When there is enough time, and perhaps some reason to communicate, team communication neither retards nor enhances team performance" (Schraagen & Rasker, 2003, p. 761). Thus, freedom to communicate is essential, and for the team's survival, all team members must feel the freedom to communicate and to listen, as well. In addition, there may be some team members who simply refuse to "get on board" with the team. They may not communicate, they may not understand the goals, and they may not feel comfortable or included in the team. For success, it is essential to include these members in the team, even if they seem to resist. First, a team leader should make sure the team member is on board and understands the goals. The team leader should also try to find out if there are other reasons for non-participation before the team meets. If there are problems or arguments, the team should assess the validity of the arguments, and act on them accordingly. If the arguments are not valid, then the team member should seek help or ways to motivate the team member, so they do not bring down the entire team with their negativity and lack of commitment.

Lack of commitment to the team can lead to a variety of problems, from not accomplishing goals to wasting time and a lack of trust and energy in the team. It can also ultimately lead to poor decision making due to lack of listening, input, and understanding by the team members. Poor team communication is probably the biggest reason many endeavors fail in many organizations, so the vital importance of good team communication cannot be stressed enough. If poor communication techniques are currently in place, the team leader should work hard to create new communication tools and goals to help build a strong foundation of team communication and commitment.

Change inside an organization can be difficult for team communication. Participants may be used to communicating in certain ways, and if new, innovative team communications ideas are implemented, some team...

Three other writers note, "Within companies, certain communication expectations result after employees routinely share information in predicted ways" (Douglas, Martin & Krapels, 2006). If these predictable ways of communicating suddenly change, team members may feel uncomfortable or even threatened, and the team leader will need to work with them to help them accept the new communications models and learn to grow and become skilled at them.
In conclusion, team communication is an essential aspect of work, family, and even education. Just about every situation in life contains teams and the opportunity for strong team communication. Following the steps and ideas outlined above, team communication can lead to the accomplishment of team goals and objectives quickly and effectively. Without effective team communication, the goals and objectives of an organization can become muddy and indistinct, leading to difficulty in accomplishing these goals. Thus, team communication is one of the most important aspects of the work environment, and ignoring it could ultimately doom the organization or group to failure.

References

Douglas, C., Martin, J.S., & Krapels, R.H. (2006). Communication in the transition to self-directed work teams. The Journal of Business Communication, 43(4), 295+.

Fleming, J.L., & Monda-Amaya, L.E. (2001). Process variables critical for team effectiveness. Remedial and Special Education, 22(3), 158.

Schraagen, J.M., Chipman, S.F., & Shalin, V.L. (Eds.). (2000). Cognitive task analysis. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Schraagen, J.M., & Rasker, P. (2003). 31 Team Design. In Handbook of cognitive task design, Hollnagel, E. (Ed.) (pp. 753-784). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Team communication." (2008). Retrieved 9 Feb. 2008 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Web site: http://www.engr.uiuc.edu/mep/Team%20Communication.ppt.