Module

on
Team Building

Training & Organizational Development Dept

AMAN Group Ltd
ED-TOD Page 1 10/4/2025
 Table of Contents
Sl. # Particulars Page
#

ED-TOD Page 2 10/4/2025

 Chapter-01
Understanding Team - What is a Team?
Let us first go through a simple real life situation.

Mr. “X” was working as a key accounts head with a leading advertising firm. He had four
members reporting to him. Unfortunately he always under estimated his team members and
fought with them constantly. He could never trust them and always thought they were incapable
of doing good work. One fine day, he got some major assignment from one of his clients which
was to be submitted within two working days. He decided to do it all alone as he thought nobody
else could do it apart from him. Mr. “X” could never submit his assignment on the required day
and received good criticism from his superiors. His organization also lost one of their major and
prestigious clients.

Why do you think Mr. “X” failed? Why could he not complete his assignment on time?

Here comes the importance of a team. Had Mr. “X” taken the help of his team members, he
would have finished his assignment on time and everyone would have appreciated him.

An individual cannot perform all tasks on his own. He needs the support as well as guidance
of others to be excellent in whatever he does. Complex goals can easily be accomplished if
individuals work together as a team.

What is a team?

A team is a group of individuals, all working together for a common purpose. The
individuals comprising a team ideally should have common goals, common objectives and
more or less think on the same lines. Individuals who are not compatible with each other can
never form a team. They should have similar if not the same interests, thought processes,
attitude, perception and likings.

Difference between Group and Team

A group is not necessarily a team. A group can have individuals with varied interests,
attitude as well as thought processes. It is not necessary that the group members would have a
common objective or a common goal to achieve.

What happens in a political rally ? The political leader appeals to the individuals to cast the votes
in his favour only. Do you think all of them would cast the votes in favour of the leader? There
would always be some individuals who would support his opponent. This is example of a group.
All individuals gathered on a common platform but had dissimilar interests and likings. Some
were in favour of the leader while some against.

A team must have individuals with a common objective to achieve. They should all work
together and strive towards the achievement of a common goal.

ED-TOD Page 3 10/4/2025

What happens in a cricket team?

All the players have a common focus and a common objective. Everyone, the captain, the
wicketkeeper, the bowlers, the fielders all work together to achieve a common target i.e. win the
game. No one ever thinks of losing the game.

It is not only the individuals who form a team; even animals can constitute a team. Go to any hill
station and one can spot many horses all working for a common goal i.e. Carry people to the hill
top and bring them back.

Team members

The team members must complement each other. All team members should help each other and
work in unison. Personal interests must take a back seat and all of them must deliver their level
best to achieve the team objective. Team members must not argue among themselves or
underestimate the other member.

Organizations have a sales team, administration team, human resources team operation team and
so on. All the members of the sales team would work together to achieve the sales target and
generate revenues for the organization.

Team Size

The team size depends on the complexity of the task to be accomplished. Ideally a team should
consist of 7-10 members. Too many members also lead to confusions and misunderstandings.

It is not always that we require a team. Teams should be formed when the task is a little
complicated. A single brain can sometimes not take all critical decisions alone, thus a team is
formed where the team members contribute equally making the task easy. A team can actually
create wonders if all the team members work in unison.

ED-TOD Page 4 10/4/2025

 Chapter-02
Team Development - Meaning, Stages and Forming an Effective Team:
Teams are becoming a key tool for organizing work in today’s corporate world. Teams have the
potential to immediately amass, organize, relocate, and disperse. But, teams are an effective tool
of employee motivation. It is essential to consider the fact that teams develop and get mature
over a period of time. Team development creates a captivating atmosphere by encouraging
co-operation, teamwork, interdependence and by building trust among team members.

The four stages of team development are:

Stage 1: Forming

During this stage, group members may be anxious and adopt wait-and-see attitude. They will be
formal towards each other. There would be no clear idea of goals or expectations. Besides, they
may not be sure why they are there.

This is the stage where the team needs to write its own charter or mission statement as well as
clarify goals. The most important thing here is that goals must have a personal buy-in.

By doing this the team will be able to establish boundaries as well as determine what is expected.
Team members will get to know each other doing non-conflict laden task. This builds the
commitment towards one larger goal.

Thus, during the forming stage, the team members are in process of knowing each other and
getting at ease with them.

Stage 2: Storming

During this stage, team members are eager to get going. Conflict can arise as people tend to
bring different ideas of how to accomplish goals. At this time, they notice differences rather than
similarities. This leads to some members dropping out mentally or physically.

At this stage, communication is important. Tensions will increase. So recognizing and publicly
acknowledging accomplishments also become important. It becomes important to participate in
meetings and diversity needs to be valued.

Thus, during the storming stage, the team members begin showing their actual styles. They start
getting impatient. They try to probe into each other’s area, leading to irritation and frustration.
Control becomes the key concern during this stage.

Stage 3: Norming

This stage is when people begin to recognize ways in which they are alike. They realize that they
are in this together. Hence, they tend to get more social and may forget their focus in favour of
having a good time. This is the time to help with training if applicable. It becomes important to

ED-TOD Page 5 10/4/2025

encourage them in order to feel comfortable with each other and with systems. Also, the group
needs to stay focused on goal.

Thus, during the norming stage, there is conflict resolution. There is greater involvement of team
members. There is a greater “we” feeling rather than “I” feeling.

Stage 4: Performing

This stage is when team members are trained, competent, as well as able to do their own
problem-solving. At this time, ways need to be looked at in order to challenge them as well as
develop them. The team is mature now. The members understand their roles and responsibilities.
They would require more input in processes. The members would be self-motivated as well as
self-trained. Thus, their efforts need to be recognized. Growth has to be encouraged. This is done
by giving new challenges to the team.

Thus, teams at the stage of performing are self-controlling, practical, loyal as well as productive.
Focus is there on both performance as well as production.

Forming an Effective Team

This is the general approach to forming a successful work team. But not all will take the same
steps as discussed above. Success is usually hinged on taking all of the steps just discussed. We
have a tendency to want to surround ourselves with people who are just like us. In case you get
to choose a team, instead of organizing a pre-formed team, then you’ll look for a team of people
with a variety of strengths. In case of a team that is already in place, organizing can be more
subtle. Like, all the workgroups can be called together in order to discuss what goals you want to
accomplish and how everybody can help.

You will also find that imposing goals on people doesn’t work nearly as well as having them tell
you as to what goals they will strive for. But setting goals is not easy work. Too often they end
up in being too unrealistic, too vague, impossible to measure, or just stretching into eternity
without any deadline.

ED-TOD Page 6 10/4/2025

 Chapter-03
Team Management - Meaning and Concept:
There are some tasks which can’t be done alone. Individuals need to come together, discuss
things among themselves and work together towards the realization of a common goal. The
individuals forming a team should ideally think more or less on the same lines and should
have similar interests and objective. People with absolutely different tastes can’t form a team.
Their goals have to be the same. Every team is formed to achieve a predefined goal and it is the
responsibility of each and every member to contribute his level best and accomplish the assigned
task within the stipulated time frame. The team members must complement each other and come
to each other’s help whenever required. Individual performances do not matter much in a team
and every individual should strive hard and work in unison.

The team members don’t start performing from the very beginning, they need time. It is not
always that all the members would perform equally. Some of them might not get along well with
their team mates or have other issues with each other. Individuals sometimes find it difficult to
adjust with each other and as a result their performance suffers. Any individual fails to perform;
the complete team is at loss. Team management activities ensure that all the team members work
together on a common platform for a common goal.

What is Team Management?

