Elements of a Cohesive Team - Glossary

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A

active listening

A style of listening that centers on the speaker and is designed to encourage communication. In active listening, the listener uses open-ended questions, frequent acknowledgments, and reflection to encourage the speaker to communicate.

activity

Work required to proceed from one event to another.

aptitude

The ability to perform a skill, usually referring to a mental or intellectual capability, not a physical one.

attribute

A skill, quality, or characteristic that a person or a system needs in order to perform effectively.

authoritative style

A style in which a leader exerts authority and expects obedience.

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C

capability

The ability of a person, process, or system to achieve a goal or objective.

charisma

Great personal magnetism and the ability to charm many people effortlessly.

closed-ended question

Question requiring only a yes or no answer. For example, "Are you OK?" and "Is there anything I can do to help?" are closed-ended questions.

collaboration

The act of people working together.

collaborative teamwork

Working together with teammates as a single unit. Each team member brings value to the relationship to create a synergistic team environment.

competency

The capacity to apply and use a combination of skill, knowledge, ability, and behavior to achieve an objective.

cooperative teamwork

Working together with teammates in an agreeable manner.

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D

dynamics

The interplay of different forces of any particular activity.

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E

empathy

The ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes – to understand what that person is saying and not just sympathize with the situation.

event

The starting or ending point of an activity or a group of activities. See activity.

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G

goal

A statement describing a desired end result or future condition.

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H

high-performance team

A team in which members apply their multiple talents, skills, and energies toward a shared purpose. Together, they accomplish more than any one of them could alone.

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I

initiative

An ongoing or long-term enterprise. Usually associated with achieving the objectives of a functional business unit, such as a department.

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K

knowledge

The accumulation of understanding acquired through experience, training, and formal education.

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M

managers

People who focus on basing actions on past experience, matching resources to tasks, and following established methods and procedures.

metric

A base measurement of some aspect of a project or process. Used for comparative purposes.

milestone

A significant point or event in the progress of a project or initiative.

mission

What the organization is in business to do.

morale

How people feel about what they're doing. Similar to esprit de corps. The group attitude.

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N

negative question

Badly stated question that perpetuates negativity and fails to solve problems.

nonverbal communication

Any unspoken indication that a person may make, such as facial expressions, posture, breathing patterns, eye contact, etc.

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O

objectives

Ways that an organization intends to achieve its strategic goals.

objectivity

The view that the truth of a thing is independent from the observing subject. Objective truths are independent of human wishes and beliefs.

open-ended question

Question requiring more than a yes or no answer. For example, "How are you doing?" and "What can I do to help?" are open-ended questions.

opportunity

An event that has the potential to have a positive effect on the project or initiative. See event.

organizational culture

Underlying beliefs, values, and assumptions held by members of an organization and the practices and behaviors that reinforce them.

outcome

The immediate or short-term consequence of activities. See activity.

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P

polarization

Broken into opposing groups. Polarization can occur when one or more of the team members can't – or won't – compromise.

proactive

To prepare for an expected occurrence.

process

A group of steps, tasks, or actions that take a specific input and manipulate it to produce a desired output.

project

A planned, time-limited endeavor undertaken to create a specific product, service, or end result.

provisional qualifier

Statement that suggests that a speaker understands he's about to deliver an opinion – not place blame – and that he's open to other points of view. Examples include "In my opinion," "I may be wrong," "It seems to me," and "It's been my experience."

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R

reactive

To act in response to an occurrence.

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S

schedule

A timetable of sequential activities and events.

semi-verbal acknowledgements

Uh-huh, hmm, and other sounds that indicate one person is following what another is saying.

supportive statement

Statement that validates a person's right to express his or her point of view. For example, "I don't necessarily agree with you, but I'm willing to hear what you have to say" is a supportive statement.

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T

task

Activities driven by an organization's goals and objectives.

team member

One of a group of people working together to achieve a common goal.

timetable

See schedule.

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V

vision

The final state of the organization after the company's mission is completed.

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#

"I" statements

Using the first person case when discussing one's feelings about an issue or event.

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