The definition of a team is a group of people, each of whom possess particular expertise; each of whom is responsible for making individual decisions; who together hold a common purpose; who meet together to communicate, collaborate and consolidate knowledge. Keep that in mind – you’re working to achieve something as a group:
• Together;
• Everyone;
• Achieves;
• More!
Becoming an effective team
There are certain characteristics that you’ll find from any effective team. Remember these – perhaps even write them up on a sheet and put them up on the wall of your team meeting area. Of course you’ll have disagreements but if you try to remember these characteristics and their importance, you should survive the experience with your project and friendships intact.
Characteristics include:
• Trust – A firm belief in the honest and reliability of another individual or individuals;
• Co-operation – The ability to work together with others in an attempt to reach a desired goal;
• Support – The encouragement and/or help of someone in or toward the completion of a given task/goal;
• Cohesiveness – A bonding or sticking together of individuals in a given situation.
How to make your team work
An effective team is one that works well together. It functions at its maximum potential when solving a design problem and thrives on the special capabilities of its individual members. One key characteristic of an effective team is a good supportive attitude among fellow teammates and team activities. Team morale and a sense of professionalism can be enhanced if team members agree upon some rules of behaviour. The following set of guidelines illustrates one possible approach to building an effective design team.
Define clear roles
Each team member should understand how he or she is to function within the team. The responsibilities of each individual should be defined before work begins on the project. Roles need note be mutually exclusive, but...