There's the network administrator in the corner who won't talk to anyone before midday, and the developer who just wants to listen to music other staff can't stand. Yet as the CIO or IT manager, it's up to you to figure out a way to bring these team members together when they're working on a project.
It's a tough call--different personalities, personal quirks, and just downright annoying behaviour can be the norm in any department.
But if you can find the silver bullet to bring these disparate workers together to work towards a common goal it can produce some shining results. Good IT teams are often known for their intelligence, lateral thinking and excellent problem-solving skills.
As the tech leader of this team, it's your responsibility to harness these skills to benefit the business and to get past the office gossip, rivalries and personal agendas to focus the team on what they're really trying to achieve.
The idea is to be aware--both of your personal management style and how your team responds to the way you interact with them. There's no good to come from yelling at a team member who just bursts into tears, or not pushing someone known for procrastinating.
Often CIOs I speak with admit that there isn't always a single answer to managing staff and pulling them together as a team. The advice of some of these IT professionals has been that different teams need to be managed in different ways--to figure out the best way to manage the individuals who make up the group.
What are the lessons you've learnt for building team spirit? How have you pulled your team together on projects? Talkback below or e-mail us your tips at edit@zdnet.com.au
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