Making Workgroups Work

Workers at the New York City public relations firm Makovsky & Company's health sciences group were at war. One member of the workgroup had done the unthinkable: She didn't tell her colleagues she was in over her head and couldn't hold up her end. And worse, she failed to thank them when they jumped in to help her complete the job on time.

Their experience was not unlike the group projects many of us lived through in school with a few people doing all the work, but everyone getting the credit. Personalities clash, feelings get hurt and projects suffer.

"Working in a group is really no different from being in a large family," says Donna Ramer, managing director of the health sciences group. "You're going to have your squabbles; you need to air it all out."

Before it really started to stink, Ramer pulled her group back together by calling an open meeting to address all grievances. The strategy worked. Her staff discussed their frustrations, and the offending member acknowledged the importance of speaking up when a problem arises and always saying thank you.

Don't have a clue how to deal with the incompatible personalities and experience levels that may make up a workgroup? Relax. Whether you're the group leader or just one of the foot soldiers, there are ways to help the entire group work as one.

Choose Your Team Wisely

The purpose of a group is to share responsibilities and expertise. That's why you need to consider what each member will bring to the team and not just his or her qualifications. "A lot of care needs to be made in the composition of the group," says Michael Brownstein, senior associate at Civic Strategies, a Newton, Massachusetts, management consultancy. "You don't necessarily look at everyone for his or her own individual expertise; you look at the way they work with others. That includes temperament, the way they do things and the way they respond to other people."

Communicate Clearly

One of the biggest reasons workgroups fail is that people are just not on the same page or maybe not even reading the same book. They have different ideas about the group's goals and objectives and how the team is going to get there. "I can interview people walking out of a meeting and ask them, 'What are you supposed to do?' If there are six different people, I'll get four different opinions," says Ray Pelletier, founder and president of The Pelletier Group, a teamwork consultancy in Miami Lakes, Florida, and author of Permission to Win. "It's very important that everyone clearly knows what the project is and what the outcomes are."

Build a Culture

It's important that people enjoy working in the group. The culture, therefore, should be fun and challenging. Members should be respected and encouraged to share unusual, even bizarre ideas. "Outrageous responses oftentimes lead to ideas that are the best and easiest to implement," says Pelletier. "But we have to get rid of what I call VOJ, voice of judgment. Often you have a great idea, and we instantly kick into a voice of judgment, judging the idea. Therefore, it never bubbles up."

Make sure your group's dynamic allows ideas to make it to the surface. If they burst, they burst, but if nothing is offered, that's what will get accomplished. "Somebody is not as smart as everybody," says Brownstein. "We each have something to bring to the mix."

• Without cohesion, a workgroup is as productive as the table it sits around.
• Communication and an open forum for ideas can create that crucial unity.
• If it doesn't, hire the table as a consultant.