This is our conceptual model that includes the components that are needed to create a successful team. These components include communication, diversity, positivity, purpose, embracing challenges, and empowerment. Each component plays an important role in the creation and sustainability of an effective team.
As our group discussed what attributes to include within our conceptual model, we found that communication was most important. As we continued our research we discovered the profound impact good and bad communication has on a team. In the article, The New Science of Building Great Teams, the author, Alex Pentland, explains in detail the extreme impact that communication has on the outcome of a team’s success. When comparing the many aspects of a team in regards to the team’s overall success, teams who exhibited increased communication outperform other groups who have less communication, even when those teams have greater individual performers on the team (Pentland 63). This means that the factor of greater communication weighs more in the overall success of a team rather than the strengths of the individual members who may have greater skills or knowledge. As presented in the article, greater communication also closely relates to the empowerment and positivity of group members. As shared by the author, multiple studies by MIT on communication showed that when members of a group showed greater communication between members, both verbally and non verbally, engagement and empowerment of individual members greatly increased (Pentland 64). The author explained that when members of a group show greater verbal communication enticed with positive non-verbal body language and gestures, members feel more engaged and fell more of a sense of purpose within the team. As portrayed in the article, increased sense of purpose, which we found to be another important leadership aspect of what it takes to build a successful team, contributed directly to the energy within the member’s work, and the positivity within the group’s communication (Pentland 64). This aspect of communication was key because it allowed the team to further their overall output and success.
After further discussion and research, our team concluded diversity to be another key aspect involved in building a successful team. In the article The Science Of Building A Great Team written by Alex Pentland, Pentland examines that as open and positive communication increases within a team, the power of diversity can thrive in creating a more successful team (Pentland). The author goes on to explain that when a team promotes communication, openness, and confidence within a group, individual team members offer more of their input from aspects that are more likely to be diverse from their fellow team members. Open communication promotes members of a team to engage and share their ideas, unafraid of negative feedback or judgment. With less fear of judgment, members are more likely to think freely and confidently, as well as share out their ideas for feedback and to contribute to the team’s objectives. Pentland goes on to explain that with diversity, a team is able to explore more complex ideas in order to find powerful solutions to problems (Pentland). The article states that a greater variety of viewpoints often introduces many more possible aspects to a problem and encourages different problem-solving techniques which leads to finding new, innovative solutions. Diversity relates strongly to the successful team aspect of communication and empowerment. This is because utilizing both open communication and individual empowerment attributes improves the ability to let diversity thrive within a team, and thus provide more diverse solutions for greater team output and success.
Our next concept within our conceptual model is positivity. This attribute was included because within the article Positive Intelligence, the author, Shawn Achor, states that research suggests those that have a positive mindset are more productive, creative and engaged within their work (Achor, S). Positivity can create a different environment for a team, whether that be on an individual level for each member of the team, or for the group as a whole. With a positive work environment, teams are more likely to perform better and embrace challenges. Achor states that businesses who encourage positive attitudes improve their bottom line (Achor, S). To further this statement, Achor explains that happy employees have, on average, 31% higher productivity, 37% higher sales, and are three times more creative (Achor, S). This supports that teams with positive environments are more productive and team members are more dependable. Continuing, Achor acknowledges that a positive social support network is one of the most effective ways to maintain a positive mindset (Achor, S). This social support network can often be a team. When a team has a positive environment, members will be more likely to maintain an individual positive mindset, which in turn creates a greater support for other members and concludes in creating a more productive, engaging and positive environment for the team. Along with this increase in productivity and engagement, positivity can also aid in communication, and motivation. A positive environment often encourages members to communicate more effectively, as the positivity creates a more supportive environment. This support reassures team members that they can speak freely without judgment or ridicule. This support also allows team members to be more motivated, as they feel happy to be a part of a positive, dependable and supportive team.
Another concept of the conceptual model is purpose. In order to have a cohesive group and project, a team must have a common purpose with shared goals. Finding a common purpose is not always simple, however, a team must have specific goals in order to be successful and embrace challenges. Within the article, Building High-Performance Teams, it is stated that employees want to be successful as individuals, therefore, they want the organization or team they are a part of to be successful as well. Team members are stakeholders who want to do well on a project because they know the potential benefit to themselves, as well as the benefit to their company (Dubin, H). Because of this determination for individual success, most employees embrace the purpose of their team or organization. However, if a team cannot appear to find a common goal or purpose, teams should use the desire to advance the company and advance other team members as a catalyst to create a united front and a common goal. Another way to create a common purpose for a team is by finding a challenge that needs to be overcome. The article Building High Performance Teams explains that breakthrough performance may be less about individual team members and more about motivating people towards a clear, but seemingly impossible challenge (Dubin, H). Many teams are able to find a clear purpose for a team by uniting over a challenge and embracing this challenge as their common goal. Overall, the purpose of the group is what brings the team members together and encourages them to embrace challenges and take on group and individual responsibilities.
Next in our conceptual model is the component of embracing challenges. This aspect was included because teams that allow themselves to take risks are the teams that are more likely to be innovative and successful. This is described in the Building High-Performance Teams article, which states that challenge and risk will move organizations forward because it leaves teams with no option but to see things from a new perspective. These challenges can lead teams to embrace each other’s diversity as they create innovative solutions which lead to otherwise impossible outcomes (Dubin, H). If teams are not willing to take risks and embrace challenge, then their results will just be satisfactory, as they do not think outside the box to take the final product to the next level. Another important aspect about embracing challenges involves the wrong assumption that teams need “the right people” for every project. The Building High Performance Teams article suggests that worrying too much about finding the perfect individual team members hinders their ability to take on and experience challenge. This inability often leads to unsuccessful outcomes (Dubin, H). The team members themselves and their individual skills are not as important as how the team can collectively come together to confront challenges and their tasks. Once a team shows their ability to take on risks and challenges while producing successful results, others will want to be a part of the team. The Building High-Performance Teams article claims that when you have successful results, the skepticism and resistance will recede and be replaced by people wanting to join in on the success (Dubin, H). Not only will the team thrive, but the rest of your peers and the organization encourage this mindset of embracing challenge.
The last component in our conceptual model is empowerment. It is important that each team member feels empowered within a team and within their work. The OB text uses the word autonomy to express this sense of empowerment. It states that when an employee is given autonomy, they view the finished product as a result of their personal efforts, therefore, feeling empowered in their work (Colquitt, J. A. , Lepine, J. A., & Wesson, M. J). Because team members view the outcomes as a product of their efforts, autonomy often increases job satisfaction and leads to the creation of a more productive and responsible team members in the future. In the article Creating Sustainable Performance by Gretchen Spreitzer and Christine Porath, they explain that employees are often more determined in their work if they are given the ability to make decisions that affect their work. Empowering employees in this way provides them the opportunity to feel like they have a say in the final outcome. This increases team members involvement, as they are invested in the team’s purpose, goals and success, and often introduce new ideas, improve standard processes and embrace challenges (Spreitzer, G. & Porath, C.). This empowerment also encourages employees to embrace learning opportunities. Empowered team members are more open to learning and improving their skills and abilities, so they are able to make more of an impact within the team and final product. Because of this openness, empowerment also enhances communication within teams.
Each of these components is extremely important to the creation of a successful team. Throughout our experiences within groups, these aspects were found to be the most helpful while working within a team. With these components in mind, we were able to formulate and sustain a successful group while creating this conceptual model and designing this website.
How To Create A Successful Team 