What is a Team

A team is a small group of people with complementary skills committed to a common purpose and set of specific performance goal. Jon Katzenbach, The Wisdom of Teams

A team is 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 mall !umber "omplementary kills "ommon #urpose $ #erformance %oals "ommon Approach &utual Accountability

Characteristics of a Good Team

Proper distribution of tasks: A good team knows about all the distribution of tasks to achieve a streamlined process for the same' A good environment is possible when all the team members are aware of their responsibilities and do the needful in the stipulated time' A well(managed team knows the targets or what is e)pected from them' They are always a step ahead in their achievements of the same' Clear Communication: A good team would always have clear communication amongst its team members' *or a team to function properly, the tasks have to be e)plained clearly' The environment should be open and should be free enough for problems to be resolved' %ood communication between team members would only facilitate the work process and bring about better results for the company' High levels of integrity: A team cannot be complete without the team member displaying high levels of integrity for the company' Any company would always prefer to invest their time and money for people who are honest and dependable in the long run' An e)cellent team is only possible when all the members of the team can be relied upon for the particular tasks' These team members would always be aware of their responsibilities and would approach the concerned person immediately in case of any problem faced by any individual' Proper focus and a clear vision: When team members are aware of their tasks and fulfill the same in due course of time, it would only reduce time and effort spent in e)plaining the same' To ensure a company has an e)cellent team, all the team members need to have a clear(cut vision that helps to enhance the profile of the company' Skills that compliment each other: When a person reflects about the characteristics that are needed for a good team, the team member+s skill sets should also be taken into consideration' Team members in this case should have specific skill sets that help to compliment with each other+s skills' A good team manager can therefore work on these skill sets and help to balance

out the team' A balanced team would then produce better results'

Passion for work: Teams that have members passionate about their work help the company to progress with ease' A passion for e)cellence only helps to enhance the performance' A motivated team would only get positive results' An optimistic approach would keep the whole team happy' These are some of the very important characteristics for a good team' ,f you have a team with all the attributes listed above, you can surely be rest assured your organization would reach greater heights in terms of success'

The different between groups and Team

A team is a set of people, random or chosen, who are working together for a common purpose or goal' A team can be a group of people who are working together to accomplish an assigned or general task, the task could be anything from playing sports to making a presentation' Teams can be in a professional setting, laid back setting, or even found in a family setting' A group can be defined by people who are together but not working together to complete a task' A group of people could be doing the same thing together, such as watching a movie or a sports event, but they are observers not the doers' There is a lot of discussion on whether or not teams are a fad' , do think the emphasis on teams is a fad because , have witnessed it come and go several times' , remember when working alone was the thing to do and , remember when it was all about team work' , personally think it should be a balance of approaches' Working alone is a great way to work on particular skills and working together on a team is a great way to learn from others' Teams are a group of people working towards a common goal but high performance teams function a little differently' A high performance team creates goals by deciding what they want the final goal to be, the outcome of that particular -pro.ect-' The high performance team then breaks the final goal into smaller steps and goals' This allows the team to have a strategic plan which will lead them to their final goal' A high performance team also has to reevaluate the plan to make sure that things are working effectively and then decide whether or not they need to make alterations to their plan' A high performance team focuses on being as effective as possible while continually reevaluating to work towards /uality processes'

Group ,ndividual members work independently

Team ,nterdependence of team members used advantageously Acceptance of mutual accountability ynergism occurs

,ndividual focus on own rather than group ob.ectives 0eader gives instructions to the group 0eader deals with conflict "onflict divides the team leading to a win( lose situation "ompetitive sub groups develop "ommunication is cautious 1esults are secondary to conformity 0eader makes decisions 2ariable commitment to implementing decisions ,nade/uate performers are challenged by the leader Agenda is determined by the leader The agenda is composed of innocuous issues Advice and information are provided at meetings

&utual support, involvement and cooperation lead to commitment to the team ob.ective #articipation is based on skills and abilities of team members "onflict is resolved by the team "onflict is considered healthy as it promotes a win(win situation Team members feel a sense of belonging and care about each other "ommunication is open and honest "onformity is secondary to positive outcomes "onsensus decisions are reached 3igh commitment to implementing decisions Team members challenge each other 4including the leader5 if performance is not ade/uate Agenda is determined by the team The agenda is composed of core issues #roblem solving and planning occur at meetings

