ABSTRACT
Planners frequently work in teams to perform tasks. Team leaders tend to focus on the steps of completing a task, starting with clarifying the task, then working through issues and making decisions. Research on team functioning has shown that the processes used to work through these steps play a very large role in team success. This chapter addresses key processes that make for effective team functioning. How a team is set up plays a critical role in what will follow, and selection of members and setting the right style to promote team identity and open communication at the first meeting are especially important. Different styles of problem solving are discussed. Teams do not always work smoothly, and approaches to problems that may arise, such as group resistance, interpersonal conflict, and problem personalities, are addressed. The team leader has the most impact on how a team functions, but team members can also play a critical role in improving team functioning.
