Team Communication Essay

As there is value in team collaboration, effective communication has equal importance in determining the success of a team.

A successful team can be represented by various characteristics which include respect for one another, a sense of purpose, commitment to the aims of the team which are demonstrated every day by each team member and regular communication between team members.

It is essential that there is effective communication to build an effective team. Effective teams need to work well together and that team cohesiveness depends on building strong relationships among team members. Communication is crucial and is driven by the team leader who will work with the team to establish ground rules and work to bring the team together so that it can accomplish its goals. All teams will go through expected stages of development, from forming to storming to norming and eventually performing according to Tuckman. Navigating through these stages effectively will help teams build relationships which in turn improves communication. Effective team communication can lead to both personal and professional development. Some examples of good communication are the holding of regular catch up meetings, active listening (by management and team members), regular feedback, clear vision and goals. In contrast to the above poor communication skills can have an adverse effect on team working. If team members are not communicating amongst themselves then

Without trust among team members and having fear of conflict due to the ability to engage in unfiltered debate leads to no commitment in the team. Without these first steps team members have no base to hold each other accountable for their actions. Causing team members to put their individual needs first.

I think that one way to solve conflict and build trust on a team is to express the conflict directly and communicate with others in order to solve it. Besides, I think that team needs to create open communication so that every team member will be able to share their ideas and thoughts, and team members have to respect every aspect of other team members because respect can create the trust that will allow members to be vulnerable.

Teams exist because of the productivity of the whole team is greater than that which can be achieved by the individual contributions of its members. Establishing the team’s purpose, its role and responsibilities is key to achieving the development of a real team as everyone identifies their purpose within the group known and each individual becomes accountable for their contribution to the productivity of the team. Team members usually have complementary skills that the team leverage, creating synergy by maximising an individual’s strengths and minimising the impact of weakness.

Teams are more than just groups of people assembled in the same area, they are a collection of individuals dedicated to a common purpose and with a series of detailed performance targets, working together with complementary skills. Teams of people are encountered in various scenarios, not just in the workplace, but also throughout life, such as sports, associations, charities and voluntary services.

Teamwork and communication is important. As Henry Ford once said, “Teamwork, coming together as a beginning, keep together is progress, working together is success”. He’s saying that there is a begging to each team, but once you start working together, then you’ll become successful. With teamwork comes success, and you can achieve a lot of things with the ability to communicate properly. With

Low level of trust between team members. In order to regained the higher level of trust between teams member, I would recommend Michael Abram to work on “team development” under the different stages which include forming, storming, norming performing and adjourning that would allow the team members to know each other, understand each other respect each other’s viewpoints, as well as know how to co-ordinate with each other respectfully.

When I was 19 I spent 2 months in Turkey on a team of 9 people for a missions trip. One thing we struggled with a lot was being able to effectively communicate with each other. Throughout our time there we began to learn how to better communicate with one another and work together and by the end of our trip we had gotten the hang of what kind of communication worked best. One of the last days we put on a church service and it was amazing to watch how we were all able to listen and delegate work to each other and put on an amazing service. One of the most aspects of collaboration in our team was being able to listen to everyone’s ideas and then be willing to go with the best idea for the team, even if it wasn’t your own. When we were able to listen to one another and effectively communicate with one another it made the collaboration in our group flow better.

Team members develop particular ways of interacting and accomplishing work. They fall into habits and patterns around behaviors such as keeping commitment, meeting deadlines, planning next steps, and decision making.

Communication is the key to success. A team without communication could never be successful. Communication is important because the group needs a clear goal and also they need to have shared objectives. For example, in football a defense needs to be on the same page; if two players on the defense are on different pages then the defense will not be successful. You need everyone to share the same objective in order to succeed, not just a few people but all as one. To ensure a team’s success, everyone on the team has to be accountable. Everyone has a job on the team to contribute to becoming successful as a whole. Also you need trust in order to become successful; you have to be able to trust in your team that they will give their all for the team.

Trust and confidence will develop over time with successful completion of short-term goals. With proper guidance from the leader and open lines of communication, the team will start to develop confidence in their abilities and their comrades. They will trust in team members to successfully manage their roles and perform duties. This allows them to focus on completing their own task and seek assistance from other members when needed.

Parker (2003) says that, “open communication is an absolute requirement for successful…teamwork” (p. 117). A team is communicating successfully when all team members are expressing their thoughts, ideas, and opinions and each member is listening and being open to what others have to say, whether in agreement or disagreement of

Supporting the team is very important and is usually what helps keep a team together. Always be open-minded and ready to listen to someone else's ideas not just your own. All team members should not only support each other, but also each other’s ideas. This also leads to opportunities for the whole team. Providing opportunities for development is an important aspect in a successful team. Always talk among the group about any issues. If the problems are out in the open they can be taken care of. This will also help in future issues.