6'

nderstandings! ,n a group, members think they are grouped together for administrative purposes only' ,ndividuals sometimes cross purpose with others' ,n a team, members recognise their independence and understand both personal and team goals are best accomplished with mutual support' Time is not wasted struggling over 7Turf7 or attempting personal gain at the e)pense of others' #wnership! ,n a group, members tend to focus on themselves because they are not sufficiently involved in planning the unit-s ob.ectives' They approach their .ob simply as a hired hand' 7"astle 8uilding7 is common' ,n a team, members feel a sense of ownership for their .obs and unit, because they are committed to values( based common goals that they helped establish' Creativity and Contribution! ,n a group, members are told what to do rather than being asked what the best approach would be' uggestions and creativity are not encouraged' ,n a team, members contribute to the organisation-s success by applying their uni/ue talents, knowledge and creativity to team ob.ectives' Trust! ,n a group, members distrust the motives of colleagues because they do not understand the role of other members' 9)pressions of opinion or disagreement are considered divisive or non(supportive' ,n a team, members work in a climate of trust and are encouraged to openly e)press ideas, opinions, disagreements and feelings' :uestions are welcomed' Common nderstandings! ,n a group, members are so cautious about what they say, that real understanding is not possible' %ame playing may occur and communication traps be set to catch the unwary' ,n a team, members practice open and honest communication' They make an effort to understand each other-s point of view' Personal (evelopment! ,n a group, members receive good training but are limited in applying it to the .ob by the manager or other group members' ,n a team, members are encouraged to continually develop skills and apply what they learn on the .ob' They perceive they have the support of the team' Conflict *esolution! ,n a group, members find themselves in conflict situations they do not know how to resolve' Their supervisor;leader may put off intervention until serious damage is done, i'e' a crisis situation' ,n a team, members realise conflict is a normal aspect of human interaction but they view such situations as an opportunity for new ideas and creativity' They work to resolve conflict /uickly and constructively' Participative (ecision ,aking! ,n a group, members may or may not participate in decisions affecting the team' "onformity often appears more important than positive results' Win;lose situations are common' ,n a team, members participate in decisions affecting the team but understand their leader must make a final ruling whenever the team cannot decide, or an emergency e)ists' #ositive win;win results are the goal at all times' Clear -eadership! ,n a group, members tend to work in an unstructured environment with undetermined standards of performance' 0eaders do not walk the talk and tend to lead from behind a desk' ,n a team, members work in a structured environment, they know what boundaries e)ist and who has final authority' The leader sets agreed high standards of performance and he;she is respected via active, willing participation'

"

&

'

6<' Commitment! ,n a group, members are uncommitted towards e)cellence and personal pride' #erformance levels tend to be mediocre' taff turnover is high because talented individuals /uickly recognise that 4a5 personal e)pectations are not being fulfilled 4b5 they are not learning and growing from others and 4c5 they are not working with the best people' ,n a team, only those committed to e)cellence are hired' #rospective team members are /ueuing at the door to be recruited on the basis of their high levels of hard and soft skill sets' 9veryone works together in a harmonious environment

Types of Teams

There are four basic types of teams in the workplace= problem(solving teams, self(managing teams, cross(functional teams and management teams' Problem.solving teams: #roblem(solving teams are groups of >(6< people from the same department, who meet together for a few hours each week, share ideas or make suggestions on how to improve a process' 3owever, they seldom have the power to carry out their suggestions' #roblem(solving teams are usually temporary' They are often given a problem to solve' ?nce they recommend a solution to the problem, they may break up' ?ne of the more popular kinds of problem(solving teams is /uality circles, which began in the 6@A<s and have become very popular in organizations throughout the world' A /uality circle a small group 4A(6< people5 that meets regularly 4for e)ample, one or two hours, once a week5' ,ts purpose is to discuss problems with the /uality of a product, e)amine causes of the problem, and recommend solutions' To be successful, a /uality circles needs training for its members and the leader' Self.managing teams: elf(managing teams are small 46<(6> people5 long(term 4or permanent5 groups that have the freedom to manage themselves on a daily basis' This may involve various decisions, such as= scheduling work, assigning tasks, training in .ob skills, evaluating performance, selecting and firing team members, and controlling the /uality of work' These things are made easier by multiskilling 4developing member+s abilities to do more than one .ob5' elf(managing teams are probably not right for all companies, situations, and people' *or one thing, they must fit in with the culture of the organization' They also re/uire a change in the way managers+ roles and attitudes' Cross.functional teams: "ross(functional teams include employees at about the same level but from different work areas' They are form a team in order to accomplish a task' uch teams are often used for comple) pro.ects' ,n fact since the late 6@A<s, all the ma.or car manufacturers have used cross(functional teams for designing new cars' ,anagement teams: We can think of management teams as teams that run things' This may include the upper managers of various departments or divisions, plus vice(presidents for different functions'

