It’s said that there’s strength in numbers, that a group will always be able to accomplish what an individual cannot, but have you wondered why many group decisions often lead to the most dire economic, political, or financial catastrophes in the modern world?

1. Is Your Team making You sick?
5 surefire remedies for bad teamwork blues

2. “Strength in numbers” is a popular saying but not universally true

3. If it was, then why do teams composed of equally
talented, intelligent, creative, business-savvy people fail
anyway?

4. One would think that having all that skill at the same table
would be the surefire key to success

5. But many times it isn’t.

6. Luckily for us, a great body of research is shedding light
into the dynamics of a well-run team

7. And is showing us how combat those teamwork blues

8. 1. Dive Into the Idea Pool

9. The biggest strength of a team is that each member
brings a unique viewpoint to the table

10. But each individual perspective has the potential to be overthrown
by the opinion of one dominant member or the majority of the
group

11. Remedy: Before anything else, have each member write
down and share their initial thoughts and ideas before any
group work happens

12. 2. Test Drive Your Team

13. Just because a task calls for a team effort doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t pay attention to each individual

14. Because a group of talented individuals
doesn’t necessarily equal a team that works
well

15. “being known as a problem
solver is a good thing. But
when people start looking
at you to put out their
fires… that is different. They
will keep coming back and
you will soon be an
expected service.
Remedy: Find members who score higher in “social
sensitivity,” or the ability to read people’s emotions

16. 3. Mix Up Membership

17. In general, a team that has performed well together in
the past will also perform well in the future

18. But this scenario makes a team
prone to “groupthink”

19. Groupthink occurs when the desire for a harmonious
group dynamic results in incorrect and inappropriate
decision-making

20. Remedy: Periodically infuse your team with fresh blood.
This will also lead to a sustained level of creativity and
innovation

21. 4. Throw a Pre-mortem Party

22. Many teams fail because members become isolated
and inward-looking

23. Make sure that your team is always aware of how external
factors can affect the work plan or work flow

24. Remedy: A pre-mortem is a form of “ritualized dissent,” in which
individual members are asked to visualize the project as having
already failed, analyze why, and come up with solutions

25. 5. Be On the Clock

26. Don’t forget that the time your team spends
together isn’t free

27. Because the time your best people spend talking, planning,
and brainstorming is time they spend NOT executing

28. Remedy: Make sure your meetings begin and end on time.
Meetings held standing up instead of sitting down are also found
to be 34% shorter on average

29. So if your team has been making you want to call in sick

30. These easy remedies should be just what you need

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