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Understanding Work Teams
By Asim Khan - Business Management Group, Inc.
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. These specialists must learn to work
together so that colleagues have an understanding of the role and responsibility
of those whose skill sets differ from their own. 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.
There are other reasons for the emergence of work teams as well. Stiff
competition, particularly in technology-driven fields, requires teamwork
with a concerted effort to keep the company as a whole on the cutting
edge. Because technology-driven tasks have become far too complex for
one person to handle alone, many organizations create work teams to accomplish
collective goals. In addition, organizations are all but eliminating middle
management as a result of downsizing efforts. Shifting authority down
to members of a work team allows management to capitalize on a positive
synergy that results in significant increases in productivity. When teams
operate in such a way that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,
productivity invariably increases.
A well-functioning team can bring out the best in its members because
problem solving skills and creativity increase with mutual support that
builds moral. The characteristics that make a team effective include complementary
skill sets, a sense of accountability among the team as a whole, and a
synergistic approach to problem solving. Most importantly, the team must
have a desire to work together to implement solutions. A team that functions
efficiently learns to benefit from the diversity of skills among its members,
and the result is much more than can be accomplished by each member of
that team working alone. It follows that the single most important factor
in determining whether a team will work well and be productive is a sense
of teamwork. This foundation should be in place before the team’s
tasks are even defined. With a sense of teamwork and the right mix of
skills, teams will have the basis for functioning autonomously and the
commitment to accomplish their goals.
Work teams are usually self-managed, which is very different from the
traditional management approach of holding individuals responsible for
the whole group. Though they function collaboratively, most teams have
a member who can function in a leadership role. When teams develop, natural
leaders should be allowed to emerge. Team leaders have a role that is
very different from traditional managers. The leader may facilitate group
activities, such as brainstorming sessions in which no idea is a bad idea.
With a free expression of ideas in an environment that encourages people
to think actively, team members are more likely to proactively seek solutions
in a way that allows every member of the team to participate according
to his or her strengths and level of skill. When every member of the team
is engaged, the group as a whole is productive.
While at best work teams operate to increase productivity, there are many
challenges that can affect their efficiency and lead frustrated human
resource managers to abandon the effort entirely. For example, members
of a team can suffer from “groupthink,” the belief that every
member already knows what the others will propose as solutions. When this
happens, teams can become paralyzed by inaction. Issues related to globalization
create what are perhaps the most daunting challenges to teams. As national
borders become transparent and economies intertwine, there is an increased
risk of choosing solutions that isolate or marginalize some team members
because the solutions are based on preconceived notions that do not apply
across international borders.
Other problems faced by struggling work teams are due to interpersonal
clashes in personality or work style. For example, employees who feel
they should not have to make decisions may balk at the idea of working
in self-directed teams. Virtual teams have a special challenge as a result
of their dependence on communications technology to do their jobs and
the fact that technology may be their only vehicle for establishing trust
and working relationships.
While many managers and executives view teams as the most effective design
for involving all employees in the success of a company, they may not
be skilled in the group dynamics needed to run teams effectively. This,
along with the fact that many people are initially more comfortable working
alone, may cause executives to be skeptical about the value of work teams
and hesitant to take the necessary steps to create them. With some basic
planning and preparation, however, most organizations can implement a
system of work teams that thrive.
Human resource managers can do a variety of things to support team efforts.
Management should communicate clear expectations for the team’s
performance, as well as a rationale for why the team was created. Sufficient
resources (people, time and money) must be allocated to the team and its
tasks as well. Written policies and procedures that fit team practices
can be developed to address issues like hiring, peer-based performance
evaluations, and disciplining employees. When necessary, workshops and
training sessions can be offered to improve the communication skills needed
to function effectively as a team. Finally, managers can bring in external
facilitators and mediators to help resolve conflicts, particularly when
such conflicts become personal.
© 2005 All Rights Reserved. Business Management Group, Inc.
Asim Khan, CEO
Business Management Group, Inc.
30552 Puerto Vallarta Drive
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
asim.khan@bmgsol.com
949-838-4829
Author Biography
Asim Khan is the Chief Executive Officer of Business Management
Group, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in engineering,
marketing and management. His international business experience
spans a wide range of industries, including commodities, energy,
aerospace, defense, electronics, manufacturing, computers and technology,
health care, publishing and financial services. In addition to his
role as an executive consultant, Asim has served on the boards of
directors for several corporations and nonprofit organizations.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and
a master’s degree in Technology Management from the University
of Phoenix. Mr. Khan is also an Honorary Chairman on the National
Republican Congressional Committee’s Business Advisory Council.
For further information visit the Business Management Group, Inc.
(BMGI) website: www.bmgsol.com.
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