“The efforts of teams often produce far greater results than individual efforts. Teams are generally more productive, and their work can lead to the creation of valuable new products (Capozzi).” Effective teamwork can be achieved through open communication and active participation. Open communication creates unity among team members. Good team players often use informal means of communication to keep other members informed so knowledge and experience is shared within the group. Open communication creates effective communication, and respect is developed among members. In order to successfully get the job done, members need to keep each other in the loop to prevent surprises (Brounstein).

Active participation is the only way a team is able to act as a team in the creation of a solution. “A team does not have extra members, each member of a team is essential to the team’s success (Anderson).” Each member should know their job, and set out to put in their share of the effort (Anderson). Active participants demonstrate reliability by consistently meeting commitments and following through on assignments (Brounstein). If each member comes prepared for team meetings and listens and speaks up during discussions, teams will be more efficient and successful (Brounstein).

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