a team at work

7/29/2019 A team at work

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A team at work

A team comprises agroup of peopleoranimalslinked in a common purpose. Teams are

especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high incomplexityand have manyinterdependent subtasks.

A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team. Teams normally have members withcomplementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort which allows eachmember to maximize his or her strengths and minimize his or her weaknesses. Team membersneed to learn how to help one another, help other team members realize their true potential, andcreate an environment that allows everyone to go beyond their limitations.[1]

Thus teams ofsportsplayers can form (and re-form) to practice their craft. Transport logisticsexecutives can select teams ofhorses,dogsoroxenfor the purpose of conveying goods.

Theoristsinbusinessin the late 20th century popularized the concept ofconstructing teams.Differing opinions exist on the efficacy of this newmanagementfad. Some see "team" as afour-letter word: overused and under-useful. Others see it as a panacea that finally realizes thehumanrelations movement's desire to integrate what that movement perceives as best for workers and asbest formanagers. Still others believe in the effectiveness of teams, but also see them asdangerous because of the potential for exploiting workersin that team effectiveness can relyonpeer pressureand peersurveillance.

Compare the more structured/skilled concept of acrew, and the advantages of formal andinformalpartnerships.

Team size, composition, and formation

Team size and composition affect the team processes and outcomes. The optimal size (andcomposition) of teams is debated and will vary depending on the task at hand. At least one studyof problem-solving in groups showed an optimal size of groups at four members. Other worksestimate the optimal size between 5-12 members.[

citation needed] Fewer than 5 members results indecreased perspectives and diminished creativity. Membership in excess of 12 results inincreased conflict and greater potential of sub-groups forming.

David Cooperridersuggests that the larger the group, the better. This is because a larger group is

able to address concerns of the wholesystem. So while a large team may be ineffective atperforming a given task, Cooperider says that the relevance of that task should be considered,because determining whether the team is effective first requires identifying what needs to beaccomplished.

Regarding composition, all teams will have an element of homogeneity and heterogeneity. Themore homogeneous the group, the more cohesive it will be. The more heterogeneous the group,
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the greater the differences in perspective and increased potential for creativity, but also thegreater potential for conflict.

Team members normally have different roles, like team leader and agents. Large teams candivide into sub-teams according to need.

Many teams go through a life-cycle of stages, identified byBruce Tuckmanas:forming,storming, norming, performing and adjourning.

[edit] Types of teams

[edit] Independent and interdependent teams

Arugby unionscrum

Of particular importance is theconceptof different types of teams. A distinction is usually drawnbetween "independent" and "interdependent" teams. To continue thesportsteam example, a

rugbyteam is clearly an interdependent team:

successful play requires co-operation between team members within that team members typically specialize in different tasks (running the ball,goal

kicking&scrum feeding), and the success of every individual is inextricably bound to thesuccessof the whole team. No

Rugbyplayer, no matter how talented, has ever won agameby playing alone.

On the other hand, achessteam is a classic example of an independent team:

matches are played and won by individuals or partners, every person performs basically the same actions, and whether one player wins or loses has no direct effect on the performance of the next

player. If all team members each perform the same basic tasks, such asstudentsworkingproblems in a math class, or outside salesemployeesmaking phone calls, then it is likelythat this team is an independent team. They may be able to help each otherperhaps byoffering advice or practice time, by providing moral support, or by helping in thebackground during a busy timebut each individual's success is primarily due to eachindividual's own efforts. Chess players do not win their own matches merely because the
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rest of their teammates did, and math students do not pass tests merely because theirneighbors know how to solve theequations.

Coachingan "interdependent" team like afootballteam necessarily requires a different approachfrom coaching an "independent" team because the costs and benefits to individual team members

and therefore the intrinsic incentives for positive team behaviorsare very different. Aninterdependent team benefits from getting to know the other team members socially, fromdeveloping trust in each other, and from conquering artificial challenges (such as offered inoutdoors ropes courses).

