robert Grice

Created on: November 11, 2011   Last Updated: November 16, 2011

The goal in using teams is to enhance the overall productivity of team member beyond the productivity achieved through the individual efforts of team members. Yet, creating effective and productive teams is not an easy task for management. What can managers do to foster teamwork in the workplace?

Dave Yukelson of Penn State University offers nine suggestions for building effective teamwork. The suggestions include:

1. Promote a shared vision and a common purpose.

A shared vision and common purpose directs the focus of team members to the same goal. A meaningful vision and purpose fosters member bonding and commitment to the team. A lack of clarity concerning the direction of the team erodes member commitment and the willingness of members to invest effort in achieving team goals. The result will be unproductive teams with low member tenure.

2. Foster group pride in membership

Group pride rests in a sense of valued membership and valued membership comes from the perception that team membership is important and beneficial in achieving the goals of team members. A strong legacy of success on the part of team leadership or in team history provides a sense of confidence that the team experience should result in positive outcomes for the members.

3. Develop a meaningful and inspiring team mission

The mission statement indicates what the team intends to do. The mission is the plan for how the team will fulfill its vision and purpose. The team mission should inspire members and potential members to trust that the team will be successful in achieving meaningful goals and that each member plays a significant role in the mission of the team.  

4. Develop complementary roles and synergistic teamwork

Team members bring a unique set of traits, experiences, and skills to the team. Vocational and organizational psychologies refer to this by many terms such as vocational type. Effective managers will strive to place people in team positions that augment their skills set and personality type. The common assumption is the greater the congruence between a person’s skills set and type the greater the likelihood that they will experience vocational satisfaction.

5. Individual and mutual accountability

Teamwork requires accountability among team members. Social loafing can be a problem in teams. Social loafing is the tendency of some team members to exert less effort when the team tasks are menial or of little personal interest when they believe they will not be

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>