Team Performance

I've witnessed firsthand the power of team interdependence in driving productivity and efficiency. When team members work together in pursuit of a shared goal, their individual skills and knowledge are synergized, leading to exceptional outcomes. As Colquitt, LePine, and Wesson (2021) aptly state, "interdependence is the way in which the members of a team are linked to one another" (p. 344).

In my experience, task interdependence, which refers to the interconnectedness of tasks within a team, is crucial for achieving seamless workflow and maximizing output. Similarly, goal interdependence, characterized by a shared vision and aligned individual goals, fosters a sense of collective purpose and drives motivation. Outcome interdependence, where team members share in the rewards of their collective efforts, further strengthens the bond and reinforces commitment to shared objectives.

My most effective team, my current organization's leadership team, exhibits remarkable levels of task interdependence, goal interdependence, and outcome interdependence. Our communication channels are open and transparent, facilitating the exchange of ideas, progress updates, and shared rewards.

Team cohesion, defined as the development of strong emotional bonds among team members, is another key factor in team performance. As Colquitt, LePine, and Wesson (2021) note, "high levels of cohesion are directly tied to better team performance" (p. 289). Emotional bonds and effective communication are essential for cultivating a cohesive team. My current organization boasts a high level of cohesion, characterized by strong bonds and active interaction. This reflects a team that is confident in its abilities, trusts its members, and enjoys working together.

An example of an ineffective team, as revealed by both assessments and my observations, was an event-based production team. This project-oriented team relied heavily on task interdependence for success but lacked shared resources, individual goals, or collective objectives beyond preventing the event from becoming a disaster. 

Task interdependence is the extent to which "the completion of a given task requires that other tasks are completed, the degree to which the given task is required to be completed for another task to be completed, or the degree to which the individual performing the given task is required to interact with others in order to complete the task" (Bishop & Mahajan, 2005, p. 283).

As outlined by Colquitt, LePine, and Wesson (2021), there are various types of teams, including work teams, management teams, parallel teams, project teams, and action teams. Comparing various team experiences in my assessment and past, I have realized that most successful teams I've been part of have involved multiple team memberships, where I actively engaged with several different teams simultaneously (Colquitt, LePine, & Wesson, 2021).

While higher cohesion can enhance team performance, it doesn't always equate to a healthy team. On the contrary, excessive cohesion can lead to groupthink, fostering overconfidence and an unwarranted focus on reaching consensus, even if it isn't the optimal solution (Colquitt, LePine, & Wesson, 2021, pp. 389-390). Ineffective teams that I have examined are generally responsible for a single event and display low cohesion. I have found this to be primarily due to the stressful event conditions, the lack of enjoyment in working together, interpersonal tensions, and a general lack of understanding of team members' strengths.