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10. LEADING A TEAM

Team Building: An Overview

What is a team?
A team is more than just a group of individuals who work together. A team is a small
number of individuals with complementary skills committed to a common purpose,
common performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves collectively
accountable.
Organizations form different teams for different purposes.
Team Type

Purpose

Organizational policy
team

Develop philosophy, policy, and direction

Task force

Implement a strategic plan for addressing a problem or an opportunity

Quality circle

Work on specific quality, productivity, and service problems

Self-directed work team

Meet together on an ongoing, daily basis to perform a whole work

process

Self-managed team

Assume management responsibilities

Tasks or situations that lend themselves to the use of a team

require a combination of knowledge, expertise, and perspective that cannot be

found in a single individual
require individuals to be highly interdependent to get their work done and achieve
a common goal
present a challenge. Building a strong performance ethic is critical to encouraging
team performance.

The benefits of teams

When teams work well, the results can be extremely powerful. They may include the
following:

LEADING A TEAM

improved performance
a more motivating environment
shared responsibility for assignments
ability to respond more quickly to changes in technology
more effective use of delegation
a shared commitment to goals
greater creativity and effectiveness in tackling problems
ability to assign tasks more flexibly
more effective decisions
improved communication
increased cross-training and development

Many of these advantages flow from the synergy of team members assembled skills and
experiences. In addition, teams tend to establish new communication processes that allow
for ongoing problem-solving. Finally, many people enjoy, and are motivated by, working
in teams. As a result, they deliver their best performance in a team setting.
Understanding How Teams Work

What do teams do?

While a teams mission and goals will clearly drive the activities it performs, any teams
work tends to follow a typical pattern. The team will

agree on an approach to the project

develop a process to complete the tasks
execute the process
evaluate and self-correct the process, depending on the results of measurement
and analysis
communicate with all parties involved
cross-train members.

The scope of team authority

Teams often have sole authority over decisions related to team operations and processes.
In addition, they may make resource decisions within a specified budget limit. Upper
management usually gets involved in decisions related to

personnel
expenditures over a given budget amount
changes in key product suppliers or service providers.
bringing in outside resources
changes in organization-wide policy or goals
choices affecting customers such as pricing and specifications
changes in the teams deliverables and schedule.
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Be sure that your team and upper management have a shared perception of what
decisions the team can make, which decisions will be made outside the group, and also
how those decisions will be communicated in a timely manner.
Characteristics of productive teams
Within the most productive teams,

the team culture engenders trust, sharing, spontaneity, and risk taking
members participate in setting specific, realistic goals. They agree with the goals
and are committed to them.
team goals are as important as individual goals
members contribute a diverse, yet appropriate, mix of skills and experiences
members clearly understand their roles and shift responsibilities as needed
the team has clearly identified norms for managing conflict
intra-team competitiveness is managed
all members feel empowered
members are honest, straightforward, supportive, and tolerant of mistakes
members are open to new ideas and perspectives, and are eager to do the right
thing
decision making is by consensus, rather than majority vote, when appropriate
decisions are made on the basis of substance, not by the style or status of the
individual proposing the idea
communication includes all members, and a range of opinions is encouraged
the team works constantly on improving its interactions as well as its
performance.

Why a team might fail

A failed team may well have completed its deliverables and met its schedule, but
nevertheless the organization may fail to make meaningful use of its contributions. Lack
of management support and weak leadership are the most frequent drivers of team failure.
Other factors include the following:

a team structure that does not fit into the larger organizational structure
a team focus limited to tasks, ignoring internal relationships
team members who do not take responsibility for themselves
a structure that is mismatched to the number of people involved
lack of a true need because individuals have independent, not interdependent,
tasks to fulfill
team members who are uncomfortable with the team development or teamwork
processes
inadequate resources to get the job done
inadequate reward systems

LEADING A TEAM

Establishing a Team

Select members
When selecting team members, try to ensure that you recruit individuals who can
contribute a complementary mix of skill sets. Look not only for those people who
currently possess the skills the team needs, but also for those who have the potential to
develop needed skills. While the ideal mix will vary depending on the teams mission, all
teams require a blend of technical/functional expertise that include

problem-solving and decision-making talents

interpersonal skills
team skills.

The optimal size for a team also depends on the teams goals and tasks. In general, small
teams (five to nine members) tend to be most effective when the teams tasks are
complex and require specific skills. Larger teams (up to 25 people) can be quite effective
if their tasks are fairly simple and straightforward and team members agree to delegate
tasks to subgroups as needed. Including an odd number of people on the team can
facilitate decision making, since "majority rules" votes will never end in ties.
Identify roles
Once you have established the teams membership, you will need to determine and/or
communicate who will fill the following key roles.

