After working on the client project for almost two months, my biggest reflection is that at least in the initial stages of work, the organization and management of a team is sometimes even more important than the client deliverable.
I was a late joiner to the student consulting team and was initially overwhelmed not only about the project itself but also about what the allocation of responsibilities were. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the project and agreed on what was needed to move the research forward. However, there was unclear communication about team roles and actionable tasks. There was no expectation that anyone would be doing any particular task, so project progress stalled and there were some misunderstandings within the team.
This hurdle was overcome by more communication: we agreed on creating a team atmosphere that encourages more communication and collaboration, and that has boosted our team morale and our productivity. Working in a team does not necessarily mean that there needs to be a project manager or a leader allocating tasks – as long as communication is done effectively, everyone can contribute as equals. We were able to decide that we would each be a “lead” of a certain part of the project, with everyone helping in each component part.
I read an article in the Harvard Business Review called “Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups”, which speaks about how teams need to create “emotionally intelligent norms” to support behaviours for trust, group identity, and group efficacy. An “emotionally competent” team is one that encourages interpersonal understanding, actively reinforces caring behaviour, and creates an affirmative environment to deal with potentially difficult situations. This article really resonated with me, especially when it mentions how teams with the most qualified and engaged people with a clear mission could still fail because it lacks group emotional intelligence. A more emotionally intelligent team could also perform more effective work. Through better internal communication, we have been able to present a more united front to the client, which gives them a greater sense of confidence in our ability to perform our tasks.
Ultimately, communication is key. I have learned over the past month to be more attentive to how different people in the team are feeling and be more proactive in starting conversations about team atmosphere in addition to issues to do with logistics or the project content. I feel like myself and the team are making an active effort to be more communicative and place team cohesion as the top priority. Hopefully by building a strong foundation within the team, we will be able to work most effectively and happily towards a solid deliverable for the client.