- Global dimensions of team effectiveness
- The rhombus model of team effectiveness
- Team performance
- Viable teamwork
- Team’s influence on members
- Team reputation
What is team effectiveness?
Team effectiveness is defined as the extent to which a team meets the expectations (for example, goals, objectives, deliverables, and by-products) of relevant constituencies from within and outside the team and the organization (such as team members, direct supervisors, top managers, other teams, suppliers, and customers).
This definition highlights the two most important aspects that every team should consider while thinking about, delineating, or measuring team effectiveness.
First, it suggests that team effectiveness encompasses a set of different, but related, dimensions [1] [2] [3] . Team performance, team viability, team satisfaction, and team reputation are some dimensions of effectiveness. Team effectiveness is thus multidimensional and multifaceted.
Second, the definition also suggests that team effectiveness can mean different things to different people [4] [5] . For instance, team members may emphasize how satisfied they are with the team. In contrast, leaders may focus on performance, and customers may care mostly for how reputable a team is. Depending on your relationship with or positioning within the team, you may weight each dimension of team effectiveness differently.
In practical terms, your team is an effective one if it is able to identify the effectiveness dimensions that are most relevant for both internal and external constituencies, as well as to satisfy their expectations on each dimension of effectiveness.
Dimensions and measures of team effectiveness
Team effectiveness can be organized as a three-level hierarchical structure [6] [7] . At the top lie the global dimensions of team effectiveness. These include several specific dimensions, each assessed with well-developed measures.
The global dimensions give you a big picture of the core aspects that tend to be important for the effectiveness of most teams [2] [8] . The specific dimensions give you a range of manifestations that allow you to delineate and further define each global dimension of team effectiveness. The measures of team effectiveness are the methods used to evaluate how effective your team is on each dimension (global or specific).
The specific dimensions and measures you use to delineate and assess team effectiveness largely depend on aspects like the type of work your teams does [9] . For example, in your team the key aspect of interest for team performance (global dimension) might be productivity (specific dimension), as assessed by the number of closed sales (measure).
Global dimensions of team effectiveness
There are numerous models of team effectiveness, each one highlighting a different set of global dimensions. For instance, Sundstrom’s team effectiveness model focuses on performance (degree of fit between the team’s output and recipients’ expectations) and viability (members’ satisfaction with and willingness to keep working in the team) [7] [10] .
Mathieu’s model of team effectiveness also consists of two global dimensions: performance (including productivity, quality, and efficiency), and influences on team members (including team states like cohesion and psychological safety, as well as individual outcomes such as turnover and absenteeism) [3] [6] .
Other models consider three global dimensions of team effectiveness. Hackman’s model of team effectiveness focuses on performance (including expected standards of quantity, quality, and service), viability (the extent to which team members are willing to work together in the future, and how much is the team improving as a result of the collaborative work), and team members’ growth and well-being (how much team members are growing, learning and achieving their goals while working in the team) [2] .
Similarly, Cohen and Bailey’s model suggests that team effectiveness is defined by three global dimensions: performance (including the quality, quantity, and innovativeness of team’s outputs), members’ attitudes (including how satisfied and committed team members are); and members’ behaviors (for example, levels of absenteeism and turnover) [9] .
Although each model highlights different global dimensions of team effectiveness, all models have something in common. In all cases, team effectiveness is not a synonym of team performance (the latter is only a component, facet, or dimension of the first). Team performance is of critical importance to virtually all teams [1] , but if your team wants to sustain long term effectiveness it will have to consider other global dimensions.
The rhombus model of team effectiveness
In our years training and researching teams, we have found that team effectiveness tends to be more sustainable over time when teams attend to four global dimensions:
- Performance (including efficiency, productivity, quality, and innovation);
- Viable teamwork (including teamwork quality, process improvement through learning, ability to continue working together as a team, and ability to deal with difficulties);
- Team’s influence on members (including team members’ well-being, growth, and development, and the influence teamwork has on team members’ behaviors and attitudes);
- Reputation (including outsiders’ impressions of the team).
