3. Process Variables.

 

The final category to team effectiveness is process variables, which are events that influence this effectiveness. These are especially true in larger teams.

 

Common Plan and Purpose

Effective teams begin by analyzing the team´s mission, developing goals to achieve that mission, and creating strategies for achieving the goals. Teams that establish a clear sense of what needs to be done and how consistently perform better.

 

Effective teams also show reflexivity, meaning they reflect on and adjust their master plan when necessary. A team has to have good plan, but it also has to be willing and able to adapt when conditions call for it.

 

Specific Goals

Successful teams translate their common purpose into specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals. Specific goals facilitate clear communication. They also help teams maintain their focus on getting results.

 

Team Efficacy

Effective teams have confidence in themselves, they believe they can succeed. We call this team efficacy. Teams that have been successful raise their beliefs about future success, which, in turn, motivates them to work harder.

 

Mental Models

Effective teams share accurate mental models - knowledge and beliefs about how the work gets done. If team members have the wrong mental models, which is particularly likely with teams under acute stress, their performance suffers.

 

Conflict Levels

Conflict on a team is not necessarily bad. Relationship conflicts - those based on interpersonal incompatibilities and tension toward others are almost always dysfunctional. However, on teams performing non routine activities, disagreements among members about task content, called task conflict stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.

 

Social Loafing

Individuals can engage in social loafing and coast on the group´s effort because their particular contributions can´t be identified. Effective teams undermine this tendency by making members individually and jointly accountable for the team´s purpose, goals, and approach.