Stages of Team (evelopment

&ost e)perts in team development agree that teams will go through five different stages' 3ow fast a team moves through each stage will depend on the team members, their individual skills, the work they are e)pected to do, and the type of leadership available to the team' 8ruce Tuckman deemed the four main stages of team development in order as *orming, torming, !orming, and #erforming' 0ater, as self(managed teams became common in business, he added a fifth stage of Ad.ourning;Transforming' Thomas :uick called the five stages for teams= earching, Befining, ,dentifying, #rocessing, and Assimilating;1eforming' Whatever term is used for the stages, teams will go through all five during their developmental and working processes' Stage / ( The first stage is when the team is formed and members meet' They learn what the team opportunities and challenge will be' ,ndividual members may be confused about their role or not understand the need for the team' &embers will agree on goals and assign actions for work, often working independently' %round rules or team guidelines are established' At the start, the team leader may be a member of the group, a supervisor, a manager, or a consultant who will facilitate the team( building process' 0eadership will help the team to define their processes' At this stage, the leader needs to be directive and understand the re/uirements for team training to move through each stage' Stage " ( Buring the second stage, individual e)pression of ideas occurs and there is open conflict between members' &embers tend to focus on details rather than the issues and compete for influence' 0ow trust among team members is an evident indicator of this stage' The team needs to select their desired leadership style and decision methodology' The team leader can help by stressing tolerance and patience between members' The leader should guide the team process towards clear goals, defined roles, acceptable team behavior, and a mutual feedback process for team communication' Stage $ ( ,n the third stage, the team develops work habits that support group rules and values' They use established tools and methodsC e)hibit good behaviorsC mutual trust, motivation, and open communication increaseC positive teamwork and group focus are apparent' The team relationships grow and individual characteristics are understood and appropriately utilized' The team leader continues to encourage participation and professionalism among the team members' Stage % ( The fourth stage shows high levels of loyalty, participation, motivation, and group decision( making' Knowledge sharing, cross(training, and interdependence increases' Team is self(directing in development of plans and strategy to meet their goals and carry out work' #ersonal growth and sharing is encouraged throughout membership' The leader becomes a facilitator aiding the team in communication processes and helping if they revert to a prior stage' Stage & ( *or pro.ect teams, temporary committees, or task forces coming to an end, there will be a finalizing stage as they 'celebrate and recognize group achievement' Then some mourning over the dissolving of the team relationship and begin planning for the change in individual work re/uirements' Buring this stage, leadership needs to emphasize organization gratitude and both team and individual recognition' *or continuous work teams, there may be a higher performance level as they develop and transform as individuals and reform into revised teams' ,t is important to note that continuous work teams may revert to prior stages when new people are added to the team'

Team Development Wheel

STAGE IV
P3*0#*,12G Mature closeness 1esourceful *le)ible ?pen 9ffective "lose and supportive 0#*,12G Testing #olite ,mpersonal Watchful %uarded

STAGE I

2#*,12G Getting organized Beveloping skills 9stablishing procedures %iving feedback "onfronting issues

ST#*,12G Infighting "ontrolling conflicts "onfronting people ?pting out Bifficulties *eeling stuck

STAGE III

STAGE II

,ain issues to be considered in team building 6' ,nterdependence This is the issue of how each member-s outcomes are determined, at least in part, by the actions of the other members' The structure of the team task should be such that it re/uires cooperative interdependence' *unctioning independently of other team members, or competing with them should lead to sub optimal outcomes for the entire team' Tasks that re/uire the successful performance of sub tasks by all team members are called divisible, con.unctive tasks'

D' %oal pecification

,t is very important for team members to have common goals for team achievement, as well as to communicate clearly about individual goals they may have' The process of clarifying goals may well engage all of the issues on this list' ,ndeed, shared goals is one of the definitional properties of the concept 7team'7 A simple, but useful, team building task is to assign a newly formed team the task of producing a mission and goals statement'

E' "ohesiveness This term refers to the attractiveness of team membership' Teams are cohesive to the e)tent that membership in them is positively valuedC members are drawn toward the team' ,n task oriented teams the concept can be differentiated into two sub concepts, social cohesiveness and task cohesiveness' ocial cohesiveness refers to the bonds of interpersonal attraction that link team members' Although a high level of social cohesiveness may make team life more pleasant, it is not highly related to team performance' !evertheless, the patterns of interpersonal attraction within a team are a very prominent concern' Team building e)ercises that have a component of fun or play are useful in allowing attraction bonds to develop' Task cohesiveness refers to the way in which skills and abilities of the team members mesh to allow effective performance'

