Teamwork Don'ts |Leila's House of Corrections

Effective, efficient teamwork is important but often it doesn't come easily or naturally. In the rush to create highly functioning teams it's easy to step on toes and create lasting bruises, so come on managers, let's talk about teamwork don'ts.

Throwing a bunch of individuals with diverse talents and goals together and labeling them a  "team" doesn't mean the group will work together. That's the first teamwork mistake. Here are 3 more teamwork don'ts.

#1: Don't move too quickly.

The American psychologist Bruce Tuckman created a useful model for team development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.  Tuckman believes that all teams need to go through all stages as part of their development: Team members need time to get to know each other, learn about the team's goals, and establish team processes. Don't rush the beginning, the Forming stage when team members meet each other, examine the goals of the project, and begin to decide whether they will put all or little or their energy into the effort.

#2: Don't assume everyone thinks the way you do.

Depending on personality preferences, work styles, and habits, some of us process our thoughts out "here" in the open with each other, as Extroverts, and some of us do it in "here" (head) thinking about what to say before we speak it, typical of Introverts.

As well as personality differences avoid assuming that everyone will come to meetings as organized as you and don't presume that everyone feels as strongly about the value of the project.

#3: Don't be afraid of conflict.

Conflict is merely a situation in which your opinions, desires, or goals are different from those of another person or group. Differing opinions expand discussion. Steering clear of heated discussions does not ensure the team will get more or better work done. When you establish team norms, talk about how team members are expected to share their opinions freely and how members will be expected to judge ideas, not people.

If you're wondering if avoiding these teamwork don'ts is worth your time, consider this piece of information: workplace conflicts cost US businesses $359 billion a year. That averages out to be 2.8 hrs of an employee's week. Teams that function well create an environment for consistent collaboration.