Teamwork skills: being an effective group member

For small groups to function effectively in a course context, students must attend to both the climate within their group and the process by which they accomplish their tasks. Critical to a healthy climate and an effective process are strong communication skills. Below you will find the basic characteristics of effective communicators, plus tips to help students with group climate and process.

Although students can gain many of the skills described below through informal social interactions, they still benefit from having them made explicit. To hone their skills they also need opportunities to practice as well as to receive regular feedback on how they’re doing. Share the information below with your students, use it to set activities for them, and work to incorporate three components of feedback into your plan: instructor comments (oral and/or written), reflective group discussions and/or peer assessment, and self-reflection (see the reflection prompts in Appendix A for ideas).

Communication skills
To function successfully in a small group, students need to be able to communicate clearly on intellectual and emotional levels. Effective communicators:

can explain their own ideas
express their feelings in an open but non-threatening way
listen carefully to others
ask questions to clarify others’ ideas and emotions
can sense how others feel based on their nonverbal communication
will initiate conversations about group climate or process if they sense tensions brewing
reflect on the activities and interactions of their group and encourage other group members to do so as well
Regular open communication, in which group members share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings, is a must for successful group work. Unspoken assumptions and issues can be very destructive to productive group functioning. When students are willing to communicate openly with one another, a healthy climate will emerge and an effective process can be followed.

Skills for a healthy group climate
To work together successfully, group members must demonstrate a sense of cohesion. Cohesion emerges as group members exhibit the following skills:

Openness: Group members are willing to get to know one another, particularly those with different interests and backgrounds. They are open to new ideas, diverse viewpoints, and the variety of individuals present within the group. They listen to others and elicit their ideas. They know how to balance the need for cohesion within a group with the need for individual expression.
Trust and self-disclosure: Group members trust one another enough to share their own ideas and feelings. A sense of mutual trust develops only to the extent that everyone is willing to self-disclose and be honest yet respectful. Trust also grows as group members demonstrate personal accountability for the tasks they have been assigned.
Support: Group members demonstrate support for one another as they accomplish their goals. They exemplify a sense of team loyalty and both cheer on the group as a whole and help members who are experiencing difficulties. They view one another not as competitors (which is common within a typically individualistic educational system) but as collaborators.
Respect: Group members communicate their opinions in a way that respects others, focusing on “What can we learn?” rather than “Who is to blame?” See constructive feedback in the process section for more details.
As an instructor, you can use several strategies to encourage students to develop a healthy climate within their small groups:

Assign students into diverse groups so that they encounter others with different backgrounds and interests.
Design activities that break the ice, promote awareness of differences within the group, encourage reflection on the stresses of working within a group, and point out the demands of working in a group.
Have students participate in trust challenges. For example, try the trust-fall, in which individual group members fall backward off a table and are caught by their fellow group members. Or blindfold individual students, and have their group members guide them orally through an obstacle course.
Encourage students to participate willingly and ask questions of others. To encourage listening skills and ensure that everyone in the group speaks, try the “circle of voices” exercise. See Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) teaching tip “Group Work in the Classroom: Types of Small Groups”.
After students have worked in their groups for a couple of weeks, have them fill in a “Are we a team?” checklist individually, then discuss their answers within their group. Have them repeat this exercise when they have completed their task. See appendix B for an example of this checklist.
Skills for an effective group process
Besides knowing how to develop a healthy group climate, students also need to know how to function so that they are productive and accomplish their tasks effectively. An effective process will emerge as students exhibit these skills:

Individual responsibility and accountability: All group members agree on what needs to be done and by whom. Each student then determines what he or she needs to do and takes responsibility to complete the task(s). They can be held accountable for their tasks, and they hold others accountable for theirs.
Constructive Feedback: Group members are able to give and receive feedback about group ideas. Giving constructive feedback requires focusing on ideas and behaviours, instead of individuals, being as positive as possible, and offering suggestions for improvement. Receiving feedback requires listening well, asking for clarification if the comment is unclear, and being open to change and other ideas.
Problem solving: Group members help the group to develop and use strategies central to their group goals. As such, they can facilitate group decision making and deal productively with conflict. In extreme cases, they know when to approach the professor for additional advice and help.
Management and organization: Group members know how to plan and manage a task, how to manage their time, and how to run a meeting. For example, they ensure that meeting goals are set, that an agenda is created and followed, and that everyone has an opportunity to participate. They stay focused on the task and help others to do so too.
Knowledge of roles: Group members know which roles can be filled within a group (e.g., facilitator, idea-generator, summarizer, evaluator, mediator, encourager, recorder) and are aware of which role(s) they and others are best suited for. They are also willing to rotate roles to maximize their own and others’ group learning experience.
As an instructor, use some of these strategies to encourage students to develop an effective process within their small groups:

