How do you increase teamwork effectiveness?

1.     Encourage direct talk across the “we-they” boundaries.  Start with your own attitude toward each person’s opinions and ideas.

2.     Build networks.  You’ll be more effective if people throughout your organization know you, like you, and trust your motives.  Most of what’s accomplished is done through informal channels.

3.     Think of the communication process as one of conflict resolution.  Good negotiators solve problems.  They look for areas of overlapping interest and expand on them.

4.     Share information.  If you know what’s going on and others don’t, you’re in a position of power.  If you don’t share the information you lose trust and the power you had.