Chapter 18
 Transforming a Work Group Into a Team

In This Chapter

• The new role of the leader
• Convincing members that teamwork works
• The new role of the team member
• Making the team a collaborative unit

In some instances, when a company moves into the team mode, it creates new teams from scratch. This usually occurs when a team is formed to work on a new project. However, most of the time totally new teams are not created. The same people who had been working as a traditional work group are now transformed into a “team.”

How does this affect the way the former supervisor, now “team leader,” functions? What does this mean to the men and women who are now called “team members” or “associates” instead of workers or employees?

The trauma of this change on both leaders and members will be explored in this chapter.

The New Leader

Earlier in this book I discussed the importance of the team leader abandoning the role of the domineering boss. Despite the efforts of companies to change the habits of their leaders, there are still too many team leaders “bossing” their teams. Why should this be?

Many supervisors have no qualms about stating: “I like being a boss.” There’s status and prestige in being in charge. There’s power in giving orders and having the authority to make decisions, to praise or discipline employees, and to even be able to fire them. When supervisors become team leaders, much of this changes.

It’s not easy to give up these “rights.” Yet team leaders must be persuaded to accept the change if they wish to succeed in their new role.

From Boss to Leader

Bossy behavior is not limited to men and women who have supervised traditional work groups in the past and find it difficult to change their leadership style. It is also found among many newly appointed team leaders, who have picked up their dogmatic management style from the bosses they worked for in the past.

When the team leader bosses rather than leads, all of the benefits that should accrue from using teams are diluted or disappear completely. If members are treated as subordinates, they will act as subordinates; if the leader uses the team-building techniques that are discussed throughout this book, they will meld into a real team.

Here is a simple comparison between the style of a boss and a leader:

Micromanaging the Team

Lisa was one of those bosses who didn’t trust anybody in her department to do things right. She spelled out every step of the way the work had to be done. She looked over the shoulders of her subordinates to make sure they did the work her way. She checked and rechecked every assignment. Nobody liked working for Lisa.

When the organization moved into team management, Lisa was oriented on the new approaches required to succeed as a team leader. She nodded agreement to everything—and then began to manage her new team exactly as she had her former work group.

Naturally, the team never got off the ground. When her boss spoke to her about this, she responded, “If I’m responsible for the output of this team, I have to make sure it’s right.”

Yes, Lisa is accountable for her team’s work, but by micromanaging the work of her associates, she defeats the main purpose of teams: to encourage participation of all team members. Unless Lisa learns and applies the techniques of team leadership, it’s best to remove her from a leadership position.

For advice on how to ensure that the team meets the standards set for good performance without micromanagement of every aspect of the job, refer to Chapter 7.

The Future for Team Leaders

The move to downsize companies in the 1990s resulted in eliminating many middle-level management jobs. Opportunities for team leaders to move up to middle management have been curtailed by this flattening of company structures.

New and creative approaches must be found to retain ambitious team leaders and keep them motivated when advancement is much slower than it was for their predecessors.

Of course, normal attrition will create openings. Managers will retire, die, or move to other positions within or outside the organization. Supervisors and team leaders have always been the logical source of promotion to these jobs. This will enable some leaders to advance. However, the elimination of so many positions that previously were stepping stones to the upper levels has made it necessary to think of new and creative ways to reward team leaders when promotion is not viable.

Promotion usually includes salary increases. One way to keep motivating leaders when promotion is not an option is to give them the opportunity to earn more money. Promotion means gaining more status and prestige. Ways can be found to meet this need. Promotion to the next level puts one on the track to advancing his or her career. With fewer places to promote, some other means must be developed to motivate people who are career oriented.

Some approaches that have been used are

1. Project management

Many companies work on a project basis. Teams are assigned projects—some of which are long term, while others are one-shot activities. From time to time, a project is too large for one team, and two or more teams are assigned to the job. One way to reward team leaders is to put them in charge of major projects. They may either be detached temporarily from their teams or manage the project in addition to their regular assignments. The project manager can be rewarded with an extra bonus for successful completion of the project. This may satisfy the need for financial reward.

Project management also gives the project manager status. However, once the project is completed, it may be a letdown to return to being a team leader. Although future project management assignments are likely to be given to them, there is no assurance as to if or when that may be.

The results of the assignment are recorded in the team leader’s personnel file and considered by his or her boss in the performance review. This will be taken into account when openings do occur for promotion.

2. Training team leaders

Team leaders who have led highly successful teams may be chosen to train newly appointed team leaders or to coach or mentor less successful team leaders. To be chosen for this assignment is an honor that shows the leader that the company recognizes his or her achievements. Often, added compensation is given for this work.