Independent teams typically view these activities as unimportant, emotion-driven time wasters.They benefit from more intellectual, job-relatedtraining. The best way to start improving thefunctioning of an independent team is often a single question, "What does everyone need to do abetter job?"

[edit] Self-managed teams

Normally, a manager acts as the team leader and is responsible for defining the goals, methods,and functioning of the team. However, interdependencies and conflicts between different parts ofan organization may not be best addressed by hierarchical models of control. Self-managedteams use clear boundaries to create the freedom and responsibility to accomplish tasks in anefficient manner.[2]

The main idea of the self-managed team is that the leader does not operate withpositionalauthority. In a traditional management role, the manager is responsible for providing instruction,conducting communication, developing plans, giving orders, and disciplining and rewardingemployees, and making decisions by virtue of his or her position. In this organizational model,

the manager delegates specific responsibility and decision-making authority to the team itself, inthe hope that the group will make better decisions than any individual. Neither a manager nor theteam leader make independent decisions in the delegated responsibility area. Decisions aretypically made byconsensusin successful self-managed teams, byvotingin very large or formalteams, and by hectoring andbullyingin unsuccessful teams. The team as a whole is accountablefor the outcome of its decisions and actions.

Self-managed teams operate in many organizations to manage complex projects involvingresearch, design, process improvement, and even systemic issue resolution, particularly forcross-department projects involving people of similar seniority levels. While the internalleadership style in a self-managed team is distinct from traditional leadership and operates to

neutralize the issues often associated with traditional leadership models, a self-managed teamstill needs support from senior management to operate well.

Self-managed teams may be interdependent or independent. Of course, merely calling a group ofpeople a self-managed team does not make them either a team or self-managed.

As a self-managed team develops successfully, more and more areas of responsibility can bedelegated, and the team members can come to rely on each other in a meaningful way.[1]
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[edit] Project teams

A team used only for adefinedperiod of time and for a separate, concretely definable purpose,often becomes known as aproject team. Managers commonly label groups of people as a"team" based on having a common function. Members of these teams might belong to different

groups, but receive assignment to activities for the sameproject, thereby allowing outsiders toview them as a single unit. In this way, setting up a team allegedly facilitates the creation,tracking and assignment of a group of people based on the project in hand. The use of the "team"label in this instance often has no relationship to whether the employees are working as a team.

[edit] Sports teams

Asportsteam is a group of people which play a sport together. Members include all players(even those who are waiting their turn to play) as well as support members such as a teammanager orcoach.

[edit] Virtual teams

Developments in communications technologies have seen the emergence of the virtual workteam. Avirtual teamis a group of people who work interdependently and with shared purposeacross space, time, and organisation boundaries using technology to communicate andcollaborate. Virtual team members can be located across a country or across the world, rarelymeet face-to-face, and include members from different cultures[3]. Many virtual teams are cross-functional and emphasise solving customer problems or generating new work processes. TheUnited States Labour Department reported that in 2001, 19 million people worked from homeonline or from another location, and that by the end of 2002, over 100 million people world-widewould be working outside traditional offices (Pearlson & Sounders, 2001).

[edit] Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams

Teams, such as in medical fields, may be interdisciplinary ormultidisciplinary.[4]Multidisciplinary teams involve several professionals who independently treat various issues apatient may have, focusing on the issues in which they specialize. The problems that are beingtreated may or may not relate to other issues being addressed by individual team members.Interdisciplinary team approach involves all members of the team working together towards thesame goal. In an interdisciplinary team approach, there can often be role blending by members ofthe core team, who may take on tasks usually filled by other team members.[4]

[edit] Not all groups are teams

Some people also use the word "team" when they mean "employees." A "salesteam" is acommon example of this loose or perhapseuphemisticusage, though interdependencies exist inorganisations, and a sales team can be let down by poor performance on other parts of theorganisationupon which sales depend, like delivery, after-sales service, etc.. However "salesstaff" is a more precise description of the typical arrangement.
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[edit] From Groups to Teams

Groups develop into teams in four stages. The four stages are: dependency and inclusion,counterdependency and fighting, trust and structure, and work. In the first stage, groupdevelopment is characterized by members' dependency on the designated leader. In the second

stage, the group seeks to free itself from its dependence on the leader and groups have conflictsabout goals and procedures. In the third stage, the group manages to work through the conflicts.And in the last stage, groups focus on team productivity.[5]

For other uses, seeTeamwork (disambiguation).