Team management refers to the various activities which bind a team together by bringing
the team members closer to achieve the set targets. For the team members, their team must be
their priority and everything else should take a back seat. They should be very focused on their
goals.

Let us understand Team Management with the help of a real life situation.

Maria was representing the training and development vertical of a leading firm. Joe, Kathy,
Sandra and Tim were reporting to Maria and helped her in designing the various training
programs. Maria left no stone unturned to ensure that all her team members were satisfied with
their job responsibilities. The workload was shared equally among four of them. Ideas were
discussed on an open forum and each of them contributed to his level best. They went out for
movies and stayed in touch even after work.

Maria being the team leader was actually responsible for bringing her team members closer so
that none of them feels left out and all are motivated to deliver their level best. With the help of
the team management activities, she managed to create a positive ambience at the workplace and
promoted healthy competition in her team

ED-TOD Page 7 10/4/2025

 Chapter-04
Effective Team Management Skills:
Management is essential in every walk of life. Even what we eat should be managed. You just
can’t put anything in your mouth. One needs to be cautious. In the same way, a team must be
managed effectively to expect the best from the team members. The team leader plays an
essential role in managing his team well.

 For effective team management, it is important that the team leader is more of a
mentor to his team members rather than just being a strict boss. Understand your
team members well. Gone are the days when people used to fear their bosses. Now a days
employees share a healthy relation with their superiors and the comfort level has
increased to a large extent. Don’t impose things on them.
 Ensure that each and every team member willingly participates in team discussions.
Debates are important, but make sure you don’t end up fighting with each other.
Suggestions must be invited from all and do not discuss issues separately with
individuals. Call every one on an open forum and formulate strategies keeping in mind
every body’s inputs. Poilcies should be made best suited to all. The objective of the team
must be clearly set and circulated among all the team members. Everyone should be
aware of his roles and responsibilities in the team.
 Communication among the team members must be clear and transparent for an effective
team management. Every team member should get the same information and should
have an easy access to the superiors in case of any query.
 The team members must not pass on any information to anyone outside the team.
Learn to keep things to yourself. It is unethical to share your professional secrets with
others. Don’t leak information or any confidential data.
 The team members must be motivated on a regular basis. Appreciation is a must. If
any team member has performed extraordinarily, do give him a pat on his back.
Performance appraisals, perks, incentives, trophies, prizes are all instrumental in
motivating the team members to perform even better the next time. Avoid criticizing any
of your team members.
 Loose talks, blame games, dirty politics should find no place in the team. They spoil
the environment and people lose interest in their work and organization. If you come to
know anything about someone, it’s better to discuss with him face to face, else ignore.
 It is easy to create a team but it is actually difficult to bind the team members together
and even make them work. Team management techniques help in strengthening the bond
among the employees and creating an environment where they can trust each other.
People actually become friends and start working together as a result of team
management activities.

ED-TOD Page 8 10/4/2025

 Chapter-05
Characteristics of a Good/Effective Team:
Success in the workplace depends on your ability to build a team, as well as to interact with
others on that team. Together, people are able to accomplish what one person alone can not. This
is known as synergy.

Following are the characteristics of a Good/Effective team:

 A clear, elevating goal: This is a goal which has been communicated to all.
 A results-driven structure: The goal has been jointly decided by all the team members.
They are fully committed towards achieving it.
 Competent members: Each team member has the required skill set in order to achieve
the team objectives.
 Unified commitment: There is nothing happening in silos. With the total commitment
from team members, achieving organizational goals becomes easier.
 A collaborative climate: Commitment from team members and a good leadership leads
to a collaborative team with a productive work environment.
 Standards of excellence: Quality orientation is vital to the success of any organization.
 External support and recognition: Appreciation as well as appraisal is required to keep
the morale of the team high.
 Principled leadership: Leadership defines a team. An able-bodied leadership can chart
the team’s path to success.
 Each team member participates actively and positively in meetings as well as projects.
This shows a person’s commitment as well as understanding towards a project.
 Team goals are clearly understood by all: Communication is vital for achieving
successful completion of any project.
 Individual members have thought about creative solutions to the team’s problem.
Thinking out of the box is vital in today’s economic scenario.
 Members are listened to carefully as well as given a thoughtful feedback. Listening is an
important skill for any team. Each team member is important. The thoughts and ideas of
each team member have to be listened to, with respect, no matter how silly they may
sound at first.
 Everyone takes the initiative in order to get things done. There is no concept of passing
the buck. This is an indication of clear communication leading to understanding of
individual responsibilities.
 Each team member trusts the judgment of others: Mutual trust and respect is highly
important for the team. This is the only way to achieve the organization goals.
 The team has to be willing to take risks: Risk taking is an attitude which comes with
confidence. Confidence on yourself as well as on the team, besides the ability to face all
consequences.
 Everyone has to be supportive of the project as well as of others. A team is one unit.
Unless these cohesive forces are there, the team will never be able to work efficiently
enough.
 There is ample communication between the team members.
 Team decisions are made by using organized as well as logical methods.

ED-TOD Page 9 10/4/2025

  Dissenting opinions are never ignored: In fact, they are always recorded in order to be
revisited in case the future situations dictate so.
 Teams are given realistic deadlines: External support as well as aid is vital to the
success of any team.

An efficient team needs support from both inside and outside. It needs to meet the individual
needs of its members in order to achieve the organization’s goals.

ED-TOD Page 10 10/4/2025

 Chapter-06
Team Models - Different types of teams:
Teams are the principal building blocks of the strategy of successful organizations. The focus of
your organization may be on service, quality, cost, value, speed, efficiency, performance, or any
other similar goals, but teams remain the central methodology of most organizations in the
private, non-profit, as well as government sectors.

The fact remains that when a team becomes more aligned, a commonality of direction emerges,
and the individual energies harmonize. This way there is a shared vision as well as an
understanding of how to complement each others’ efforts.

Once you know the type of team you are in, it will help you choose how to plan your work and
what you can expect as outcomes. There are various types of teams. In this article we are going
to discuss the five most common ones.

1. The Traditional Model

This is a group of people with a traditional boss. The boss also shares some of his/her
responsibility as well as authority. How much is being shared by the boss is usually
dependent on the issues under consideration. This traditional boss is in charge. Bust still,
on certain issues, this person may allow his other team members to take on the leadership
role.

2. The Team Spirit Model

This is a group of people who are working for one boss. The team members are very
happy and everything seems to be going well. There is team spirit in people. The fact
remains that in reality this is not really a team. This is because there is one person who
calls all the shots. Besides, there is no sharing of authority or responsibility.

3. The Cutting Edge Model

This is a group of people who are managing themselves. There is no single person in this
group who has the authority to make any such decisions about the events which will
impact the whole group. This is also known as a self-directed work team. This is because
each one has the authority as well as responsibility for all the decisions that they need to
make.

4. The Task Force Model

This refers to a group that comes together for a specific time only. This is because it has
to work on a special project or a task. Such a group has traditionally been called a task
force or a committee. This may also include quality circles as are used in TQM efforts.

ED-TOD Page 11 10/4/2025

 5. The Cyber Team

In such a team model, members see one another rarely or even, not at all. These are also
known as “cyber” or “virtual” teams. What makes these teams different is that the team
has to work together in order to accomplish goals, but they may be meeting only at the
beginning of their project. Post that, they may be interacting through e-mail, telephone or
through video conferencing only.

It is important to know which kind of model your team fits in. Next step is to analyze why you
feel that way. Now understand which is the model your team should follow in order to
accomplish the given task. This is very important in order to achieve the organizations’ goals.

