As work settings become more complex and involve increased numbers of interpersonal interactions, individual effort has less impact. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness, a group effort is required. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change.

Hellriegel, Slocum, & Woodman (1986) state that team building is used to improve the effectiveness of work groups by focusing on any of the following four purposes: setting goals and priorities, deciding on means an methods, examining the way in which the group works, and exploring the quality of working relationships. A cycle then develops; it begins with the awareness or perception of a problem and is followed sequentially by data collection, data sharing diagnosis, act

 "I've learned quite a few things about myself and others while on this team."

There are four steps that managers should keep in mind when preparing an effective meeting. The first of these steps is purpose. What is the reason for the meeting? On occasion, money and time is wasted on meetings, when this same information could have been circulated in a memo or letter. Sometimes the cost of having the meeting is higher then the possible outcomes. Other times, key people are not able to attend the meeting, which would make having one a waste of time. There are four guidelines that can be followed to determine whether it is necessary to conduct a meeting. They are:

The questions and comments that are stated in this stage are:

The last step of the process, the conclusion, wraps up what the group has learned as a whole. The facilitator should ask questions to determine if the group completed their individual goals, the group goals and/or resolve all issues that might have arises during the exercise. At this point, it is acceptable for the group to agree to disagree as long as the group can work together without worrying about personal issues. The facilitator should also assess other issues that may have arisen and how they relate to the work environment. When all the feedback is done and everyone in the group has resolved their issues, the facilitator should add closures to the exercise. This is done by going over what the group accomplished, what they learned and what they need to work on in the future. Most important is for the facilitator to reinforce what the group learned and strengthen the bond that was created during the team builder so that this may be taken back to the work environment.

 Excitement, expectancy, and uniformed optimism.

Work teams seem to be the latest fad in today's business environment. We have teams for quality improvement, teams for customer service, performance management teams, and the list goes on. Companies of every size are striving today to team up employees for increased productivity, better customer relations and simplified structure. They encourage them to focus on generating the desired results. In order to reach this goal, the key to effective teams is to know why and for what purpose the employees are called together. Once the team's goals are placed above individual goals, success can be achieved. The group is likely to take pride in its performance and become more goal-oriented and committed to the team. The acronym, PERFORM, summarize the behaviors that are necessary for a group to become a high performing team.

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Approximate Word count = 5520
Approximate Pages = 22 (250 words per page double spaced)