American Community School
November 2, 2001
Nada		 Team Building Workshop
Presented by Nada AbiSamra
https://nadabs.tripod.com/team/

TEAM ASSESSMENT

As a team leader or team member, it is important to understand how to assess the performance level of your team. There are seven different categories. In each category select the description paragraph that best fits your team at present. Assess the behavioral culture of your team, not your individual behavior.

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MISSION
Team members are unable to decide on procedures. The ground rules are not followed. Team members perceive the task and goal of the team differently and the differences have not been discussed.
Team members have been unable to express their views clearly. It appears that much of the discussion is irrelevant. Members are trying to figure out how to get team members to work efficiently.
Your team is running smoothly. Meetings occur as scheduled with more meetings taking place as needed. The recorder and/or facilitator, using the team progress report form, communicates your progress timely describing how you are reaching your goals. Outlines are done for presentations and written assignments.
Each team member understands and is implementing the shared goals of the team. A mission statement for the team has proved to help. Milestones were set and have been adhered to. Each task is clearly defined and everyone understands his/her purpose to reach the goal.
PERFORMANCE
The team has completed assessing the ground rules and has found that they are working for the team as a whole as well as for individual members. The tasks given to each team member are beginning to produce effective results and the team in on schedule. Members are sharing their knowledge, skills, and abilities to work together efficiently.
The team is upset because the tasks are not being completed on time. The facilitator is unable to keep to the time scheduled and team members are falling behind their work. The shared goals of the team are in question. There is a sense that everyone is not pulling their own weight and some members feel they have to carry the load of others.
Team members are hopeful that they can soon come up with a common goal. Although the project is running smoothly there are still some issues of who has the appropriate skill and knowledge to do some of the tasks.
Team members are satisfied with what they are producing and are collaborating, problem solving and have a clear process for decision making, feedback and how to handle the conflict. All the team's knowledge, skills, and abilities are being maximized to reach the team's goal. The team is supportive of each other and other teams as well.
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Teams members are helpful and supportive of each other and the other support staff. Feedback is starting to be given in a neutral way in order to facilitate the teams' interactions. Team members are beginning to understand each other more and more. Shared leadership is beginning to emerge.
All team members are able to listen to each other's ideas and see the value in each and everyone one of them. Decision making is going well with no one member overpowering the other. Everyone's perspective is listened to and acknowledged.
Team members withdraw rather than give their opinions. There is no shared leadership in the group. Members talk to other teams and support staff to solve their problems while in the team meetings the team members hardly listen or understand each other. All team members are sharing responsibility for the task.
Members are polite towards each other. All tasks are formalized and routinely done. There is very little interaction with your team member other than in the class time. The team facilitator does most of the talking and directing with little discussion with the other me.
VERSATILITY
The team expects the facilitator to organize all the tasks, review the performance, and discuss the next step. The team looks to the facilitator for approval of the job well done. Conversation is limited to asking questions.
The team can not express their frustration over the problems in communicating amongst themselves. Everyone is doing their own work and coming to lab to do prescribed tasks.
The team members share the tasks and assign tasks by knowledge skill and ability. If one member is weak in an area, time is taken to help develop this team member's skill set. Tasks are not being rotated.
Tasks are rotated and the team has begun to develop each individual's skill set to a level of expertise. Team management and organization are handled by all. Everyone attends meetings and contributes to the process. Opinions are expressed freely and feelings are adapted to meet the challenge.
TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
Team is accomplishing their goals and sometimes reaches their milestones. Team members are managing their time fairly well, but there are still some time management problems. Members are getting along in the laboratory but there is little outside of the laboratory.
The tasks are well organized. Milestones are met properly and are continually discussed to keep each member on time with their particular assignments. The whole team organizes oral presenters and rehearsals are set. Everyone values each other's work effort. Decision making and task accomplishments are high.
The team members are having problems deciding how the work should get accomplished. They have had a problem with results and seem to be unable to define the task needed to overcome this obstacle. Decision making is hard and little brainstorming is being done.
Members are struggling with accomplishing their goals. Outside factors are giving the team a problem. The team members are behind schedule with their task accomplishment.
REWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The facilitator is making decisions and there is no acknowledgment of their team member's contributions.
The team works efficiently. Everyone recognizes each other and their efforts, including the team leader. Decisions are made by consensus.
Team members focus on what has not been accomplished and tend not to recognize a job well done. There is little communication about the positive aspects of the goals accomplished. Members are falling behind their work.
Team members are a bit unsure about how to communicate a job well done but there is no resentment or hesitancy in doing the tasks presented. The team members are unsure of themselves as a team. Each individual would feel more comfortable working individually.
TEAM'S MIND-SET
The entire team is well focused and has a strong sense of accomplishment about their role within the team. They are confident they can do the task at hand in a skilled and professional manner.
Team members feel that the team is beginning to be successful. The members are positive and feel that they are on their way to a successful conclusion for the project.
Team members look forward to meetings together although they feel slightly apprehensive about how the project will end up is high.
Team members are upset about the problems they are having amongst themselves. One or two members have been competing or have psychologically dropped out.

Copyright B. Burrell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology