Team Building and Group Work Skills

Successful teams have certain inherent characteristics without which the objectives of the team cannot be met as there may be reduced motivation and unwillingness to work together. The main characteristics of a successful team include the presence of a balanced participation where roles of each member are defined and the goals to be achieved by the team are usually clear, realistic and achievable within a set time period. Moreover, an open communication channel forms the basis of a successful team as well as a robust or effective conflict management system that will allow all the members to focus on the core objectives of the team (Ciasullo, Maria Vincenza et al). A positive atmosphere, participative leadership and valued diversities within the organization are additional ingredients for a successful team.

The effectiveness of team building can be understood through the evaluation of the psychological dimensions given that human beings are social animals; social identification and social representation. Social identity approach for team building is the most used strategy for increasing the chances of a team's success. This approach functions in three god ways where it helps the team to develop a sense of unity, sense of belonging, an environment for mutual understanding and helps to bring the people’s attention to the purpose of the team and how the objectives can be met. If a group of people working towards the achievement of a common goal adopts and practices the principles of team building, they are likely to achieve higher success.