Team Dynamics and Decision Making for Project Success The success of a project often depends on team decision making. In the workplace, the team leader's job is to make decisions that benefit the team and the entire company. This burdens them with a lot of responsibility. They must contemplate the options and consciously select the most appropriate decision-making strategy for the circumstances in which the decision will be made and implemented. Often the chosen decision-making style is among the most significant roles of the project manager. The communication and interpersonal skills of group members influence the decision. The wrong approach can cause problems within the group. “Research conducted by Wheelen, Murphy, Tsumura, and Kline (1998) demonstrates a clear correlation between positive group dynamics and team productivity.” There are many decision-making strategies available. Three of the most common styles are when decisions are made by the group leader alone, decisions by the leader after group discussion, and consensus of the entire group. In a decision-making style the leader makes the decision without consulting the group at all and takes complete responsibility for the outcome of the decision. The leader does not involve team members in the decision and chooses based on his own knowledge and analysis of the problem. They must then explain the decision to the group to gain acceptance. One of the advantages of this style is that the decision is made very quickly. When there is an emergency or routine decision to make, this is usually the best choice. While it can sometimes be helpful to make the decision yourself, in a work group situation it's usually not the most... middle of the paper... a lot of work to get everyone in the group involved. It takes skill and practice for a team to learn to work together. Each decision-making strategy has advantages and disadvantages, and none are always better than the others. An effective team leader will consider the options and determine which strategy is most appropriate for the issues being decided and the circumstances in which the decision must be made and implemented. Results-oriented companies need competent leaders in decision making. Decision-making styles are neither good nor bad. The effectiveness of any decision-making style depends on the situation in which it is used. Performance is improved by integrating all styles, finding the style that works best in a particular project, or being able to intentionally switch from one decision-making style to another.