3. Special assignments

When United Fabricators decided to open a new plant in Puerto Rico, it assigned three of its top team leaders to work with the development task force to set it up. Their job was to plan the team organization, hire and train team leaders, and counsel them until the operation was underway. This gave the leaders the opportunity to use their talents to the maximum. All three were offered management positions in the new plant. One accepted; the others opted to return to their old jobs as team leaders at the main plant. They enjoyed the experience, which taught them a lot and put them in line for eventual promotion.

4. Outsourcing

Another way of rewarding exceptional team leaders is to fire them. Sound crazy? Not if the firing involves setting them up in their own business. Frank was leader of a team at Bradley Transport that prepared all the paperwork needed to meet government regulations. Frank’s future at Bradley was limited. The only higher-level jobs in the company were in areas in which Frank had limited experience. He told Mr. Bradley that although he loved his job, he saw no future there and would have to seek another job elsewhere. Mr. Bradley came up with a solution. “You’re an expert in the documentation needed in the transport field. Why don’t you set up your own company to deal with this. I’ll subcontract what your team is now doing to your new company. That will give you a good start—and you’ll be free to sell your services to other truckers. Frank accepted the offer. Today he is the owner of a very successful firm servicing several transport companies and growing rapidly.

Overcoming Members’ Resistance to Change

Nobody really likes change. We know what we have, and as Shakespeare said, we’d “rather bear those ills we have than fly to others we know not of.”

Resistance to change is not logical; it’s emotional. Members have deep inner concerns about new ways of doing what they have been doing for a long time in a way that they believe is good. Why should this be?

Breaking Out of the Comfort Zone

Most people resist change of any sort. Once people become accustomed to doing something in a certain manner, we become comfortable doing it that way. Changing takes us out of our comfort zone.

A good example is learning a sport. When I was a teenager, my friends and I went to a local park to play tennis. We took no training, but after a while were able to play a respectable game. Years later, to improve my game, I signed up for formal lessons. After watching me play, the instructor showed me the proper way to stand, and how to hold and swing the racket and maneuver around the court. I had been doing it all wrong. Changing wasn’t easy. Moving out of the comfort zone in which I had been playing hurt—my muscles ached, my back ached. It hurts to change.

If the change is mental, it also hurts. Changing the way you have to approach the work is just as painful as physical pain. Discomfort, headaches, tension, stress—all may result. Moving out of one’s comfort zone is never easy.

Nobody wants to hurt, so they resist change. Changing from being part of a traditional work group to being a member of a collaborative team is hard work.

Skepticism About Team Effectiveness

Converting to teams is a radical change. Many members are concerned about the effect of such change on their jobs, their careers, their futures. Others just don’t want to suffer the aches and pains of leaving their comfort zones. They try to find all kinds of reasons to rationalize their opposition. Let’s look at some of them:

1. “We always did it this way.”

Probably the most common reason given is some variation of these statements: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” or “Don’t tamper with success.”

These are valid reasons if the work has been a great success. But usually, things are not as successful as they might be. There is a need for change. Even when everything appears to be going well, improvements can be made.

2. “I don’t want the added responsibility.”

There are members who want to avoid taking responsibility for fear of punishment if they fail or make mistakes. Still others may just be shy people who are afraid that their ideas will be lost in team discussions and they will be held accountable for decisions made by a dominant majority.

This can be overcome by careful orientation of members as to the way the team will operate, and by assuring them that mistakes and failures are part and parcel of team growth. Most important is the development of their self-confidence and acceptance of their new role as equal partners with their associates. (How to do this will be explored later in this chapter.)

3. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

In many organizations, there are “plodders” who really don’t want to strain themselves. All they want is to do what they’re told to do during working hours and get home. Don’t give up on them. Many of these plodders are very good workers. They may be your best technicians or specialists, who do good work, but whose real interests lie outside the job.

Ken is a good example of this. He probably knows more about the intricacies of computer graphics than anybody on your team. Give him an assignment and leave him alone in his cubicle with his computer, and he’ll produce top-notch work. But at meetings he never opens his mouth. When asked questions about his work, he’ll respond in detail, but when asked to comment on other team projects, he has nothing to say.

What’s going on in Ken’s mind? He looks upon himself as an artist. He enjoys his work because it’s art. He looks upon the other work the team does as peripheral to his creativity and has no interest in it. There’s no way his team leader can make him a collaborative team member. People like Ken function better in a traditional environment.

On the other hand, there are members who use this as an excuse to cover up their fear of change. These members can be converted to participating team members by working with them to overcome their concerns.