F' 1oles and !orms All teams develop a set of roles and norms over time' ,n task oriented teams, it is essential that the role structure enables the team to cope effectively with the re/uirements of the task' When the task is divisible and con.unctive, as are most of the important team tasks in our society, the assignment of roles to members who can perform them effectively is essential' Active consideration of the role structure can be an important part of a team building e)ercise' Task roles may be rotated so that all team members e)perience, and learn from, all roles' 9ven then, it is important that the norm governing the assignment of roles is understood and accepted by team members' !orms are the rules governing the behavior of team members, and include the rewards for behaving in accord with normative re/uirements, as well as the sanctions for norm violations' !orms will develop in a team, whether or not they are actively discussed' >' "ommunication 9ffective interpersonal communication is vital to the smooth functioning of any task team' There are many ways of facilitating the learning of effective communication skills' Active listening e)ercises, practice in giving and receiving feedback, practice in checking for comprehension of verbal messages, are all aimed at developing skills' ,t is also important for a team to develop an effective communication networkC who communicates to whomC is there anybody 7out of the loopG7 !orms will develop governing communication' Bo those norms encourage everyone to participate, or do they allow one or two dominant members to claim all the 7air timeG7

Common Problems in a Team

*loundering ?verbearing participants Bominating participants 1eluctant participants Hn/uestioned acceptance of opinions as facts 1ush to accomplishment Attribution Biscounts and 7plops7 Wanderlust= digression and tangents *euding members

Punctuated 34uilibrium At the initial team meeting, members make assumptions and establish a pattern of behavior that lasts for the first half of its life'

Team 1nterdependence

Task interdependence refers the degree to which team members interact with and rely on other team members for the information, materials, and resources needed to accomplish work for the team' Pooled interdependence re/uires lowest degree of re/uired coordination, members complete their work assignments independently, and then this work is simply piled upI to represent the group+s output'

Sequential interdependence re/uires different tasks to be done in a prescribed order, interact to carry out their work, the interaction only occurs between members who perform tasks that are ne)t to each other in the se/uence'

Reciprocal interdependence re/uires members are specialized to perform specific tasks' 3owever, instead of a strict se/uence of activities, members interact with a subset of other members to complete the team+s work'

10

Comprehensive interdependence re/uires the highest level of interaction and coordination among members' 9ach member has a great deal of discretion in terms of what they do and with whom they interact in the course of the collaboration involved in accomplishing the team+s work'

Creating 3ffective Team An effective team understands the big picture' ,n an effective team, each team member understands the conte)t of the team-s work to the greatest degree possible' That includes understanding the relevance of his or her .ob and how it impacts the effectiveness of others and the overall team effort' Too often, people are asked to work on part of a task without being told how their role contributes to the desired end result, much less how their efforts are impacting the ability of others to do their work' Hnderstanding the big picture promotes collaboration, increases commitment and improves /uality' An effective team has common goals' 9ffective teams have agreed upon goals that are simple, measurable and clearly relevant to the team-s task' 9ach goal includes key measurable metrics 4that are available to everyone on the team5, which can be used to determine the team effectiveness and improvement' Hnderstanding and working toward these common goals as a unit is crucial to the team-s effectiveness' An effective team works collaboratively, as a unit' ,n an effective team you-ll notice a penchant for collaboration and a keen awareness of interdependency' "ollaboration and a solid sense of interdependency in a team will defuse blaming behavior and stimulate opportunities for learning and improvement' Without this sense of interdependency in responsibility and reward, blaming behaviors can occur which will /uickly erode team effectiveness'

11

Characteristics of 3ffective Team ,embers

3ffective Team ,embers: 6 D E F > J K A @ 6' upport the team leader D' 3elp the team leader to succeed E' 9nsure that all view points are e)plored F' 9)press opinions, both for and against >' "ompliment the team leader on team efforts J' #rovide open, honest and accurate information K' upport, protect and defend both the team and the team leader A' Act in a positive and constructive manner @' #rovide appropriate feedback

6< 6<' Hnderstand personal and team roles 66 66' Address problems to the team 4upward feedback5 6D 6D' Accept ownership for team decisions 6E 6E' 1ecognize that they each serve as a team leader 6F 6F' Accept ownership for team decisions 6> 6>' #articipate voluntarily 6J 6J' &aintain confidentiality 6K 6K' how loyalty to the organization, the team leader, and the team 6A 6A' 2iew criticism as an opportunity to learn 6@ 6@' tate problems, along with alternative solutions;options D< D<' %ive praise and recognition when warranted

