Team Building1.docx

1、Team Building1Team Building - Developing Performing TeamsThe command and control style of leadership is becoming redundant and the team-based approach to work is increasingly becoming popular. The article explains the characteristics of great teams and the leadership approaches to building performin

2、g teams.The Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of DELL Computers, believes that business is all about building teams and building talent in the organization. According to him, it is the most essential component of success as diversity of ideas and input helps a lot in making better decisions. Dell al

3、ways encourages his teams, even if some of their products fail or have to be scrapped. He motivates them to work better on their next product.In April 1993, John Medica, who led the development of Apples PowerBook, was put in charge of the Notebook division of DELL. By the time he took over, one pro

4、duct had already been canceled and the development of other products was taking longer than expected. After a realistic assessment of the situation, it was felt that only one of the products under development - the Latitude XP - would be competitive in the market. The company decided to cancel sever

5、al products that were in the development stage. This demotivated the engineers who had spent a lot of time and energy developing the products that had been canceled. To motivate them, Dell reinforced the companys strategy to the notebook group and encouraged them to pull together to make the Latitud

6、e XP a success. Dell realized that aligning teams toward a common objective and creating the same incentive system across the entire company would help direct everyones talent toward creating value for customers and shareholders. At Dell, people work in teams of two to receive, manufacture, and pack

7、 an order for delivery to a customer. The profit sharing incentive encourages them to be productive as a team. Hourly metrics are posted on monitors on the factory floor so that each team can see if its performance meets the companys goals. Dell also believes that 360 performance appraisals help ide

8、ntify areas that might require further development or improvement and also keep people focused on achieving their goals as a team. He believes that teamwork is all about people who are interested in each others growth.Moving From Command and Control to TeamworkAs more and more organizations move tow

9、ards a team-based approach to work, the command and control style of leadership is becoming redundant. Leaders are playing the role of facilitators more and are now expected to teach their team members, and let them make decisions for the team. A team-based approach is expected to improve efficiency

10、 and productivity levels in an organization. However, the transformation from a command and control style to the team based approach can be confusing and grueling. Companies expect their middle level managers to transform themselves into team leaders. They are expected to coach, motivate, and empowe

11、r their people. However, very few managers or companies really understand the transformation process. Most managers find the transition difficult to make. Often, the things they were encouraged to do during the command and control days are no longer appropriate. These managers do not realize the shi

12、ft in mindset and the behavioral skills required to be successful team leaders. Managers in their new role are not sure what long-term effect this team-based approach will have on their careers. Soft skills such as communication, conflict resolution, and coaching though crucial for success as team l

13、eaders may not add much value to their resumes. According to some, being an effective team leader does not guarantee promotion within a company or opportunities outside2. Managers should not worry if they are asked to make the transition from the command and control style to the team-based approach.

14、 They can acquire the skills needed to be effective team leaders: patience to share information, trust in others abilities to make decisions, and willingness and ability to share power with team members.Understanding Teams & TeamworkWhat is a team? A team is a small number of people with complementa

15、ry skills who are committed to a common purpose, a set of performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.3 To become a powerful unit, all the team members should have a common commitment. Without a common commitment, all the team members will perform as indivi

16、duals. Developing common commitment requires a common purpose in which the team fervently believes. The way they shape their purpose is contingent upon the demands and opportunities placed by the top management. The top management determines the character, rationale, and performance challenges for t

17、eams. The management should give enough flexibility to the teams to develop commitment based on the given purpose, specific goals, timing, and approach.Successful teams invest significant time and effort to determine collective and individual purpose. Unsuccessful teams fail to create a collective a

18、nd challenging aspiration due to various reasons such as lack of emphasis on performance, lack of effort, and poor leadership. Successful teams convert their common purpose into specific performance goals. Without these specific performance goals, members of the team lack clarity on their contributi

19、on and perform in a mediocre manner. When purposes and goals of the teams are consistent, and are backed by team commitment, they lead to improved performance. Teamwork plays an important role in the success of any organization. Teamwork characterizes values that encourage listening and responding c

20、onstructively to others views, providing support, and recognizing the interests and achievements of others.4 These values ensure team performance, individual performance, and organizational performance.Exhibit 1.1Cross Functional Teams at KodakKodak has always recognized the importance of teams and

21、effective teamwork in its organization. It believes that teams help an organization gain customer focus, improve work efficiency, achieve successful restructuring and reengineering of work processes, and foster a spirit of cooperation and collaboration within the organization.Forming cross-functiona

22、l teams was just another effort on the part of Kodaks management to improve the overall efficiency of the organization. In Kodaks cross-functional teams, people from departments across the organization pooled their ideas to improve the various work processes and operational flows in the organization

23、al structure. By forming such teams, Kodak brought together the skills and ideas of employees working in different departments of the organization. This enhanced the ability of the organization to solve problems and led to better decision-making.The cross functional teams established at Kodak were s

24、uccessful: In building a shared vision, and developing shared values and principles In creating a focus on customers In restructuring and re-engineering work practices In identifying the best ways of operating In reducing operational costs In assessing business risks and opportunities In dealing wit

25、h issues in accounting and administration and In solving problems Understanding Teams & Teamwork Contd.Any group of people working together does not form a team. Thus, committees, councils, and taskforces are not always teams. There is a clear difference between teams and work groups. The performanc

26、e of a work group is a function of its members performance as individuals. The performance of a team is a function of both individual results and collective work-products. Activities like interviews, surveys, and experiments generally need involvement of more than one person.Such activities can be c

27、onsidered as collective work-products. Working groups are common and more useful in large organizations where individual accountability is important. They are formed to share information, insights, and perspectives. The members of work groups come together to help each other perform better. The meet

28、ing of these groups also reinforces individual performance standards. The focus of work groups is on individual performance and accountability. There is no mutual responsibility for each others performance as in teams. There is no question of incremental performance-contribution that results from tw

29、o or more people working together in groups. The emphasis of work groups is always on individual goals and responsibilities. For better understanding of differences between working groups and teams refer to table 1.1.Principles of Great TeamsWarren Bennis5 conducted a study to identify the principle

30、s that made great teams successful. He studied teams that worked on the Manhattan project6, and those who worked in the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC)7 of Xerox, Apple Computers8, Lockheed Skunk Works9, and Walt Disney animation studios. According to Bennis though all these teams were extraordinar

31、y in their own way, there were some principles that were common to all and these principles apply to all the organizations where these teams worked. The principles10 are:Shared DreamAll the great teams shared the dream of making the world a better place to live in. They sincerely believed that they

32、would change the world for the better. These teams were obsessed with what they were doing and did not treat their work as simply a job but a fervent quest. The shared dreams and beliefs gave them the cohesiveness and energy needed to work.Mission is Bigger than EgoDuring the Manhattan project, one

33、team member had a problem working with a colleague, and decided to leave. But the project leader reminded him that the mission was more important than individual egos and this made the team member rethink his decision, and ultimately stay back. This example shows how great teams placed mission way above