Working on a team can be rewarding and increase productivity OR it can be a nightmare and make everything more awful.
What happens when the team stops working & how can I fix it?
It happens to most teams: at some point, the team doesn’t seem to be working as well as it should. You may have a nagging suspicion that things could be more efficient…or it may be very obvious that the work just isn’t getting done. Sometimes the first thing you notice is that people aren’t coming to team meetings anymore…or that they come, but don’t seem to have any energy for the work. Perhaps the initial excitement has worn off, other priorities have been established, or frustration at the magnitude of the task has set it.
How to prevent this from happening:
- Follow Project Management suggestions for holding the first meeting; establishing team and individual goals, roles and procedures; having effective meetings; making decisions; 7 Steps to High Performance Teams.
- Return to your Project Charter and confirm that the team knows the Goals, Roles and Procedures.
- Take time on a regular basis to assess how the team is doing, identify any issues, and make necessary adjustments.
- Hire Me
When Consulting & Coaching teams I use a short Team Effectiveness Survey. The survey has 13 questions and will supply an understanding of where each person on the team is, and where to focus clarifying steps to make progress.
Here’s an example of ‘Goals of the Team Project’ survey questions and format. 
These 4 questions supply an understanding of how well each person and the team understands the Project Goal(s) we are trying to achieve. Sharing a subjective metric on:
- Shared Vision: We on the team have a clear picture of the kind of changes we want to bring about by working on this project. Everyone has the same image in mind.
- Goal Clarity: We all understand the goals and objectives of the project. The goals are sufficiently clear and specific to be used in setting priorities and making decisions. When questions about goals arise, we discuss and clarify them.
- Goal Conflict: There is agreement among us about what the goals and objectives of the project should be. If there is conflict between team goals and our business or personal goals, we explore and resolve those differences.
- Goal Commitment: When we set goals for our project team, or when others (such as the project champion) set realistic goals for us, we commit ourselves and pursue them vigorously. When presented with unrealistic goals, we state our position openly and try to negotiate new goals
The Team Effectiveness Survey and questions serves the team to determine agreement and gaps that need to be addressed.
Having a process to evaluate where the team currently is and working together to make progress helps the team work and build the team while accomplishing shared goals.