People in Projects

Select the Right Team Leader and Team Members

To create effective teams, organizations must select team leaders who possess certain qualities. Leaders must be flexible and willing to support the team. They must want to help team members work together, understand their cultural differences, and facilitate communication. They must also possess a global mindset that will prompt them to respond quickly, thoughtfully, and creatively to challenges that arise.

Once the team leader is chosen, organizations must select the optimal cross-cultural team members. Minimizing the importance of this step will affect the team’s performance. Sylvia Chevrier, a lecturer at the University of Quebec, conducted a study of three European teams of engineers working ...