Measuring Teamwork

I’m a big believer in measuring things that are important. So how do you measure teamwork? One way is to identify the goal of teamwork and measure that. This could be more output, better customer satisfaction, higher quality, increased productivity, or higher profits. It could also mean completing a project on time and under budget.

Another approach that should be used in conjunction with the first is to measure the degree to which the team is demonstrating key teamwork skills. You can measure them through observation or surveying of the team members. Here are three biggies:

Communication. Successful teams master communication processes within the group. They make sure team members have information when and how they need it. They learn to be assertive with each other. They have honest conversations.

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Decision-making. Groups are often faced with decisions. To be effective they must be able to sort through the viable options, consider the implications of each, and ultimately select an option that best serves the interests of the organization. Not only is it important to make the right decision, teams are often under a tight time-frame. Making a decision quickly is also critical.

Problem-solving. The true mark of an effective team is what it does when a problem exists. Great teams quickly recognize a problem, dig deep to understand the causes, develop creative approaches to dealing with it, and ultimately put their ideas into play. Not only do they deal with problems that arise, they continually monitor and assess their own performance to uncover problems before someone else notices them.

To effectively rate teamwork measure the expected outcomes, the outputs, and the effectiveness of key teamwork processes. If you’d like some help determining where your team is at, I’d be happy to manage the assessment process for you.