In all aspects of our daily lives we have to work in teams. It could be managing the to-do list with your spouse or directing a team (or project) at work. How the members of the team get along will determine how well or poorly things get done.

Over the past few years I have been a supervisor watching teams interact and progress toward a similar goal. Some teams function seamlessly, while others struggle from beginning to end. In my experience, there are some general rules that allow teams to work well together. First, each team member respects all of the other members. This is a simple concept, but not always easy to practice. It doesn’t mean that the team is made up of good friends, but rather a group of people who can accept each other and capitalize on their individual strengths. A good team is more likely to share in the work load equally, or at least in proportion to their skill level. In these teams, communication occurs often, respectfully and professionally.

When a team isn’t functioning well I will look at the three factors that make a team work well together. If one member of the team makes judgments or doesn’t like another members personality there will be problems within the group. Which also means the communication will suffer. With poor communication it is likely that one or more members of the team will be burdened with the work load of the project. Generally, a team that lacks the ability to communicate effectively will not be able to resolve the conflict.

A few key points about a recent team I am managing helps me to understand why they are having a difficult time working together. First, two of the members made judgments about the other member, Mark, because he is a little odd. He says funny things and seemed to be argumentative to the point the other two didn’t think he understood the project. But in reality, Mark was challenging their ideas so their project would be better. When the work load was allocated, Mark was given very few things to do because no one thought he was going to add any value (because of the judgments they made about him). There is very little respect amongst the team and communication is infrequent.

Some lessons learned from my recent team. Before a supervisor is brought in to help resolve the conflict, the members of the team need to communicate with each other about why they are unsatisfied. It is not the role of the supervisor to break the news to the team member who isn’t performing, it is the job of the team. The team must create their own action plan for how to resolve the conflict. Taking ownership will help them move forward faster than if the solution is provided to them. It is not important to like all of your team members; however, it is important to respect them. It is good to provide a second chance, but a third or fourth is unnecessary and counterproductive to the overall team. Remember, you all have a common goal.