Design the group task so that the students must work together. Group members will be more motivated and committed to working together if they are given a group mark; if you choose to evaluate in this way, be sure to make your expectations extremely clear. See the CTE teaching tip sheet “Methods for Assessing Group Work” for additional ideas.
Once students are in groups, have them develop, as one of their early assignments, a group contract in which they articulate ground rules and group goals. See the teaching tip “Making Group Contracts” for details. Be sure that groups discuss how they will respond to various scenarios such as absentee or late group members and those who do not complete their assigned tasks.
Distribute a list of decision-making methods and strategies for conflict resolution. The CTE teaching tip sheet “Group Decision Making” is a good place to start. Have each group articulate, based on this list, a set of strategies for decision making and conflict resolution; this list should become part of the group contract. You may also want to offer yourself as an impartial arbitrator in emergency situations, but encourage students to work out problems among themselves.
Provide students with guidelines for running a meeting, such as setting and following an agenda, specifying time limits, and monitoring progress on the agenda. Consult the CTE teaching tip sheet “Meeting Strategies to Help Prepare Students for Group Work” for additional suggestions.
Teach students effective methods for giving and receiving feedback. For sample methods, see the teaching tip “Receiving and Giving Effective Feedback”. Create an assignment that involves them giving feedback to group members, and make it part of their final grade.
To help students recognize and make the most of their own and one another’s preferred roles, outline with them a list of team roles (see the teaching tip “Group Roles” for one such list), have them determine which role(s) suits them best, and give them time to discuss within their groups how their particular role(s) will complement those of other group members. Requiring them to rotate their roles helps them to expand their skills set.
Appendix A: encouraging self-awareness and reflection in group work
One of the most important things you can do as an instructor is to have students reflect regularly on their group experiences. Their self-reflection will reinforce and further develop critical teamwork skills. Based on your objectives for the group project, create a set of prompts using the questions below. Have students then use these prompts to journal about their reactions to group climate and process. The journals encourage self-reflection and can help students see teamwork issues in new ways and create ideas for resolution. They can also provide a good basis from which students can choose comments to share with their group members in debriefing sessions. If students submit their journals periodically throughout the semester, give them feedback orally or in writing, and to the extent appropriate, discuss in class any trends that you have identified through observation or in the journals (e.g., reassure groups that many are facing similar challenges). Also, requiring all students to submit a final reflective report after the group project can help them to see the value of the teamwork expertise they have developed through practice.

Climate
What have you enjoyed the most/the least about getting to know your group members?
How is your attitude towards your group members demonstrated in how you function within the group?
How do you demonstrate trust and openness towards the other members and their ideas?
Do you give honest opinions? If not, why not?
How much do you feel you can rely on your group members to complete the required task(s)?
How do you make sure that group members feel supported, encouraged, and appreciated for their work?
How does the team ensure that all voices are heard?
Do you participate willingly in the discussion? If not, why not?
Do others appear to understand your ideas? If not, why not?
What do you do if another person’s ideas are unclear?
What do you focus on when others speak? How could you improve your listening skills?
How do you respond to others’ ideas? How do they respond to yours? What could be improved?

