In any office environment, team work is usually the determining factor between success and failure in any project. When colleagues at the workplace refuse to work together or just do not seem to get along, productivity at the workplace suffers. In addition, certain undesirable attitudes develop, which make working both a stressful and an unpleasant experience. One of these attitudes is accountability where every worker looks out for him or herself, not accepting blame when something goes wrong. When such situations occur, every effort should be made to restore communication among team members as well as bring out the interpersonal skills if the team is to survive. What is more, being prepared and equipped to handle conflict could prove to be a lifeline to ensure the team’s survival.

There are a number of reasons why teams may not achieve maximum performance. One of these is backstabbing. Gossip is one of the underlying problems that cause team breakup. As a rule, there should not be any backstabbing among team members. An additional problem concerns interruptions. This problem is especially common in meetings, where some members may consistently dominate a meeting or will not allow others to air their views. As a rule, every one should be given an opportunity to put across ideas without another member having to challenge them. In addition, those views should be analyzed and discussed with an open mind and given equal consideration. In this way, no one will feel left out. There should also be an unwritten rule on how team members should forward their complaints. A team member that complains should also be able to provide a solution or offer a different way to carry out the activity in contention, this will alleviate the problem. Whining should thus be discouraged.

A major problem that also restricts how much a team is able to accomplish has to do with sharing skills and ideas. Without combined knowledge, little can be accomplished in a team setting. Thus, this should be part of the job description. No matter how proficient team members are, in what they do, the team will not attain its maximum potential until individual members are willing to help each other in terms of skills and ideas. Team building can vary depending on a wide array of factors. An expert in the field will usually help in identifying the problems affecting a team and recommend the right path to follow in resolving those problems. Team building should be fun. While the underlying reason should be to focus on teamwork, the members will more willingly participate if it is done in a relaxing environment. Team building programs should also be opportunities to celebrate any recent achievements. Acknowledging everyone’s efforts and goals serves to engender support and the belief that working together in the future could also have the same results. As soon as team leaders take the initiative to offer words of encouragement and lay rules for the benefit of all members, team building will be serving its purpose.