Maintaining team excellence

Great teams need work,  teams must address both the task(s) at hand and the operation of the team as part of 'general maintenance'.

Task maintenance (or Project Management) ensures that the team successfully completes the project task and/or achieves the required outcome (i.e. on time, in budget, and to the required standard). At regular meetings, the team will review timelines, budgets, and the processes being used to ensure that this happens.  

Team maintenance ensures that the members of a team continue to work effectively together to achieve the project task or outcome. This is often more tricky than task maintenance as it is much easier to talk about 'facts and figures' than it is about feelings. Great teams make time for members to voice concerns, and offer them support as necessary.

REFERENCE

Johnson, D.H., & Johnson, F.P.  (2003).  Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills.  Pearson.