Alison volunteered as a member of her association's conference committee hoping to make a significant contribution to the organization that she credits with jump-starting her career. She offered her services as facilities coordinator, assuming that her responsibilities were to secure a location and act as liaison between the facility employees and her association. It would be a lot of work, but she felt she could manage it in addition to the responsibilities of her paid job. She was excited about being part of what she saw as a worthwhile project.

The committee chair, grateful for Alison's help, assigned her several projects, including planning the menu. Alison didn't think this was part of her job as facilities coordinator, but she wasn't sure. Alison wanted to know exactly what the project would entail, but the committee chair wasn't sure, exactly. She assured Alison that she would help her whenever she needed. Reluctantly, Alison agreed. She struggled to figure out what meals should be included, how many choices to offer, and what her budget was.

Alison was frustrated and dissatisfied with the job she was doing, both on what she saw as her true responsibility - facilities, and the added burden of menu planning. Other committee members were frustrated with Alison over missed deadlines and bad decisions.

On the day of the conference, Alison rushed around dealing with crisis after crisis. Just as the opening session was beginning she made it into the auditorium. There she watched as the committee chair accepted the thanks of the association president, never once mentioning all the people who had helped pull the conference together. Angry and frustrated, Alison managed to make it through the day, vowing never to serve on another committee again.

Have you ever found yourself thrown onto a team that was doomed for failure? No one sets out to sabotage the efforts of their own teams, but it happens on an all too frequent basis. To avoid failure we need to know what sabotages the team's efforts.

#1 Work without a common goal or vision.

Last issue we discussed the importance of vision and goals for managing change. They are equally important in team development and success. The committee chair in charge of the conference never engaged her team with shared vision for the conference. It is possible that her vision represented the vision of everyone else on the team, but not likely. The chair needed to communicate her vision and let her team shape the final shared vision. Without that shared vision, the best she can hope for is a haphazard result and dwindling enthusiasm. If you are part of a team without an expressed vision, encourage your team to develop one.

#2 Work without individual goals, and an understanding of how they affect the vision.

Alison set her own goals for the areas of responsibility she assumed. She guessed at deadlines, and frustrated others that were counting on her to meet their deadlines. She had no idea what effect her work had on the other committee members.

Overworked, she resented assignments that she saw as outside the scope of her duties, but accepted them reluctantly because she was unsure exactly what her responsibilities really were.

Alison expected to be acknowledged for her suffering. She had worked hard, suffered many sleepless nights pulling the project together, and she wanted people to be grateful.

Even if a project isn't full of setbacks, team members need to be acknowledged; they need to celebrate. The committee chair needed to acknowledge her committee publicly, and she needed to organize a small thank you celebration for members of her team. Whether your team is paid or volunteer, it is important to acknowledge their success, particularly at the conclusion of the project.