Team

A team is more than a group. It has joint objectives and accountability and may be set
up by the organization under the supervision of coaching of a team leader, although
self-managed teams are growing in popularity

‘A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a
common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves
basically accountable.’

Multi-disciplinary teams contain people from different department, pooling the skills of
specialists.

Multi-skilled teams contain people who themselves have more than one skills

Nine Team roles by Belbin

Belbin’s model of nine roles addresses the mix of team/process roles required for a fully
functioning team.

Role and description Team-role contribution Allowable weaknesses

Plant Solves difficult problems Ignores details, too
Creative, imaginative, preoccupied to communicate
unorthodox effectively
Resource investigator Explores opportunities, Over-optimistic, loses
Extrovert, enthusiastic, develops contacts interest once initial
communicative enthusiasm has passed
Coordinator (chairman) Clarifies goals, promotes Can be seen as manipulative,
Mature, confident decision-making, delegates personal work
delegates well
Sharper Has the drive and courage Can provoke others, hurts
Challenging, dynamic, to overcome obstacles people’s feelings
thrives on pressure
Monitor-evaluator Sees all options, judges Lacks drive and ability to
Sober, strategic and sharp accurately inspire others, overly critical
Team worker Listens, builds, averts Indecisive in crunch
Co-operative, mild, friction, calms the waters situations, can be easily
perceptive and diplomatic influenced
Implementer (company Turns ideas into practical Somewhat inflexible, slow to
worker) actions respond to new possibilities
Disciplined, reliable,
conservative and efficient

Completer-Finisher Searches out errors and Inclined to worry unduly,

Painstaking, conscientious, omissions, delivers on reluctant to delegate, can be
anxious time a nitpicker
Specialist Provides knowledge and Contributes only on narrow
Single-minded, self-starting, skills in rare supply front, dwells on
dedicated technicalities, overlooks the
‘big picture’

Team Development

Four stages in group development were identified by Tuckmen (1965)

Setp-1 - Forming

The team is just coming together. Each member wishes to impress his or her personality
on the group. The individuals will be trying to find out about each other, and about the
aims and norms of the team. There will at this stage probably be wariness about
introducing new ideas. The objectives being pursued may as yet be unclear and a leader
may not yet have emerged.

Setp-2 – Storming

This frequently involves more or less open conflict between team members. There may
be changes agreed in the original objectives, procedures and norms established for the
group. If the team is developing successfully this may be a fruitful phase, as more
realistic targets are set and trust between the group members increases.

Setp-3 – Norming

A period of settling down: there will be agreements about work sharing, individual
requirements and expectations of output. Norms and procedures may evolve which
enable methodical working to be introduced.

Setp-4 – Performing

The team sets to work to execute its task. The difficulties of growth and development no
longer hinder the group’s objectives.
Building a team

Team Identity Get people to see themselves as part of this group.

o Name
o Badge or uniform
o Separate space
Team solidarity Encourage loyalty so that members put in extra effort for the sake
of the team
o Expressing solidarity
o Dealing with conflict
o Controlling competition
Shared objectives o Encourage the team to commit itself to shared work
objectives and to cooperate willingly and effectively in
achieving them
o Clearly setting out the objectives of the team
o Allowing the team to participate in setting objectives
o Giving regular feedback on progress and results with
constructive criticism
o Getting the team involved in providing performance
feedback
o Championing the success of the team within the
organization

Evaluating team effectiveness

Factor Effective team Ineffective team

Quantifiable
Labor turnover Low High
Accident rate Low High
Absenteeism Low High
Output and productivity High Low
Quality of output High Low
Individual targets Achieved Not achieved
Stoppages and interruptions to Low High
the work flow
Qualitative
Commitment to targets and High Low
organizations goals
Understanding of team’s work High Low
and why it exists
Understanding of individual High Low
roles within the team
Communication between team Free and open Mistrust
members
Ideas Shared for the team’s Owned or hidden by
benefit individuals for their own
benefits
Feedback Constructive criticism Point scoring, undermining
Problem-solving Addresses causes Only looks at symptoms
Interest in work decisions Active Passive acceptance
Opinions Consensus Imposed solutions
Job satisfaction High Low
Motivation in leader’s absence High When the cat’s away……