ED-TOD Page 12 10/4/2025

 Chapter-07
Types of Teams:
When individuals with a common interest, goal, attitude, need and perception come together, a
team is formed. Individuals need to come and work together to form a team for the
accomplishment of complicated tasks. In a team, all team members contribute equally and strive
hard to achieve the team’s objective which should be predefined.

In any organization, no one works alone. Every employee is a part of a team and works in close
coordination with the team members to perform his level best and in turn benefit the
organization. The team members should complement each other and come to each other’s need
whenever required.

Teams can be formed anywhere, anytime whenever the task is little difficult and complicated.
Let us understand the various types of teams in detail.

1. Permanent teams- These teams perform on a permanent basis and are not dissolved
once the task is accomplished. Let us understand the concept with an example.

Mike, Peter, Joe and Ana had a strong inclination towards branding as well as promotions
and hence were a part of the branding team with a leading organization. They were
primarily responsible for promoting their brand and designing marketing strategies to
generate maximum revenue for their organization. They worked extremely hard and
always managed to achieve their targets well in advance, but their team was always in
place and never dissolved. Their organization never asked them to leave or ever dissolved
their team. Such teams are called permanent teams.

Work or no work, the human resources team, operation team, administration team always
function effectively through out the year and hence are permanent teams.

2. Temporary teams - Unlike permanent teams, temporary teams loose their importance,
once the task is accomplished. Such teams are usually formed for a shorter duration either
to assist the permanent team or work when the members of the permanent team are busy
in some other project.

When organizations have excess of work, they generally form temporary teams which
work in association with the members of the permanent team for the accomplishment of
the task within the stipulated time.

3. Task Force - Such teams are formed for a special purpose of working on any specific
project or finding a solution to a very critical problem.

The government generally appoints special teams to investigate critical issues like bomb
blasts, terrorist attacks and so on. The task force explores all the possible reasons which
led to a severe problem and tries to resolve it within a given deadline.

ED-TOD Page 13 10/4/2025

 4. Committee - Committees are generally formed to work on a particular assignment either
permanently or on a temporary basis. Individuals with common interests, more or less
from the same background, attitude come together on a common platform to form a
committee and work on any matter.

To organize any cultural event, organizations generally make committees to raise funds,
invite celebrities and all the major tasks involved to successfully organize any event. The
committee members work together, design strategies to successfully accomplish the task.

In educational institutes, various committees are formed where students with a common
interest join hands to organize cultural events and various other activities required for the
all round development of students.

5. Organization/Work Force - Such groups are formed in organizations where team

members work together under the expert guidance of leader. A leader or a supervisor is
generally appointed among the members itself and he along with his team works hard to
achieve a common goal. The leader all through must stand by his team and extract the
best out of each team member. He must not underestimate any of his team members and
take his team along to avoid conflicts.

Samuel was working with a leading advertising firm with two members reporting to him.
Samuel always believed in his team members and worked together with his team and no
doubts his team always did wonders and was way ahead of others.

6. Self Managed Teams - Self Managed Teams consist of individuals who work together
again for a common purpose but without the supervision of any leader. Here as the name
suggests every individual is accountable for his individual performance. The team
members of self managed teams must respect each other and should never loose focus on
their target. No leader is appointed and the team members have to take their own
responsibility. Individuals take the initiative on their own and are their own guides and
mentors.
7. Cross Functional Team - Let us understand this with the help of an example.

Maria and Andy both were part of the branding team. They got an assignment from their
superiors to be completed within two days. Unfortunately Andy met with an accident and
was advised complete bed rest. To avoid delays, Peter from the operations team was
shifted to the marketing team to assist Maria for the time being and form a team. Such
teams are called cross functional teams. Ideally the employees should be more or less on
the same level to avoid ego hassles. Individuals from different areas come and work
together for a common objective to form a cross functional team. In such teams, people
from different areas, interests and likings join hands to come out with a unique idea to
successfully complete a task.

8. Virtual Teams - Virtual teams consist of individuals who are separated by distances and
connected through computer. Here individuals communicate with each other online
through internet. Say Mr. Sham at Chittagong can form a team with Mr. Modhu at Dhaka
and Ms. Sara at Rajshahi all working for a common objective but the communication is
totally digital through internet. Such teams are helpful when employees need to connect
with each other and are located at different places.

ED-TOD Page 14 10/4/2025

 Chapter-08
Team Work - Meaning and Tips for better Team Work:
A single brain sometimes is not capable of taking critical decisions alone. An individual needs
the support and guidance of others to come out with an effective solution. When individuals
come together on a common platform with a common objective of accomplishing a task, a team
is formed. Ideally the team members should be from a common background and have a common
goal to ensure maximum compatibility. The team members must complement each other and
work in close coordination as a single unit to deliver their best.

As they say “There is no I in Team Work”, every individual must think of his team first and the
personal interests must take a back seat.

The success of any team is directly proportional to the relation among its team members and
their collective efforts.

What is Team Work?

The sum of the efforts undertaken by each team member for the achievement of the team’s
objective is called team work. In other words, team work is the backbone of any team.

Every member in a team has to perform and contribute in his best possible way to achieve a
common predefined goal. Individual performances do not count in a team and it is the collective
performance of the team workers which matters the most.

Let us go through a real life situation.

One cannot work alone in any organization and thus teams are formed where individuals work
together for a common objective. Peter, Michael, Mr. “Y”son and Sandra represented the legal
team in a leading organization. Peter and Michael always took the initiative and performed their
level best while Mr. “Y”son and Sandra had a laidback attitude towards work. Their team could
never meet their targets inspite of Peter and Michael’s hard work.

Peter and Michael worked hard, then why do you think their team fell short of targets?

In a team; everyone has to work equally for the maximum output.

Team work is actually the collective effort of each and every team member to achieve their
assigned goal. No member can afford to sit back and expect the other member to perform on his
behalf. The team members must be committed towards their team as well as their organization to
avoid conflicts. Nothing productive comes out of unnecessary conflict and in turn diverts the
concentration and focus of the team members. Every member should adopt an adjusting and a
flexible attitude. One should consider his team members as a part of his extended family all
working together towards a common goal. The team members must be dependent on each other
for the best to come out.

ED-TOD Page 15 10/4/2025

Tips for a better team work

Let us go through some steps for a better team work

 Think about your team first - Every individual should think of his team first and his
personal interests should take a backseat. Do not mix your personal issues with your
professional life. Keep them separate.

<b

 Never underestimate your team member - Do not neglect any of the members, instead
work together and also listen to them as well. Never try to impose your ideas on any
member. Avoid demotivating any team member.</b

 Discuss - Before implementing any new idea, it must be discussed with each and every
member on an open platform. Never ever discuss with anyone separately as the other
person feels left out and reluctant to perform and contribute to the team.
 Avoid criticism - Stay away from criticism and making fun of your team members. Help
each other and be a good team player. Be the first one to break the ice and always create a
friendly ambience. If you do not agree with any of your team member, make him
understand his mistakes but in a polite tone and do guide him. Avoid negativity within
the team.
 Transparency must be maintained and healthy interaction must be promoted
among the team members. The communication must be effective, crystal clear and
precise so that every team member gets a common picture. Effective communication also
nullifies misunderstandings and confusions. Confusions lead to conflicts and individuals
waste their time and energy in fighting rather than working.
 The team leader must take the responsibility of encouraging the team members to
give their level best and should intervene immediately in cases of conflicts. The
personality of the leader should be such that every team member should look up to him
and take his advice whenever required. He should not be partial to any member and
support each of them equally. It is the duty of the team leader to extract the best out of his
team members.
 For better team work, try to understand your team members well. Do not just always talk
business, it is okay if you go out with your team members for lunch or catch a movie
together. It improves the relations and strengthens the bond among the team members.
The team members must trust each other for maximum output.</b

 Avoid conflicts in your team. Don’t fight over petty issues and find faults in others. One
should be a little adjusting with each other and try to find an alternative best suited to all
the team members.
 Rewards and Recognition - Healthy competition must be encouraged among the team
members. The performance of every team member must be evaluated timely and the best
performer should be rewarded suitably so that the other members also get motivated to
perform. Recognitions like “The Best Team Player” or the “The Best Performer” go a
long way in motivating the team members. Appreciate the member who performs the best
or does something unique.

