I spend quite a bit of time working with teams that are reflecting on their health as a group.
This is the latest version of 12 Key Dynamics of Effective Teams:
At the end of the post there are links to two documents that can be used to develop teamwork.
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Shared Vision
The team has an inspiring shared vision. Everyone is committed to the purpose and direction of the team. Team members feel they are part of shaping and developing the vision.
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Shared Values
The team has articulated a set of core values which are expressed through all activities. Team members feel that there is consistency in the way they work together and that the values are upheld.
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Healthy Group Process
The team know and use healthy decision making and conflict resolution processes. Members know they are respected and can fully share in and influence the thinking of the group. They know where, when and how to do this appropriately.
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Effective Communication
There is open honest communication between team members. Members provide information to each other clearly and when needed.
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Role Clarity
Each person knows their own role as part of the team. They know their own strengths and weakness on the team and they are willing to contribute. Each person has a clear idea of the roles of other members. Boundaries between roles are respected. People do not do each other’s jobs and tasks are not left undone because no one has responsibility.
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A High Trust Environment
Team members consciously develop and maintain mutual trust with each other through acts of service and commitment. The team operates in an environment which consciously builds trust through mutual caring and consideration.
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Implementation and follow through
The group is collectively committed to implementing their decisions. Each member takes responsibility for following up actions for the team as a whole.
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Creativity
Team members are given space and encouragement to be creative. The team is willing to take risks and feels comfortable doing so. The team as a whole is prepared to try new things, explore new ideas and think outside the square.
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Collective Spirituality
Alongside members’ own personal relationships with God, the team has a corporate spirituality. The team is comfortable praying as group and seeking to discern the direction of God together. There is a consciousness of the need for the group to be Spirit empowered and guided.
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Facilitated Empowerment
The team is able to recognise when a member has experience, knowledge, a skill or wisdom and insight around a specific issue or topic. When this happens, the team easily allows the member to exercise a level of leadership, influence or facilitation in relation to their area of expertise. Leadership within the team is facilitative rather than dominant, directive and closed.
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Mutual Support
The team is a supportive community. There are neither heavily enmeshed or separate disconnected relationships. Team members are aware of and caring of each other’s own personal journeys without being invasive.
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Relaxed fun times
The team meets occasionally for times of unwinding, relaxing and connecting informally without work or ministry being the agenda. There is an appropriate level of social interaction to support effective teamwork.