Secrets of successful teamwork

I’m active in several professional associations. I do this because I want to meet new people, build my skills and most importantly becasue I want to give back.

One organization has it right and another has a ways to go. Both of these groups have people who are:

**committed to the cause
**smart
**hard working.

However one group is miles ahead of the other in terms of its results, both with planning and with execution. Why? It all comes down to communication basics.

The successful group:

1. Assigns specific tasks, including who’s doing the meeting notes.

2. Has an agenda for every meeting.

3. Always summarizes planning meeting discussions and to do items.

4. Schedules planning meetings far enough in advance so that folks can put it on their schedule.

5. Sends out a few meeting reminders.

The not so successful group:

1. Schedules planning meetings at the last minute. The excuse being everyone is busy, especially the organizers. If this is the case, ask someone else to help with scheduling the meetings.

2. Does follow an agenda, however no one takes notes or circulates what was discussed.

3.  No follow-up emails are ever sent, summarizing what was discussed and outlining who is going to do what.

4.  Meetings are haphazard at best.

None of this is rocket science, nor does it take a lot of time to follow-through.  Is it any wonder that the second group is having trouble planning events and getting the word out about the organization?

If you have any additional secrets to successful teamwork, I’d love to hear about them.

Photo is courtesy of Dailypic’s Flickr Photostream, under Creative Commons Licensing.