Most new teams start out full of energy.
Members get to meetings early, complete assignments on time, and stay late to discuss issues.
But after their first year, many teams' productivity declines dramatically. According to a recent article in Harvard Management Update , teams are susceptible to boredom, frustration, or anger just as an employee is, so it's important to manage them as one would any employee. A good place to start is by making sure a support system is in place that offers clear guidelines for evaluating, recognizing, and rewarding team success. This should include compensation for the extra hours most teamwork requires and recognition from upper management for jobs well done. Keeping teams challenged is another critical step.