Chapter 1
 What’s So New About Teams?

In This Chapter

• Let’s talk about teams
• Choosing between teams and work groups
• What teams can and cannot do
• The role of the team leader
• Becoming an effective team member

The world of work has changed radically during the past decade, and it continues to change more rapidly than at any time since the Industrial Revolution. Things are likely to change even more dramatically as we enter the twenty-first century.

We have already seen how computers give managers immediate and continuous access to new information, but that is only one aspect of change. Changes in management structure have made the way we work quite different from that of previous generations.

In this chapter we’ll explore these changes and see how they affect the way supervisors will function in their new role as team leaders.

Why Teams?

It used to be that top management made all the decisions and filtered them down through a series of layers to the rank-and-file workers. We have seen and continue to see this being replaced by a more collaborative organization in which people at all levels are expected to contribute to every aspect of their organization’s activities.

Getting things done is now assumed by teams—groups of people, usually headed by a team leader, who together as a team plan, implement, and control the work.

What to Expect from a Team

The essence of a team is common commitment. Without it, the members of the group perform as individuals; with it they become a powerful unit of collective performance.

In the ideal team, each associate performs his or her function in such a way that it dovetails with that of other team members to enable the team to achieve its goals. By this collaboration, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

An excellent example of this is a surgical team. Every member of the team—the surgeons, the anesthesiologist, the nurses, and the other technicians—carries out his or her individual functions expertly. But when they work as a team, interactions flow seamlessly among them. All are committed to one goal—the well-being of the patient.

There are examples of successful teams in every endeavor: championship sports teams, disease-curing research teams, fire-fighting rescue teams, and in every aspect of business.

Teams or Work Groups—What’s the Big Difference?

Not all groups are teams. The traditional working group is made up of individuals whose work is directed by a supervisor. The members do whatever they are assigned to do, and are measured by their individual performances. In a team, the team leader guides and facilitates the work of the members, who share the responsibility of getting the work done.

Teams differ fundamentally from work groups in that they require both individual and mutual accountability. This makes possible performance levels greater than the individuals could achieve themselves even when performing at optimal levels.

Although the team option promises greater performance, it also brings more risks. Working groups need little time to plan the work because the planning has been already done by the supervisor. Decisions are implemented through specific individual assignments. If performance expectations can be met in this manner, using traditional work groups is more comfortable, less risky, less time consuming, and less disruptive than using teams.

However, if the organization seeks creative approaches, performance that is more than just satisfactory, and the opportunity to develop employees’ capabilities, it should use the team approach.

The following chart differentiates between groups and teams:

Convert to Teams?—Yes or No?

Don’t look at teams as a panacea for all your company’s ills. There are many departments where strong leaders are needed, where the employees are not qualified or not ready to be participative team members. Changing abruptly to teams will confuse and confound the workers and be counterproductive.

Teams are feasible when

• A fresh approach to accomplishing the goals of the group is desirable.
• There is a breakdown in communication within the group.
• A project requires a staff of people with diversified backgrounds.
• The culture of the organization is becoming more participative.
• Senior managers are committed to the creation and implementation of the team concept.

Here are some situations where using teams is not desirable:

• When there is a heavy turnover in the department. Teams require a group of stable members who are likely to work together for a long time. It takes quite a while to develop the working relationships within a team. Members must win the trust and confidence of all their teammates. They must learn to coordinate their efforts. Only over time does the team build a relationship in which members can anticipate another member’s actions, and be ready to react instantly.
• When the company has a small cadre of key personnel and uses temps or outsourcing to do most of the work.
• When the work of the group is routine and is unlikely to change in the near future.
• When the group leader is strongly opposed to teams. He or she will sabotage the effort. If for other reasons, shifting to teams is advantageous, the group leader must be replaced.

In most organizations there’s a mixture of traditional work groups and teams. As new processes and projects are instituted, the groups assigned to them are more likely to be constituted as teams.

Types of Teams

Teams can be used for a variety of purposes. Let’s look at some of the types of teams:

• Working teams: Teams that make or do things. These teams do the frontline work of every organization. They manufacture goods, conduct research, design systems, sell merchandise, keep the records. They perform the tasks that are basic to the operation of the organization. Members are assigned to the teams on a permanent basis. Although there may be deadlines established for some parts of the work, most of the work is ongoing.
• Special purpose or project teams: Teams that are formed to deal with specific situations such as improving quality or cutting costs. They may be created to plan a new company activity, such as introducing a new product or service. They may be appointed to investigate and report on changes in systems or complying with a new government regulation. These teams are sometimes called task forces or project groups. Members may all come from the same department or may be chosen from several departments in the organization. They may be detached from their usual work for the duration of the project, or they may continue their regular work and function as a special purpose team on a time limit to complete the assignment.
• Multifunctional teams: Teams that are drawn from several different disciplines. They may function on a permanent or temporary basis. How these teams operate is discussed in Chapter 25.
• Self-directed teams: Teams that do not have a permanent team leader. All members share leadership. Self-directed teams have often been compared to jazz combos or string quartets, musical groups that perform without a conductor. How these teams operate is discussed in Chapter 24.
• Management teams: Teams that make management decisions. In some companies, the job of the president has been replaced by a management team, sometimes called “the office of the president.” In others, the chief executive officer (CEO) uses a management team to act as a “cabinet” that discusses and reaches consensus on major decisions.