Team Leader: fosters development of the team

Team Adviser: champions the team within the organization
Facilitator: schedules and conducts team meetings
Process Observers: support the leader and facilitator in promoting team culture
Scribe or Recorder: takes minutes during team meetings.

Keep in mind that role assignments need not be permanent. You may decide to rotate
roles at certain points, or you may designate some roles to be shared by several members
throughout the project.
Create the teams goals and charter
Your team needs specific goals and deliverables around which it can focus its efforts.
These initial goals need to be realistic and, at the same time, provide team members with
a challenge to promote cooperation and collaboration. While senior management will
undoubtedly have provided you with a general purpose, working together to define your
goals more precisely can engender a sense of mission and cohesiveness in your team
from the outset.
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Similarly, creating a written charter for your team can help get it into functional readiness
more quickly. It can also serve as a focal point that helps keep the team on track
throughout the project. A team charter should capture

team mission and goals

leadership roles
identification of other teams, departments, and customers with whom the team
will need to work
measures of success
norms to guide team behavior.

Establish decision rules

Clear rules on how the teams decisions will be made will allow people to feel
comfortable with the decisions and support them.
As team leader, you need to help the team determine

who will make the decisions (team leader, team, individuals in the team)
how you will make the decisions (consensus, majority)
whether decisions are always final or, if not, what kind of modification process
there will be.

The choices of decision-making method (how) and the decision makers (who) are closely
related. Some approaches follow.
Majority rules. Team members bring input to the meeting, discuss, and then vote. The
decision that receives over 50% of the votes is adopted.
Consensus. Every member of the team must agree to adopt a decision. The team
develops new alternatives if consensus is not reached.
Small group decides. A group of individuals with relevant experience and skills is
selected to make decisions.
Leader decides with input. The team leader gathers input from team members, then
makes the decision.
In selecting a decision-making approach, your team will need to weigh some tradeoffs.
The more involved the team members are in the decision-making process, the more likely
it is that they will support the outcome. As a result, the consensus and majority rules
approaches can help build team commitment. These approaches, however, take time, and
the team may or may not have the necessary time built into its schedule. If time is an
issue, you might consider using different approaches for different types of decisions. Use
one of the "team decides" approaches to make the decisions that are the most important to
team members, and use a more streamlined approach for the rest.
Learn to operate as a team

LEADING A TEAM

To help the team learn to operate as a team, work with the team as a whole rather than
dealing with individuals on a one-on-one basis. You want the focus to be on collective
team performance versus individual achievement.
Empower team members to be active participants in the decision-making process of the
team. By doing so, you promote ownership and commitment among team members and
encourage initiative and responsibility. Empowerment fosters a working environment
based on trust and collaboration.
Some individuals may need some training to function effectively in the team setting. For
example, they may need to learn to

speak up in groups
state their own opinions
set limits and be able to say "no"
deliver constructive feedback, both positive and negative
respond to constructive criticism
make requests to authority figures; for example, stating what they need in terms of
organizational support
negotiate
take responsibility for their own actions.

Most importantly, team members will need to put the teams interests ahead of their own
individual interests. You can encourage them to do so through reward systems that make
the benefits of team performance more attractive than the benefits of individual
performance. You can also teach members how to negotiate for win-win solutions that
benefit both the team and the individual.
See also Steps.

LEADING A TEAM

Becoming an Effective Team Leader

The team leaders role
Traditional managers often take on the roles of decision maker,
delegator, director, and scheduler of the work of others. Team
leaders, on the other hand, are more like coaches. In moving
from a traditional management role to that of team leader, you
might shift the focus toward facilitating rather than directing.
You will want to rely on the expertise of others rather than
being seen as the "expert." In addition, empower others to solve
problems rather than being the problem solver. You may also consider sharing your
planning responsibilities with the team rather than creating plans yourself.
There are three important roles that a team leader generally plays on a high-performing
work team.

Initiator: beginning actions and processes that promote team development and
performance
Model: shaping behavior and performance that reflects the expectations set for
the team
Coach: serving as counselor, mentor, and tutor to help team members improve
performance

The team leader performs other tasks, such as

communicating information, policies, and work orders

guiding members in how to manage processes and evaluate results
facilitating communication between the team and other groups
encouraging process improvements and behavior that support the team culture
mediating conflicts.

Characteristics of an effective team leader

An effective team leader must

believe in the basic concept of teams and teamwork

provide direction for the team, either by setting its direction and goals or by
ensuring that the team sets goals
set clear expectations and provide feedback, both positive and negative, to support
those expectations
maintain a focus on the teams performance and development through regular
meetings and discussions.

LEADING A TEAM

LEADING A TEAM

Handling Problems

When teams get "stuck"

Teams can get "stuck" mid-project for a variety of reasons. At times, members sense of
direction may weaken, either because it was ill-defined to begin with or because members
have not continued to discuss it among themselves. There may be insufficient or unequal
commitment to the teams performance, resulting from excessive focus on team dynamics
or interpersonal conflict. Critical skill gaps may emerge, or the team may encounter
confusion, hostility, or indifference from other groups.
Fortunately, there are many actions that a leader can take to help a team get "unstuck."

Lead a team discussion that revisits its purpose, approach, and performance goals,
using the charter to illustrate. Probe for hidden assumptions and differences in
opinion, and work to resolve them.
Establish a common, immediate goal and achieve it.
Bring in new information and different perspectives from within the organization
or outside via benchmarks, case histories, interviews, or corporate visits.
Change the composition of the teams membership.

Conflict between an individual and the team

When individual behavior causes difficulty for a team, there are different approaches for
identifying and handling it. In a direct team-discussion approach, every member may
comment about every other team member regarding the following:

behavior they like

behavior that causes problems for them
how the person could behave differently
what they count on from the person for the teams success

Each team member then commits to change his or her behavior as a result of the
feedback. This approach takes time, group trust, and facilitative skills to work most
effectively.
In another approach, a facilitator and a process observer (a team member whose role is to
help maintain team relationships) meet privately with the individual who exhibits the
problem behavior. They need to

describe the specific problematic behavior

state the impact of the behavior
offer a specific alternative behavior
describe the consequences if the problem behavior continues.

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With either approach, it is often helpful to set up a "check-back" time to review progress
and support the individuals attempts to change behavior.
See also Managing Difficult Interactions: Steps.

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Evaluating Performance

Performance measures
Teams can identify a set of specific performance measures that can be used to chart their
progress toward their goals. While the type of measures used depends largely on the
specific work of the team, the following list provides samples of the types of measures
often used:

achievement of business goals for which the team is responsible

customer satisfaction
cost of production
quality of product or service
profits
delivery time
downtime in hours
reply time to customers

Factors in evaluating performance

Traditional performance evaluation is most often oriented toward results or output. The
primary difference in evaluating team performance is that, while results are still critical,
the way in which the team achieves those results is also important. The collaborative
process used to achieve results is an important measure of team performance. Given that,
the performance factors listed below are divided into two equally important categories:
results and process.
Results factors:

achievement of team goals

customer satisfaction
quantity of work completed
job knowledge and skills acquired

Process factors:

support of team process and commitment to the team

level of participation and leadership
oral and written communication within and on behalf of the team
collaboration
conflict resolution
planning and goal setting
participative, win-win decision making
problem solving and application of analytical skills
level of credibility and trust
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adherence to agreed-upon processes and procedures

application of project management skills (for example, budgeting and scheduling)
building and sustaining interpersonal relationships
willingness to change and take risks
individual and team learning

See also Assessing Performance: Steps.

Evaluation methods
There are many different approaches available for measuring your teams success. They
vary widely in complexity, cost, and time required. You should consider a more elaborate
method for a team whose mission is extensive and will have a significant impact on
organizational performance; for teams with narrower missions, simpler methods can still
provide a great deal of learning. The methods include

benchmarking against other similar teams in similar organizations

evaluating the teams progress against original goals and schedules
observation of the team by an outside consultant
encouraging regular, informal team discussions to assess the teams functioning
project debriefing sessions to identify what did and did not go well and how this
learning can help future projects.

Reviewing the performance of individual team members

An individual team member actually performs a number of roles, for example, as an
individual contributor, as a member of the team, and as a member of the larger
organization. Thus, in reviewing performance, it is helpful to combine at least a couple of
the following methods to address performance in each of those roles:

Peer rating. Team members assess each others contributions.

Customer satisfaction rating. Internal and external customers rate the
performance of the team and of the individual members.
Self-appraisal. Each team member rates his or her own performance.
Team leader review. You, as the team leader or the supervisor, evaluate each
individuals performance.
Management review. Department heads or managers of the team leaders
evaluate individual and team performance.

Guidelines for team reward systems

Teams, like individuals, are motivated by rewards. A carefully designed reward system
can be an important driver of your teams success. In creating the reward system, be sure
to

emphasize the group, not the individuals

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offer rewards not only at the end of a project but also at strategic milestones
consider carefully who should give out the rewards
decide what to do about members who leave or join the team mid-project.

There are many ways to reward team accomplishments without spending money. Figure
out what kinds of rewards will be meaningful to the team as a whole. Be creative. For
example,

announce team accomplishments at larger, organizational meetings

ask team members to serve as consultants to other teams
place notes in the personnel files of individual team members
send the team a handwritten personal note in recognition of a task well done

empower the team with greater freedom and authority to make decisions.

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STEPS
1. Steps for Starting a Team

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Create a strategic focus.

Identify the teams purpose, its authority, and its duration.
Select members carefully.
Set early and realistic goals.
Define the measures of success.
Clarify the roles and responsibilities within and around the team.
Create a charter for the team.

1. Create a strategic focus.

The focus for any team must incorporate the vision and values of the larger
organization of which the team is a part.
A team must know what the organization as a whole is trying to accomplish and
must understand the business goals, strategies, and values as well as the criteria
for success that are important to upper management.
Based on a clear strategic focus, the team has a solid framework for managing its
own performance.

2. Identify the teams purpose, its authority, and its duration.

Most teams are formed with a specific purpose in mind, whether it be a particular
project, process, or service.
Knowing the teams purpose is critical to helping members work together more
effectively.
If appropriate, teams must be empowered to make and implement decisions, and
team members must be aware of the extent of their authority. Sometimes teams
only give recommendations; they have no official authority nor do they
implement decisions.
Finally, teams must have a timeline toward which to direct their activities. While
some teams are limited by time, others may exist on a more open-ended schedule
but would still need deliverables executed according to a specific schedule.

3. Select members carefully.

When you are given the opportunity to start a team from the ground up, design
your selection process carefully.
Identify individuals with the qualities, experience, and knowledge you need to
accomplish the teams tasks and select its members based on these dimensions.
Consider how membership might provide a development experience for a specific
person.
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See also Delegating: Steps.

4. Set early and realistic goals.

As the team is forming, it needs specific goals and deliverables around which it
can focus its efforts.
Initial goals need to be realistic and at the same time provide team members with
a challenge to promote cooperation and collaboration.
Goals can evolve and change as the team develops confidence and achieves early
successes.

5. Define the measures of success.

Teams should identify a set of specific performance measures that can be used to chart
the teams progress toward its goals. While the type of measures used depends largely on
the specific work of the team, the following list provides some typical examples.

achievement of business goals for which the team is responsible

customer satisfaction
cost of production
quality of product or service
profits
delivery time
downtime in hours
reply time to customers

6. Clarify the roles and responsibilities within and around the team.

An essential ingredient to team development is clear identification of team roles

and responsibilities.
One way to accomplish this is to develop a matrix that outlines key team
responsibilities and then assign all members to specific roles, responsibilities, and
priorities.

7. Create a charter for the team.

Creating a written charter for your team early on can help get it into functional readiness
more quickly. The issues a team charter should address include

team mission and goals

leadership roles
identification of other teams, departments, and customers with whom the team
will need to work
measures of success
norms to guide team behavior.

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2. Steps for Leading an Effective Team

1. Lead your team with a clearly defined purpose.

2. Empower team members to participate in determining how to achieve the teams
goals.
3. Build consensus within the team.
4. Direct the teams process to stay focused on agreed-upon goals.
1. Lead your team with a clearly defined purpose.

A team is typically given a clearly defined purpose at its outset. By leading with a
purpose, you can set challenging, optimistic, and realistic goals that will motivate
your teams performance.
The teams goals provide an immediate focus while fitting into the companys
larger, strategic goals.
Be sure to publicize the goals, and work with your team to establish milestones to
indicate progress toward those goals.
Acknowledge and celebrate achievement of team goals.

2. Empower team members to participate in determining how to achieve the

teams goals.

Give your team the authority it needs to participate in making decisions about
how the teams goals will be achieved.
Use consensus, as opposed to majority vote, to come to team decisions whenever
possible.
Encourage team members to solve problems that are within their realm of
expertise.
Keep an open mind in seeking out the opinions and ideas of team members.
Provide positive reinforcement to team members for their participation.

See also Delegating: Core Concepts.

3. Build consensus within the team.

Assume team members will encounter conflict and assist them in working through
it.
Encourage sharing of diverse ideas and opinions, and help move the team toward
general agreement.
Once agreement has been reached, empower the team to act on its decision.

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4. Direct the teams process to stay focused on agreed-upon goals.

Be clear about expectations and directions.

Intervene when necessary to keep the team on track, or support them in how they
plan to self-correct.
Maintain a neutral stance during any team conflict.
Recommend alternative processes to help the team move toward its goals.

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TIPS
1. Tips for Selecting Team Members

Recruit individuals who can contribute a complementary mix of skill sets (project
management expertise, financial skills, systems knowledge, etc.).
Look for individuals with specific problem-solving and decision-making talents.
Describe your teams goals to your manager and your colleagues and ask whom
they would recommend.
Ask potential candidates what team experience they have. Make sure that you
include some individuals who have experience with teams.
Avoid selecting the individual who is always picked for high-level teams,
especially those with a long life-cycle. Look instead for someone who will view
this as an opportunity to combine skills and talents with others.

2. Tips for Building Team Performance

Establish an urgent and worthwhile purpose and a clear direction.

Select team members on the basis of their knowledge, experience, and skills, not
on their personalities.
Be alert to what happens in the first meetings, including actions taken.
Set clear rules of behavior.
Establish immediate performance-oriented tasks and goals.
Keep providing new facts and information to create a challenge.
Use positive feedback, recognition, and rewards.

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TOOLS
Harvard ManageMentor LEADING A TEAM TOOLS

Worksheet for Forming a Team

Team Purpose

Expected Activities

Intended Results

Available Resources

Constraints

Necessary Skills and Qualities

Team Members

Extent of Decision-Making Authority (e.g., Recommend or Implement)

Duration

1998 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and its licensors. All rights reserved.

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Harvard ManageMentor LEADING A TEAM TOOLS

Checklist for Evaluating Whether a Group Is a Team

Assess whether a group working together is indeed a team. Read the questions below and check off your
answer.
Question

Yes

1. Is the group small enough in number to convene and communicate easily, to have open, interactive
discussion, and to understand members roles and responsibilities?
2. Do you have adequate levels of complementary skills in functional or technical areas, in problem
solving and decision making, and in interpersonal capabilities?
3. Do you have a broad, meaningful purpose that all team members are committed to?
4. Do you have a set of agreed-upon performance goals?
5. Is the approach to doing the work clear and shared, making use of all team members skills?
6. Do team members hold themselves individually and jointly accountable as measured against specific
goals?
1998 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and its licensors. All rights reserved.

20

No

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Harvard ManageMentor LEADING A TEAM TOOLS

Checklist for Assessing a Teams Performance

Answer each question to identify areas in which a team may need to improve.
Question

Yes

1. Does the team have written statements for a vision, values, mission or purpose, structure, roles, and
goals?
2. Does the team have a charter?
3. Has the charter been reviewed for relevance?
4. Are there clear, common, current goals?
5. Are there action plans to meet those goals?
6. Have roles been defined?
7. Are roles habitually rotated or are the same few people doing all the work?
8. Has the team defined its rules?
9. Does the team regularly review compliance with its rules?
10. Are there patterns of high and low participation by team members?
11. Are tasks equally shared?
12. Does the team run its meetings well (agenda, priorities, time frames, decision making, timeliness) and
at regularly scheduled intervals?
13. Have team members been cross-trained?
14. Is communication open, honest, and direct?
15. Do team members give each other constructive feedback?
16. Does the team check its authority to make each decision?
17. Does the team achieve consensus on decisions?
18. In solving problems, is the team open to new ideas?
19. Does the team use sound problem-solving methods?
20. Does the team take responsibility for instituting, modifying, and implementing its processes?
21. Does the team have a method for handling conflicts constructively?
22. Are team members clear about the benefits of being on the team?
23. Has training continued beyond the initial team-training period?
24. Does the team assess its needs for refresher training?

