Employee Teamwork Rules

Goals and Tasks

Before a team project or task begins, it is important that everyone involved understands what the common goal is, so everyone works toward that goal. If the goal is not set in stone from the beginning, the employees may be working on several projects or tasks that do not work toward the proper goal. In other words, the employees may not be certain about the work they are doing. The main rule is to ensure that everyone involved can clearly explain the goal that must be achieved by the teamwork. The process should be addressed daily or weekly to ensure everyone is on the right track.

As the group is working together, make sure that everyone has a voice. A rule could be that everyone must contribute thoughts, ideas or opinions on a daily basis to ensure that everyone is involved in the teamwork. There may be two or three dominant personalities who often work alone. These people may frequently dominate the conversations and direction of the project or task. There needs to be a balance in the contributing thoughts or ideas, so allow everyone to speak equally.

Since teamwork is a collection of many individual thoughts and ideas, feedback discussions are bound to happen. Instead of taking feedback personally, discuss the feedback and viewpoints as a group. The feedback should be open, honest and on-topic. Feedback also can help employees think differently in terms of reaching new conclusions. For example, feedback can help employees get back on track and work toward a goal.

Conflicting views are expected despite being in a professional teamwork setting. While some people feel strongly about one view, another employee may be offended about the view in question. This disagreement, however, is often how team members find a consensus and agreement, as arguments are usually made for both sides as a group effort. Constructive criticism should be given professionally so all team members leave the discussion happy and motivated.