Question

You are developing training programs for managers to suggest ways to develop and manage teams effectively in their organization. For the coming week, your will be working on the section that highlights the factors that influences team effectiveness. Explain what those factors are and provide relevant examples.

Answer 1

The factors that influence team effectiveness are listed below.

(a) Leadership skill of the managers is one of the most important factors that influence team effectiveness. An able leader knows every indvidual of the group with regards his /her capabilities, strengths, weaknesses and degree of fit in a given situation. Thus, he /she is capable of extracting the best performance from an individual with provision of opportunities that align to the organisational goals and he personal goals of the employee.

(b) Another factor is the level of involvement of the manager with the employees. A good leader is always willing to get his /her hands dirty with team, so as to not only closely supervise their performance and guide them as an when required, but also creating a synergy among the team members. A team closely bound together with help of its manager is more likely to perform better.

(c) Conflict resolution skills also come handly for a manager who is always required to maintain common interests and  unidirectional goals in a team. A better person on this count might make the team more effective.

(d) Manager needs to be a good motivator, an empathetical leader, a good communicator and a people's person. All these abilities are essential for making and managing an effective team.

Thus, the factor influencing good team perfromance are

(i) Synergy - The zeal and enthusiasm shared by the team that inspires it to perform.

(ii) Cohesiveness - The state of being in a feeling of togetherness and work in conjunction without mutual differences.

(iii) Empathy - a feeling of caring, sharing and being transparent with the co team members.

(iv) Ability to perform under pressure.

(v) Morale- Elated state of mind. A manager plays a vital role in managing the morale and motivation of the team.

(vi) Goal orientedness - Unidirectional approach and goal orientation dissolves mutual conflicts and the team works on a common agenda will full capability. Manager's conflict resloution skills are essential for this.