We have all worked in dysfunctional teams at some point and know the agony and frustration associated with them. Most of us have experienced some teams in our lives that were a joy.
There are hundreds of rules for getting teams to work better together. They all work if you can get the teams to really do them. I have two favorite rules that really make a difference in the quality of teamwork. They are:
- Never make jokes in a team environment at the expense of one of the members
- Develop a Team Charter with specific consequences for Social Loafing.
The attached white paper gives the rationale for these rules and how to accomplish them.
http://www.leadergrow.com/TwoRulesforImprovedTeams.pdf