Team Communication
Can a team be effective without proper team communication? First of all, what is communication? Communication is defined as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior (Merriam-Webster Online, 2006). Without communication a group is just a bunch of people standing around unable to accomplish anything. Take the story of the tower of Babel for instance. According to the book Genesis, chapter 11 in the Bible; the tower was built by humanity to reach the heavens in order to make a name for themselves instead of worshiping God. God then confused their languages so that no one could understand each other; no longer able to communicate, work was halted (Wikipedia, 2006). As you can plainly see, communication is a very important aspect of the whole team concept. There are three elements to effective team member communication; willingness to talk and share information, active listening, and understanding (Crow, 2002).
Willingness to talk and share information is key to effective team communication. If no body talks or shares ideas, the team will not be able to achieve their goals. A professional football team cannot put any points on the board if the quarterback can't properly communicate the plays to his receivers or running backs. Like wise, the coach won't be able to tell his quarterback which play to run. The importance of sharing information is not only important on the field; some important decisions are made everywhere by all kinds of people.
In order to build a stadium for instance, all parties must know what their roles or contributions will be in order ...