Deputy Director, HR-Services Department
Captain Wrongel once said, "As you name the boat, so shall it float". No better words can be used to describe a team. A team always functions based on how it is built. Any mistakes in setting up a project team may cost you loss of resources, personnel, or the project itself. The following are the most insidious of them:
Improper role distribution
Each team must have at least three members with different roles: driver, guardian and integrator. Driver is the team's mastermind. The driver generates new tools and develops tasks along with the best methods of execution. However, practice shows that this type of people is just not ready to implement their own ideas.
"Drivers" lack patience and focus poorly on a task. They typically lose enthusiasm when performing routine work. Therefore, a driver must be supported by integrator – a team member willing to work long and hard to turn plans into reality. This member is open to monotonous tasks, and does not shy away from routine. However, conflicts may break out between the pair. Therefore, a third member of the team is needed – the guardian. Guardian plays a role of a peacemaker, able to get some perspective on work processes, weigh arguments of both sides and adopt a decision that will lead everyone to success. The most important thing is for the team to agree that in case of conflict, this person's decision shall be final and cannot be further disputed.
Personal conflicts
Imagine you have two great specialists in your company who could create a whole new world together. What's keeping you from teaming them up? However if these two persons have already taken dislike to each other, their cooperation is unlikely going to benefit your organisation. As a result the project may last for years while you are busy resolving endless disputes and removing spokes from somebody’s wheels. Such partnership can hardly be described as successful.
Out-of-place motivation
Look again at the motivation system within your organisation. Do you encourage teamwork or each employee's individual performance? If employees are focused on obtaining personal benefits, they will always pull the blanket over themselves, embellishing their own results and underestimating their colleagues' achievements. Instead of promoting teamwork, the team will be caught up in endless conflicts. As a result you risk losing both the project and valuable employees.
Distribute goals among your employees. For example, you can allocate specific tasks to each member of the team and award employees bonuses only if they complete the overall plan by at least 85%. This will undoubtedly motivate everyone to increase their productivity, as they realise that they are personally responsible for other members of the team.
Of course, there is always a risk that once they discover that all team members will receive the same award anyway, employees may lose motivation. You can try to solve this issue by monitoring each employee's performance. For example, you may agree initially with an employee that he or she is supposed to process at least eight requests from potential customers in a month. You can also sign SLA with the employees for a number of errors if they work in production department.
Source: https://hr-tv.ru/articles/glavnye-oshibki-pri-formirovanii-komandy.html
