Collaboration and Team Dynamics Presentation
Rena Crawford
COM/505 Communication Skills for Graduates
December 8, 2014
Instructor: Mr. Ryan

Abstract

To build a team there is many different elements that are needed. Most people think that this is an impossible task due to the track records built by teams that seemed too great at the time but ended up breaking up. Throughout this paper we will touch on a few of those elements and explain in detail how you can build a successful team. We will discuss how team collaboration adds value. The key communication skills that are needed to foster effective learning teams. Examine major pitfalls and risk, plus discuss how the Learning Team Charter can serve as a tool to formalize team activities and protocols.

We will take a journey together through the components that are needed to make a great team. Many people go through their lives believing that they have to do most things alone. My grandmother taught me that the best way to get something done is to do it yourself. So coming into the work place it made it hard to work in an environment where teamwork was the main driving point.
We will start by speaking about team collaboration and how it adds value to a successful team. The first thing that you will need is to have a common purpose and goal. Of course this is a very important element. Teams are almost never built unless there is a goal or common purpose to overcome or address. “A team is defined as a group of people working together toward a common goal. Without a goal, there is not team.”( Tips for Teams: A Ready Reference for Solving Common Team Problems, by Kimball Fisher, Steven Rayner, and William Belgard, 1995.) Some of the main objectives are to make sure that the team discuss why the team exists and allow each team member to express commitment. These are important discussions to have, especially when you are first establishing at team. This allows everyone to get on the same page, explaining the reason for them gathering and making sure that reason is something that they are willing to commit to. The next element that helps build a collaborative team is that everyone needs to trust each other. Even though this element is one of those things that shouldn’t have to be said, it’s necessary. Many people work better in an environment where they don’t know all the details of their colleague. This allows everyone to keep business in a black and white perspective. It’s when you start to bring the grey areas into relationships that situations start to get convoluted. So within this there will always need to be honesty, plus the leader of the group would need to effectively work to eliminate conflicts of interest with the team. As long as the team leader is able to anticipate issues before the issue happens he/she will be able to keep the necessary balance within the team. The next element would be to clarify the roles of everyone within the team. We already have an understanding at this point why we are meeting and our common goal. Within this common goal, what will everyone be doing? Even after you have come up with the roles of everyone on the team, it is always necessary to review members roles frequently, clarify responsibilities when action planning and figure out ways to help each other. These components are always necessary to keep down confusion and make sure that everyone is staying within the parameters of their job description, plus seeing the ones that are willing to help out. The next element and in my opinion the most important, communicate openly and effectively. This will keep down a lot of issues. Lack of communication is usually weighed when it comes to romantic relationships and can be the downfall of all great unions. The next two elements are necessary to keep the teams ideas fresh and balanced. Appreciate diversity and the teams focus. Within every team there needs to be diversity.