However, in an online environment, this process occurs quickly through interacting and completing the team charter that establishes teamwork expectation.
Team Charter: Managing Conflict
Team conflict is inevitable, and it must be managed effectively so that productivity is not affected. Hence, a team charter is vital to the success of an online workgroup. Such a document establishes ground rules, expectations, and communication tool that will facilitate team engagement in an asynchronous environment. Should a team member go missing in action, this document serves as recourse for consequences in not supporting team efforts. Since this document contains protocol for handling team conflict, team members can merely reference the document and be objective in handling the conflict.
Moreover, the team is better prepared for projects, understand each person's role, and will work together to complete the learning team assignment(s). This should also assist in getting everyone committed and avoiding a last minute rush. By being as specific as possible, the charter will preclude the possibility of the team in operating on faulty assumptions about who is doing what and when. Plans should be specific enough that anyone can step in and assume any team member's role, seamlessly.
Conclusion
Teams may achieve effectiveness and efficiency...
Development requires a progression through stages, thus preparing the team for performance. Diversity can truly be a beautiful thing... In summary, the sum of the whole is greater than its individual parts, hence 2+2 = 5. Establishing a Team Charter is paramount to create a cohesive and diverse team committed to achieving goals through collaborative efforts. Working with teams can be challenging, especially when contributions levels may be imbalanced. The team cannot force one to participate or to carry his/her weight. Timely communication is definitely paramount when dealing with performance issues. Hence, it is important to know and understand one's personal intelligence and how it may affect a team's effectiveness and efficiency in achieving the online team's goals.
References
Wienclaw, R.A. (2010). Teams & team building. Teams & Team Building - Research Starters Business, 1-6. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Effective. (2011). In Merriam-Webster's dictionary online. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effective
Bonebright, D.A. (2010). 40 years of storming: a historical review of Tuckman's model of small group development. Human Resource Development International, 13(1), 111-120. doi:10.1080/13678861003589099
