Whatmakesanaffectiveteam?

Whenagroupmembersdecidetomeetand
scheduletimesthatworksfortheentiregroup,andsittodiscusshowtodividetheir
work,brainstormingsuggesting,interacting,settingandintroducingeverypartofthe
projecttoeachmemberofthegroup,andsharingIdeastoimprovetheirwork.also
goodcommunicationwouldhelpalotinmakingtheworkmoreeffectiveandmore
easiertothemtomakeitaswhattheywant.Andafterbrainstormingandreading,we
cameupwithourtheoreticalModelthatyouseeitabove,weasgroupmembershad
todiscussedthekeysthatwouldbuildanaffectiveteam.Andthisishowwewill
showyouthatwewereagreat,wellorganizedateam.Inaddition,ateammustdecide
whoisgoingtodowhichtask,explainandprovidetheneededinformationratherthan
doingeverythingirresponsiblyandmakebaddecisions.Thosenegativeoutcomescan
beduetopressure,rushingthingsout,andthelackjobdirection,andthosearethe
responsibilitiesoftheleaderasRobertP.Murgallissaid,Peoplewhocantcope
withthatkindofpressureshouldntbeleadinghighperformingteams,andin
mylineofwork,leaderswhodontperformdontlastlong.Andasourmodel
states,wewillexplainedsomeofthecharacterizesthatinfluenceHowToBeAn
Affectiveteam.
StrongLeadership
Inordertohaveagoodresultfromateamthatconsistsofthreemembersor
moreishavingastrongleader.Fromtheorganizationalbehaviorbook,we
understoodthattheleadershouldhavethePower,whichmeanstheabilityto
influencethebehaviorofothersandresistunwantedinfluenceinreturn.What
doesthatmeanforateam?Itmeansthattheleaderhastobethemostinfluential
personamongthegroupeveniftherewassomeoneelsewithinthegrouporoutsideit
thathasinfluencetoo.Asleaderyouhavetobestrongandmakewhatyouwantfrom
thegroupasclearaspossibleinaverypolitewaytoearntheothermembersrespect
andattention.Andtherearemanywaystoinfluenceothersthataleadershouldbe
awareofliketheorganizationalpower(legitimatepower,rewardpower,coercive
power)andthepersonalpower(expertpower,andreferentpower).Butthe
leadershouldbecarefulhowtousethesepowersandwhichonetouse,tonotgetan
oppositeresultfromwhathewantedtogetoutofthegroupmembers.Furthermore,
accordingtothearticleManagingCollaboration,ImprovingTeamEffectiveness
ThroughANetworkPerspectivementionedArmedwithnewknowledgeand
insightsabouttheirteams,leaderscananddotakearangeofactionsthatbetter
positiontheirteamstodeliveronkeygoals(92).Whichthatstatementsmeansthat
theleaderswithalotofknowledgeandinsightscantakedecisionsandexplaintothe
grouptheideashestalkingaboutandunderstandingit.

Collaboration
Collaboration,inprojectstheworkismostlyaboutfollowingsteps,if
everyonedidtheirpart,thejobwillflowonceeveryoneunderstandtheirroleandrole