One way of dealing with such people is to phase these members into teamwork. Instead of shifting overnight from the old format, break in slowly. In the first few projects as a team, work with these members as you had in the past. Tell them what to do. During this period, spend time orienting them to the team concept. Let them observe members who are working the team way. Over the first few months, require them to take on more of the decision-making regarding their work. If they continue to resist and just can’t function in the team environment, they may have to be removed from the team.

4. “Teamwork won’t help my career.”

Because the emphasis of teamwork is on the team, not the individual, ambitious members may feel that their competence and potential will be overshadowed by the team. This is especially true when the reward and recognition program primarily rewards teams, not individuals. If the team leader isn’t going to move up, what chance of promotion does an ambitious member have?

Members who seek to move up in the organization should be assured that their personal contributions are not overlooked, and as new teams are formed or current leaders move on, opportunity does exist for them. Also, make clear that the performance review and the compensation system rewards individuals not only on their performance, but on their participation as a team member.

Change the Team Member’s Self-Image

How the members of a team feel about themselves and about the way they are perceived by their immediate supervisors or team leaders and others in the organization is reflected in the effectiveness of the team. Companies use a variety of approaches to get members to be true believers.

“Employee” vs. “Associate”

When people think of themselves as employees or subordinates, there is an aura of inferiority surrounding them. The terms themselves connote subservience to a higher authority.

One of the ways companies use to overcome this is to eliminate those terms and replace them with associate or team member. These terms connote equality of position.

Does changing one’s job title really work? The answer, like so many answers to problems of this type, is “yes and no.” It works if the change in title is backed up with change in the attitude of management toward the individual and a true change in the job function.

Susan didn’t feel that being an associate was such a big deal. She commented that her team leader was still her boss and still told her what to do and how to do it. “Everything is the same as before the title change,” she reported. “It’s just another gimmick to make us work harder.”

Her friend Nancy worked in another company where the title change was more than a superficial gesture. When teams were formed, the members were given a thorough orientation on how the team was to function and what each person’s role would be. “Management took it seriously, so we associates took it seriously. And it seems to be working. I’m making more of my own decisions and enjoying my work more.”

Nancy’s company spent time and money on changing the attitudes of management and of the members themselves as a basic step in getting the program underway.

“Follower” vs. “Collaborator”

We pointed out earlier in this chapter that many people are fearful of accepting the responsibility of team participation. They have been conditioned from their earliest work experience to be followers.

There is nothing degrading about being a follower. In fact, one must learn to follow before one is ready to lead. The difference between just being a follower and being a collaborator is one of degree. In traditional organizations, subordinates follow instructions and orders without question. They have little or no say in what they will do. In a team, the member doesn’t totally abdicate the role of follower. He or she participates in formulating projects and determining how a job will be done, and then follows the decisions made.

One reason members hesitate to be collaborators is lack of self-confidence. Because they have been followers for so long and have looked to others to make decisions, they’re afraid to stick out their own necks. But like the turtle, if they want to move forward, they have to stick their necks out of their shells.

Building members’ self-confidence is an important step in making the team concept succeed. Some ways to help build self-esteem were discussed in Chapter 10. In addition,

• When the team concept is first introduced, give members relatively easy assignments. Give them only basic instructions from which they will have to develop their own approach to the assignments. If they come to you with questions or ask for your decisions, insist that they solve their own problems. However, don’t let them fail. If their actions will lead to failure, intervene by subtly suggesting changes. Reinforce good decisions with praise.
• Train them or send them for training in problem solving and decision making. Provide exercises or case studies in which they will be required to make decisions. As these are not on-the-job problems, the fear of failure is removed. The experience will help them become more confident when faced with collaborative decisions on the job.
• Take note of each member’s talents and strengths. Make a big deal over things they do especially well.
• If some members are especially shy or don’t make progress, suggest they enroll in courses designed to build self-confidence, such as the Dale Carnegie Course or assertiveness training programs.

Are You a Team Player?

1. Yes   No
   Are you willing to cooperate with team members rather than compete against them?
2. Yes   No
   Do you volunteer to help team members with tough assignments?
3. Yes   No
   Do you praise associates for their good work?
4. Yes   No
   Do you participate actively in team meetings?
5. Yes   No
   Are you willing and able to express your ideas even if they are different from your associates’?
6. Yes   No
   Are you aware of team goals and committed to achieve them?
7. Yes   No
   Do you volunteer to take on assignments even if they are not your favorite type work?
8. Yes   No
   Do you make a point to welcome new members and help them get oriented to the team?
9. Yes   No
   Do you take training seriously and try to apply what you learn on the job at the first opportunity to do so?
10. Yes   No
    Do you do your best to get along with other members even if they are unfriendly?

