During last month’s NYLA conference I sat in on a presentation about building effective teams. The presentation was conducted by Ron Kirsop, Assistant Director, Pioneer Library System. I would like to share some points from his presentation.
Dysfunctional Teams
Common traits attributed to dysfunctional team members include a lack of trust, an avoidance of conflict, struggle to commit to collective decisions, lack of accountability, and a focus on personal success.
Some Questions to Consider
Are your organizations mission, values and goals understood by all team members?
Do job descriptions and responsibilities match the organization’s mission?
Do team members listen to one another? What is the primary means of communication?
Do leaders handle conflict when it arises? How are conflicts currently resolved?
Some Things to Put into Action
Lead by example
Set goals (and follow through with them)
Learn more about team building (recommended titles: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, SmartTribes by Christine Comaford)
