How to make teamwork satisfying again

Make teamwork a source of motivation for your teams with these battle-tested tactics.

We all join new teams with our unique assumptions and expectations about teamwork. I believe that understanding where these expectations come from is essential to building a productive team environment.

Here are some battle-tested practices for making teamwork a source of satisfaction to your team so that it helps them tackle complex projects like developing a piece of software.

Let’s start with our expectations of teamwork

The assumptions that impact teamwork come from 3 different sources:

1. Individual expectations — these are the unique assumptions every team member brings in when they join a team.

For example, here’s how I define successful teamwork:

• Working with people I can learn from,
• Clearly defined requirements,
• Possibility of remote work,
• Focus on well-being and work-life balance,
• Best practices like pair programming, code coverage, code reviews,
• Greenfield projects.

2. The client’s expectations — all stakeholders bring their assumptions to the project, and one of them is the client. The client’s expectation will vary depending on the project’s focus and scope, as well as the core values and objectives of their business.

Here are some common expectations of clients in my sector (IT):

• Quick validation of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP),
• Project delivery within budget,
• Efficient communication,
• Proactivity and engagement.

3. The employer’s expectations — the employer is another project stakeholder and the assumptions the company holds about teamwork will impact the work carried out in the project as well.

Here are a few examples of employer expectations:

• Delivery of work according to company standards,
• Active participation in all ceremonies,
• Completion of assigned tasks.

So many expectations in one place = potential for conflicts