Stand-Up Team Building
is about people being real, being impeccable with their word, not taking
things personally, not making assumptions, and always doing their personal
best!
Stand-Up Team Building is about getting down to the
nitty-gritty and knowing each other... beneath the mask we wear to work.
This requires creating an environment where people feel safe taking off
their masks and sharing who they actually are. In many situations this
requires the expertise of a trained facilitator.
Team building is an effort in which a team is coached and develops its own
process of working together and acts to create a climate that encourages and
values the contributions of team members. Differences are shared,
appreciated and embraced! People become team mates truly appreciating their
differences for what they contribute to team success rather than tolerating
their differences. Their energies are directed toward problem solving, task
effectiveness, and maximizing the use of all members' resources to achieve
the team's purpose. Sound team building recognizes that it is not possible
to fully separate one's performance from those of others.
Team building will occur more easily when all team members work jointly on a
task of mutual importance. This allows each member to provide their
technical knowledge and skills in helping to solve the problem, complete the
project, and develop new programs. During this process, team building can be
facilitated as members evaluate their working relationship as a team and
then develop and articulate guidelines that will lead to increased
productivity and team member cooperation.
As part of this process, team members need to learn how to be willing to
manage conflict, evaluate performance of the group, and provide feedback and
support that will encourage each member to meet their commitment to the team
and the organization.
Team performance can best be evaluated if the team develops a model of
excellence against which to measure its performance.Team Leader
There are several ways in which the team leader can
contribute to creating a positive climate within the team. One of the most
powerful forces is to put forward, in cooperation with team members, an
exciting vision/purpose of what the team is to achieve. Once the vision is
developed, it needs to be kept in front of the team members as a reminder of
what they wish to accomplish.
The team leader where possible should help select or influence the
composition of team members. Selection should be based willingness of people
to work in a team setting and the resources, both people skills and
technical components, they are able to bring to the team.
The team leader can provide the leadership for helping the team develop an
understood and accepted set of principles that will contribute to their
success. Included in this set of principles should be norms for operating
within the group, criteria for evaluating success, standards for determining
quality of performance, and an identified reward system to recognize the
team's successes. |
Team building works best when
the following conditions are met:
 | There is a high level of interdependence among team
members. The team is working on important tasks in which each team member
has a commitment and teamwork is critical for achieving the desired
results.
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| The team leader has strong people skills, is committed
to developing a team approach, and allocates time to team-building
activities. Team leadership and management is seen as a shared function,
and team members are given the opportunity to exercise leadership when
their experiences and skills are appropriate to the needs of the team.
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| Each team member is capable and willing to contribute
information, skills, and experiences that provide an appropriate mix for
achieving the team's purpose.
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| The team develops a climate in which people feel
relaxed and are able to be direct and open in their communications.
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| Team members develop a mutual trust for each other and
believe that other team members have skills and capabilities to contribute
to the team.
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| Both the team and individual members are prepared to
take risks and are allowed to develop their abilities and skills.
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| The team is clear about its important goals and
establishes performance targets that cause stretching but are achievable.
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| Team member roles are defined, and effective ways to
solve problems and communicate are developed and supported by all team
members.
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| Team members know how to examine team and individual
errors and weaknesses without making personal attacks, which enables the
group to learn from its experiences.
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| Team efforts are devoted to the achievement of results,
and team performance is frequently evaluated to see where improvements can
be made.
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| The team has the capacity to create new ideas through
group interaction and the influence of outside people. Good ideas are
followed up, and people are rewarded for innovative risk taking.
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| Each member of the team knows that he or she can
influence the team agenda. There is a feeling of trust and equal influence
among team members that facilitates open and honest communication. |
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