Comparing today’s workforce to that of say 1985, individual expertise is steadily on the decline, and the ability to work collaboratively with others is becoming an increasing necessity. Whereas in 1986 you had the ability to complete a task with as much as 75% of the information coming from the individual, and 25% coming from a network of others, in 1997, that number drastically took a downward turn—15-20% coming from the individual and up to 80-85% coming from other people. The percentage of teamwork and collaboration in business is of the utmost importance. If you research any recruiting source (say Job Outlook 2007 for example) regarding what skills employers are looking for in an employee, you will the find the following skills top the list: Effective oral Communication; Effective written communication; Effective Interpersonal communication, and Teamwork, with analytical skills, problem-solving, and adaptability (flexibility) in the top ten as well. Modeling effective communication and sculpting a supportive communication climate is the foundation for building an effective team environment, and is a necessity for a successful leader.

 

Groups are becoming an increasingly popular form for getting work accomplished. For our purpose, we will define a group as a human communication system made up of at least three people coming together for achieving goals. Each person on the group influences one another and is influenced by one another—much like tossing a pebble in a pond, you can watch how that action has a ripple effect on the water. If the pebble were akin to human behavior, you can see how the actions of one member in the group affects the other members of the group and the success or failure of the group as a whole in achieving their goals. Using the acronym M.A.K.E., here is a method that you can easily incorporate in your repertoire of effective communication within the context of small groups.

 

Model the effective communication behaviors that you want your fellow colleagues to exhibit. For example, if you do not like being interrupted—do not interrupt others while they are talking. Nonverbally, practice making appropriate eye contact, and nonverbal gestures showing others that you are listening (for example nodding your head, versus drawing or doodling on scratch paper). Be certain that everyone in the environment is physically able to participate (i.e. sitting around a round table versus having one person in front of the room and everyone else sitting in chairs. If you are confined to a traditional conference table—make sure that everyone is able to see each other (eye contact), and that no one person is left out of the conversation).

 

Acknowledge, verbally and nonverbally the contributions of others. Small behaviors can make a big difference, such as encouraging feedback from all members, asking “So what do you think Mike?” Additionally, consider assigning one person in the group the role of “devil’s advocate,” so that all voices and contrary positions are explored versus criticized, or ridiculed as a “waste of time.” Giving a person a role helps foster a sense investment in the process, and encourages collaboration. Other roles might be, “Time Keeper,” “Harmonizer,” “Recorder,” and lastly, “the Keeper-on-Tasker.”

 

Knowledge is not just information that one person pushes on another. Rather it is the reciprocal process of sharing information with one another. You learn from your colleagues, when the environment is conducive for sharing, and people feel comfortable sharing their expertise.

 

Encourage participation and cooperation from all members of the group. The best brainstorming happens during sessions where there is uninhibited exploration of all ideas. This might mean that you need to bite your tongue when you hear ridiculous ideas that you might “know” will not work. Remember that the best ideas come after a session where ideas flow freely. Afterwards, you can massage those ideas and consider what is actually ‘doable’ considering the constraints of resources.

 

People tend to have strong feelings about working with other people in groups. Oftentimes, the negative feelings associated with small groups and teams is because there is a sense of ill-divided workload, or that the contributions each individual makes are not heard, acknowledged or that there is an unspoken agenda. You can counter these negatives perceptions, by having a clear purpose; modeling effective communication, acknowledging the contributions of others’; seeking knowledge from your colleagues; encouraging and appreciating the participation of each member. Good luck to you, as you try to MAKE teamwork happen!

 

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