Teamworkisworkperformed by ateam. Thequalityof teamwork may bemeasuredbyanalysing the effectiveness of thecollaborationin the following ways:[1]

1. communication2. coordination3. balance of contributions4. mutual support5. effort6. cohesion

Accountingtechniques may be used to providefinancial measuresof the benefits of teamworkwhich are useful for justifying the concept in a business setting.[2]

What is Teamwork?

Teamwork is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as "a joint action by a group of people,in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity andefficiency of the group." This does not mean that the individual is no longer important; however,it does mean that effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond individual accomplishments. Themost effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved harmonize theircontributions and work towards a common goal.

Characteristics of Effective Teams.

The following are eight characteristics of effective teams the were identified by Larson andLaFasto in their book titled Teamwork: What Must Go Right/What Can Go Wrong(SagePublications 1989).

1. The team must have a clear goal. Avoid fuzzy, motherhood statements. Team goalsshould call for a specific performance objective, expressed so concisely that everyoneknows when the objective has been met.
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2. The team must have a results-driven structure. The team should be allowed to operatein a manner that produces results. It is often best to allow the team to develop thestructure.

3. The team must have competent team members. In the education setting this can betake to mean that the problem given to the team should be one that the members can

tackle given their level of knowledge.4. The team must have unified commitment. This doesn't mean that team members mustagree on everything. It means that all individuals must be directing their efforts towardsthe goal. If an individual's efforts is going purely towards personal goals, then the teamwill confront this and resolve the problem.

5. The team must have a collaborative climate. It is a climate of trust produced by honest,open, consistent and respectful behavior. With this climate teams perform well...withoutit, they fail.

6. The team must have high standards that are understood by all. Team members mustknow what is expected of them individually and collectively. Vague statements such as"positive attitude" and "demonstrated effort" are not good enough.

7.

The team must receive external support and encouragement. Encouragement andpraise works just as well in motivating teams as it does with individuals.8. The team must have principled leadership. Teams usually need someone to lead the

effort. Team members must know that the team leader has the position because they havegood leadership skills and are working for the good of the team. The team members willbe less supportive if they feel that the team leader is putting him/herself above the team,achieving personal recognition or otherwise benefiting from the position.

Stages of Team Growth.

It is important for teacher and students (the team members) to know that teams don't just formand immediately start working together to accomplish great things. There are actually stages ofteam growth and teams must be given time to work through the stages and become effective.Team growth can be separated into four stages.

Stage 1: Forming. When a team is forming, members cautiously explore the boundaries ofacceptable group behavior. They search for their position within the group and test the leader'sguidance. It is normal for little team progress to occur during this stage.

Stage 2: Storming. Storming is probably the most difficult stage for the group. Members oftenbecome impatient about the lack of progress, but are still inexperienced with working as a team.Members may argue about the actions they should take because they faced with ideas that areunfamiliar to them and put them outside their comfort zones. Much of their energy is focused oneach other instead of achieving the goal.

Stage 3. Norming. During this stage team members accept the team and begin to reconciledifferences. Emotional conflict is reduced as relationships become more cooperative. The team isable to concentrate more on their work and start to make significant progress.


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Stage 4. Performing. By this stage the team members have discovered and accepted each other'sstrengths and weaknesses, and learned what their roles are. Members are open and trusting andmany good ideas are produced because they are not afraid to offer ideas and suggestions. Theyare comfortable using decision making tools to evaluate the ideas, prioritize tasks and solveproblems. Much is accomplished and team satisfaction and loyalty is high.