ED-TOD Page 16 10/4/2025

 Chapter-09
Importance of Team and Team Work:
Teams are formed when individuals with a common taste, preference, liking, and attitude come
and work together for a common goal. Teams play a very important role in organizations as well
as our personal lives.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success-

Henry Ford”

The above proverb by Henry Ford can very well highlight the importance of working together in
teams.

Every employee is dependent on his fellow employees to work together and contribute
efficiently to the organization. No employee can work alone; he has to take the help of his
colleagues to accomplish the tasks efficiently. It has been observed that the outcome comes out
to be far better when employees work in a team rather than individually as every individual can
contribute in his best possible way. In organizations, individuals having a similar interest and
specializations come together on a common platform and form a team

A sales team has employees inclined towards branding and marketing activities to promote their
brand. An individual with a human resource specialization would be out of place in such a team.
Research supports that organizations with clearly defined teams are more successful as compared
to those with a one man show.

Team work is essential in corporate for better output and a better bonding among
employees.

 No organization runs for charity. Targets must be met and revenues have to be
generated. Tasks must not be kept pending for a long time and ought to be completed
within the desired timeframe. A single brain can’t always come with solutions or take
decisions alone. He needs someone with whom he can discuss his ideas. In a team, every
team member has an equal contribution and each team member comes out with a solution
best suited to the problem. All the alternatives can be explored to come out with the best
possible solution. Thoughts can be discussed among the team members and the pros and
cons can be evaluated.
 Tasks are accomplished at a faster pace when it is done by a team rather than an
individual. An individual will definitely take more time to perform if he is single
handedly responsible for everything. When employees work together, they start helping
each other and responsibilities are shared and thus it reduces the work load and work
pressure. Every team member is assigned one or the other responsibility according to his
specialization, level of interest and thus the output is much more efficient and faster.
 Work never suffers or takes a backseat in a team. Mike was taking care of an
important client and was the only one coordinating with them. Mike took a long leave
ED-TOD Page 17 10/4/2025
 and there was no one else who could handle the client in his absence. When he joined
back after a long vacation, the organization had already lost the client. Had Mike worked
in a team, others could have taken the charge when he was not there. In a team, the other
team members can perform and manage the work in the absence of any member and
hence work is not affected much.
 There is always a healthy competition among the team members. Competition is
always good for the employee as well as the organization as every individual feels
motivated to perform better than his other team member and in a way contributing to his
team and the organization.

Team work is also important to improve the relations among the employees.
Individuals work in close coordination with each other and thus come to know each other
better. Team work also reduces the chances of unnecessary conflicts among the
employees and every individual tries his level best to support his team member. The level
of bonding increases as a result of team work.

 Team members can also gain from each other. Every individual is different and has
some qualities. One can always benefit something or the other from his team members
which would help him in the long run. Everyone is hungry for recognitions and praises.
One feels motivated to work hard in a team and to live up to the expectations of the other
members. Each member is a critic of the other and can correct him whenever the other
person is wrong. One always has someone to fall back on at the time of crisis.

Team and team work must be encouraged at workplace as it strengthens the bond among the
employees and the targets can be met at a faster pace. Workload is shared and individuals feel
motivated to perform better than his team members.

ED-TOD Page 18 10/4/2025

 Chapter-10
Importance of Team Building in Corporate:
Employees are the assets of every organization and its success is directly proportional to the hard
work every employee puts in. Individuals must work in a little different and smarter way than the
others and always feel motivated to give their best. Effort by a single team member goes
unnoticed and every team member should contribute equally. Individuals must be aware what his
fellow team members are working on and what he is supposed to do.

Team work and Team Building are essential in corporate to make the organization a better
place to work.

One does not gain anything out of unnecessary conflicts. You can’t afford to fight with your
colleague who sits next to you probably for 10-12 hours, Six days a week. We are not
machines or battery operated devices, we are human beings and we need people to talk to and
discuss various things. One cannot implement things on his own, he needs individuals who can
work as critics and evaluate the pros and cons of his concepts.

Team Building activities bring employees closer and one feels happy to go to work daily.
Individuals start enjoying their work and feel fresh the entire day.

Please go through two situations carefully:

Situation 1 – Mr. Matin worked with a leading organization and handled a team of five skilled
team members. Mr. Matin made sure that he interacted with his team members almost daily. He
even enquired about their family members and was always available to them. The team members
had the liberty to come up with their issues on an open forum or write to him freely. No wonders
his team members always appreciated their team leader and looked up to him. His team members
never fought among themselves and willingly helped each other.

Situation 2 – Mr. Kamal on the other hand also had four individuals directly reporting to him.
He always maintained a distance from them and never missed an opportunity to criticize or make
fun of his team members. No employee was allowed to enter Mr. Kamal’s cabin without prior
appointment. His team members hated their office like anything and preferred working from
home just to avoid Mr. Kamal. No body was ready to help each other and everyone worked
individually. Their team could never achieve their targets within the stipulated time and there
was lots of negativity in their team.

Mr. Matin did nothing great. He just reassured his team members that he is always there for them
and they can fall back on him anytime. Mr. Kamal never encouraged any team building activity
and thus his team always suffered.

Team Building activities improve the relations and strengthen the bond among the
employees. Every one strives hard to achieve a common goal.

ED-TOD Page 19 10/4/2025

Please refer to Mr. Matin’s example once again. His team members had the liberty to write to
him anytime or freely discuss issues with him. There was never a misunderstanding among the
team members as everyone knew what the other person was up to.

Team Building activities also reduce the chances of confusions, misunderstandings and in a
way making the communication effective. Individual is very clear about his goals and
objectives and what exactly is expected from him.

Team Building exercises also increase the trust factor among the employees. If you are sitting
next to a driver, whom you don’t trust, you will always feel uncomfortable and will never be able
to enjoy the ride. If you don’t trust your teacher, you can never learn anything from him. You
need to trust people. Don’t always assume that your fellow employee will speak ill about you in
front of your superiors. Trust him, you will feel relaxed.

The productivity increases when individuals work as a team. They tend to divide work among
themselves and hence the objectives are achieved at a much faster pace. People take less leaves
and concentrate more on their work and eventually the organization benefits.

Individuals feel more positive and confident at work. Stress disappears and it reflects on their
work. Chances of mistakes reduce and people stop cribbing and blaming others. There is
positivity all around. Allow team members to express themselves freely.

Being a “Hitler” at work will never give you extra points, instead you will find yourself in the
bad books of other employees. No one will come to you, when you actually need them. People
will be hesitant to support you and you can’t perform with enemies all around. Gone are the days
when the word “boss” meant a terror to the employees. Now a days the team leader is also a part
of a single team, just with some additional responsibilities. Learn to respect your colleagues.

ED-TOD Page 20 10/4/2025

 Chapter-11
Team Contracts to outline the ground rules of a team:
It is important for any team to make an assessment of their current strengths. This will provide
the basis for a plan in order to increase the effectiveness of the team in order to achieve the
organizational goals.

