Discuss and Assess Results

Teamwork often improves when team members also measure their own performance. Be sure any measures you assess are meaningful and accurate. Solicit input from each team member about how targets were handled, whether working methods can be improved and whether the results are realistic. Use appropriate software that interprets results effectively. Use independent outside assessors if you need specific facts, but don't make the team feel like they're being watched and judged like they were under a microscope.

The Japanese management technique of kaizen (Six Sigma) holds that everyone on a team can improve the quality of work continually and by quantifiable amounts. Even a small decrease in the percentage of rejected products, for example, can mean big savings in production cost. Give teams enough responsibility for their task that they can keep improving by defining problems, analyzing the root cause, fixing the situation -- perhaps by bringing in external specialist help, if necessary -- and, above all, preventing the problem from recurring.

When measuring team progress, keep two questions in mind: "What is the cost of failure?" and "Is it time to cut our losses?" Always, always, always document everything!

One of the newest trends in terms of management philosophies and techniques that is taking the industry by storm is Scrum/Agile. Scrum is a method that gets members of each of the disciplinary teams around a conference table (or video conference) on either weekly or bi-weekly meetings where challenges or new ideas for product or methodology practices can be assessed and altered throughout the development process.

This allows the team to remain flexible and available to change midstream; thus, avoiding redundancy of work to meet new technical specs and to stay adaptable to market trends, demands, or any changes that need to be made to increase customer value.

Helping an Existing Team

You may be asked to take over an existing team. Obviously, you want to make a good impression without appearing too controlling, aggressive or overeager.

Find out about your new team, its purpose, its progress and of course the individuals, preferably before you meet them. Other people's input can be valuable but trust your own judgment as you form your opinion of the team's abilities.

You may want to ask individual team members to assess their colleagues but again make it clear that you will be forming your own opinions. If you ask people for their advice, be willing to listen and show that you are not making snap judgments based on incomplete information or influence from a particular person or subgroup.

Good team leaders make the most of the information at hand. Ideally, you want to understand each group member, how (if) their behavior changes within the team and how individual responses vary at different stages in the team's development but you don't always have that luxury.

As soon as you can, talk with each team member, one-to-one, about their individual tasks and the project as a whole, their views of their own performance, whether they favor any changes in working practice and if so, why. Remember that your best chance to observe the team will come only after you have taken charge.