CONCEPT OF TEAM WORK

 

Definition of Team work:-

Teamwork is the process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal.

 

According to P.Harris and K.Harris,

Team has a common goal or purpose where team members can develop effective, mutual relationships to achieve team goals. Teamwork relies upon individuals working together in a cooperative environment to achieve common team goals through sharing knowledge and skills. 

 

According to J. Scarnati,

Teamwork is a cooperative process that allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results.

 

OR

A group of people with different skills and different tasks, who work together on a common project, service, or goal, with a meshing of functions and mutual support.

TYPES OF TEAM

1. Functional work team

In this work team, all the members belong to the same functional area and respond to a single manager, responsible for the management of the whole group.

It’s very common in companies with rigid hierarchies and you’ll recognize them for the examples we are going to give: such as Accounting and HR departments or the Maintenance team and other specialized groups like these.

2. Inter-working team

In this case, the work team is made up of members from different areas of activity, and its members usually have the same hierarchical level.

This type of work team is usually formed to develop work with a multidisciplinary view, in which each area represented by team members complements the knowledge of others, bringing more creative and comprehensive results.

Examples of these types of work teams would be committees and councils, where members from different areas work together to solve specific problems, such as a Sustainability Committee, for example; or strategic, as is the case with the Boards of Directors of companies.

3. Troubleshooting team

Organizations employ these teams usually to improve processes to find out how to solve the problems that are harming them.

When determining the options for solving the causes of problems, they are sent to the departments responsible, as this kind of work team does not implement the solutions it suggests.

4. Self-managed teams

Groups of employees who work in an extremely integrated and collaborative way because they don’t have a formal leader.

Members define the division of labor, responsibilities and the distribution of tasks, as well as make decisions and even control and supervise themselves.

5. Project team

These are work groups an organization creates to implement a specific project until completion. Afterward, the group dissolves as it achieved its objectives.

Typically, members come from different areas of the company and perform other tasks related to their home department.

But, as far as the project is concerned, they answer to the project leader.

6. Task Force team

This is one of the most interesting types of work teams. They form only when emergency situations emerge which the organization needs to solve.

Its members are usually the best of the company in the area. During the resolution of the emergency, they will dedicate themselves exclusively to this task. Their goal is to do this in the best way and in the shortest possible time.

Now that you’ve seen what the different types of work teams are, understand how they form their dynamics.

STAGES OF TEAM WORK

1.   Forming

o    This stage is described by approach/avoidance issues, as well as internal conflicts about being independent vs. wanting to be a part of the team.

o    Team members usually tend to 'play it safe' and minimize their risk taking in case something goes wrong.

o    Teamwork in this stage is at its lowest levels.

2.   Storming

o    The second stage is characterized by a competition for power and authority, which is the source of most of the conflicts and doubts about the success of the team.

o    If teamwork is low in this stage, it is very unlikely that the team will get past their conflicts. If there is a high degree of teamwork and willingness to collaborate, then the team might have a brighter future.

3.   Norming

o    The third stage is characterized by increasing levels of solidarity, interdependence, and cohesiveness, while simultaneously making an effort to adjust to the team environment.

o    This stage shows much higher levels of teamwork that make it easier for the above characteristics to occur.

4.   Performing

o    This final stage of team development includes a comfortable environment in which team members are effectively completing tasks in an interdependent and cohesive manner.

o    This stage is characterized by the highest levels of comfort, success, interdependence, and maturity, and therefore includes the highest levels of teamwork.

Advantages to team working:

 

·         Increased efficiency: when team members use their specific skills and experiences, targets will be achieved and tasks will be accomplished, as members of the team achieve synergy by working together.

·         Innovation through constructive conflict: when team members have different perspectives, different opinions, and different viewpoints, often better ideas can be brought to the table, as ideas evolve with everyone’s input.

·         Less employee turnover: a well-functioning team, where everyone is positive and enjoys working with the other team members will make them less likely to leave the organization.

 Disadvantages to team working:

·         Group think: this is when the team stops looking at alternative actions, and “the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.”

·         Complex process: a well-functioning team isn’t always easy to build. Each set of skills has to be compatible with the rest of the team. There can’t be too much conflict, but too little conflict and group think may occur.

·         Evaluating an individual’s contribution: within a team, it is very difficult to determine if an individual has performed above or below expectations, as a poor performer can be carried by the team, and a strong performer’s input can be diluted.

·         Inability to make a decision: if there are too many people, with differing opinions, it can result in no decisions being made at all.

WHY CREATE AN EFFECTIVE TEAMS?

 1. More knowledge and skill is brought to the problem.

2. Information flow is more effective.

3. More people are aware of the full breadth of the problem.

4. Meetings are more productive and goal-oriented.

5. Better decisions are made.

 6. Team problems are identified sooner and more clearly.

7. Team members learn from each other.

8. The team becomes more cohesive and develops a stronger sense of belonging to the organization.

 9. Overall morale improves.

10. More is accomplished than is possible by equivalent individual efforts.

11. Productivity and time savings are achieved by eliminating duplication of efforts.

 12. Absenteeism and missed deadlines are reduced.

 13. Team members understand organizational issues better.

14. Management work is shared.

15. Teams set and achieve tougher goals than individuals