Team contracts are meant to outline the ground rules for the team. It is important for the
team leader to state what he wants in his team and what he does not want in his team.

Team contracts are created as well as monitored by the team. Any team contract primarily has a
Code of Conduct.

This code of conduct may include:

 The way in which a team will operate. Whether a team will work in a proactive manner
or not. A team needs to anticipate potential problems. They need to work in such a way
that the problems are prevented before they can take place.
 Keeping the other team members informed. Communication is vital to the success of any
team. Communication leads to building up of trust between the team members. No one
works in silos and team success is achieved due to mutual cooperation and understanding.

 Focus on what is best for the team as a whole. The team has to be bigger than an
individual team player. The interests of the team have to come first. Besides, care has to
be taken that the interests of the team and the team players are in synergy and do not
clash.

Any team contract needs to lay down the Ground Rules for Participation:

 Each team member needs to be honest as well as open. This is very important to ensure
the success of the team.
 Encourage a diversity of opinions on all topics. A team is made of people - different
people with different views and opinions. These opinions may clash with each other. But
in a team, everybody’s opinion matters. Hence each suggestion is taken and noted in
order to be referred to later.
 Everyone given the opportunity for equal participation. It is the team members who make
up a team. Equal participation as well as equal inputs from all team members can lead a
team to achieve its goals.
 Be open to new approaches as well as listen to new ideas. The world is changing. The
technology is moving too fast. The economy is highly volatile. In such a situation, no
organization can afford to sit on its laurels any more.

Ground Rules have to be set for Communication also

 First understand, and then be understood to apply to all team members

ED-TOD Page 21 10/4/2025

  Be clear and concise. This will save time as well as promote better understanding among
the team members.
 Keep each discussion on track.
 Use visual means like drawings, charts, as well as tables in order to facilitate discussion.
It is very important for each team member to be on the same page.

There are many more ground rules which are laid down in a team contract in order to allow for a
smooth functioning of the team. These will be discussed in another article.

ED-TOD Page 22 10/4/2025

 Chapter-12
Building an Effective Team:
Having goals or a clear purpose is important to each of us. In fact, people who set goals are
always more successful than the others.

For leaders who are serious about setting goals, some things are to be kept in mind. These goals
need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and with Timelines. Besides, for any
organization, goals should also be expressed positively. And for a team, goals need to be
personalized for each member of the team. All these goals should be put in writing, where you as
well as the team can see them often.

Once you sit down with your team and set some goals, it can be very useful to develop some
kind of action plan for accomplishing that goal.

 Informality as well as Participation: In order to build an effective team, the climate has
to be informal, comfortable, as well as relaxed. There should be no tension or any signs
of boredom. Teams enjoy getting together, they interact easily. There should be lots of
good-natured kidding and laughter. Have seating arrangements in order to facilitate this.
A circle is the best seating arrangement usually, while a typical classroom arrangement is
the worst.
 Listening: A highly efficient team has team members who use effective listening
techniques. These include questioning, paraphrasing, as well as summarizing in order to
get out ideas. Listening is the most effective factor that distinguishes effective teams from
ineffective teams. This is a highly important subject which needs to be discussed in detail
in another article.

The ability to really listen is a highly important skill. Each team member has to have it.
Listening lets you understand what the other person is saying. Besides, it shows the other
person that you’re interested in what he/she has to say. But all of us experience common
listening problems.

We tend to let our attention wander. Our mind drifts away. We start thinking about the
time, or other tasks at hand. This way we lose our concentration.

We miss the real point of what is being said. We may end up focusing on the personality
of the speaker. Else we may let our judgment of the person based on past experiences
come in the way. Or, we may be trying hard to look for hidden messages and lose out on
the crux of the conversation.

Our emotions interfere with our judgment. This takes away our focus from what is being
said. Our judgment of the person interferes with our understanding of what is being said.

We tend to interrupt and step on the statements of others. This way we don’t listen to
what is being said. Besides, there is a tendency to think ahead to what we want to say
next and miss out on what’s being said right now. It is important to use the steps of active
listening in order to be a good listener.
ED-TOD Page 23 10/4/2025
 Chapter-13
Extracting the best from a Team:
All individuals with a similar attitude and interest come together on a common platform to form
a team. It is not always that an individual alone is capable of doing a task; sometimes he needs
the guidance and suggestions of others as well. You need a team to accomplish a complicated
task where every team member can perform something or the other as per his capability and
contribute equally for the maximum output.

To extract the best out of a team requires not only hard work but also intelligence. Do not impose
things on your team members; let them accept responsibilities on their own.

 Motivation is the key to a team’s success. De motivated individuals find it very difficult
to concentrate on their work and eventually lose interest in the organization. Reward
them suitably. Performance linked incentives and perks also motivate the individuals to
perform better.

 The goal must be clearly set and circulated among the team members. Every team
member should be well aware of his roles and responsibilities in the team. There should be no
confusions among the team members. Workload should be equally shared among the team
members and one should not interfere in each other’s work.

It is the responsibility of the team leader to delegate responsibilities as per the team member’s
interest and specializations. Understand your team members well and assign them work they can
best perform. Never be partial to any of your team members. Do not support anyone just because
he is a friend.

 Don’t criticize any of your team members. Never shout or scold any of your team members
in front of everyone. Always do it in private. He might feel insulted if you criticize him in front
of others. Call him separately and correct him if you feel he is wrong somewhere. Appreciate
him whenever he has done something extraordinary.

 Prefer communication through emails among your team members. Encourage your team
members to exchange information through emails as it is more transparent and gives a clear
picture. Everyone knows what is happening in their team and doesn’t feel neglected or left out.
One should not attend any meeting or conference without a notepad to note down the important
points. One should always come well prepared before attending any meeting.

 A team leader alone should not take any decisions. Suggestions should be invited from one
and all. The team members feel important for the organization this way and strive hard to
perform better. Strategies, policies must be made on an open forum and everyone must give their
inputs. A team member should never feel unimportant for the team at any point of time.

 Take them out for lunches or dinners once in a while. If not outside, try to have your lunch
together with your team members at the workplace only. Discuss issues other than work at the
lunch time. Enquire about his family members, friends, relatives, parents and so on. Give your
team members sometime to discuss things freely among themselves.
ED-TOD Page 24 10/4/2025
It is okay if your team members leave for the day a little early as compared to other days. Don’t
be too harsh on your team members. Allow them to take leaves in case of genuine reasons. Don’t
adopt a “Hitler” approach at work. Be a little more understanding.

 Set a target for your team members and ask them to achieve the targets within a
stipulated time frame. Let your team members work as per their convenience. Don’t be after
their life. Give them space and liberty to work on their own and submit it as per the deadlines.
The team members must use planners and diaries to jot down important work against the set
deadline to avoid forgetting important issues.

 Send your team members motivational emails or smses to boost their morale. Paste a
poster on motivational thoughts or great quotes on the soft board right at their workstations for
them to read daily and get inspired. Make sure there is enough light on everybody’s workstation
and the place is not dark. Individuals feel sleepy and dull if the place is not well lit. Light
instrumental music should be played for a positive ambience.

 Performance reviews and appraisals are a must. Do monitor your team’s and team
member’s performance. Sit with them once in a week and discuss issues, if they have and find
out whether they are satisfied with their profiles or not. Timely appraisals are important for
growth of the team members and to motivate them.

 Avoid conflicts within your team. Don’t provoke any colleague to fight with his fellow team
members. Intervene immediately in case of conflicts and try to resolve it as soon as possible to
avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety. Do not spread rumours about anyone and avoid blaming
and cribbing. Discuss issues face to face and learn to own your mistakes.

 Be a little cooperative with your team. Make them feel that you are just one of them and
always there to support them. One needs to be intelligent and patient enough to not only
handle a team but also extract the best out of team members.

ED-TOD Page 25 10/4/2025

 Chapter-14
How to build the Best Team:
Group of individuals working together for a common objective form a team. Teams are generally
formed to accomplish complicated and difficult tasks. All individuals come together on a
common platform and strive hard to achieve the set objective. When individuals work as a single
unit towards a common predefined goal, a team is formed.

Not all teams can perform well. The performance of a team is dependent on its team members.
The individuals must be handpicked very carefully to form a high performance team.

Let us go through some important points one should keep in mind while building a team:

 The team members preferably must have a similar if not the same taste, interests, likings,
needs and attitude. It has been observed that individuals with a similar taste tend to
gel with each other easily as compared to others with different interests. Individuals
should be from similar backgrounds and too much of a gap should be avoided. The team
members must be selected keeping in mind their interests and specialization. Do not
form a team just for the sake of it. An individual with a technical bent of mind will
always be in a state of confusion in a team of marketing professionals.

 Always understand the team members well. No individual is alike. A person might be a
very good speaker but may be poor in writing mails or written communication. An individual
can be excellent in presentations but might lack the art of making an impressive presentation.
It is very important to understand the individuals well and responsibilities must be assigned
to them as per their interest and according to their qualification and specialization. An
individual with excellent marketing skills never finds a desk job interesting and his best will
never come out. Never force any one to be a part of any team. Individuals must participate on
their own.

 The goal or the objective of the team must be clearly defined. The objective of the
team must be shared with every team member and they must be clear what is expected out of
them. The purpose why the team has been formed must be very clear to the team members.
They should know what they have to work on so that they can deliver their best.

 Promote effective communication among your team members. Communicate with the
members on an open platform and encourage team members to actively participate in
discussions. Prefer a meeting room or a conference room to discuss various issues inviting all
the members. It is always better if the communication is through email with all the team
members in the loop so that none feels neglected or left out.

 Avoid conflicts. Don’t let negativity creep in your team. Pick individuals with a positive
attitude. One should avoid fighting over small issues and be a little more adjusting. Every
thing can’t be exactly the same way you want. Team members must be demotivated to
criticize or make fun of their fellow team members.

ED-TOD Page 26 10/4/2025

  Various activities and events must be promoted within the teams. Work will never
suffer if the team members go out for a movie or lunch; instead it strengthens the bond
among the team members. Individuals come closer to each other this way and avoid fighting
among themselves. People know each other better. Always remember to greet your team
members with a warm smile.

 A leader should be appointed carefully. A leader should be such that everyone looks up
to him for advice and guidance. Do not select anyone just because you like him, instead
prefer the voting system. The most favourite candidate among the group is the best choice for
a leader. The team leader must extract the best out of his team members and be equal to
everyone. He ought to be intelligent and a little tactful. He must motivate the individuals
from time to time and be impartial. Never embarrass any of your team members
.
 It is important to take the feedback from each and every individual. Review your
team and team member’s performance on a monthly basis. Sit with each and every member
to understand whether he is enjoying his work or not. Job rotation is a good option to reduce
monotony. Promote healthy competition among the team members. Appreciate if he has done
something great. Reward him suitably.

 Discipline must be maintained at all levels in the team for maximum output. Team
members must reach on time for meetings and discussions. One should avoid a casual or a
laid back attitude. The team leaders must be easily available to the team in case of queries
and confusions.

ED-TOD Page 27 10/4/2025

 Chapter-15
Clarity of roles within a team:
A major characteristic of effective teams is clear expectations about the roles played by each
team member. In such a team, action is taken and clear assignments are made. These roles
are duly accepted as well as carried out. Work needs to be distributed fairly among team
.members, as per each person’s skill and capability

.The leader needs to have the ability to give clear assignments in each work area

 Work Methods

Each team member needs to understand their leader’s expectations regarding required work
methods as well as procedures. This is with regards to each job or project.

 Time Frames

It is vital to understand the due dates for the completion of projects. Determine when the dates
have slipped and which completion dates are final and nonnegotiable. This is because each task
is connected to another in a team. A delay in one task anywhere leads to a delay in the complete
project. This way no organization will be able to meet its deadlines leading to huge losses for the
company.

 Work Responsibilities

Each team member’s role is to be clearly understood when they are assigned to a given
job or responsibility. This is very important else too much time will be spent due to
wrong communications reaching team members.

 Customer/Supplier Interface

Understand the leader’s expectations while dealing with all kinds of supplier problems.
Similarly the customer complaints or requests also need to be handled by each team
member as per the organization’s policies. After all, effective relationships have to be
built with other work groups in order to achieve the full potential of the team.

 Work Priorities

Each person as well as each team will be loaded with a huge amount of work. It is
important for each team member to understanding which jobs take priority at that
particular moment. Besides, changes in work priorities also take place due to changing
circumstances. It is important to be able to clearly differentiate between hot jobs and
other jobs.

ED-TOD Page 28 10/4/2025

  Performance Expectations

Understand what the leader expects in the way of desired outcomes. At this point in time,
open communication is vital. Understand what it means to do a good job as per the
leader’s expectations. Then list down the degree of effort that is expected to be put into a
job. At this point in time, it is important to avoid overworking on low-priority jobs, as
that will not help in realizing the company’s objectives.

 Resources

Each team always has limited resources. The aim is to achieve the maximum with the
minimum resources. Understand what resources have been allocated to perform a job.
These resources may include things such as facilities, support staff, equipment, software,
as well as budget. Also understand how much control the team has over resource
decisions.

Once the leader is able to clarify each work area, he will be able to smoothen out the way for
each of their team members. This way it will be easier for the team to achieve its objectives by
making use of allocated time.

ED-TOD Page 29 10/4/2025

 Chapter-16
Preventing Fall Outs in a Team:
An individual alone can’t create wonders. He needs the support of others as well to discuss
things and evaluate the pros and cons of his thoughts and concepts. Individuals should work
together without fighting with each other for the timely accomplishment of a task. The team
members must be focused and concentrate on their work rather than back biting or loitering
around. It is essential that the team members gel with each other well and are willing to help
each other.

Conflicts must be avoided within the team to strengthen the bond among the team members and
also to increase the productivity of the team.

Let us find out how one can avoid conflicts and fall outs in the team

 The team members must not interfere in each other’s work. Respect your colleague’s
privacy. Don’t be after his life to find out what he is up to.
 Never criticize anyone or make fun of your team members. If you do not agree to
their view points, sit with them and try to come to a common solution. Don’t escalate the
issue immediately to your superiors without discussing among yourselves.

 The team members must trust each other. One spends the maximum time in office and
can’t afford to have enemies around. Try to be a little secretive. If your fellow team member
has shared something with you, don’t disclose it to others. Try to help him, if you can’t, its
better to keep quiet. Never double cross your fellow team mates.

Mr. “X” and Mr. “Y” were working for a common team. Mr. “X” was not very happy with
his boss’s behaviour and shared his displeasure with Mr. “Y”. Mr. “Y” walked up to his boss
and revealed Mr. “X”’s secret. Till date; Mr. “Y” and Mr. “X” do not speak to each other
despite being in the same team.