ofothers.Everygroupmemberneedstofindwaysandbewillingtocollaborate,this
collaborationisnotjustanicegestureorqualityforyoutodo,anditisnecessaryto
thesuccessoftheproject.Havingateamandteamsupportwilldefinitelyachieveany
assignmentgoalsquicker,easier,butaslongasamemberiswillingtomakeaneffort
andbepartoftheteam,anygroupassessmentwilleasetoeachmember.Braverycan
bemorethanaword,wheresomeonesactionscanchangeanygroupsordertothe
best.theabilityofmembersbothtomakequickandcourageousdecisionson
theirownandtoworksystematicallyandmethodicallyaspartofahighly
coordinatedgroup.(MichaelR.Hillmann).Ifanygroupmemberhadthesetype
qualities,teamsperformancewillgethigher,memberswillmotivateeachother,
thosequalitieswillleadtoasuccessful.
Communication
Goodcommunicationinagroupisveryimportant,itleadstosuccessful..In
thearticleManagingCollaboration,ImprovingTeamEffectivenessThroughA
NetworkPerspectivementionedperformanceresultswhentherightexpertiseis
onateamwithstrongleadershipandwelldefinedprocessandcontent
roles(76).Whatthisstatementmeansisassigningrolesanddividingtheworktothe
groupmemberswillhelptomaketheteammoreaffectiveandorganized.However,
Therearealotofkindsofcommunication,theresfacetofacecommunication,which
inthesedaywedontuseitthatmuch,weusuallycommunicatewithvoicemail,
mobileandemails.InthesamearticleImentionedaboveitstatedbyTraditionally,
teamscommunicationhavefocusedonfacetofaceandvirtualcommunication
thatfirstservetobuildharmonytoensureexecutionagainstaprojectplan(81).
Thisstatementmeansthatcommunicationinthepastortraditionallyteams
communicatefacetofacewhichthatmakescommunicationimportantandneededin
theteammembers.Theleaderoftheteamshouldalsohaveagoodcommunication,
becausethegroupleaderhavetocontrolandknoweverythingthathappeninthe
groupwhichcommunicationleadhimtoflowtheprojectandhowtofinishit.
Moreover,inthearticleManagingCollaboration,ImprovingTeamEffectiveness
ThroughANetworkPerspectivementioned,Bymappingthedimensionsof
relationshipsthatprecedeorleadtoeffectiveknowledgesharing,teamleaders
haveamuchbetterviewofwaystoimprovecollaborationatthepointof
need(81).Thisstatementsmeansthatiftheleaderunderstandandknowswhatsthe
points,hewillexplainitandtheentiregroupwillbeabletosolveorimprovethegoal
theywant.Also,inthesamearticlestatedbyGreaterawarenessofskillsand
expertisehelpsinexecutionandalsoinformsmembersofcolleagueswork.
Speedingcoordinationofeffort(90).Inanotherwords,itmeansthatwhenthe
groupmembershavetheawarenessandtheideaofwhattheyaredoing,thatwillhelp
themalotinfinishwhattheywanttodo,alsowhenagroupmembersworktogether
inonehandintothesamegoaltheywant,theywillhelptoachievetheirgoalquickly.
BeHappy
FromthearticlePositiveintelligence,ItSCleaRthatincreasingyourhappiness

improvesyourchancesofsuccess.Developingnewhabits,nurturingyour
coworkers,andthinkingpositivelyaboutstressaregoodwaystostart.How
beinghappyisrealtedtoanaffectiveteam?Asitsclearfromthepositiveintelligence
article,thatdoingyourtaskswithaverygoodattitudeandbeinghappyleanstoward
doingabetterjobandincreaseyourchancesofsuccess.Forexample,ifyouhada
happyattitude,youwillinfluencetheworkenvironmentandmotivatetheotherstobe
happytoowhichwillresultstheteamsuccess.Becauseifyoudoyourworkwhenyou
aresad,youwontdoitasgreataswhenyouarehappy.Thatswhyyourmoodand
yourenvironmentmoodisveryimportanttobeanaffectiveteam.Andalsoweread
Trainingyourbraintobepositiveisnotsodifferentfromtrainingyourmuscles
atthegym.Recentresearchonneuroplasticitytheabilityofthebrainto
changeeveninadulthoodrevealsthatasyoudevelopnewhabits,yourewire
thebrain.Whichmeansthatifyouprogrammedyourbraintobehappyanddevelopeda
newwaystodoso,youwillbeabletobehappyandthenbecauseofyourhappinessyouwill
produceagoodenvironmentforyouandforthepeoplewhoworkwithyou.