Since working as part of a team can improve learning and is a much needed skill in today'sworkplace, some team exercises should be included in the classroom. With well planned outtasks, careful guidance, and close observation, instructors can make team exercises extremelyvaluable learning experiences.

"Lot of teamwork and little room for privacy"Shinsei Bank's Dhananjaya Dvivedi finds Tokyo a society that values discipline andorganisational efficiency

byForbes India | Oct 3, 2009

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W here I was born and what I am today symbolises the change that the world has undergone inthe last 63 years of my life. I grew up in Gwalior, studied Sanskrit and finished engineering in1969. A chance trip to Mumbai opened up a new world. It took me to Crompton Greaves andL&T, then Citibank and finally Shinsei Bank.

I have worked in more than 15 cities in virtually every part of the world over the four decadecareer span. From a young boy who didnt know what a computer was, today I am the CIO [chiefinformation officer] of Tokyo-headquartered Shinsei Bank. I helped Shinsei Bank script itscomeback using Internet and low-cost technology, including the creation of a new retail bankthat offers free 24-hour ATMs and a host of other tech-led benefits, a rarity in Japan then [in2000].
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In a conventional sense, I do not live in Tokyoand I mostly manage things virtually. I havelived in Tokyo with my family at two differentpoints in time1990-94 and 2000-05. Now, Ispend an average of seven days a month in the

city.

Tokyo is perhaps the most advanced place onEarth and I say it after living in and seeing manycities. Everything seems perfect and works likeclockwork. Streets and lights are perfectlypainted and clean. It is a land-scarce city whereevery available inch has been developed. Youcant buy a car unless you get a certificate fromthe police proving you have a parking space.And parking is expensive$6 an hour.

While Japan is an expensive place, it is alsohighly efficient and there is a high value placedon quality. There is an emphasis on recyclingwhich I think reflects the severity of the naturalenvironmentit is a country prone to

earthquakes, typhoons and tsunami. Organisational efficiency, parsimony and a dedication toquality all contribute to a high standard of living.

When I first moved here from Zurich, Switzerland, in December 1989, Japan was in the middleof a big economic bubble. In Zurich, I lived in a very beautiful apartment in the mountains in acity that had perhaps 350,000 people. Then I moved to Tokyo, a massive, expensive city withover 10 million people. For my two daughters, moving from Europe, the culture shock wasdramatic. In Zurich, school was barely 20 minutes away. In Tokyo, the commute was long, 75minutes by bus, and if you missed the bus, you missed school. In the first week in class theystruggled, rather than outdoor or cultural activities, the emphasis was on maths and grammar.

Japan is a society which values discipline and organisation. You have to do everything yourself,even the kids. For example, we werent allowed to drop our children to school. Children from the

neighbourhood congregated and then went to the train station unescorted. For this to be possiblethere have to be good traffic and law and order conditions and Japanese pay attention to createthat environment. My daughters would often leave their rucksacks on the train. Yet, without fail,the rucksacks would be handed in and make their way to the lost-and-found centre in the station.Language was a problem but we are used to it, having lived and worked in so many citiesspeaking different languages. In Europe, I was doing business with countries outside London inso many languages. So, while I can manage a bit of German and Arabic, and speak enoughJapanese to get by, when it comes to business, for me it must always be done in English throughinterpreters.

In terms of work, Japan is a world apart from Europe. In Switzerland, for example, no one

I am aware that I am always going to be aforeigner, an outsider, and accepting thatfact helps me adjust and make myselfrelevant wherever I am

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worked after 6 p.m. and after 11 p.m. you had to get permission from the police. But in Japan,its not uncommon for people to work regularly until 9 p.m. The work culture here is very

different. There is a lot of team work and little room for privacy. For example, in the office, teammembers and supervisors sit opposite each other and there is no partition in between. So,supervisors and team members will always know what the other is doing.