 Don’t read your team member’s emails or ever open his notepad or diary. It might
contain some information which he does not want to share with others. It is a strict no no. If
his hand phone is lying with you, don’t start reading his messages. If a colleague has asked to
send an urgent mail on his behalf from his system, don’t start checking his previous mails or
send any unwanted mail from his system.
 Never spread baseless rumours about anyone in the team. Avoid loose talks in the
office. It’s best to concentrate on work rather than gossiping around. If you spot any of your
team members with his girlfriend or boyfriend at the market place, its better to keep it to
yourself rather than screaming from the roof tops. He may not like it.
 Don’t get too friendly with your team members. Avoid taking favours from anyone as
he might expect you to share a secret with him. When you don’t, he would definitely get
annoyed, fight with you and thus relationships suffer. One should not promote too much of
friendship at the workplace. Try to be a little professional in your approach and keep your
professional and personal life separate.
 Avoid being partial to anyone. Do not favour anyone blindly. You may be fond of any
of your team members, but do not support him if he has done something wrong, instead
ED-TOD Page 30 10/4/2025
 correct him. Don’t criticize the other person just because you don’t like him. Never give
priority to your personal interests.
 One should not tamper any data or information important for the team. Do not add
or delete words but pass on the information as it is in the desired form. Everyone loves the
appreciation from his boss, but it doesn’t mean you will tarnish your team member’s image
in front of your boss just to gain popularity. Appreciation should be for good reasons. Never
speak ill about anyone. It’s better to avoid things and not bother much.
 Do not provoke your team members to fight among themselves. Counsel them and try
to find out an alternative. The team members must motivate each other to perform their level
best. Competition is important but make sure it is a healthy one and does not turn into a nasty
fight. One must enjoy his work rather than taking it as a burden.
 Think twice before you speak. Make sure your speech does not hurt any of your team
members.
 One should avoid fights within the team and it is always better to work as
a family. Don’t create tensions and leave the office with a free mind and come back
charged and fresh the next morning. Concentrate on work rather than conflicts as only
.your work will give you the desired recognition in the future

ED-TOD Page 31 10/4/2025

 Chapter-17
Role of Communication in Team:
A team is formed when individuals with a common goal come together on a common platform.
The team members must complement each other and avoid silly conflicts among themselves.

Communication plays a very important role in team building and extracting the best out of
the team members.

A team member must clearly understand what his fellow team members are up to. He should be
very clear about his roles and responsibilities in the team. It is the duty of the team leader to
delegate responsibilities as per the interest and specializations of the team members without
imposing things on them. Never confuse any employee.

Verbal communication sometimes may create misunderstandings and confusions, thus it is

always better to rely on written communication for better clarity and transparency.
Communication is effective when the information is passed on through emails. Emails are more
reliable. Do not send the mails to individuals separately as they might assume that you want to
hide something from them. This way they tend to interfere in each other’s work, trying to find
out what extra is written in their fellow member’s mail. The mails should be sent with all the
participants in loop. Also invite suggestions from them. It is not always that you are correct; your
team members might come out with a brilliant idea as well. Ask them to participate in
discussions, this way they feel motivated and indispensable for their team and as well as the
organization.

Conference room, board room or a suitable place must be used for meetings and discussions. It is
always better that the issues are discussed on an open forum and the participants are
allowed to speak freely. Avoid a noisy place. The agenda of the meeting should be prepared
well in advance and must be circulated among the team members. Ask them to come prepared so
that they do not sit blank in the meeting. The speaker should take the help of white board, marker
or a pen and paper so that he doesn’t miss any point. One should not attend any meeting empty
handed. Carry something to note down the important points for future reference. Confusions and
misunderstandings are nullified this way and people start trusting each other.

The goal and the objective of the team should not be set only by the team leader itself. Every
employee should contribute equally and give his valuable inputs. The team members must not
fight among themselves and try to reach to a conclusion best suited to all. The goal must be very
well communicated to all the team members and they must be very clear from the beginning
what they are supposed to do to avoid problems later. The goal can never be achieved unless and
until all of them work hard together and contribute their level best.

Your idea however brilliant it is fails to work unless and until it is implemented in the correct
way. The strategies, methods, concepts not communicated in the correct way can lead to severe
confusions and have adverse effects. The decisions, thoughts, strategies must be communicated
to one and all very clearly. One should not play with words or pass on only half the information.
Teams must not be too complicated with a simple hierarchy where the subordinates have an easy

ED-TOD Page 32 10/4/2025

access to their team leaders. Policies and strategies must be made taking into consideration each
and everyone’s suggestions and should be communicated in an effective way.

Every individual should have the freedom to speak. Do not keep things within yourself and
crib later. If you feel that your fellow colleague is going wrong somewhere and needs to be
corrected, go ahead. Do not hesitate, after all his mistakes will also effect your work also. Do not
shout or criticize him, but make him realize his mistakes in a polite but convincing way. If you
feel that you need to go for a vacation, please discuss with your superior. Don’t just assume that
your boss will know things on his own and grant you holidays. You need to communicate to him,
instead of cribbing and spreading negativity.

Effective Communication reduces the chances of conflicts and fights among team
members. No body has ever gained anything from fights. Communication improves the relations
.among the team members and they feel fresh and motivated the whole day at work

ED-TOD Page 33 10/4/2025

 Chapter-18
Role of Motivation and Attitude in Team:
A team is formed when individuals with a similar interest come together to realize a common
dream. The team members must think of their team first and all other personal interests should
come later. Every individual must contribute equally as per his capability to achieve the
predefined targets successfully within the desired time frame.

Motivation and attitude go hand in hand in increasing the output of any team.

You need a match stick for fire, you need ink for a pen to write, and similarly an individual
needs motivation to perform. Every individual has some latent Talent needs a push for the talent
to come out. Without motivation, the team members feel reluctant to work and also tend to
spread negativity around. Human beings are hungry for praise and appreciation. It is the
prime duty of the team leader to appreciate his team members whenever they have done
something great. This way they feel happy and motivated to perform even better the next time.

Set a deadline for the submission of work. All the employees submitting the work within the
stipulated time frame must be appreciated in public. Circulate a mail among all the employees
appreciating your team member’s efficiency. Any person coming out with a brilliant idea should
be suitably rewarded. It is not always you give cash to motivate your employees, but even small
tokens of appreciation can make a difference. Reward your team member with anything he likes.
Appreciating one member does not mean you will neglect or criticize the other members of the
team who could not perform up to the mark this time. It is the duty of the team leader to motivate
them so that they perform well the next time. Ask them to “BUCK UP”.

A single member’s performance can hardly make a difference to the team’s performance; every
member has to contribute equally for the maximum output. Celebrate your team’s success
inviting all your team members. Take them out for a lunch to a nearby restaurant. They will
feel happy and also come closer to each other this way. Give a pat on their back to appreciate
their hard work.

Titles such as “Best Employee of the month” and “Best Team Member” also go a long way
in motivating the team members. The names of the best performers must be displayed on the
notice boards for everyone to see.

Incentives and perks also motivate the employees to a large extent. If any team member does
something outstanding do not forget to appreciate him on an open forum and also ask the other
members to reach to his level as well.

Avoid making fun of your colleagues. It is considered highly unprofessional. Don’t spread
negativity around. Don’t depend on blame games or spread unnecessary rumours about your
team members.

Motivation alone can’t create wonders; it needs to be coupled with positive attitude of the team
members to ensure high performance of the team. Adopt a positive attitude at work. Do not
always find faults in others. Listen to your team members as well. Don’t assume things or draw
ED-TOD Page 34 10/4/2025
conclusions on your own. Be a little more flexible and adjusting to avoid conflicts at work
place. Sit and discuss issues with your team members to reach to an alternative. Results can’t be
achieved unless and until you believe in yourself. The will power to do something is important.
One should have the urge to perform.

