We, Mediterraneans, are not very good "team-players" vis-à-vis the Japanese or the North and Central Europeans! We are good "individuals"!
If we really want to succeed in this new globalized shrewd business wolrd, we need to learn how to work productively in teams: how to put our "good individualities" together, so that the total becomes bigger that the sum!
Consequently, as for everything "new", we need to "manage team-work" systematically until we learn how to do it "intuitively"!
That is why we continue in this Newsletter to elaborate on team work!
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We have seen in our previous Newsletter Nr. 42 that teams are formed...> ...to tackle difficult situations;
> ...to figure out solutions to complex problems;
> ...to achieve organizational breakthroughs; and
> ...to innovate!
We have also seen that a balanced mix of people roles is imperative for the team to work effectively and so is a clear direction from management.
But how should the team actually work in order to achieve its best?
> It must operate as a unit - as an "organization":
- A social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationships between the different activities and the members, and subdivides and assigns roles, responsibilities and authority to carry out different tasks. Organizations are open systems - they affect and are affected by their environment.
Beware: A random group of people or a group of random people is not a team!
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Being an organization, a team to be productive and, therefore, successful, must have specific characteristics, such as:
Good leadership
> Regardless of the role mix, the team practically assumes a leader.
> Sometimes the team leader is appointed officially but sometimes not. If the latter is the case, the team still needs to decide whose lead it will be. There may be more than one person in the team with the inclination or tendency to lead. (These are indicated as Coordinators and Shapers in the Belbin Inventory.) Among them, the strongest personality or the most senior or experienced person usually prevails, though not always. In certain cases, different team members assume the role of the leader for different tasks.
> People who have successfully led teams before – under similar circumstances – have a advantage.
> Too many strong personalities with leadership skills in a single team may often lead to power struggles and conflicts and should be avoided or closely managed!
> The established leader will need to inspire and motivate the entire team, keeping a high momentum during all phases of the work in progress, resolving conflicts and maintaining the team spirit.
> He/she must facilitate a decision making process that will be respected by all team members.
> He/she is responsible for cultivating the team culture and keeping the team continuum.
> The successful leader speaks, lives and demonstrates the team values! He/she leads by example!
Adaptability
> While roles and tasks should be clearly assigned among team members, the successful team is the adaptable team.
> As difficulties arise, unpredicted tasks are added, deadlines need to be shortened and unexpected opportunities show up, the winning team is the one whose members are willing to swiftly change plans and to go beyond their formal duties!
Diversity
> By default, most members bring a diversity of thought, experience and skills to a team.
> True leaders embrace diversity and their teams come up with new and inventive ways to accomplish things.
> Effective teams listen, share, enrich and question.
> They are willing to try a new solution to an old problem, are open to new or unusual suggestions and never dismiss a solution without consideration.
> The team may seem to stall an action but it will scrutinize propositions, will throw light on grey areas, will stretch knowledge through discussion and sharing of experiences, will improve suggestions!
Effective Communication
> Effective teams communicate effectively.
> This means that formal and informal channels of communication are established.
> Regular team meetings to assess progress, solve problems, resolve any conflicts and enhance team spirit are important.
> Added to these, there may be less formal meetings involving fewer team members, those who need to collaborate in order to accomplish a sub-task.
> Effectiveness in communication is not only affected by the type and frequency of meetings. It is a result of the willingness to listen to others, share knowledge and contribute ideas!
Team play
> The strength of a team is in the fact that each individual is encouraged to put her/his talents to work.
> So the team is much better off providing its members space to work in their strength area, letting them do what they know best.
> This means letting the Specialists work out the technical details, the Resource Investigators dig out hidden facts and the Completers/ Finishers fine-tune the deliverables.
> It means finding the balance of working together, complementing each other rather than stepping onto each other’s feet; contributing rather than competing!
Conflict Management and Decision Making
> Conflict happens, no matter what.
> The key is to build such a strong team culture where conflicts are not regarded as such but rather as different views of the same object that have the potential to teach everybody something new.
> As such, they can be discussed constructively by all involved and there is no reason why different opinions should be discouraged.
> It has been known that the most innovative ideas have been born through challenging the norm and disagreeing with the established.
> Free, unrestrained discussion is the foundation of democracy and a natural human tendency. However, it is not very productive as the deadline approaches!
> A mechanism must be therefore available to the team, through which decisions can be made without discussions becoming exhaustive.
> This is one of the few team work processes that is worth formalizing from the beginning in order to avoid misunderstandings and be efficient and productive.
> Decisions may be taken by consensus, majority voting, by the leader or the Specialist. It doesn’t really matter as long as it is accepted by the team members!
Do remember:
Teams are organizational structures and need some sort of formalization in order to function. More than everything they need team spirit and the willingness to work together.
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Distinguishing a "team" from a "group":
22.7.2016