Creating an effective team, one that gets done what it’s supposed to get done, doesn’t just happen. Yet, considering the way many organizations approach teaming it appears that very often, management doesn’t understand what it requires.
Most often, it is because management is unclear on how teams work and what it takes for them to be effective. Understanding team “process” is essential if we hope to get the teams we create, lead, or serve on to achieve what they were created to achieve. Numerous researchers and management scientists have attempted to describe the process teams go through. In this section, a few of the better-known process models are presented that range from the simple to the sophisticated.
The next portion of this section deals with the team chartering process. A team charter is the recipe or roadmap for its success. It is the crucial point in the beginning of the process when management spells out the purpose, marks out the boundaries, identifies the resources available, and counts the costs. It is the chance for the team members to align their purposes, identify barriers and potential conflicts, document their commitment, and chart the path ahead
The importance of this discipline can’t be overemphasized. It is clearly the most important step in the team process. The quality of nearly everything that follows will depend in great part on the amount of thought and effort management and team members put into it. Ironically, consciously building a team charter often receives the lowest investment of intellectual effort. Perhaps that is because we see the results we want and desire to “get on with things” and chartering takes time. Chartering may well be one of the most important team tools in your kit.
