Teams are the most common business unit for high performance. Although the
word gets used loosely and not always appropriately, there is universal
acceptance that teams create opportunities for high performance results.

The most significant research on groups of people working together occurred in
the 1930′s with the Hawthorne studies. The results revealed that being observed
and having others interested in them was the determining factor that increased
performance for a group of workers. This was called the Hawthorne Effect.

The Hawthorne Effect has importance for executives interested in increasing
results without command and control tactics: pay attention to people and their
teams, express genuine interest in them, give them opportunities for social
interaction, frequent feedback, and stand back and let them perform.

Though it may not seem like anything special, mutual accountability can lead to
astonishing results. It enables a team to achieve performance levels that are
far greater than the individual bests of the team’s members.

Working with a team coach, both individually and with the whole team, can help
define the team purpose, specific goals and mutual accountability and facilitate
communications that lead to high performance results.

Important concepts in the full 2,000 word article:

The Elements of Effective Teams
The Evolution of Group to Team
What the Hawthorne Studies Show about Teams
Emotional Energy for the Team
Specific Goals Provide Clarity and Focus
Mutual Accountability Leads to High Performance Results
Five Essential Disciplines of Effective Teams
Eight Keys to Building Team Performance
Building the Emotional Intelligence of Teams
The Challenge of Working with Virtual Teams
Using Focused Feedback and Follow-up to Build Teams Quickly
Resources on Teams

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When Daniel Goleman wrote his landmark books on emotional intelligence in the 90′s ( Emotional Intelligence, 1995, Working with Emotional Intelligence, 1998), managers in organizations everywhere nodded heads in agreement. Finally, what they knew to be true about dealing with people had a name and was clearly articulated. For the past decade,important research has been done in organizations to show that feelings and emotions have a direct impact on effectiveness, efficiency and ultimately the bottom line.

Currently, the concept is being applied to teams. Looking at the emotional
intelligence of teams is important because most of the work in organizations
today is being done by teams.

Research in the last decade has proven the superiority of group decision-making over that of even the brightest individual in the group. But the exception to this rule is when the group lacks harmony or the ability to cooperate; then decision-making quality and speed suffer.

The important difference between effective teams and ineffective ones lies in
the emotional intelligence of the group.

When people feel good, they work better, are more creative, and they are more productive. Good feelings are like lubrication for the brain: mental efficiency goes up, memory is sharpened, and people can understand directions and make better decisions.

Studies have shown this to be especially true when it comes to teams. This is
because emotions are contagious. When one or two people are in a good mood, it spreads easily to other members.

Important concepts covered in this article:

Elements of Emotional Intelligence
The Importance of Teams in Organizations
Three elements of successful teams
When personalities clash
Feeling good and the bottom line
How is emotional intelligence developed?
How assessments can facilitate understanding
Building self-managing teams
Using a team coach to build E.I.
Four Cluster’s of Emotional Competency
Resources on Emotionally Intelligent Teams

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