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In personal relationships, you most often select those individuals you want to spend time with. At your company, someone else typically decides whom you will work with, when, and on what projects; yet your livelihood depends on your being able to work well with others. Tight schedules and deadlines can make anyone frazzled at times. But the lack of a system to effectively use each employee's work styles and strengths can cause poor working relationships.

The next time you're asked to participate on a project with others, consider this as your checklist prompter. Ask to have a project kickoff session with your team before you begin. Here's what to cover: 

  -  What will be the primary objectives of this group?

   -   If group members were selected based on general availability, how will each participant's skill set be assessed to maximize group efforts?

   -   Will one's personal style be considered in weighing who does what?

-         -   How will jobs within the group be selected?

-         -   How will people learn about their responsibilities and share what they are doing with everyone else?

-         -   How will communications within the group be handled and how often?

-         -   What are the expectations of the leader(s) of the group? 

-         -   What are the expectations of leaders within the company that may be part of the group's feedback loop?

-         -   Once the leader(s) within the group have a basic project outline they agree on, what format will be used to discuss and finalize the workable plan for the group?

-         -   What is the timeline for the project?

-         -   What kind of tracking process will be used to monitor results within the group?

-         -   How will the group handle actions not getting done or done incorrectly?

-         -   How often will the group meet as a whole?

-         -   Who is the group directly reporting to and how will those status updates be made and by whom?

-         -   Does the company clearly understand the group objectives and have a copy of your strategic plan?

-         -   What kind of feedback is anticipated from management and how will the group handle this?    

 -      -   What type of rewards/acknowledgments will be shared along the way and at completion?

A    As humans, we naturally select, sort and interpret people and information. This intuitive ability can be useful. However, it also causes us to quickly draw conclusions that inhibit our openness to consider new perspectives, i.e., John might be more eager to add commentary if he’d received the outline for the meeting in advance, rather than assuming his lack of speaking up is due to his disinterest.

The authors of Groups, Process and Practice discuss the working stage of groups, “characterized by the commitment of members to explore significant problems…” and “…their attention to the dynamics within the group.” Until each employee recognizes the value of improving their human relation skills, including the use of pre-planned work processes, employees will blame other team members for poor results and their own dissatisfaction.

Not everyone on a team project will share your leadership and commitment for improving work relationships.  Often people will put up with difficult team members and their low productivity and silently suffer the general lack of team spirit. Those who lack your skills on organizing a team project can be buoyed by your enthusiasm and knowledge of this more effective, proven approach if you carefully pose this as a possible working strategy rather than expect they will agree to use it.

If styles and strengths are assessed and acknowledged for how they will be used upfront, then group members will feel their individual talents contribute to the team's objectives.  If everyone receives clear information on their work assignments, regular checkpoints are established to track and support progress, and employees are recognized for their efforts, then they will be more willing to actively collaborate on this and future team projects.