*oles in a Team

12

Team roles define who will be responsible for what' ,t is important that every team member is involved and has a useful .ob to do' ,n any group, there will inevitably be many different types of personalities and talents' When deciding each team member+s role, it is important to match his;her skills, interests, and goals to his;her role' When team members have responsibilities that match their strengths, it is much more likely that they will en.oy what they are doing and do it well' *or e)ample, a member of the team who is /uiet and artistic may be e)cellent at creating flyers and other promotional materials, but may not be as e)cited about doing public speaking' ,t+s also important to think about work styles' ome people like to be in charge of an activity, while others like to 7pitch in7 without having full responsibility' ?ther team members may prefer an on(going solo task that is theirs alone to accomplish' Assess each person+s work style and assign tasks that complement that style'

Team -eader: A team leader is usually responsible for the general operations of the 2enture' 9verything should be a team effort, but with defined leadership things will run much more smoothly' A team leader should be organized, able to work with different types of people, and a good listener' *irst and foremost, team leaders should know how to treat everyone with respect' ,embership5*ecruitment: The membership and recruitment team member usually likes working with people as is willing to reach out to possible new members through events or by word of mouth' The team member in this role is also responsible for managing the list of volunteers and potential members' Public *elations: The public relations team member is responsible for advertising the 2enture through media networks, marketing materials, and word of mouth' A public relations person should have strong communication skills, fully understand the mission of the 2enture, and be able to articulate the mission to interested parties' 0undraiser: The fundraising team member should be comfortable researching and approaching individual donors and businesses' The fundraising person should be well organized and determined since it can be easy to give up when a donor says noLI Treasurer: The treasurer team member is responsible for keeping correct and up(to(date records of the team+s money' The treasurer should also be in charge of making sure the group stays within the budget' 3e; he should be fairly organized and comfortable working with the budget'

13

Secretary: The secretary team member is responsible for keeping meeting minutes, sending out memos, and keeping various records' ?ftne the ecretary is an organized individual who likes to plan'

6elbin Team *oles Br' &eredith 8elbin is a researcher who came up with another level of teams roles' The team roles identified by 8elbin are based on certain patterns of behaviour that people e)hibit within teams' These patterns of behaviour can potentially have an impact on the performance of the team' The basic premise of the 8elbin team roles theory is /uite simple' When individuals become aware of their own strengths and abilities, and understand the role that he or she is capable of playing within a team, it helps them to deal better with the demands of the team environment' 8elbin+s team roles are based on a study that e)amined personality traits, intellectual styles and behaviours within teams' The team roles evolved from the clusters or patterns of these that emerged during the study' ,nitially defined as A roles, the 8elbin model now sports @ roles, the new one being the M pecialist+' The @ team roles are usually further classified into Action oriented, #eople oriented and "erebral roles' %iven below are the @ roles outlined in the 8elbin team roles model and the descriptions that e)plain the scope of each role=

7ction #riented *ole: ,mplementer N The implementer+s strength lies in translating the team+s decisions and ideas into manageable and practical tasks or actions' haper N The shaper+s strength lies in being goal directed' The shaper is a dynamic individual who boldly challenges others during discussions, can handle work pressures and has the courage to overcome obstacles' "ompleter or *inisher ( The completer or finisher+s strength lies in meticulousness, attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines'

People Skills #riented *ole: "oordinator ( The coordinator+s strength lies in enabling and facilitating interaction and decision making' Team worker ( The team worker+s strength lies in being a good listener, being collaborative, co(operative, easy going and tactful' 1esource ,nvestigator ( The resource investigator+s strength lies in being an e)trovert who can develop contacts, communicate well, e)plore new ideas and opportunities, and bring enthusiasm and drive to the team effort'

1ntellectual *ole:

14

#lanter ( The planter+s strength lies in problem solving and out(of(the(bo) thinking' &onitor;9valuator ( The monitor;evaluator+s strength lies in good .udgment and good strategic thinking ability' pecialist N The specialist+s strength lies in being a dedicated and focused individual who likes to learn and constantly build his or her knowledge' The specialist likes to dig deep and is therefore a good resource who can contribute information and knowledge in a team situation'

Transforming 1ndividuals into Team Player

To transform individuals into high performing team #layer, companies need to develop high degrees of trust, open communication, participation, and constructive confrontation skills' Teams must perform all of the key work functions of advising, innovating, promoting, developing, organizing, producing, inspecting, maintaining, and linking' Also, individuals with appropriate skills and interests need to be matched to their preferred work function, by business leaders'

15