The more “yes” answers, the better you are as a team player. Work on changing your behavior in the areas where you answered “no.”

Mold the Group Into a Team

Here’s where the team leader’s role as a coach comes into play. Compare this to a high school basketball team. The kids who are picked for the team were selected because they showed promise. Most probably they had been playing basketball in the school yard or the local “Y” and are more than competent players. But they’re not a team. The coach’s job is to take these youngsters and teach them how to play as a team.

The team leader may have a highly competent group of workers. The job now is to mold them into an interactive, effective, cooperative unit.

Once team members understand and are committed to their new roles and have overcome their resistance to the change, the team leader is ready to build this group of individuals into a collaborative team.

Explain New Expectations

Do members know what is expected of them? Are they aware of the changes in the way they behave and perform? Dealing with these matters is a priority job for the team leader.

Following are some ways this can be accomplished:

• Focus on results. In orienting the team, put emphasis on results expected from the team’s activities rather than on the activities themselves. Let them know that management looks at results and is not concerned with the details of the methods so long as they meet the legal and ethical standards set by the organization. Assure them that they have the expertise to get satisfactory results.
• Build commitment. Provide a climate in which members’ ideas and suggestions are seriously considered. When members know they are treated as true collaborators, their commitment is solidified.
• Give all members opportunity to grow. In assigning work, give every member the chance to lead a project, work on a challenging phase, and take a key role. Develop smaller teams within the team to let less experienced members take charge of a project. Encourage your more skilled members to act as mentors.
• Encourage all members to participate in every aspect of the work—even those in which they don’t have as much expertise as other members. Their fresh ideas may be valuable, and it helps build up their self-confidence.

Let your bosses know about the progress of each of your members—and let the member know that you have done so. This makes them visible to higher management and may boost their careers. It will boost yours as well if you develop a team of winners.

Provide the Team with Tools and Help Needed

Another responsibility of the team leader is to ensure that the team has the tools it needs to get the job done. This may mean negotiating with management for a higher budget to purchase the latest equipment or software and training the members in the best techniques of doing their work.

More than this, the team leader becomes a source of advice, information, and counsel for the team. Members should feel free to call on the leader for assistance when technical or administrative problems arise.

Effective team leaders don’t wait for problems to be brought to them. They take active steps to identify potential problems and deal with them early.

A participant at one of my seminars shared with the class a form he developed to get continuing feedback from his members on areas that they felt needed attention (see the following table). He commented that as a result of using this form, he was able to make his team the leading team in the company.

Build Team Spirit

The best way to build team spirit is by getting members committed to team goals and excited about reaching them. This is not an easy task. People differ, and what excites one may turn off another.

Some team leaders emulate sports teams by having the team pick a name, design a team insignia, and hold team rallies.

At one company, team contests were made more competitive and more fun by giving teams names and colors. In the shipping department there were three teams: “The Movers and Shakers,” “The Shipping Sharpies,” and “The Packing Pack.” Each chose a team color combination, designed flags, and had a good time in friendly competition.

At another company, team members in the customer service department purchased blue blazers with the team insignia on the lapel. All the men and women on the team proudly wore their blazers while at work.

There are people who don’t relate to this type of hype. They find it childish and silly. Forcing reluctant members to wear the blazer and sing the team song is self-defeating.

It takes patience to get the team working together as a collaborative unit—a team that interacts seamlessly to achieve its goals. It won’t happen overnight. Don’t give up. Work for your team and with your team in building up the members’ confidence in themselves; in you, the team leader; and in the team itself. Work at it. Be persistent. Be patient, and the payout will be higher productivity, better quality, a motivated work force, and a happier workplace.

The Least You Need to Know

• If members are treated as subordinates, they will act as subordinates; if the leader considers them participative members, they will meld into a real team.
• Team leaders must trust their members. Micromanagement by the leader makes the members feel inadequate and destroys team spirit.
• Since positions that previously were stepping stones have been eliminated, when promotion is not viable, new and creative ways must be found to reward team leaders.
• Nobody really likes change, because it takes us out of our comfort zone. The transition to new ways of doing things takes time and must be handled with care.
• Identify the reasons members are skeptical about teams and their place in the team. Work with them to overcome their fears.
• One reason members hesitate to be collaborators is lack of self-confidence. Building members’ self-confidence is an important step in making the team concept succeed.
• The team leader may have a highly competent group of workers. The job now is to mold them into an interactive, effective, cooperative unit.
• The best way to build team spirit is by getting members committed to team goals and excited about reaching them.