For every experience you have in your career, there will be one constant: You will always serve on teams. It doesn’t matter the task, the problem, the goal or the organization. Sometimes the group may be a trio or a duo, but even if you’re an uno, you will likely still have constituents that make a team.
You can contribute to your overall professional victory by honing vital skills related to team-building and team leading. Here are a few team dynamics fundamentals:
Always remember your goal. No matter who’s on your team, this group has one objective—to solve problems. This is not altogether different from your own goal as a professional. Your purpose in your career will always be to consistently, effectively and efficiently solve problems, and your team has been established for the same reason. Maintain your focus and promote a team climate that takes action according to its mission—to solve the organization’s problems.
Lead, even if you are not the leader. You can be a leader even if you do not officially manage the team. A team leader incorporates and reflects the values of the team, understands the assignment and dynamics of the team, and helps to ensure that the team stays on mission. You do not need to be the anointed director of the team to help your co-workers keep their eye on the ball and endeavor to solve the problem at hand. Aim to set an example of a commitment to excellence and results for those around you.
Seek to resolve conflict efficiently and quickly. Conflict is inevitable within every cluster of Homo sapiens. Whether it’s an attoscale argument over a misplaced mug or a more serious clash relating to a project’s delayed timeline, every person in a conflict has a responsibility to find a solution as quickly as possible. Conflict resolution involves listening and understanding all the parties and seeking to identify the underlying issue. You can help determine what is motivating the conflict by acknowledging the problem, examining all of the information and evidence, and brainstorming a solution.
Encourage an environment that fosters diversity. Diversity is not just about attracting people from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. It is a critical element in a results-driven team, and it specifically and significantly contributes to an organization’s bottom line. When a team’s constituents are diverse, they inherently stimulate a “diversity of ideas,” which in turn influences and leads directly to innovation and creativity. Novel problem-solving methods are developed. New perspectives are noted and lead to an understanding of more choices and ideas. This nurtures the team and plays a crucial role in its success. After all, a winning team is one that always endeavors to be dynamic and flexible, and, in doing so, innovative. A losing team is one that lacks diversity and the correlated injection of creative approaches to problem-solving. Serve as an architect and devotee of diversity and everyone will benefit.
Remain professional. The relationships between members of the team must be preserved at all costs. This is the aspect of the team that ensures it is reaching its target. And although you should strive for a peaceful, fun work environment, never forget that these are your colleagues, and not necessarily your friends. So yes, enjoy a good optics joke here and there, but ultimately maintain your professionalism—even if those around you act differently. So for the sake of the team, stay professional. In the end, you will set a good example.
Alaina G. Levine is an internationally known career development consultant for scientists and engineers and a science writer. She can be reached through her website at www.alainalevine.com.
Copyright, 2011, Alaina G. Levine.