Understanding Working With Teams 2008 Prentice Hall Inc

Understanding Working With Teams © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 1

Why Teams Are Popular • They typically outperform individuals when tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and experience. • They are a better way to utilize individual employee talents. • Their flexibility and responsiveness is essential in a changing environment • Empowering teams increases job satisfaction and morale, enhances employee involvement, and promotes workforce diversity. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 2

EXHIBIT 9– 1 Stages of Team Development © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 3

The Stages Of Team Development • Stage 1: Forming Ø The team experiences uncertainty about its purpose, structure, and leadership. • Stage 2: Storming Ø Intragroup conflict predominates within the group • Stage 4: Performing Ø The team develops a structure that is fully functional and accepted by team members. • Stage 5: Adjourning Ø The team prepares for its disbandment. • Stage 3: Norming Ø Close relationships develop and group members begin to demonstrate cohesiveness. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 4

Work Groups And Work Teams • Work Group Ø A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions that will help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility • Work Team Ø A group that engages in collective work that requires joint effort and generates a positive synergy. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 5

EXHIBIT 9– 2 Comparing Work Teams and Work Groups © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 6

EXHIBIT 9– 3 Types of Work Teams © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 7

Types Of Work Teams • Functional Team Ø A work team composed of a manager and the employees in his or her unit and involved in efforts to improve work activities or to solve specific problems within particular functional unit • Problem-Solving Team Ø 5 to 12 hourly employees from the same department who meet each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 8

Types Of Work Teams (cont’d) • Quality Circle Ø 8 to 10 employees and supervisors who share an area of responsibility and who meet regularly to discuss quality problems, investigate the causes of the problem, recommend solutions, and take corrective actions but who have no authority • Self-Managed Work Team Ø A formal group of employees that operates without a manager and is responsible for a complete work process or segment that delivers a product or service to an external or internal customer © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 9

Types Of Work Teams (cont’d) • Cross-Functional Work Team Ø A team composed of employees from about the same hierarchical level but form different work areas in an organization who are brought together to accomplish a particular task • Virtual Team Ø A physically-dispersed team that uses computer technology to collaborate without concern for distance, space, or time in order to achieve a common goal. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 10

Entrepreneurs’ Use of Teams • Empowered Functional Teams Ø Have authority to plan and implement process improvements. • Self-Directed Teams Ø Are nearly autonomous and responsible for many activities that were once the jurisdiction of managers. • Cross-Functional Teams Ø Include a hybrid grouping of individuals who are experts in various specialties and who work together on various tasks. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 11

Why Entrepreneurs Use Teams • To facilitate the technology and market demands the organization is facing. • To help the organization to make products faster, cheaper, and better. • To permit entrepreneurs to tap into the collective wisdom of the venture’s employees. • To empower employees to make decisions. • To improve the overall workplace environment and worker morale. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 12

EXHIBIT 9– 4 Characteristics of High-Performing Work Teams © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 13

Steps in Coaching Teams 1. Analyze ways to improve the team’s performance and capabilities. 2. Create a supportive climate. 3. Influence team members to change their behavior. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 14

Challenges to Creating Team Players • Introducing teams into an organization is most difficult when: Ø When individual employee resistance to teams is strong. Ø Where the national culture is individualistic rather than collectivist. Ø When the organization places high values on and significantly rewards individual achievement. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 15

EXHIBIT 9– 5 Team Member Roles Source: Based on C. Margerison and D. Mc. Cann, Team Management: Practical New Approaches (London: Mercury Books, 1990). © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 16

Shaping Team Behavior • Proper Selection Ø Hire employees with both the technical skills and the interpersonal skills required to fulfill team roles. • Employee Training Ø Provide training that involves employees in learning the behaviors required to become team players. • Rewarding Appropriate Team Behaviors Ø Create a reward system that encourages cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 17

Why Teams Become Stagnant • Initial enthusiasm wanes. • Diversity decreases as cohesiveness increases. • Familiarity and success lead to contentment and complacency. • Groupthink hinders challenges among members. • All of the easy tasks have been accomplished. • Group processes function less effectively. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 18

EXHIBIT 9– 6 How to Reinvigorate Mature Teams © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 19

Teams And Continuous Process Improvement Programs • Teams are a natural vehicle for employees to share ideas and implement improvements. • Teams are well suited to the high levels of communication and contact, response, adaptation, and coordination and sequencing in work environments where continuous process improvement programs are in place. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 20

Workforce Diversity’s Effects on Teams • Fresh and multiple perspectives on issues help the team identify creative or unique solutions and avoid weak alternatives. • The difficulty of working together may make it harder to unify a diverse team and reach agreements. • Although diversity’s advantages dissipate with time, the added-value of diverse teams increases as the team becomes more cohesive. © 2008 Prentice Hall, Inc. All rights reserved. 9– 21