Team Leaders: Rethink Your Roles

If your philosophy of managing people is: “Do it my way or you’re on the highway,” you’d better prepare to make an about-face. The team leader does not function like that old-school tyrant. He or she is a facilitator who develops and coordinates an intelligent, motivated team to get things done. The emphasis is on developing the skills and coordinating the efforts of a team of intelligent, motivated associates.

Don’t Boss—Lead

You have to stop thinking like a “boss.” Bosses make decisions and give orders. Team leaders coordinate groups of thinking adults who together face and work out the problems that face them. Successful team leaders provide a climate in which their team members are encouraged to make their own analyses of problems, suggest solutions, and participate in decisions.

Let’s look at some of the ways team leaders do this:

• They make sure the team members know the company’s and the team’s vision and mission and keep them focused on achieving them.
• They’re expert communicators. They recognize that communication is a two-way street. It is important for them to convey their instructions and concepts to team members, but it is equally important for them to open their ears to the ideas and suggestions of team members.
• Their mission is to develop the skills and capabilities of their team members. They take the time to identify each team member’s strengths and weaknessesand work with each to improve his or her performance. They encourage team members to commit to lifelong learning and recommend sources, both within and outside the organization, that can help them grow as individuals and as team contributors.
• They work with members to set performance standards that are clear, attainable, and measurable, and establish a means to let members know how they are doing.
• They motivate and inspire individual members by recognition, praise, and reward. They motivate and inspire the team with pep talks and team recognition, and by creating a climate of enthusiasm.

In later chapters you can learn how to apply these and other team-building concepts to the way you lead your team.

How do you think you shape up as a team leader? Find out by taking the following inventory.

Read each statement, decide whether you agree or disagree with it, and circle the appropriate answer. Then compare your responses to the answers that follow.

1. Agree   Disagree
   It isn’t necessary for a manager to discuss long-range goals with team members. As long as they are aware of the immediate objective, they can do their work effectively.
2. Agree   Disagree
   The best way to make a reprimand effective is to admonish an offender in front of coworkers.
3. Agree   Disagree
   Team leaders appear ignorant and risk loss of face if they answer a question with, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out and let you know.”
4. Agree   Disagree
   It pays for a team leader to spend a great deal of time with a new team member to ensure that training has been effective.
5. Agree   Disagree
   Team leaders should encourage their associates to share their ideas about work methods.
6. Agree   Disagree
   When disciplining is required, team leaders should be careful to avoid saying or doing anything that may cause resentment.
7. Agree   Disagree
   People will work best for tough leaders.
8. Agree   Disagree
   It’s more important for a team to be composed of members who like their jobs than of people who do their jobs well.
9. Agree   Disagree
   Work gets done most efficiently if the team leader lays out plans in great detail.
10. Agree   Disagree
    To lead an effective team, leaders should keep in mind the feelings, attitudes, and ideas of the team’s members.

Okay, you’ve answered all the questions. Now look at the responses based on the advice of successful team leaders.

1. Disagree. People who know where they’re going—who can see the big picture—are more committed and will work harder to reaching those objectives than people who are aware only of immediate goals.
2. Disagree. Admonishing a person doesn’t solve the problem; it only makes the person feel small in front of coworkers. A constructive critique, in private, corrects a problem without humiliating the person.
3. Disagree. It’s better to admit ignorance of a matter than to try to bluff. People respect leaders who accept that they don’t know everything.
4. Agree. The most important step in developing the full capabilities of associates is good training. Team leaders who invest the time to lay a solid foundation in the beginning will reap huge returns.
5. Agree. People directly involved with the job can often contribute good ideas toward the solution of problems related to their work.
6. Agree. Resentment creates low morale and often leads to conscious or subconscious sabotage.
7. Disagree. Toughness is not as important as fairness and an inspiring attitude.
8. Disagree. The happiness and satisfaction of team members on the job are important, but they are secondary to getting the job done. Work with members to find ways to combine performance with job satisfaction.
9. Disagree. Some people work better when they are given broad project guidelines and can work out the details themselves. Others work better when tasks are given to them in detail. A good leader recognizes the styles in which people work and then adapts to them.
10. Agree. Communication is a two-way street. To manage effectively, it’s important to know what team members are thinking and how they feel about their jobs.

There’s no passing or failing score for this inventory. Its purpose is to make you think about how you lead people. You may not agree with all the experts’ answers, but do pay them some heed. Most of what you find here will be discussed in detail later in this book.