Commitment
FromthearticleBuildingHighPrefrmanceTeams,wereadBuildinga
highperformingteamisnotaboutpeoplesskills,abilitiesorknowledge.Its
abouttheircommitment.Itisnotaboutputtingtogethertherightteam.Its
aboutputtingtogethertherightchallenge.Itisnotaboutavoidingor
overcomingsetbacksandcorporateresistance.Itsaboutembracingdifficulties
andleveragingthemtogalvanizetheteaminarelentlesspursuitofresults.And
fromourexperience,weknowthattrue.Wehadsomanystrugglesdoingthisproject
andtheprivuseonesbutbecauseofourcommitmentwedidntgiveuporstopno
matterhowitwasdifficult.Whatkeepsourcommitmentintactisalsomotivation,we
motivatedourselvessayingthatifwefinishedthiswewillgetagoodgrade,orwe
havetodoifwewanttopass.
Thereareseveralthingsthatmotivateyoutobecommitment,likeforexample
forthisprojectwhatmadeustobemorecommitmentisbeinginagroup.The
outcomenotjustforyoubutalsoforallofyourgroupmembers.So,youhavetowork
hardandbecommitmenttofinishyourworknomatterhowdifficultornomatterhow
muchtimeyouspentonit.
Wellingtotakerisks
FromthearticlebuildingHighPerformanceteam,wereadHighperformanceis
riskybusiness.Itsnotaboutjustworkingharderorsettingthebarhigher.Its
aboutestablishingnewwaystoworkanddeliverresults,whichmeansdealing
withtheuncertaintyandunpredictabilityofanewapproach.Forexample,in
thisclasswehadtousenewwaysinordertofinishourprojects,suchasinDMP1,we
usedtheMicrosoftPowerPointtomakeavideoanduploadittotheinternet,andthis
wasverynewforusortobeexactitwasverynewforme,Ineverdidthisbefore.
AndalsoforthisprojectDMP3,thiswasthefirsttimetoourgrouptomakeawebsite

whichwasveryconfusingforusandwetrieduntilwesucceededinmakingoneas
yousee.
Selfregulation
Fromthearticlewhatmakesaleader,weread"Whydoesselfregulation
mattersomuchforleaders?Firstofall,peoplewhoareincontroloftheir
feelingsandimpulsesthatis,peoplewhoarereasonableareabletocreatean
environmentoftrustandfairness.SoasweunderstoodthatSelfregulationis
veryimportantforateam,boththeteamandtheteamleaderneedtoseparateand
knowledgewhateverymemberoftheteamcando.Thisway,itwillbeeasierfora
leadertoprofessionallycategorizeeverymemberbythewayateamneedtheirown
qualities.Whenleaderfocusesonseparatinginformationandjobstoeachmember,it
willcreatemuchbetter,organizedenvironmentforajobtobedoneperfectlyand
smooth.Andalsothearticlestatedthatselfregulationhasatrickledowneffect.
Noonewantstobeknownasahotheadwhenthebossisknownforhercalm
approach.Fewerbadmoodsatthetopmeanfewerthroughoutthe
organization".So,theselfregulationisaveryimportantcharacterfortheleader
morethantheothermembersofthegroup.Becauseitsdealwithorganization,andin
ordertobeagreatleaderyouhavetobeselforganizedfirstinordertoorganizethe
otherteammembers.
Makeaneffort
When a leader or a group focuses in the challenges not just the
team, and try their best to build a high performance will help them
to win the challenge. From the article Building High-Performance
Teams mentioned, Putting togetherahighperformancechallengeisthe
catalystforcreatingahighperformingteamwhichthatstatementsmeansthata
leaderandthegroupwithalotofchallengingcouldgivetheteamahighperforming
team.

Resources:

Colquitt,J.A.,Lepine,J.A.,&Wesson,M.J.(2010).Organizational
Behavior:ImprovingPerformanceandCommitmentintheWorkplace,2nd
Ed.BurrRidge,IL:McGrawHill,Inc.(ThisisourOBtextbook)
Achor,S.(2012).Positiveintelligence.HarvardBusinessReview,90(1,2).
Dubin,H.(2005).Buildinghighperformanceteams.ChiefLearningOfficer,
4(7),4649.
Hillmann,M.,Hillmann,M.,Dongier,P.,Murgallis,R.,Khosh,M.,etal.
(2005).Whenfailureisn'tanoption.HarvardBusinessReview,83(7/8),4142.
Cross,R.,Ehrlich,K.,Dawson,R.,&Helferich,J.(2008).Managing
collaboration:Improvingteam
effectivenessthroughanetworkperspective.CaliforniaManagement
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