The 5 Myths of Work Teams

True or False?

1. Teams take too long before they produce something

2. Teams that jump right into the project are usually successful.

3. A happy team = an effective team

4. A team should not worry about selling itself.

5. Conflict is a sign of team meltdown.

The Truth about Team Development

Over the years, many myths have developed about the team approach within organizations. The following is an overview of some of those myths and the truth about them.

Teams take too long before they produce something.

False.  There is an assumption that all teams go through several stages--Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing--and that until the team enters the Performing stage, no actual work on the product is achieved.  “Real world” research on group development, however, does not support that theory. We simply cannot predict how a group of individuals will jell. We do know, however, that there are structures that increase the likelihood that a group will jell quickly and get to work. I will discuss those structures in future articles.

Teams that jump right into the project are usually successful.

False.  Unfortunately, when teams do not examine how they will get the work done, discuss the nature of the project, or agree on the importance of certain work philosophies, they wind up wasting time. Research reveals that when teams consider the process of getting their work done before starting on the assigned task, complete the task quicker and with higher quality than teams that jump in “with arms and elbows flying.”

A happy team = an effective team

False.  While it is true that a necessary element of team effectiveness is member satisfaction, that same focus can wreck havoc if the norms (the unwritten rules that guide the team behavior) are unsuited to the task. While the team members may be happy, they may also be unsuccessful. 

A team should not worry about selling itself.

False.  The more those in power believe or perceive the “goodness” of the team, the more the requisite funds and resources will continue to flow.   The degree to which other departments are aware of a team’s activities, determines the success of a team in accomplishing its objectives. This communication of progress initiated by the team is not limited to reports and memos, but should include promoting the team’s members as well as “selling” the team’s capabilities, and its successes, thus ensuring the continued funding of the team.

If a team sees the task of promoting and selling itself as irrelevant, it may find that its resource pool will dry up prior to completing its objectives.

Conflict is a sign of team meltdown

False.  The “good” news about teams is that they are composed of members who bring varied viewpoints and experience. The “bad” news is that because of these differences, conflict is a natural outgrowth.  And because we tend to perceive conflict as a “bad” thing, when it surfaces in team activity, we try to make it go away. When conflicts are buried early in the development process, then uncovered later, it may be too late to resolve them, resulting in a team’s demise.

However, it is this diversity of knowledge that is the team’s strength, and this strength can only be utilized if all points of view are allowed to be brought forward, questioned, and tested in a highly energized interpersonal environment. If the team has spent the necessary time building a strong foundation, it will be able to incorporate these points of view, or even create an entirely new course of action to overcome the challenge. Conflict is not the issue; rather it is how the team deals with and uses conflict that is key.