Always try to look at life from a larger perspective. Things can not always be the way you like,
its better to accept things as it is sometimes. Remember after heavy rains, there is always a clear
sky. Problems might crop up anytime, but it is always better to grin and move on. Do not
overreact on petty things.

Don’t be too adamant or rigid, instead be a little forgiving. It is absolutely okay if you take
the initiative and say “Sorry”. This magical word goes a long way in reducing conflicts to a large
extent. Don’t unnecessary create tensions for others and yourself as well.

Don’t be disheartened if some one comes to you and corrects you for your mistakes; do take
it in a positive and healthy way. Do not step in the office with a mind clouded with negative
thoughts. Everything seems wrong to you and you unnecessarily fight with people around.

Team members must adopt a positive attitude to avoid tensions and misunderstandings at work
place. Positive attitude with a little motivation can actually create wonders for the team.

ED-TOD Page 35 10/4/2025

 Chapter-19
Role of Team Leader in Team Building:
A single brain sometimes cannot take decisions alone. One needs the assistance and guidance of
others as well to accomplish the tasks within the desired time frame. In a team, every member
contributes to his level best to achieve the assigned targets. The team members must be
compatible with each other to avoid unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings.

Every team should have a team leader who can hold his team together and extract the best out of
the team members. The team leader should be such that every individual draws inspiration from
him and seek his advice and guidance whenever required. He should be a role model for his team
members.

A team leader plays an important role in guiding the team members and motivating them
to stay focused.

A team leader is one who sets a goal and objective for the team. Every team is formed for a
purpose. The leader alone should not set the goal, suggestions should be invited from one and
all and issues must be discussed on an open forum. He must make his team members well
aware of their roles and responsibilities. He must understand his team members well. The duties
and responsibilities must be assigned as per their interest and specialization for them to accept
the challenge willingly. Never impose things on them.

A team leader must be impartial. He should support one and all equally. Partiality leads to
negativity and conflicts among the team members. Don’t favour anyone just because he is your
friend.

As a team leader, one should constantly motivate his team members. Motivate them so that
they perform even better the next time. Avoid criticizing anyone. Never make fun of anyone’s
mistakes, instead correct him in a polite way.

Encourage the team members to help each other. Create a positive ambience at the
workplace. Avoid playing politics or provoking individuals to fight. Make sure that the team
members do not fight among themselves. In case of a conflict, don’t add fuel to the fire, rather
try to resolve the fight immediately. Listen to both the parties before coming to any conclusion.
Try to come to an alternative feasible for all.

Be a mentor to your team members. “Hitler approach” doesn’t work in the modern scenario.
The team members should be able to gain from the team leader’s talent and mentorship. He must
stand by his team always. When a team performs well, the credit goes to the team leader,
similarly at times when the team fails to perform as per the expectations of others, don’t try to
play safe. A leader should own his mistakes as well as his team member’s. Don’t play blame
games or point fingers at others. No body will respect you this way.

Problems may crop up anytime in the team. The leader must be easily available to his team. The
team member should have the liberty to walk up to his mentor whenever he is unable to take a

ED-TOD Page 36 10/4/2025

decision on his own. The team members should be able to fall back on their leader anytime
without the fear of getting rebuked.

The team leader should take the initiative of bringing the team members closer. A leader
should try his level best to break the ice among them. Celebrate their birthdays, anniversaries
together so that they can discuss issues apart from work more freely. It is okay if you share one
or two jokes with them but make sure you do not cross your limit. Once in a while do organize
picnics or parties where families can also be invited. Such activities strengthen the bond among
the employees apart from increasing the trust factor between them.

It is the duty of the mentor to monitor the team’s performance on a regular basis. Any dip in the
performance of any team member must not be ignored. Call him immediately and discuss with
him in private. He might feel insulted in front of others. Talk to him face to face. Encourage
everyone to participate in team discussions and express their opinions freely. If any team
member is not performing up to the expected level, don’t sack him immediately. Try to give him
another opportunity or probably any other role and ensure he delivers his best this time.

The team leader is the face of every team as well as the organization. An aeroplane will
definitely crash, if the pilot loses focus and control, similarly a team can’t perform unless and
until the leader has his control on the team. It is okay to be friendly with your team members, but
make sure they do not take undue advantage of this gesture. Discipline is a must. Give your team
a direction, without which it fails to perform.

If a team member comes to you to discuss any of his personal problems, lend him a sympathetic
ear. Try to help him. Keep the things to yourself and do not escalate it to the management. Do
not ask for too many favours from your team members. Don’t ask them to go for your grocery
shopping or book movie tickets for you. Remember if you yourself do not adhere to the rules and
regulations of the organization, your team members will never bother to do so. Be disciplined
yourself to expect the same from them. A team leader should set an example for others.

ED-TOD Page 37 10/4/2025

 Chapter-20

?Why team fails and How to overcome

In spite of the best intentions of the organization, as well as the best efforts put in by the team
members, teams still fail. Team failure is due to various reasons.

It is highly important to understand as well as analyze these reasons. This is because the failure
of a team affects the morale of the employees, besides affecting the organization financially too.
The organization needs to eliminate as many reasons as it can in order to ensure team success.

These reasons can be further divided into broadly five categories:

 Environmental Influences
 Goals
 Roles
 Processes
 Relationships

 Environmental Influences:
 The team members may be placed at different location making it difficult for
them to meet frequently. Hence a solution needs to be found to resolve this issue.
Communication is vital for any team to work well. Physical distances can always
be overcome with the use of technology.
 The team is not given adequate resources in order to do its job. You cannot expect
an employee to work with his hands tied, can you?
 Team efforts can be recognized. This is a key human trait. Appreciation is a big
morale booster for any employee.
 A lack of recognition by the organization or its leaders about the existence of a
team can also lead a team to its failure.
 Goals:
 No participation from members in setting goals. This takes away the ownership
from the team. It reduces the commitment of the team members.
 Team is not clear about the goals. Communication is vital, whether to a team or to
an organization.
 Goals are not effectively communicated. Everybody is doing his own thing with
no attention to team goals. Working in silos leads to duplication of work as well
as ruining the organization culture.
 Roles:
 Responsibilities of the team members are poorly defined. This leads to ambiguity
as well as lack of commitment.
 No clear leader identified. Leadership is vital to any team. A good leader outlines
the strategy and charts the path to reach the goal.
 There is buck-passing of responsibility, which shows lack of commitment.
ED-TOD Page 38 10/4/2025
  Members indulge in power plays for authority and control. This is a problem of
attitudes which needs to be managed accordingly by the leader and the
organization. Members refuse to recognize their interdependence and act as if
they were independent. This will lead to the failure of the team.
 Processes:
 Lack of processes makes decisions always a crisis situation. A case of decision-
making being dominated by one person leads to poor commitment of the team
 Communications are one way: top down and channeled through the leader. This is
not the feature of a team. Negligible points are debated continuously. This leads
to waste of time as well as energy.
 Meetings are unproductive with the issues unresolved implies that poor planning
has been done. Meetings cover trivia versus significant issues as the way to
achieve goals is not clear.
 In case, actions are taken without planning, the team will fail.
 Relationships:
 Members are unwilling to be identified with the team. There is disguised conflict
between the team members as well as severe personality conflicts. Relationships
are competitive.

Most of the issues mentioned above can be resolved. All that is required is planning, processes
and performance appraisal, which will be covered in detail in another article. Teams are vital for
any organization. Their failure leads to the failure of the organization as a whole.

ED-TOD Page 39 10/4/2025