Process
What are your group’s ground rules and goals? What changes to these rules and goals might improve the functioning of your group?
How is everyone encouraged to stay accountable to the tasks they have been assigned?
To what extent do you and others follow the feedback methods laid out in class? How could you and your group members improve the way you give and receive feedback?
To what extent does your group reflect on how well its goals are being achieved? How would more (or less) discussion about goals help or hinder your group’s functioning?
How are decisions made in your group? Who is involved and in which ways? What has been effective about the processes you have used? How could your decision-making processes be improved?
What happens if a group member is unhappy or uncomfortable with a decision made by the group?
What conflicts have arisen within your group? How (if at all) have the conflicts been resolved? What role do you play in resolving these conflicts? What could you (or others) do to improve your group’s ability to deal productively with conflict?
How do your meetings typically proceed? What do you accomplish and in how much time? What is effective about your group functioning during meetings? What changes would improve your meetings?
Who has emerged as the leader in your group? Which other roles do you see team members playing? Which role(s) do you play? Which role do you prefer and why?
Appendix B: “Are We a Team?” checklist (Levin & Kent, 2001)
Check off the statements that accurately represent your group. Be prepared to discuss your choices afterwards with your group. Also consider ways to improve your group’s functioning, especially as it relates to the statements you did not check off.

We all show equal commitment to our objective.
We all take part in deciding how work should be allocated.
We are committed to helping each other learn.
We acknowledge good contributions from team members.
We handle disagreements and conflicts constructively within the team.
We are able to give constructive criticism to one another and to accept it ourselves.
We all turn up to meetings and stay to the end.
We are good at making sure that everyone knows what’s going on.
When one of us is under pressure, others offer to help him or her.
We trust each other.
We remain united even when we disagree.
We support each other to outsiders.
We feel comfortable and relaxed with one another.

How to Describe the Importance of Teamwork

ince Lombardi, the legendary football coach, defined teamwork as "Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." There are many definitions of teamwork offered by sports figures, generals and company leaders. All of them agreeing on one thing; teamwork is extremely important for the success of a company. How you describe teamwork is also important, and once it is defined, it can be achieved.

Teamwork Multiplies Success
Teamwork has often been described as one plus one equals three. On teams, people can work together and accomplish much more than they could by themselves. This concept of synergy is how many sports teams achieve success. Often, the teams with the best players do not win championships. It is frequently the teams that work best together that accomplish great things. Your company can also accomplish great things when everyone is working together toward a common goal. Define that goal clearly and watch your people achieve it.

Teamwork Makes the Job Easier
The industrial revolution began the era of mass production and also the division of tasks in the workforce. Employees now specialize in areas and contribute to the team through the work they produce. By specializing in areas like merchandising or accounting, they become more expert at their tasks and make your team more effective as a result. Working in teams also teaches your associates to work together more effectively and frequently new ways of doing things are discovered by team members working together to solve a problem.

Teamwork Maximizes Strengths and Reduces Weaknesses
In team sports, team members work together in order to win. Individual weaknesses can be minimized through the efforts of the team. In football, for example, a weaker lineman receives help from a team mate to help block a competing player and the pass is completed successfully. In your company, you place your people where their strengths can be best used. People with the best human relations skills are placed in human resources and your best advertisers work in merchandising. Weaknesses can be reduced when your people concentrate on their areas of strength.

Teamwork Makes Work Fun
Work is more fun when you are a part of a team. You can build on other people's ideas and share in completing the assignment together. You also have another pair of eyes to look at the work, which further reduces errors and mistakes. Studies have also shown that laughter and fun reduce stress, which can also increase effectiveness on the job. Teams that enjoy working together can accomplish great things for your company and great teams achieve their goals again and again.

7 Essential Skills for Teamwork

This list is used during the research cycle to observe how well a team is working together

1. Listening:

The students in this team listen to each other's ideas. You will observe the students "piggy-backing" (or building) off each other's ideas.

2. Questioning:

The students in this team question each other. You will observe the students interacting, discussing, and posing questions to all members of the team.
3. Persuading:

The students in this team use persuasion. You will observe the students exchanging, defending, and rethinking ideas.
4. Respecting:

The students in this team respect the opinions of others. You will observe the students encouraging and supporting the ideas and efforts of others.
5. Helping:

The students in this team help each other. You will observe the students offering assistance to each other.
6. Sharing:

The students in this team share. You will observe the students offering ideas and reporting their findings to each other.
7. Participating:

The students in this team participate. You will observe each student contributing to the project.

