In-Process Review
Every time you complete a major step in your team project, you should celebrate your success. Remember, you're supposed to be having fun while you work (that's why your team is 'fun-ctioning' -- oh, never mind). But, it's also a good time to do a formal review and evaluation. You have been practicing informal assessment of the team and its members on a regular basis (right?), but there is no substitute for some good old fashioned formal review that gets handed in to me.
Answer the following questions as a team (and have the scribe record the team's answers):
(1) What was supposed to happen in this stage of the process?
(2) What actually happened?
(3) What have we learned as a team from this experience?
(4) What actions can we take to improve next time?
(5) How are we functioning as a team?
Type up your answers and give me a copy. Keep another copy for your team records.
In addition to evaluating the team as a whole, you should also evaluate the team's members individually on two grounds.
(1) Contribution to the accomplishment of the team's task, and
(2) Contribution to team leadership.
This evaluation can happen in one of two ways. You may either share your evaluations of your teammates openly with the evaluator's name on the evaluation, and openly discuss the evaluations of each individual as a team. This straightforward and honest approach can help a great deal with building trust, addressing the cause of problems, and working toward solutions.
Or, you may anonymously review one another. In that scenario, each person would type up her evaluations of her team mates, not putting her name on the document, print it, and give it to a designated team member at a set meeting. Then, that designated team member would collate each individual's evaluations and present them to the individual (so, for example, Amy gets evaluations of John from Tina, Sarah, and Fred. She separates out all evaluations of John , adds her own to the pile, and gives them to John to review).
I know it's hard to evaluate your peers and friends. It's one of the most difficult parts of the teaming process, and business leaders report that it's one of the most crucial skills their employees need to improve at. By working on this now, you give yourself a huge advantage when you enter the job market. You will be prepared for leadership because you will have worked out 'the kinks' here, in a safe and low-stakes environment.
Some tips for giving good feedback:
Provide both positive and constructive feedback (what one is doing well and what can be
improved)
Focus on behaviors, not personalities
Be descriptive rather than evaluative or judgmental ("stick to the facts")
Own your feedback by saying "I think..."
Use specific examples to illustrate your points
Offer to help your team members make the necessary improvements
© Amy C. Smith 2013
improved)
Focus on behaviors, not personalities
Be descriptive rather than evaluative or judgmental ("stick to the facts")
Own your feedback by saying "I think..."
Use specific examples to illustrate your points
Offer to help your team members make the necessary improvements
© Amy C. Smith 2013
