Avoiding Common Team Traps

There are a number of traps that teams can fall into as they collaborate on any project. Some of the more common traps that should be avoided by any team are:

* Not publishing an agenda for all meetings and not following them.

* Expecting every team member to agree on all points all the time.

* Not meeting on a regular basis.

* Not meeting at a time that’s good for all team members.

* Having the team leaders or just a few members bear the brunt of the work.

* Allowing meetings to run over the allotted time.

* Not holding team members accountable for their assignments.

* Not providing the resources necessary for members to do their jobs.

* Avoiding conflict at all costs. Disagreements can actually challenge the team to do better.

* Trying to tackle too many problems at one meeting.

* Not updating the team on the progress of the work.

* Forgetting to recognize the accomplishment of the team and its members.

* When you have a team, it needs to be nurtured and so that it can flourish rather than flounder.