Team Building Skills For Effective Teamwork

Team building skills and qualities are crucial not only for every business area but for all life’s areas. On a business context, the question how to build an effective team is crucial for the company’s growth.

To build a good and an effective team you have to learn how to build confidence, trust and friendships. This is a long lasting process that requires many skills.

Let’s see the list of main team building skills.

A team building skills list for effective teamwork. List for managers and employees.

• Good communication skills

Without communications, there is not a team at all. Good communication skills are absolutely crucial for every good team and effective teamwork. Examples of good communication skills are verbal and non-verbal communication skills, to be patient and confident.

• Active listening and care for others

Listening skills have the top position in the team building skills list. To build a team you have to understand other team members needs, beliefs, worries, hopes. This can be achieved only by active listening including care and attention to other members.

• Team building skillsCollaborative skills

To make collaboration with many people is one of the most difficult task, but also one of the most important prerequisites to achieve successful team work. That is why collaborative skills are key team building skills on our list. Effective team means a great collaborative team.

• Building confidence

This is absolutely critical ability among the team building and team leader skills. Confidence keeps a team together. It promotes support and reliability. No matter whether you are a team manager, leader or an employee, you have to be confident. To be confident means that people can rely on you and can trust you.

• Creativity, creative thinking and idea exchange

Creativity is a characteristic of every good and effective team. Creative thinking is the most important factor for future success. This is the factor that can turn a previously unsuccessful organization to one that is a leader in the market. Good and creative ideas are among main reasons for business growth. Every team should have a suitable environment for idea exchange. Members have to share and develop ideas. Idea exchange and creativity are key team building skills.

• Patience

To be patient is crucial quality too. Patience is about being tolerable and understanding. If you want to build a friendship with others you have to be patient.

• Supportive

There is no team without support. Team members have to support each other and have to rely on each other. These are the main building elements of a team. So being supportive have also a key place in the team building skills list.

• Problem-solving skills

In every team there are problems. No matter whether you are a team manager or an employee, you have to learn to deal with conflicts in the most effective way.

Other essential abilities in the team building list for effective teamwork are:

• Respectful
• Positive Attitude
• Relationship Building
• Responsibility
• Understanding Feelings
• Honesty
• Influencing

Learn and develop these teamwork skills because they are the basic answer to the question “How to build an effective team ?”.

6 soft skills everyone needs and employers look for

In a 2008 survey of more than 2,000 businesses in the state of Washington, employers said entry-level workers in a variety of professions were lacking in several areas, including problem solving, conflict resolution and critical observation.

You'll likely see these "soft skills" popping up in job descriptions, next to demands for technical qualifications. Employment experts agree that tech skills may get you an interview, but these soft skills will get you the job—and help you keep it:

Communication skills

This doesn't mean you have to be a brilliant orator or writer. It does mean you have to express yourself well, whether it's writing a coherent memo, persuading others with a presentation or just being able to calmly explain to a team member what you need.

Teamwork and collaboration

Employers want employees who play well with others—who can effectively work as part of a team. "That means sometimes being a leader, sometimes being a good follower, monitoring the progress, meeting deadlines and working with others across the organization to achieve a common goal," says Lynne Sarikas, the MBA Career Center Director at Northeastern University.

Adaptability

This is especially important for more-seasoned professionals to demonstrate, to counter the (often erroneous) opinion that older workers are too set in their ways. "To succeed in most organizations, you need to have a passion for learning and the ability to continue to grow and stretch your skills to adapt to the changing needs of the organization," Sarikas says. "On your resume, on your cover letter and in your interview, explain the ways you've continued to learn and grow throughout your career."

Problem solving

Be prepared for the "how did you solve a problem?" interview question with several examples, advises Ann Spoor, managing director of Cave Creek Partners. "Think of specific examples where you solved a tough business problem or participated in the solution. Be able to explain what you did, how you approached the problem, how you involved others and what the outcome was—in real, measurable results."

Critical observation

It's not enough to be able to collect data and manipulate it. You must also be able to analyze and interpret it. What story does the data tell? What questions are raised? Are there different ways to interpret the data? "Instead of handing your boss a spreadsheet, give them a business summary and highlight the key areas for attention, and suggest possible next steps," Sarikas advises.

