“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team” – Phil Jackson
Dedication, talent, knowledge, proficiency and effort are imperative for a successful business, but all of that is wasted if employees are not working together with company’s interest in mind and mutual goal to achieve. However, organizing a team that functions well together isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially with the many obstacles that can appear down the road, including different personalities, the possibility of conflicts and other potential complications. If you want your team to be unified and successful, it’s best to be aware of all the potential problems early on. Here are some of the most common issues you can expect.
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Team identity is not clearly defined
Although a team is consists of a group of individuals, they all need to function together. For that to happen, there has to be a consensus about the team identity and the main purpose of their efforts. If the team members don’t feel mutually accountable to one another for the team goals and if their personal objectives are in conflict with those goals, the project is bound to fail.
The difficulties with getting started
It’s always more difficult for more people to start doing one task than for one person alone to start. This is especially true if the team members don’t know each other yet or don’t understand the objectives of the project. Before you even begin working, it is essential to introduce all team members to one another and help them develop an understanding of the task.
Poor distribution of tasks
Teamwork can get messy if people don’t have a clear image of what each of them is assigned for. If the distribution isn’t precise and if doesn’t take into account the areas of expertise of each member, then some tasks can be forgotten or done poorly. Fortunately, there’s software that can help with project management online, allowing you to give assignments, deadlines, keep track of the timeline and communicate with other team members, no matter where they are.
Communication problems
Good communication is the foundation of every team work. When the members of the team are not communicating among themselves or are interrupting each other during what is supposed to be a quality discussion, the whole project is in jeopardy. Silence or unclear hinting at potential problems can lead to false consensus, and covering up the real issue which can only become bigger as the time goes by. Another outcome can be conflict, which further delays the successful closure of the project.
Lack of participation
Some of the clues to look for are poor attendance to team meetings, being silent at the team meeting, not contributing to the discussion, low energy during the meetings and failure to complete deadlines. If you notice any of that in a team member, then you are facing with the lack of participation, which ruin the motivation of other team members, create conflicts, slow down the work process and, eventually, delay the whole project.
There is no creativity
Teams that work following a pattern and strictly obeying the rules may finish the project, but they will not make it extraordinary. What makes a project great, instead of good enough, is the ability to generate and discuss fresh ideas and the talent to turn unexpected developments into opportunities.
Lack of debate
A team member suggests an idea. Everyone raise their hands in agreement. That went smoothly, right? Not exactly. If an idea is accepted right away, that doesn’t make it a good one. Critical thinking and debate over ideas should always be present in order to improve the implementation. Joint efforts of the whole team can generate much better ideas than just one team member.
Ineffective leadership
The strength of each team lies in the talent and productivity of its members, their ability to work together, and a leader who knows how to inspire them to give their best. When a leader isn’t capable enough to provide them with a clear vision, define the teamwork goal, motivate them to be productive, delegate the right task for them and encourage quality communication, they open the door for all the problems we mentioned above, leaving the team with no legs to stand on.
One employee working independently on one task can have several problems along the way. A team working on one task can have millions of problems. However, if they are organized properly from the beginning, if they are inspired to give maximum effort and if the tasks are well-distributed, there are no limits to what a good team can do.