Team Members: Rethink Your Roles

If you’ve been working in a traditional work group for some time, you probably have been conditioned to take orders and carry them out whether you agreed with them or not. Your boss had the authority, and you were paid to do what you were told.

This changes when the group becomes a team. You are expected to help plan the work and determine how it will be carried out.

Why Change?

Changing the way you work is often not easy. It requires a radical change in the way you look at your job—and at yourself. Nobody really likes to change the way he or she does things. You’re accustomed to doing your job in a certain way. It’s comfortable to keep doing it that way. To change takes you out of this comfort zone. But progress can’t be made unless you become uncomfortable.

Even though the changes your discomfort engenders may lead to progress for the company, you may ask what’s in it for you.

Some of the benefits you gain are

1. Your job. It’s as simple as that. If the company goes down the drain, you have no job. If the company prospers, not only do you have a job, but the opportunities within the firm expand. In today’s highly competitive world, if a company is to thrive—even survive—it must change. But no company can change unless all of its members contribute to that change. By accepting change, you are doing a small part in keeping your company viable. By enthusiastically supporting change, you are increasing your company’s capability to meet the competition.
2. Your personal growth. The team environment challenges its members to use their intelligence, their creativity, and their skills in working on team problems. Now, often for the first time, you can express your ideas and contribute to the way a job is done. This stimulates your mind and encourages you to build up your knowledge. With each success, your self-confidence increases. It also helps when there are setbacks—and there will be. They develop the inner resilience you need to accept and learn from them.
3. Your career. If your goal is to move up the organizational ladder, active participation in team activities gives you experience in leadership. You’ll take part in running meetings, leading projects, and training and mentoring associates. You’ll catch the eye of higher level managers as your contributions are recognized. When new teams are formed, you will be prepared to be moved into team leadership.

What It Takes to Be a Great Team Member

It starts with performing your job superbly. All team members are depended upon to be good performers. But top performance by itself is not enough. There’s much more to becoming a great team member.

• Participate fully in team discussions. Listen actively. Contribute to every discussion. Even if you have no original ideas to present, comment on other members’ suggestions. Ask good questions. Offer your support. Volunteer to serve on subcommittees and take on extra assignments.
• Motivate yourself. Set personal goals that are in line with the team’s mission. Participate in establishing team goals. You are going to have to work to meet them, so you should have a say in determining them.
• Try new things. Don’t be afraid to take risks. This is the way to get ahead. Remember the turtle. It’s perfectly secure if it stays inside the shell, but if it wants to move ahead, it has to stick out its neck.
• Look beyond your team. Study the culture of your company. Know and understand the company’s mission statement. Measure how closely your team complies with company and departmental goals. Think about how your work fits into the larger picture.
• Be sensitive to other points of view. Listen to the opinions of other team members. Don’t be afraid to express your view even if it is different or eveopposite of everybody else’s. Stand up for what you believe, but don’t be stubborn about it. Be willing to compromise to achieve consensus.
• Be a team player. Cooperate. Don’t compete. Support your teammates. Help them grow by sharing information, taking tough assignments, and training and mentoring new members. Praise associates who have done well. Show appreciation to members who have been especially helpful to you or the team.
• Know your teammates. Know their strengths and limitations. Know their personal goals and ambitions. Know their idiosyncrasies and pet peeves. This will make working with them easier and more pleasant.
• Build up your own self-confidence. Read self-improvement books and articles. Study yourself. Be aware of areas where you need improvement. For example, if you are shy, take assertive training; if you are a poor speaker or writer, take courses to correct it.
• If you and a teammate have a disagreement or more serious conflict, resolve it as rapidly as possible. Don’t let it fester. Once it is resolved, forget about it. Don’t bear a grudge: “Let the dead past bury its dead.”
• Learn other jobs within the team. Train to do the work of other team members. In this way you expand your value to the team as you can take over in case of absence, heavy work loads, or other contingencies.
• Keep tabs on your progress. Periodically review your personal and team goals. Measure how close you are to reaching them. Be prepared to take steps to correct problems that are impeding your progress.
• Celebrate successes. When the team completes a project or makes a significant achievement, share the joy of success by going out to lunch or dinner together.

As a full participant in team activities, you will not only enjoy your work more, and make more effective contributions to the team’s success, you’ll enhance your personal growth and prepare for moving ahead in your career.

The Least You Need to Know

• A team is a group of people who collaborate and interact to reach a common goal.
• Teams differ fundamentally from work groups in that teams require both individual and mutual accountability. Team members can achieve higher individual performance levels than they would when working without a team.
• Teams require a group of stable members who are likely to work together for a long time.
• The team leader is a facilitator who develops and coordinates an intelligent, motivated team to get things done.
• Changing the way you work is often not easy. To change takes you out of the comfort zone, but progress can’t be made unless you become uncomfortable.
• To succeed as a team member, don’t be satisfied if your work is “satisfactory.” Strive to do superb work. If you need added training or coaching, ask for it.
• Participation is the key to team success. Team leaders should establish a climate in which participation is a “way of life.”