In my first entry about the word "we," I argued using the words "We decided to..." often create ambiguity. I suggested asking yourself several questions to reduce ambiguity either when you hear those words or when you are about to say them.

In this entry, I will lay out the case for when using the words "We decided to..." is completely appropriate and the use of other words is inappropriate.

What actions are available to you and every other member of your team to help a new teammate become a productive member of the team?

Robert, a project manager, told me he uses the weekly project status meeting as a bully pulpit to shame any member of the team who didn't satisfy their task deadlines. I've seen him in action -- his face becomes grotesque as he verbally assaults his teammates.

I believe it's wrong for Rob or anyone else to attempt to shame another person. But it's also wrong for a teammate NOT to satisfy a task deadline.

Is it shameful not to meet a deadline?

You and Jeff are members of a project team. You've know Jeff for years. You like and respect him. He is new to the team. In what looks to you like an effort to prove his value to the other members of the team he has taken on too many tasks. He isn't completing his high-priority tasks on schedule. And he keeps taking on new tasks.

What do you do?

Do some members of your team make agreements during meetings but fail to support them afterwards?

If this behavior is happening, I suspect your team is using an obscure process to make decisions.

Someone asks that information be hidden from a co-worker. This article offers one approach for dealing with that situation.

Does your team fine individuals for infractions; such as being late to meetings?

Rather than fining individuals, would more behavioral change happen if the entire team was fined?

What do you do when a teammate says, "I won't stand in the way of the team accepting the proposal." and when asked directly whether they will support the proposal, they hem and haw without clearly saying "Yes."?

I have had the good fortune to be a member of many successful teams during my career: But my career hasn't been all bliss -- I have also been a member of unsuccessful teams. In my experience, the recipe for the most successful and satisfying team experiences contained ingredients that were ignored by the unsuccessful teams. What ingredients fostered both teamwork and success?

Teams will take action on high-energy decisions. Action is less certain with low-energy decisions.

How do you detect a low-energy decision? What do you do about it?