Barriers of Team

8/2/2019 Barriers of Team

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Barriers of team

External barriers of team:-

Work load:

1. Members are oftenrequired to workon theirteam assignmentsin addition to a fullworkload oraregivenmore workthan they are capable of handling.

Processes:

1. Lackof processesmakesdecisions always a crisissituation. A case ofdecision-makingbeingdominatedby one personleads to poorcommitment of the team.

2. Communications are one way: top down and channelled through theleader. Thisisnot the feature of a team. Negligible points aredebated continuously. Thisleads to

waste of time as well asenergy.3. Meetings areunproductive with theissuesunresolvedimplies that poorplanning has

beendone. Meetings covertrivia versussignificant issues as the way to achievegoalsisnot clear.

4. In case, actions are taken without planning, the team will fail.Environmental Influences:

1. The teammembersmaybe placed at different locationmakingit difficult forthem tomeet frequently. Hence a solutionneeds to be found to resolve thisissue.Communicationisvital forany team to workwell. Physicaldistances can alwaysbe

overcome with theuse of technology.2. The teamisnot given adequateresourcesin order to do its job. You cannot expect an

employee to workwith his hands tied, canyou?

3. Teamefforts canberecognized. Thisis a key human trait. Appreciationis a bigmoraleboosterforanyemployee.4. A lackofrecognitionby the organization oritsleaders about theexistence of a team

can also lead a team to its failure.

Lack of Management Commitment:

1. Teamsneedsupport beyond thelaunch phase. Management must demonstrateitscommitted to the team process orteams will falter.

No Strategic or Policy Connection:

1. Teamsmust be aligned to corporatedirection and polices. Without this connectionteamsloseeffectiveness and canevenbecome counterproductive.

The roles and responsibilities must be designed according to the team members

interest, educational qualification and specializations:

1. When a teamis formed, the teammembers are almost new to each other. Theydo notknow each otherwell and feelshy and hesitant. It isimportant to breaktheice amongtheemployeesin theverybeginning otherwiseit becomes a strongbarrierlater. We


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arenot robots who canstart working just by the push of a button and worknonstopwithout even talking to each other. Human Beingsmust talkto each other,discuss

things among themselves and trust each other. Dont always assume that everyoneisjealous ofyourworkand will harmyou. Trust people,it willreduce half ofyour

tensions.

Roles:

1. Responsibilities of the teammembers are poorlydefined. Thisleads to ambiguity aswell aslackof commitment.

2. No clearleaderidentified. Leadership isvital to any team. A goodleaderoutlines thestrategy and charts the path to reach thegoal.

3. Thereisbuck-passing ofresponsibility, which showslackof commitment.4. Membersindulgein powerplays forauthority and control. Thisis a problem of

attitudes which needs to bemanaged accordinglyby theleaderand the organization.

Membersrefuse to recognize theirinterdependence and act asif they were

independent. This willlead to the failure of the team.

Internal barriers of team:-

When individuals give priority to their personal interests than work, the team suffers.

Individuals not being clear about the teams goal and their roles and responsibilities in

the team also create problems in effective team building.

1. Thegoal has to be common. Individualsshouldnot haveseparategoals.2. Fora marketing team thegoalis to generaterevenues forthe organization andevery

oneincluding the teamleaderhas to worktowardsit.

Lack of Empowerment:

1. Teams aremost effective when they can act with authority.

Lack of Belief inTeams:

1. Beliefs change overtime as theresult of personalexperience. To changebeliefs,actionsspeaklouderthan words. Promote a clearvision,demonstrateunwavering

commitment, andget results.

Lack of discussions is again a barrier to effective team building.

1. Teammembersmust not sit quietlyin teammeetings,insteadshouldspeaktheirheartout. Onemust participate willingly. Debates areimportant andstrategies orpolicies

shouldnot beimplemented without evaluating the pros and cons. Every teammember


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must have a sayin the teamsdecisions. Dont attendmeetings just forfun, comeprepared.

Poor communication is also one of the barriers to effective team building.

1. Too much of a complicated hierarchy also result in poorandineffectivecommunication. Unorganized thoughts and abstract ideas createmisunderstandingsand confusions among the teammembers andin turndecrease the productivity of the

team. Individualsshouldbevery careful about what theyspeak. Oneshouldneveruse

derogatorystatements orlewdremarksin the office. It isbetterto communicate

through mails asit ismorereliable.

Lack of discipline and punctuality also create problems in team.

1. Neverbelate forwork. It isunprofessional to keep others waiting. Alwaysreachbefore time forteammeetings anddiscussions. Oneshould also maintain thedecorumof the workplace. Do not indulgeyourselvesinunproductive things. Dont loiter

aroundunnecessarily.

Goals:

1. No participation frommembersinsettinggoals. This takes away the ownership fromthe team. It reduces the commitment of the teammembers.

2. Teamisnot clearabout thegoals. Communicationisvital, whetherto a team orto anorganization.

3. Goals arenot effectively communicated. Everybodyisdoing his own thing with noattention to teamgoals. Workinginsilosleads to duplication of workas well asruining the organization culture.

Relations

hips:

1. Members areunwilling to beidentified with the team. Thereisdisguised conflictbetween the teammembers as well assevere personality conflicts. Relationships arecompetitive.

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Barriers of Team