Tutorials Week 3.docx

Tutorials Week 3.docx

《Tutorials Week 3.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Tutorials Week 3.docx（19页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

TutorialsWeek3

TutorialsWeek3

RevisionofLecture

StudentstocompleteBelbinQuestionnaire

Tutorialdiscussionandanalysis

Additionalreading.ThisisparticularlyhelpfulinrelationtotheQuestionnaire

Teamworking

RevisedMarch2012

Inthisfactsheet

∙Whatisteamworking?

∙Buildingeffectiveteams

∙Teamroletheoriesandteamselection

∙Teamleadership,trainingandreward

∙CIPDviewpoint

∙References

∙Furtherreading

Whatisteamworking?

Definingteamworking

Teamworkingmaybedefinedasaworkpracticebasedontheuseofteams,orgroupsoflimitednumbersofpeople,whohavesharedobjectivesatworkandwhoco-operate,onapermanentortemporarybasis,toachievethoseobjectivesinawaythatallowseachindividualtomakeadistinctivecontribution.

Background

Inrecentdecades,teamworkinghasgrowninimportance.Previously,rolesatworkwereoftenwell-defined;inthetraditionalofficeorfactory,forexample,therewasusuallyastrictdivisionofresponsibilitiesandmostjobtitlesconveyedexactlywhichdutiespeoplewouldbeexpectedtoundertake.Butwithadvancesintechnologyandeducation,employersbegantoplaceagrowingemphasisonversatility,leadingtoanincreasinginterestinteamworkingatalllevels.Thegradualreplacementoftraditionalhierarchicalformswithflatterorganisationalstructures,inwhichemployeesareexpectedtofillavarietyofroles,hassimilarlyplayedapartintheriseoftheteam.

Morerecently,too,afocuson‘high-performance’or‘high-commitment’workpracticeshasplayedapartinfosteringtheuseofteamworking.The2004WorkplaceEmploymentRelationsSurvey（WERS）1foundteamworkingtobethemostcommonlyusedworkpracticeamongagroupofidentified‘high-performance’practices,withalmostthree-quartersofworkplacesdeployingatleastsomecoreemployeesinformally-designatedteams.

Typesofteam

Therearemanytypesofteams.Whatfollows2isnotacomprehensivelist,andthereareotherdefinitionsandclassifications,whilesometeamsmayfitintomorethanonecategory.

∙Productionandserviceteams–examplesareinproduction,construction,salesandhealthcare.Theyhavearelativelylonglife-span,providinganongoingproductorservicetocustomersorusersoftheorganisation.

∙Projectanddevelopmentteams–includingresearchandproductdevelopmentteams.Dedicatedtoaparticularobjective,theyhavelimitedlife-spansandaclearsetofshort-termobjectives.Theyareoftencross-functional,withmembersselectedforthecontributiontheirexpertisecanmake.

∙Adviceandinvolvementteams–withtheaimofimproving,forexample,workingconditionsorquality.Memberswillnotdevoteagreatdealoftimetothemand,oncetheyhaveachievedtheirobjectives,theyshouldbedisbanded.

∙Crews–suchasairlinecrews,whichmaybeformedfrommemberswhohaverarelyworkedtogetherbutthroughpriortrainingclearlyunderstandtheirrespectiveroles.

∙Actionandnegotiationteams–suchassurgicalandlegalteams,theseconsistofpeoplewhotendtoworktogetherregularly.Theyhavewell-developedprocessesandclearobjectives.

∙Virtualteams–whosemembersworkinseparatebuildingsandmayevenbeindifferentcountries.Theymayneedtocommunicatebytelephone,emailandtele-orvideo-conferencingratherthanface-to-face.Managingsuchteamscanbeparticularlydifficult,notleastbecauseremoteworkingcanexacerbatemisunderstandings.Wheresomemembersoftheremoteteamsarelocatedoverseas（forexample,withtheoffshoringofcertain‘back-office’roles）,additionalchallengesmayarisewithissuessuchastimedifferenceswhenplanningcommunications.

∙Self-managedteams–wheremuchdecision-makingisdevolvedfromlinemanagerstoteammembers.Suchteamsmayalsobeknownassemi-autonomousorfullyautonomousteams,accordingtothedegreeofself-management.

Ingeneral,teamswillconsistofpeopleemployedbythesameorganisation,althoughsometimestheremaybeteamsfromdifferentemployers:

examplesaredesignprojectteamsinconstruction,whichbringtogetherarchitectsandengineersfromdifferentfirms,orteamsthatincludecustomersorsuppliers.

Teamscanincludeseniorandjunioremployees（forthelatter,teammembershipmayalsobeadevelopmentopportunity）andsomeonerelativelyjuniormaybeateamleader.

Mostcommentatorssuggestthatbetweenfiveandeightpeopleistheidealsizeforteams.Teamsneedtobelargeenoughtoincorporatetheappropriaterangeofexpertiseandrepresentationofinterests,butnotsolargethatteam-members’participation,andhencetheirinterest,islimited.

Benefitsofteamworking

Organisationsuseteamworkingformanyreasons,includingthedesiretoachievethefollowingobjectives:

∙improveproductivity

∙enhancequalityofproductsorservices

∙improvecustomerfocus

∙speedthespreadofideas

∙respondtoopportunitiesandthreatsandtofast-changingenvironments

∙increaseemployeemotivation

∙introducemulti-skillingandemployeeflexibility.

Therecanbebenefitsforemployeestoo.Themostcommonly-quotedpositiveoutcomesaregreaterjobsatisfactionandmotivationtogetherwithimprovedlearning.

Buildingeffectiveteams

Stagesofteamdevelopment

Woodcock’sseminaltheoryaboutteamfunctioningproposesthat,whenagroupofpeoplecometogethertoachieveanobjective,theygothroughaseriesofstagesleadingtoafinal'mature'stagethatequatestoaneffectiveteam3. 

Themainstagesare:

∙Forming–orundeveloped,whenpeopleareworkingasindividualsratherthanateam.

∙Storming–theteambecomesmoreaggressive,bothinternallyandinrelationtooutsidegroups,rulesandrequirements.

∙Norming–orconsolidating,inwhichtheteamisbeginningtoachieveitspotential,effectivelyapplyingtheresourcesithastothetasksithas,usingaprocessithasdevelopeditself.

∙Performing –whentheteamischaracterisedbyopennessandflexibility.Itchallengesitselfconstantlybutwithoutemotionallychargedconflict,andplacesahighpriorityonthedevelopmentofotherteammembers.

∙Mourning–whentheteamdisbands.

Whilethisisausefultheoreticalmodel,itshouldnotbeseenasunvarying.Forexample,ateaminwhichthemembersknoweachotherwellmayperformeffectivelyalmostfromthestart.

Characteristicsofeffectiveteams

Aneffectiveteamhasthefollowingcharacteristics:

∙acommonsenseofpurpose

∙aclearunderstandingoftheteam’sobjectives

∙resourcestoachievethoseobjectives

∙mutualrespectamongteammembers,bothasindividualsandforthecontributioneachmakestotheteam’sperformance

∙valuingmembers’strengthsandrespectingtheirweaknesses

∙mutualtrust

∙willingnesstoshareknowledgeandexpertise

∙willingnesstospeakopenly

∙arangeofskillsamongteammemberstodealeffectivelywithallitstasks

∙arangeofpersonalstylesforthevariousrolesneededtocarryouttheteam’stasks.

Teamroletheoriesandteamselection

Twocentralrequirementsforteammembershipmaybeidentified:

∙theteamshouldincludearangeofthenecessarytechnicalandspecialistskills

∙thereshouldbeavarietyofpersonalstylesamongmemberstofillthedifferentrolesthatareinvolvedinsuccessfulteamwork.

Teamroles

Thewell-knownexpertinthefieldofteamworking,DrMeredithBelbin,undertookpioneeringworkonteamrolesortypesduringthe1970sandhascontinuedtoprogresshisworkinthisareainsuccessivedecades4.Belbinhasdevelopedandslightlyamendedhisdescriptionofteamrolesovertheyearsandinhislaterworklistsnineroles5:

∙Plant–creative,imaginative,unorthodox.Solvesdifficultproblems.

∙Resourceinvestigator–extrovert,enthusiastic,exploratory.Exploresopportunities.Developscontacts.

∙Co-ordinator–mature,confident,agoodchairperson.Clarifiesgoals,promotesdecisionmaking.

∙Shaper–dynamic,challenging.Hasdriveandcouragetoovercomeobstacles.

∙Monitorevaluator–sober,strategic,discerning.Seesalloptions.

∙Teamworker–co-operative,mild,perceptive,diplomatic.Listens,builds,avertsfriction.

∙Implementer–disciplined,reliable,conservative.Turnsideasintopracticalaction.

∙Completer–painstaking,conscientious,anxious.Searchesouterrorsandomissions,deliversontime.

∙Specialist–single-minded,self-starting,dedicated.Providesknowledgeandskillthatmaybeinshortsupply.

Belbin’sworkhasbeencriticisedonthegroundsthatindividualsrarelyfitneatlyintothesecategories–mostfitintomorethanonecategorywhile,arguably,thebestteamworkerswilladapttheirbehaviourtofilldifferentrolesascircumstancesrequire.However,anawarenessthatanindividualteammembertendstofitacertainprofilemayhavevalueinunderstandingthestrengthsandweaknessesofthatindividualandotherteammembers.

SubsequentinvestigationsbytheacademicsMargerisonandMcCannconfirmtheneedidentifiedbyBelbinforcomplementaryskillswithinateam,leadingtotheirdevelopmentoftheconceptofa‘teammanagementwheel’6.TheMargerison-McCannworkstressestheneedforindividualdevelopmentasanessentialfirststeptoteamdevelopment,withbothoftheseaspectsplacedfirmlyinthecontextofclearbusinessobjectives,andhighlightsthekeyrolefora‘linker’atthecentreoftheteammanagementwheelmodel.

Selectingteammembers

Therearemanyotherpsychologicaltestsandcriteriathatresultindifferentteamtypeclassifications.Organisationsmaywishtolookatasampleofteststoconsiderwhichmightbemostappropriateiftheyintendtousethemtoselectteammembersand,especially,te