Defining and Classifying Groups.

Group(definition)

Understanding Work Teams

In the last fifteen years, organizational structure has undergone a shift from
the individual climb up the corporate ladder to an increasing emphasis on
work teams and groups. The shift to work teams is largely due to factors
such as globalization, downsizing and the need for technological efficiency.
As companies expand and tasks become more complex, more and more
specialists are needed within organizations.

In addition, the convergence of products, services and technology from

around the world has forced companies to work in a cross functional
environment for which the best organizational design is often working in
teams.

Can Teams Work?

Yes
• Teams are inefficient decision makers.
• They waste time!
• Teams benefit from combined experience
• They promote
Why do Teams Fail?
• Teams fail when they are not given authority
• Teams fail when they do not understand how to use their combined
abilities.
• Teams fail when they do not understand team working

• What Makes a Good Team?

•
• Knowledgeable people from all relevant departments
 • Between 6 and 10 members
• A clear, documented purpose
• An open, pleasant environment
• Well planned and structured meetings
• The support of superiors

Stages of team development

• Forming - polite but untrusting

• Storming - testing others

• Norming - valuing other types

• Performing - flexibility from trust

In the Forming stage, team members are getting to know one another
and getting comfortable with one another. Members will naturally try
to understand their own roles, the roles of the other team members
and their purpose in the group. This is entirely natural and to be
expected. People are unsure, suspicious and nervous.

Characteristics of Forming
Look for the following behaviors in the Forming stage:
• Members trying to define the task.
• Discussions about what information needs to be gathered.

Storming
- members start to communicate their feelings but probably still view themselves
as part of their parent department rather than part of the team.
Characteristics of Storming
Look for the following behaviors in the storming stage:
• Members begin to show their true styles.
• General disagreement over process, task and overall purpose of the
team.
 • Norming - people feel part of the team and realise that they can achieve
work if they accept other viewpoints.

Characteristics of Norming
Look for the following behaviors in the norming stage:

• Ground rules and formal procedures that may have been overlooked
in the beginning are now taken more seriously.

• Subgroups may be formed to move along faster.

• Conflicts are addressed and resolved.

Performing –
Forming, Storming, Norming, then Performing, the final stage of team
development. Performing teams are just that, a highly effective, problem-
solving unit that can reach solutions quickly .
Characteristics of Performing
A team in the performing stage will:
• Be productive! Tasks will be accomplished, and the team will look for
more to do.
• Be pro-active, and not necessarily wait for direction from
management.
How to Address the Performing Stage
Teams at the performing level are generally self-regulating. Road maps,
processes, decision making and other matters of team management will be
handled independently by the team

work
team
Definition

Cross-functional, multi-skilled, and self-directed group of

employees responsible for its own assignments, cost control,
goals, quality control, work orders, work scheduling, and other
such duties and tasks. Work teams are most useful where job
content changes frequently and employees with limited skills and
a specific set of duties are unable to cope.

Work group:
• creation of an informational document;
• creation of a standard, or
• resolution of problems related to a system or network
1
2Problem solving, the ability of team members to develop creative
solutions to pressing organizational challenges, is at the core of a
team’s activities. Our research shows that a team’s problem-
solving abilities—its ability to identify the right problem, generate
many ideas, build on those ideas, test them out, and implement the
feasible ones.

3) Normally, a manager acts as the team leader and is

responsible for defining the goals, methods, and functioning
of the team. Self-managed teams use clear boundaries to
create the freedom and responsibility to accomplish tasks in
an efficient manner. Self-managed teams operate in many
organizations to manage complex projects involving
research, design, process improvement, and even systemic
issue resolution,

4) In business, a "cross functional team" is a group of people with different

functional expertise working toward a common goal. It may include people from
finance, marketing, operations, and human resources departments. Typically, it
includes employees from all levels of an organization. Members may also come
from outside an organization (in particular, from suppliers, key customers, or
consultants).
 • Cross-functional teams often function as self-directed teams responding to
broad, but not specific directives. Decision-making within a team may
depend on consensus, but often is led by a manager/coach/team leader.
•

1. Develop goals and plans. An HPWT begins with a clearly

defined mission that describes thespecific purpose for the team’s
existence. In addition, the team sets goals on a regular basisand
is effective at developing and implementing plans. The team
members are clear aboutgoals and priorities, and consistently act
in ways that support the team’s overall mission andgoals.

2. Enhance communication among members.An HPWT has

members that freely share infor-mation, are open and honest with
each other, listen to each other, and provide each other withboth
positive and constructive feedback. The team also employs a
specific process to facili-tate the dissemination of information on
a regular basis (e.g., informational meetings).

3. Develop and maintain positive relationships among members.

An HPWT has membersrespect, support, cooperate with, and trust
each other. Such teams proactively work tobuild positive
relationships by providing opportunities for social interaction, by
givingassignments that put staff into contact with individuals they
don’t normally interact with, andby providing cross-training
opportunities.

4. Solve problems and make decisions on a timely basis. An HPWT

is effective at identify-ing and resolving problems, as well as
making successful group decisions.In addition, theteam involves
all members in the problem-solving and decision-making process.

5. Successfully manage conflict. An HPWT is effective at

identifying and resolving conflictsin a timely and mutually
beneficial fashion. High-performing teams also minimize the
occur-rence of conflict by implementing communication and
conflict resolution training, by incor-porating ongoing team-
building activities, and by encouraging the active participation of
allteam members.
6. Facilitate productive meetings. An HPWT has effective,
productive, well-managed meet-ings that efficiently use team
members’ time. Every meeting is focused, timely, and neces-sary,
and is used to solve problems, make decisions, disseminate
information, and enhanceteam member skills.

7. Clarify roles for team members. An HPWT has members who

know their responsibilityand authority, understand the roles that
are played by others, and use everyone’s skills andabilities. Team
members are also clear about the connection between team goals
and theirday-to-day activities.

8. Operate in a productive manner. An HPWT has the resources

and skills needed for success,is able to complete its work in a
timely fashion, and utilizes quality and productivity measuresto
evaluate overall efficiency (how well team processes are
operating) and effectiveness (thequality of the team’s products
and services).

9. Exhibit effective team leadership. An HPWT has leaders that

define team goals and prior-ities, facilitate collaboration among
team members, manage team performance, and
generateopportunities for success. Successful team leaders
encourage active participation, clarify pri-orities on a continuous
basis, and work to create a supportive team environment.

10. Provide development opportunities for team members.An

HPWT provides ongoing devel-opment opportunities for team
members in technical, interpersonal, and team-building areas.This
includes the application of a variety of developmental
interventions such as classroomtraining, coaching and mentoring,
development assignments, feedback-based activities, andself-
directed learning.

 In order to take advantage of the clear benefits of teamwork,

it is important to manage the team properly. This involves
understanding how to construct a team and how it is likely to
behave.