Buyers Guide on Teams and Teamwork

Teams are the mortar that holds an organisation together.  They require a balance between task and process to be fully effective, yet they are often task-mesmerised.  This booklet explores team processes, starting with help to pinpoint the characteristics that are critical for your team.  It contains questionnaires examining the different roles played by the people in your team (with guidance and suggestions on how to achieve an effective balance of roles) and a questionnaire on the way in which your team operates (with a step-by-step guide to maximise its effectiveness and suggestions for action). 

The booklet can be used by individuals to become more effective team-members or (preferably) by groups as part of a communal team-building process.

 

What is the purpose of this booklet?

This booklet aims to improve awareness within teams and to explore team roles and processes to facilitate the creation of fully integrated, successful teams. 

Is it for me? 

The booklet is aimed at people who have an interest in creating a successful team, this could be a consultant, manager, trainer or facilitator working through the material with team members as part of a team-building process.   It could also be used by an interested individual looking to become a more effective participant in a team they belong to.

 

The booklet will show you how to:

  • know what you consider to be the characteristics of a successful team
  • work together to live up to the characteristics you choose
  • establish whether your team is at, the chaotic, formal or skilful stage
  • work out specific guidelines for effective team meetings
  • understand the role of team leader
  • understand the role of team member
  • discover how team roles can affect your team’s performance
  • discover the importance of verbal and non-verbal behaviour.

In how many ways could I use the booklet?

  • work through the booklet as part of a team-building exercise.
  • work through the booklet to improve your own performance as a team member
  • use the Characteristics of an Effective Team checklist to agree a collective vision
  • use the Team Roles Questionnaire to highlight any imbalances in your team
  • achieve a better mix of roles within your team by using the suggestions for action
  • use the suggestions on how best to structure reviews of your team’s performance
  • use the specific advice on verbal and non-verbal behaviour and its impact on your team’s performance.
  • design more effective and successful team building programmes.

 

Copyright and Photocopying

All rights reserved.  This booklet is the copyright of Dr Peter Honey.  It may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without prior permission of Peter Honey Publications Ltd.