My personal experience as a coordinator of a program at NJIT (non-medical).

I would prefer a team who actually is passionate about the project. As a coordinator, I am responsible for 50 students and 6 tutors. My entire project depends on my tutor’s ethics, time management, and their reports. If I do not not get a report within a certain time period, I am delayed in generating a comparative analysis report of the 50 students, this results in a delay of their grants, holds on their accounts, and potential sponsorship for outside internships etc.

So when I interviewed the tutors that would be the core of my entire program, I made sure they actually wanted the job. I looked at their background, maturity level, ability to work in a team, and their ability to understand the needs of those students and write a report on their findings. I had to take out 2 tutors form the program who seemed to be the best fit for the job due to lack of passion or time management.

The overall point I would like to make is, yes your team should be hardworking, dedicated, and be able to work together. But one team does not fit all. Sometimes you have to add or remove certain team members to get the best possible result. In many cases, a team member may not have the background knowledge in eletronics and that person might be able to produce the best results. On the other hand, an eletronics person who lacks time management and communication skills may produce no results and cost you time and money. Lastly, my approch to a team would be speak with each team member prior to assigning them a task because this initial process, if done correctly can save everyone time and complete the project.