Team Effectiveness

In an organisation, you may find that some teams are very successful and work effectively than others. The question arises what is team effectiveness? Steven and Mary Ann Von have defined team effectiveness as the extent to which the team achieves its objectives, achieves the needs and objectives of its members and sustains itself over time. This means that the effective team has following parameters:

·      The degree to which the objectives of the team are achieved;

·      The degree to which the team achieves the needs and well being of its members; and

·      The ability of the team to survive.

Steven and Mary Ann Von have suggested following elements of team effectiveness:

 

l) Organisational and Team Environment: Organisational and team environment relates to the following elements:

·      Reward System

·      Communication

·      Systems

·      Physical Space

·      Organisational Environment

·      Organisational Structure, and

·      Organisational Leadership

 

2) Team Design: It involves following elements:

·      Task Characteristics

·      Team Size; and

·      Team Composition

 

3) Team Processes: It includes:

·      Team Development

·      Team Norms

·      Team Roles; and

·      Team Cohesiveness

Kormasnski and Mozenter have identified following elements which contribute to team effectiveness:

·      Members understand and are committed to group goals;

·      They are friendly, concerned and interested in others;

·      They acknowledge and confront conflicts openly;

·      They listen to others and understand them;

·      They involve others in the process of decision making;

·      They recognize and respect individual differences;

·      They contribute ideas and solutions;

·      They value ideas and contributions of others;

·      They recognize and reward team efforts; and

·      They encourage and appreciate comments about team performance.

These are the major elements contributing to the team effectiveness. Moreover, there may be several factors which influence the team effectiveness. Managers are required to make detailed analysis of these factors and find out broader perspectives of the team effectiveness. The proper management and implementation of these elements may certainly improve the effectiveness of the team.