21

No

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Harvard ManageMentor LEADING A TEAM TOOLS

Checklist for Assessing Your Teams Goals

Use the checklist below to assess characteristics of your teams goals. Read the questions below and check off
your answer.
Question

Yes

No

1. Did the team jointly create its goals?

2. Has the team translated its purpose into specific and measurable performance goals (for example,
Respond to all customers within 24 hours.)?
3. Are they team goals rather than organizational goals or just one persons goals (for example, yours)?
4. Does meeting the goals require the contribution of every team member?
5. Are the goals clear?
6. Are the goals simple?
7. Are the goals realistic?
8. Are the goals ambitious?
9. Can the goals be measured?
If the goals cannot be measured, can you and your colleagues determine when you have achieved
them?
10. Do the goals measure the teams cross-functional purpose?
11. Do all team members agree with the way in which the goals will be measured?
12. Do the goals provide clear yardsticks for team accountability?
13. Are the teams goals prioritized?
14. Is the priority of those goals clear to and agreed-upon by all team members?
15. Do all team members understand the goals?
16. Do all team members explain the goals in the same way?
17. Do all team members agree with the goals?
18. Do the goals allow for small wins along the way?
19. Do these small wins or benchmarks reflect critical points in the path toward the teams goals?
20. Do the goals add real value to the companys results?
A highly effective team is likely to answer yes to most or all of these questions.
If you answered no to any of these questions, the team may want to discuss the issue and how it may be affecting the team. Changing or refining
the teams goals may lead to better performance.

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Harvard ManageMentor LEADING A TEAM TOOLS

Checklist for Evaluating Yourself as a Team Leader

To evaluate yourself as a team leader, answer these questions. Your answers will help to pinpoint areas of
improvement that may lead to better leadership.
Question

Always

1. Do you facilitate effective team decision making?

2. Do you work with the team to determine work assignments?
3. Do you help the team evaluate itself?
4. Do you ensure that the team is accountable for its work?
5. Do you do real work beyond decision making, delegating, and agenda setting?
6. Do you put team results ahead of personal achievement?
7. Are you able to strike a balance between doing things yourself and letting other people do them?
8. Do you promote constructive conflict?
9. Do you help the team resolve conflicts and problems in a positive and constructive way?
10. Do you widen your perspective to help the team clarify its purpose, goals, and approach?
11. Do you avoid actions that unnecessarily limit team members?
12. Do you constantly challenge the team to sharpen its common purpose, goals, and approach?
13. Do you build trust in team members by acting in concert with the team and its purpose?
14. Do you create opportunities for team members, sometimes at your own expense?
15. Do you explain the teams purpose and act to promote and share responsibility for it?
16. Do you think about and describe your role in team terms instead of individual or hierarchical
terms?
17. Are you a champion for the team? For example, do you fight for the resources that the team
needs, promote the teams best interests in dealings with the company, and have an undying
belief in the project?
18. Do you identify and act to remove barriers for the team?
19. Do you accept team failures rather than blaming other people?
20. Do you accept performance shortfalls and find solutions to address them, rather than excusing
them by pointing to things outside of your control?
21. Does your attitude reflect dependence on the team?
22. Do you see when your actions could hinder the team?
23. Do you believe that you do not have all the answers?
24. Are you able to give up command and control to help the team perform better?
25. Are you able to change your leadership style as the team develops?
26. Do you wholeheartedly believe in the team's purpose and in the people on the team?
27. Are you able to strike a balance between too much control and too little guidance?
28. Are you able to strike a balance between making tough decisions and letting others make them?
29. Are you patient while the team talks about its purpose, goals, and approach?
30. Do you encourage team members to take risks needed for growth and development?

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Often

Rarely

Never

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31. Do you challenge team members by shifting work assignments so that the same members are not
always responsible for the same types of work?
32. Do you challenge team members by shifting role patterns so that the same members are not
always assuming the same types of roles?

The leader of a highly effective team is likely to answer always or often to most of these questions.
If you answered rarely or never to any questions, you might want to think about the issue that the question implies
and about ways in which you might be inhibiting team performance. Brainstorm ways you can get help; for example, if
you think its appropriate, consider asking for guidance from the manager to whom the team reports. Or, think about
whether other managers or executives, or your peers, can help. You might also consider asking the team for guidance.
1998 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and its licensors. All rights reserved.

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LEADING A TEAM

Harvard ManageMentor LEADING A TEAM TOOLS

Role Clarification Worksheet

Ask each team member to complete the worksheet. Responses can be compared as part of a team discussion
about roles.
1. List roles/responsibilities of each team member:
Team Member Name

Roles/Responsibilities

2. Roles or specific areas of responsibility which are unclear:

Aspects of my role which are unclear:

Aspects of others roles which are unclear:

3. Roles which overlap or conflict:

4. Roles which should be shared within the team:

5. Additional roles or responsibilities which should be assumed by the team:

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