In Japan, a one or two hour commute by train is normal. Late in the evening, the train frequencydrops from every two minutes to every 30 minutes. So, the custom is that you work in the officeand meet colleagues socially outside the office over a glass of beer; people dont go to each

others house. In India, you will find street corners like chai-paan shops where people congregateand chat. In Japan, you will never find thatthere is emphasis on meeting people in the rightcontext. I think Japanese typically have a long-term perspective for virtually everythingevenin relationships.

Rules to work and survive in Tokyo? The key, wherever you are, is to focus on the people.Switzerland, the US, Japanall are radically different places. If you focus on people, however,

deep inside, they are the same, with similar fears and similar aspirations. Once you understandthat, you can learn to live, do business and make personal connections anywhere in the world.Thats something I think my family and I have learnt. At my elder daughters wedding, which we

held in Albany, New York, a great number of the guests had travelled all the way fromSwitzerland and Japan to be there.

Competency: Teamwork

Definition: Collaborating and cooperating to get the job done.

Team Member Indicators

1. Values the input and know-how of other team members2. Asks for help, when needed3. Offers help to other team members, when needed4. Builds trust and respect among fellow team members5. Takes actions that demonstrate consideration for the feelings and needs of others6. Works with other team members toward a common goal

Team Leader Indicators

1. Communicates a clear vision of team goals and objectives2. Creates an environment in which team members share both risks and rewards3. Focuses the team's efforts on both the process and desired outcomes4.What are the main behavioral competencies5.


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6. Determining behavioral competencies of potential candidates increases the chance ofhiring the right employee. Behavioral competencies are the character traits and behaviorqualities of an individual. They will have a great impact on how successful the individualwill be at his job.

7. Behavioral competencies allow employers to learn about an applicants knowledge,ability and skills.8. They can be a predictor of future work performance.

9. You should define the behavioral competencies you are looking for in the right employeeto fill the position. This way you will be more focused when recruiting. Once you knowthe behavioral competencies you want, you can structure your interview questions tolearn more about the interviewee.

10.11.The behavioral competencies you will be looking for will depend on the type of job

position you are seeking to fill.12. Here are the definitions of some common behavioral competencies employers look for in

their candidate.

13.

14. Communication and motivation abilities:15.These skills are especially important for sales careers. Effective communication abilities

are also very important in a business environment. Communicating effectively mayrequire oral or verbal communication skills. Written communication skills may involvewriting letters, creating reports, etc. Oral communication abilities involve effectivelycommunicating with customers, clients and peers.

16.17. Leadership skills:18.These skills are a persons ability to lead and motivate a team of people to perform the

required tasks. This is an important behavioral competency for someone applying for amanagerial position. Leadership qualities include being assertive and handling disputes.

19.20. Teamwork:21. Teamwork behavioral competencies will include how the individual works in a team

environment. Working in a team environment can sometimes slow down productivity, forexample through social loafing. A good team player must be willing and able tocommunicate their ideas effectively to team and must not disrupt the team a great deal.He must be productive in a team environment and work well with others.

22.23. Decision making:24. This behavioral competency can also be important for a candidate to possess. Making the

right decisions under pressure is very important for the success of any business.25.26. Analytical ability:27.This behavioral competency is about a persons ability to solve problems. Businesses

have to face different problems arising from time to time. Therefore employers want to


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hire individuals who have initiative and can analyze the situation on their own and findfeasible business solutions.

28.29. Adaptability:30.This behavioral competency is an important trait in the volatile and dynamic world of

business. Flexibility and adaptability involves a persons ability to work with thesituation he finds himself in.

31.32.Increasingly employers are turning to career and aptitude tests to determine an

individuals behavioral competencies. These tests are usually delivered during an

interview and the results are used to match an employee with a job position. This wayboth the employee and the employer will be in a happier, more productive workenvironment.

33.

a team at work

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