Improving teamwork: the effect of self-assessment on construction design teams

Abstract This research tested the hypothesis that regular assessments of the way teams function can help improve team performance. Teams of building designers were instructed to pause mid-way through a timed design task to evaluate their teamwork processes. Designers gave significantly more positive ratings of various aspects of their team working after assessing their team. An analysis of open-ended comments made at the end of the design task echoed this result. Further, the designers' ratings of team process were positively related to team outcome, suggesting a link between what design teams produce, and how effectively they work together.