Understanding Workteam

Teams
A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.
The Evolution of a Team A work group becomes a team when:      Leadership becomes a shared activity Accountability shifts from strictly individual to both individual and collective The team develops its own purpose or mission Problem solving becomes a way of life, not a part-time activity Effectiveness is measured by the groups collective outcomes and products

Team vs. Group

A group A team
People work independently Team members cooperate and help each other If members of a group disagree, the group may split into opposing sides Peoples work can be completely disrupted by problems If team member disagree, they will try to understand each others point of view and work towards a common solution Team members see problems as opportunities for change, growth and development

Team vs. Group

A group People work towards their own personal goals which may conflict with those of the other members of the group People may be reluctant to accepting additional responsibility unless it benefits them directly If external event threatens the group, it may disintegrate A team Team members work together to achieve a common goal Team member communicate their ideas and problem openly and freely All team members share the responsibility for getting the job done External pressures help the team bond together and become stronger

Work group vs. Work team

Work group : A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each other perform within his or her area of responsibility Work team : A group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of those individual input

A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort.

Types of Teams
Problem-Solving Teams Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment. Self-Managed Work Teams Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors.

Types of Teams (contd)

Cross-Functional Teams Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.

Task forces Committees

Types of Teams (contd)

Virtual Teams Teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.
Characteristics of Virtual Teams 1. The absence of paraverbal and nonverbal cues 2. A limited social context 3. The ability to overcome time and space constraints

Self-managed teams
 Permanent structure in which team members collaboratively
decide all the major issues affecting their work: work process, schedules, task allocation, selection and development of team members  Advantages:  Saving managerial costs  Gains in quality and productivity  Encouraging individual initiative and responsibility  Gain in efficiency, through multi-skilling, the involvement of fewer functions in decision-making and coordinating work

Problem-Solving Teams/Cross functional Teams

 Are temporary teams established to attack

specific problems in the workplace

 People from about the same hierarchical level,

but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task

Management Teams
 Consist of managers from various areas and coordinate work teams  They are relatively permanent  Primary job:  to coach and counsel other teams to be selfmanaging by making decisions within the team.  To coordinate work between workteams that are interdependent in some manner.

Building High-Performance Teams

 Size of work teams: The best workteams tend to be small
 Multi-skilling teams: Different types of skills and abilities  Properly match people to various roles  Have commitment to a common purpose  Have specific, measurable, realistic performance  Make members individually and jointly accountable for the teams goals  Have appropriate performance evaluation and reward systems  Develop high mutual trust

A TeamEffectiveness Model

Beware: Teams Arent Always the Answer

Three tests to see if a team fits the situation:
Is the work complex and is there a need for different perspectives? Does the work create a common purpose or set of goals for the group that is larger than the aggregate of the goals for individuals? Are members of the group involved in interdependent tasks?

Why Work Teams Fail?

Mistakes typically made by management Teams cannot overcome weak strategies and poor business practices Hostile environment for teams: command-and-control culture; competitive/individual reward plans; management resistance Teams adopted as a fad, a quick-fix; no long-term commitment Lessons from one team not transferred to others (limited experimentation with teams) Vague or conflicting team assignments Inadequate team skills training Poor staffing of teams Lack of trust

How to build trust?

 Demonstrate that you are working for others interest as well as your own.  Be a team player.  Practice openness: keep everyone informed; give feedback; tell the truth.  Respect: delegate; be an active listener.  Be fair: give credit where due; objectively evaluate performance.  Speak your feelings. (red hat)  Predictability: be consistent in decision making; keep your promises.  Competence: demonstrate good business sense and professionalism, also in people skills.