how to overcome difficulties facing teams

Prof (Dr) Nitin Zaware(Director, Rajiv Gandhi Business School, Pune)

[email protected]

+91 9860121311

How To Overcome Difficulties in Facing

Teams ?

o To be effective teams need a demanding performance challenge that is meaningful to all those involved.

o Teams need to deliver results.

o Important for organisation and teams that performance is measured.

Difficulties facing teams...1) No Performance Measurement

2Prof (Dr) Nitin Zaware

oTeams are not the solution to all situations.

oOver expectation that the team will solve all – leads to disillusionment.

o Loss of credibility if teams are used

wrongly.

2) Too many teams


o Organisation recognises individuals and not teams.

o Teams set up as a unit of performance but the appraisal scheme is geared to individual performance and rewards/salary increases are linked to individual contributions.

o Individuals fear their input will not be recognised or acknowledged and may be reluctant to take part or share ideas.

o Individuals can be responsible to a manager but work as part of a team, which can cause problems.

3) Emphasis on individuals


oActively work to see that individuals are recognised by promoting their contributions.

oHave a team leader’s input to individuals’ appraisals and ensure your views are heard by those that do the appraisals.

4) What can you do in the absence of a reward system for teams, a leader can


o Team working is about encouraging co-operation and harmony but this will be impossible to achieve if the-o Structure and systems encourage internal

competition and conflicto Organisation is not built on trusto Culture is risk averse: in effective teams,

people are encouraged to challenge and extend both their thoughts and actions

o If culture is one where taking risks is not promoted & making mistakes is remembered; people will play safe

o Very little!, hard for individuals to change culture

5) Culture of competition


o Teams 50 plus people are too big to manage

o The most effective are between 5 and 50o If a team is too small, there can be issues

in regard to problem solving (less people to think of a solution) productivity (too few people to produce)

o If there are too many, consensus and speed of judgements become a issue,

6) Too many people


No role models.. Poor examples of teams.. Managers or leaders will talk about

teams, without understanding what is involved ..

Managers unable to promote the conditions for team working within the organisation..

Other Difficulties in facing teams


Teams at the top of organisations are the most difficult to create.

People at this level often spend their time on long term issues and challenges, as well as on activities outside the organisation.

Getting to the top often involves single-minded dedication - a behaviour at odds with the skills required for teams.

People may work by themselves, setting up deals and operating within their own network.

Certainly top teams do not always set the best examples of how to work together – “do as I say and not as I do!”

Recognise that:


Team building is not an easy process, but it is possible once you recognise what is happening.

A team leader needs to be aware that use of skills – to get people at the top to open doors, to support initiatives – can bring rewards and progress.

What can you do?


Coming together is a beginning

Keeping together is progress

Working together is Success …
