Rob asked:

Has anybody experience with electronic communication for a project team. Trying to form a team. I am interesting in basic rules and possible pitfalls.

Hi Rob

I haven't tried to run a project by communicating by email. However, I have completed an electronic communication course and developed Online Communities using websites, which I imagine have similar hazards to using email.

What I learnt was, in setting up the electronic process, it is important to identify, agree on and maintain some 'working guidelines' up front. These could include email etiquette (plenty of stuff about this on the web), plus some general guidelines about working in teams regardless of whether its face-to-face or electronic.

All our teams make time for evaluating of the meeting at it conclusion, "did we achieve objectives? what worked well? what didn't? what will we do differently next meeting to improve outcomes?"

The favourite team I work with deliver Continuous Improvement and Innovation 'training'. Our end of meeting evaluation includes measuring a whole range of indicators for achieving supportive meetings. Good intentions and supportive behaviours are powerful behaviours for building teams.

What behaviours have you noticed create the disharmony in your 'e-team', and what behaviours would you replace the destructive ones with?

List them and each participant could give a score out of 10 for how well the group displayed the positive behaviours. It is good to start the meeting by stating the outcomes of the meeting - I would include that group cohesion and motivation is stronger at the end of the meeting than it was at the beginning. If it's not, then decide what will be done differently next time to improve that outcome.

Best wishes - and thanks for contributing to Leadership ConneXions.
ngami niginda yilaalu (see you later)

Pamela McAllister
Rural Development Officer
Regional Delivery
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries