Over the last decade we have seen the use of teams grow exponentially in organizations. There are a number of reasons why this is true. Teams can enhance the use of employee talents and tend to be more flexible and responsive to change. Teams can help to keep employees engaged in their work and increase their participation in decision making, thus increasing their motivation. However, teams are not always effective, and so it is important to take a look at how to deploy teams effectively.
Groups and teams are not the same thing. A group is primarily there to share information and make decisions, no real joint effort is required. A team works in a more coordinated effort to achieve a goal.
Work groups and work teams differ on their goals, level of synergy, accountability and skills. Their function is different. Work groups share information while work teams work together for a collective performance. The synergy in groups is neutral whereas work teams have a positive synergy. Accountability can be individual in both but it is more often mutual in teams. The skills in a group can be varied whereas the skills on a team need to be complementary.
There are four main types of teams: problem-solving, self-managed, cross-functional and virtual.
Problem-solving teams are a very popular method used in many organizations. Typically this type of team meets for a few hours each week to solve a particular problem.
Self-managed work teams are comprised of a group of people who perform highly related or interdependent jobs, and take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors.
The effectiveness of this type of group greatly depends on the situation and the goals of the group.
Cross-functional teams gather workers from many different work areas to come together to accomplish a task that needs to utilize multiple perspectives.
This type of group is good at developing new ideas and solving problems or coordinating complex projects. Given that their tasks are normally complex and diverse it may take some time for the group to develop into an effective and productive team.
Virtual teams are increasing in their use. This type of team uses computer technology to bring people together to achieve a common goal. Typically these types of teams get right to work with little socializing, but need to overcome time and space constraints to accomplish the task. In order to be effective, virtual teams need to find ways to establish trust among the members, have close monitoring and results need to be publicized.
The three key components of effective teams are context, composition, and process variables. Next we will look at each one of these components individually.
Understanding the context is important for teams to be effective. The team needs the right resources to do the job well. Members also need effective leadership and structure to facilitate a process that will help the team succeed. It is important that teams fit together so they can successfully utilize the individual skills present in the group. Trust is also an important aspect of teams and essential for group cohesiveness as we have seen previously. Finally, the reward system needs to be equitable and based on team contributions.
A manager must pay close attention to how a team is put together to assure group cohesiveness and effectiveness. Each member should be selected based on the type of skills and abilities needed to accomplish the task at hand. However, abilities are not the only characteristic that managers need to pay attention to; personality is also important so that the team can bond and form trust. In addition, the manager must be sure he assigns the right people to fill the roles needed, but maintain adequate diversity so that idea generation still occurs. The manager must also pay attention to the size of the team and ensure that members want to be on the team and enjoy teamwork.
It is important to realize that cultural diversity can interfere with the success of a team, at least in the short run.
A team’s processes can have a big impact on its effectiveness. Teams must have a strong commitment to a common purpose that provides direction, but yet incorporates reflexivity so that plans can be adjusted if necessary. The goals of the team must be set up so they are specific, measurable, realistic yet challenging in order to keep the team members engaged.
Members must believe they can succeed and have a mental map of how to get the work done to assist in the process of accomplishing their task.
Finally, members must navigate through conflict and social loafing to encourage a healthy and effective group.
Not all employees are team players. In the United States for example, our individualistic culture can create challenges for teams. In fact, it is not always possible to turn everyone into a team player. When formulating teams it is important to carefully select the right employees who are more attuned to team work. Managers should also carefully craft a reward system to encourage cooperative efforts rather competitive ones. In addition, while managers need to recognize individual contributions to the team, they also need to discourage social loafing.
We have looked at a number of ways to make teams effective and to encourage good team work. However, teams are not always the answer. There are three questions to ask to assess whether teams fit 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?
If these three questions all can be answered with a yes, then a team might be the solution!