Questrom Team Learning

Student Resources
Getting Started with Your Team

The First Steps

Getting started with a new team is an exciting time. Each new team experience opens the opportunity for you to build your collaboration and communication skills, as you work with others to accomplish your team’s goals. It is important for all teams to establish a solid foundation for their work together. That starts by getting to know the different members of the team and discussing the essential skills and experiences each brings to this new team. Before you meet your new team, give some thought to the project at hand and what you can contribute to the team.

Dimensions of Team Success

As teams work interdependently to accomplish their goals, there are 3 critical factors that are essential determinants of team success: Project/Product, Process, and People.

High performance teams not only deliver a top-quality project or product, they also have a strong team process that guides how the work is done and ensures that all team members (people) are engaged and supported.

  • Hackman, J. Richard. What Makes for a Great Team?, American Psychological Association, June 2004
  • Haas, Martine and Mark, and Mark Mortensen. The Secrets of Great Teamwork, Harvard Business Review, 18 Mar. 2019

  • Product/Project

    Successful teams work diligently to produce high-quality project deliverables, consistently and on-time.

  • Process

    Successful teams plan and attend to the process of how the team does its work. Establishing ethical, equitable, and supportive processes enables teams to achieve and maintain high performance.

  • People

    By aligning individual goals with the team’s goals and establishing important team roles for each member, teams support the learning, growth and development of all members.

Effective teams make better decisions, provide better services, and demonstrate increased engagement when compared with individuals working alone.

Not One. But EVERYONE.

Not One. But EVERYONE.

 

You are the KEY

In order for your team to reach high performance, it needs you. You can be an effective team member by actively engaging with your team, being open-minded and curious about your new teammates, and demonstrating the essential qualities of effective team players, outlined below. 

Qualities of an Effective Team Player

Demonstrates reliability to your teammates.

Listens actively to absorb, understand, and consider ideas.

Functions as an active participant and engage in discussions.

Shares information, knowledge, and experience openly and willingly.

Exhibits flexibility in changing conditions.

Communicates constructively in a positive, confident, and respectful manner.

Cooperates and pitches in to help and get work done.

Treats others in a respectful and supportive manner.

Works as a problem-solver and thinks critically.

Shows commitment to the team.

Embrace DIFFERENCES

Embrace DIFFERENCES

Build Awareness, Accept, Adapt

Work to build your awareness of cultural and individual differences – teams that are able to leverage their differences excel. Accept that all team members have different strengths and weaknesses and that everyone has something important to contribute to the team’s success. Adapt your behavior and perspectives to support the team.

With an open mind, your team can turn differences into team strengths.

Ready to Advance?

The information you just read is essential to the foundation of teams. Each time you have a new team, take steps to get to know your team members, and consider your own role and potential contributions to the team. Beyond that, however, teams need to agree to a set of guidelines and practices in order to be effective – and that’s why the Team Contract (GRPI), team charter or team agreement is an essential next step.

Click the link below to learn more about developing your Team Contract.

Ready to Advance