Teamwork

Common issues new teams experience and mechanisms to overcome such issues:

Team work is a fundamental aspect of the engineering profession, being able to effectively and efficiently work in a group environment is one of the most important parts of a studying engineers career. There are numerous common issues that a group of engineers must to overcome when working together. According to Katzenbach and Smith (2001, p. 3)”neither teams nor groups can realise their performance potential unless the following five elements are in place, an understandable charter, good communications, defined member roles, time efficient processes, and a sense of accountability.

When a group project has only begun it is important for all of the members to know the specific behavioural lines are set for each member of the group. Without knowing where these lines lie problems may arise, problems such as different members of the group disagreeing at a personal level, this is where a charter comes into play. A charter is important as it is important that a group leader, or team members, establish clear behavioural guidelines at the beginning of a group project (2013, p. 282).

There are many ways that a lack of communication within a team can cause problems such as conflict, minimization of resources, and creating uncertainty. According to Joseph C. (2014, para. 1) “Lack of communication in the workplace can occur on a large scale, such as between management and employees, as well as on a smaller scale between individual employees. Failure to communicate effectively often leads to conflict, which can harm an organization. Poor communication can create conflict in a number of ways.” It is important for the leader of the group in these situations to strategize how and when the team will meet to discuss current problems and issues (2013, p. 282).

It is possible without defined member roles for members of the team to get lost and disorientated as to what there part of the team is for....