Welcome to the Working on Teams Learning Topic. We hope you'll find our articles and resources to be helpful as you lead or participate in teams at MIT, and also as you work to improve your team's effectiveness and performance.

What is a team?
Teams share a commitment to a common purpose, mission and goals and work in an environment of mutual accountability. Successful teams develop effective group process, using groundrules and norms to promote effective interpersonal communication. Teams go through recognizable stages of development, with distinct characteristics in each phase. Every project group or work unit is not a team. Learn more about teams.

What can I learn or do here?
Management journals, books and libraries offer a wealth of information and tools available to help you be a more effective team member, whether your team is new or well established, a time-limited project team or a standing team. You might start by learning what defines a team, and move on to learn about factors for team success. Want to learn more about your own team? Take a look at our tools to help you determine what development stage your team is in, or how to evaluate your team's effectiveness.

Can I get help for my team?
Yes. OED's organization development consultants can provide a variety of assistance to teams throughout MIT's departments, labs and centers. For example, we can advise on team formation and key success factors in team start-up, or we can work with an existing team to help them increase their effectiveness. For more information, see our Organization Development site or contact oed-request@mit.edu.

Can team-related skills help my career?
Absolutely! Given the increasing number of project and on-going teams at MIT (and elsewhere), learning how to create and work in high-performing teams is a great way to develop professionally. You may also wish to visit OED's Career & Talent Management site, which explains other ways MIT is committed to the professional and career development of its employees.

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