Conflict resolution

The ability to persuade, negotiate and resolve conflicts is crucial if you plan to move up. "You need to have the skill to develop mutually beneficial relationships in the organization so you can influence and persuade people," Sarikas says. "You need to be able to negotiate win-win solutions to serve the best interests of the company and the individuals involved."

When it comes to soft skills, show—don't tell

How do you prove you're proficient at, say, critical observation? Demonstrating these soft skills may be more difficult than listing concrete accomplishments like $2 million in sales or a professional certification. But it is possible to persuade hiring managers that you have what they need.

To demonstrate communication skills, for example, start with the obvious. Make sure there are no typos in your resume or cover letter. Beyond that, enhance your communication credibility by writing an accomplishment statement on your resume or cover letter, says Cheryl E. Palmer, president of Call to Career. "Instead of stating, 'great oral and written communication skills,' say, 'conducted presentation for C-level executives that persuaded them to open a new line of business that became profitable within eight months.'"

Learn soft skills

The good news is that, like any skill, soft skills can be learned. The better news? Boosting your soft skills not only gives you a leg up on a new job or a promotion, but these skills also have obvious applications in all areas of a person's life, both professional and personal.


Take a Course: Some colleges are mixing technology with areas such as effective written and verbal communication, teamwork, cultural understanding and psychology. Take a writing or public speaking course to boost your communication skills. Look for a conflict-resolution course or "leadership skills" class at your local community college.
Seek Mentors: Be as specific as you can about your target skill, and when you're approaching a potential mentor, compliment that person with a specific example in which you've seen him practice that skill, advises Ed Muzio, the author of Make Work Great. "Then ask whether that person would be willing to share ideas with you about how you might achieve the same level of capability," he says. "Maybe it will grow into a long mentoring relationship, or maybe you'll just pick the person's brain for a few minutes."
Volunteer: Working with nonprofit organizations gives you the opportunity to build soft skills. And listing high-profile volunteer work on your resume gives you an excuse to point out what you gained there. For example, "As chair of the environmental committee, planned and carried out a citywide park cleanup campaign. Utilized team-building, decision-making and cooperative skills. Extensive report writing and public speaking."

What are the Most Important Soft Skills?

What are the Most Important Soft Skills?

It’s hard to judge which soft skills are most important, but this list is broadly what employers mean when they talk about good soft skills and the skills which are most likely to enable you to build constructive working relationships with others, or to be a constructive and helpful employee.

1. Communication Skills

Communication skills are always top of the ‘essential skills’ list in any job advertisement. People with strong communication skills can build relationships (from the initial building rapport through to a longer-term relationship), listen well, and vary their communication to suit the circumstances.

If you spend time on nothing else, work on your communication skills.

2. Making Decisions

Valued by employers for many reasons, being able to make decisions is key to getting on in life. Sometimes the actual decision doesn’t even matter; what matters is that you have made one and moved on.

3. Self Motivation

People who are self-motivated get on by themselves. They don’t need close supervision and they are good to work with because they are generally positive about life and can be counted upon to keep going. It also helps to work on your personal resilience and adaptability to change.

4. Leadership Skills

These are the set of soft skills that we least expect someone to develop by themselves. There are many leadership training courses available and much has been written about how to develop your leadership skills.

Our leadership skills pages describe many of the skills needed for effective leadership and how to develop your leadership style.

5.Team-Working Skills

Like leadership skills, there are many training courses to teach you how to work well in a team. However, there is also plenty of thinking to suggest that good communication skills, particularly good listening skills, together with an ability to build rapport will go a long way to support your ability to work well in a team.

6. Creativity and Problem Solving Skills

Creativity and problem-solving skills are highly valued because they are hard to develop. There are many people who believe that creative thinkers are born, not made, and there are certainly some people who find these skills much easier. But, like other skills, you can develop them if you work to do so and our pages on these topics will give you some ideas about how to do this.

7. Time Management and ability to work under pressure

Many would say that these two skills, which often go hand-in-hand, are more an attitude than a skill. However they can also be developed and honed, which is why we include them as skills. Highly valued by employers, they are also very useful for organising a family or a team, and for making sure that the job gets done.

6 soft skills everyone needs and employers look for

In a 2008 survey of more than 2,000 businesses in the state of Washington, employers said entry-level workers in a variety of professions were lacking in several areas, including problem solving, conflict resolution and critical observation.

You'll likely see these "soft skills" popping up in job descriptions, next to demands for technical qualifications. Employment experts agree that tech skills may get you an interview, but these soft skills will get you the job—and help you keep it:

Communication skills

This doesn't mean you have to be a brilliant orator or writer. It does mean you have to express yourself well, whether it's writing a coherent memo, persuading others with a presentation or just being able to calmly explain to a team member what you need.

Teamwork and collaboration

Employers want employees who play well with others—who can effectively work as part of a team. "That means sometimes being a leader, sometimes being a good follower, monitoring the progress, meeting deadlines and working with others across the organization to achieve a common goal," says Lynne Sarikas, the MBA Career Center Director at Northeastern University.

Adaptability

This is especially important for more-seasoned professionals to demonstrate, to counter the (often erroneous) opinion that older workers are too set in their ways. "To succeed in most organizations, you need to have a passion for learning and the ability to continue to grow and stretch your skills to adapt to the changing needs of the organization," Sarikas says. "On your resume, on your cover letter and in your interview, explain the ways you've continued to learn and grow throughout your career."

Problem solving

Be prepared for the "how did you solve a problem?" interview question with several examples, advises Ann Spoor, managing director of Cave Creek Partners. "Think of specific examples where you solved a tough business problem or participated in the solution. Be able to explain what you did, how you approached the problem, how you involved others and what the outcome was—in real, measurable results."

Critical observation

It's not enough to be able to collect data and manipulate it. You must also be able to analyze and interpret it. What story does the data tell? What questions are raised? Are there different ways to interpret the data? "Instead of handing your boss a spreadsheet, give them a business summary and highlight the key areas for attention, and suggest possible next steps," Sarikas advises.

Conflict resolution

The ability to persuade, negotiate and resolve conflicts is crucial if you plan to move up. "You need to have the skill to develop mutually beneficial relationships in the organization so you can influence and persuade people," Sarikas says. "You need to be able to negotiate win-win solutions to serve the best interests of the company and the individuals involved."

When it comes to soft skills, show—don't tell

How do you prove you're proficient at, say, critical observation? Demonstrating these soft skills may be more difficult than listing concrete accomplishments like $2 million in sales or a professional certification. But it is possible to persuade hiring managers that you have what they need.

To demonstrate communication skills, for example, start with the obvious. Make sure there are no typos in your resume or cover letter. Beyond that, enhance your communication credibility by writing an accomplishment statement on your resume or cover letter, says Cheryl E. Palmer, president of Call to Career. "Instead of stating, 'great oral and written communication skills,' say, 'conducted presentation for C-level executives that persuaded them to open a new line of business that became profitable within eight months.'"

Learn soft skills

The good news is that, like any skill, soft skills can be learned. The better news? Boosting your soft skills not only gives you a leg up on a new job or a promotion, but these skills also have obvious applications in all areas of a person's life, both professional and personal.

• Take a Course: Some colleges are mixing technology with areas such as effective written and verbal communication, teamwork, cultural understanding and psychology. Take a writing or public speaking course to boost your communication skills. Look for a conflict-resolution course or "leadership skills" class at your local community college.
• Seek Mentors: Be as specific as you can about your target skill, and when you're approaching a potential mentor, compliment that person with a specific example in which you've seen him practice that skill, advises Ed Muzio, the author of Make Work Great. "Then ask whether that person would be willing to share ideas with you about how you might achieve the same level of capability," he says. "Maybe it will grow into a long mentoring relationship, or maybe you'll just pick the person's brain for a few minutes."
• Volunteer: Working with nonprofit organizations gives you the opportunity to build soft skills. And listing high-profile volunteer work on your resume gives you an excuse to point out what you gained there. For example, "As chair of the environmental committee, planned and carried out a citywide park cleanup campaign. Utilized team-building, decision-making and cooperative skills. Extensive report writing and public speaking."

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