Team Effectiveness

Effective teamwork is built on the ability for colleagues to work together and this involves respecting the diversity of knowledge and skills. In the absence of willingness to share, and uncertainty over roles and responsibility, interprofessional activity is limited.

Misunderstanding, mistrust, fear or competition creates a barrier to improvement and innovation. Integrated healthcare being a national agenda, effective team work remains difficult to establish and sustain. Working across disciplines, brings with it a range of issues that impact on working practices; physical location, systems, processes and priorities. Yet, there are many similarities. Determining common ground, negotiating pathways and determining clarity over leadership and responsibilities sit within a behavioural framework that accommodates team culture. Effectiveness, demonstrated in the teams’ ability to discuss issues, resolve problems and gain clarity over uncertainty. Relationships are strengthened and ideas for innovation have a positive impact on team engagement and for personal and organisational development.

Teams that work well together create a safe environment from which concerns or disagreements can be resolved at the team level, minimising the potential for unresolved conflict and dysfunction.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1355819619867350