When we talk of team processes we are talking about the ‘How’ of working together as a team. Process looks at relationships and communications within a team. Process explores how feelings and disagreements were dealt with within a team. As with running on to the next challenge or project most teams take little time to explore how well their process worked. Below is a checklist of typical process issues that face a team and their leader; it can be used as a means to monitor team performance. A sample list of process characteristics that result from high performance teams is also provided as a reference.
Issues Questions
The working atmosphere What kind of team relationships are required and relationships for success? How close, friendly, formal or informal should they be?
Participation levels | How much participation is required of the team? Some people need to do more than others? All have to give equally? Are some members needed more than others? Do we really need to be a team? |
Team objectives and commitment | How much do the team members need to understand the goals? How much do they need to accept or be committed to the goals? |
Communication and information flows | How is the team to share information? Who needs to know what? Who should listen most to whom? |
Conflict management | How should disagreements or conflicts be handled? To what extent should they be resolved? |
Decision making | How should decisions be made? Consensus? Processes Voting? One-person rule? |
Performance evaluation | How is the team’s evaluation to be managed? Everyone appraises everyone else? The leader has total control of the process? A few individuals take responsibility? |
Role and task assignments | How are role and task assignments to be allocated? Voluntarily? By team discussion? By the team leader? |
Team leadership | Who should lead the team? How should the leadership functions be exercised? Shared? Elected? Appointed from outside? |
Process management | How should the team monitor and improve its process management? Ongoing feedback from members? Formal procedures? Regular weekly meetings? |
Manager does not:
Team members do not: