Cooperation is a tough dynamic to foster. You must pay careful
attention to all the elements of effective teamwork, adjusting your
approach as necessary to accommodate the personalities of the team
members. But with thoughtful planning and organization, as well as the
right kinds of motivation, you can make any team more effective.
Communication
Each team member must know what her teammates are doing,
especially if the project is complex. Open lines of communication --
among peers and also with the supervisor -- allows the entire team to
respond quickly to unforeseen events. For example, suppose a personal
emergency causes one team member to miss an upcoming deadline. Rapid
communication among the other members allows them to quickly pick up the
slack.
Effective Interpersonal Relations
Even simple projects require effective interpersonal relations.
For example, a team leader must be an effective manager, offering
guidance and encouragement to under-performing team members and keeping
tabs on everyone’s progress. The team members also must work together
well, not competing for credit, but rather focusing on how to help, or
at least not impede, their teammates. Also, team members must maintain
functional relationships with the team leader, for example, by being
open to criticism and following directions well.
Task Delegation
If a team leader doesn't delegate tasks well, the team can't
capitalize on the primary advantage of teamwork: differentiated skills.
Abilities and experience vary among team members, so the project’s
assignments should be based on who can best perform each task. The
overall effect of smart task delegation is efficiency. If everyone does
what he is best at, the team functions at its highest possible level.
Goals
Another key element of effective team management is setting clear
and reasonable short- and long-term goals. For example, a team leader
might break the main goal of a project into a chronological series of
steps. Then she might group the steps into various stages, assigning a
deadline for the end of each stage. The team then can be confident that
steady progress toward its short-term goal means the long-term goal is
closer, as well.
Motivation
Motivation comes in many varieties. Not getting yelled at by your
boss, for example, is a form of motivation -- but not a very effective
one. The best kinds of motivation enhance job satisfaction and a sense
of personal accomplishment. For example, motivating a team might involve
offering individual team members rewards for work well done, as well as
offering group awards for beating deadlines. The individual rewards
motivate by ensuring hard-working team members get due credit, and group
awards motivate by ensuring no one feels left out.