Teams – Benefits, Team Formation, and Design features

Lecture 1

What are the benefits of working in teams?

1. Motivation:- People motivated not by money but by

recognition.- Teams allow recognition to take place.- (Promote one another’s success)2. Uniqueness:- Team members must assume responsibility for

their actions.- Use individual strengths and abilities.

What are the benefits of working in teams?

3) Communication- Members rather than managers take

responsibility for their work.- Success of a team depends upon members

sharing information with each other.- Team work skills – trust building, relationships,

conflict management come from communication.4) Creativity- Workers both PLAN and DO- Workers are self directed.

What are the benefits of working in teams?

5) Fun- If team members have positive relationships

they want to help each other.- This often leads to a common desire to

achieve team success.- Positive interdependence (can’t succeed

without others)

What are the benefits of working in teams?

General organizational benefits:1)Reduced costs2)Reduced workforce3)Increased profits4)Closer to customers5)Fewer layers of management6)Shorter time to market products7)Increased employee recognition and motivation.

The problem with teams……

Social LoafingHow to overcome this problem?Form smaller teamsSpecialise tasksMeasure individual performanceIncrease job enrichmentSelect motivated employees

How do you form a good team?

Stage 1 – FormingStage 2 – StormingStage 3 – NormingStage 4 - Performing

Forming

- Team members are often holding on to the past.- Some are “in denial” and are not interested in the

new proccess. - DENIAL- Team members have different ideas about the

project.- Team members are unsure and lack trust. SHOCK- Team members socialize and are polite, and tend

to follow the leader.

Storming

• Team members begin to understand the goals of the team.

• Team members discuss the goals and begin to become aware of their role. AWARENESS.

• Team members have conflict as they compete for roles.

• At this stage Management must make a choice as to how they resolve conflict and communicate.

Norming

• Team members, through understanding begin to accept the roles of team members

ACCEPTANCEThey search for common goals and arrive at a

common understanding of how those goals are to be achieved.

SEARCH- Trust is developed

Performing

• At this stage the team has agreed upon and accepts:

- The Task- The people in their team- The importance of the group, and the trust they

have in the group.- The environment in which they work

(communication, and position in the group)This means that greater efficiency is achieved.

Team Design Features• Task Characteristics• Team Size• Team composition• Team diversityEnvironmental Design FeaturesReward systemsCommunications systemsPhysical spaceOrganizational structure and leadership