Causes of ineffective teams

Building and managing a team requires careful consideration and planning. It is not a one-off exercise, team building is a task that needs to be invested in for the long term.

Things to avoid when building teams

There are many reasons why teamwork fails. Examples include teams that:

• lose focus on their purpose or goals
• have individuals who are too similar in terms of skills and ways of thinking will not be able to reach their full potential
• are made up of individuals who are uncompromising, confrontational, and don't look to resolve disputes or find ways of working together with others
• are dominated by one or two individuals
• have individuals who won't take responsibility for their tasks, leading to resentment and blame among team members
• have individuals who don't share information
• don't communicate effectively
• don't look for a consensus when making decisions
• lack openness and trust
• aren't provided with the resources they need to get the job done
• aren't fully supported by management

Find out the steps to building an effective team in the workplace.