work teams

How they form&Function

Examples for
different types of work teams
 The aim of this lecture is to
Define a team
Recognise :
1. The Basic requirements and characteristics of effective
teamwork
2. When teamwork can be deemed efficient if:
3. Basic team dynamics
4. Specific teamwork processes
5. the stages of a team's lifespan and the level of teamwork
for each stage:
6. 5 Steps to Creating Really Effective Teams

• Define the various types of teams and understand there

concepts
 A Team

• Is a group of interdependent individuals who

work together towards a common goal.
 Basic requirements for effective
teamwork are
• An adequate team size (about 6-8 members),
• Available resources for the team to make use
of (i.e. meeting space and time, guidance from
a supervisor, support from the organization,
etc.),
• Clearly defined roles within the team in order
for everyone to have a clear purpose
• Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a team
to achieve a common goal or to complete a
task in the most effective and efficient way.

• Teamwork is present in any context where a

group of people are working together to
achieve a common goal.
• These contexts include organization (formal
work teams),and the healthcare system .
• In various settings, the level of teamwork and
interdependence can vary from low track and
to intermediate (e.g.house keeping) to high
(e.g. OR, ER),
• and depend on the amount of
communication, interaction, and collaboration
needed between team members.
 Effective teamwork
Characteristics that members of the team must have in order
to produce effective teamwork.

1) high level of interdependence among team members,

a characteristic that stems from
2)open communication and

3) the increase of trust and risk-taking.

Through interdependence come the group dynamics, which

are the ways in which team members interact with each other.
1)Healthy dynamics lead to team members being more satisfied and
therefore working more efficiently together, whereas

2)unhealthy dynamics lead to conflict, and consequentially to

unsatisfied team members.

Due to this, an important characteristic of efficient teamwork is

3)healthy conflict resolution, that comes along with open

communication.
In order for efficient teamwork to exist, a team needs to have
clear and attainable goals, through which team members can feel
accomplished and motivated. Finally, sharing leadership positions
between team members enhances teamwork due to the feeling of
shared responsibility and accountability.
In order for efficient teamwork to exist, a team needs to have

clear and attainable goals, through which team

members can feel accomplished and motivated.

Sharing leadership positions between team

members enhances teamwork due to the feeling
of shared responsibility and accountability.
 Basic team dynamics include:[

• Open communication to avoid conflicts.

• Effective coordination to avoid confusion and the

overstepping of boundaries.

• Efficient cooperation to perform the tasks in a timely

manner and produce the required results, especially in the
form of workload sharing.

• High levels of interdependence to maintain high levels of

trust, risk-taking, and performance.
 To measure if the teamwork was effective, the
organization must examine the quality of
the output,
the process, and
the members' experience.

Specifically, the teamwork can be deemed efficient if:

the output met or exceeded the organization's standard;

if the process the team chose to take helped them reach

their goals; and if the members are reporting high levels
of satisfaction with the team members as well as the
processes which the team followed.
Specifically, the teamwork can be deemed efficient if:

1)The output met or exceeded the

organization's standard

2)The process the team chose to take helped

them reach their goals;

3)The members are reporting high levels of

satisfaction with the team members as well as
the processes which the team followed
 Processes Work Teams Go Through

• Transition processes
• Action processes
• Interpersonal processes
 Transition processes
• These processes occur between periods of action.
• In this period, the team members can evaluate
their overall performance as a team as well as on
an individual level,
• give feedback to each other,
• make clarifications about the upcoming tasks,
and
• make any changes that would improve the
process of collaborating.
This is done through :

• Task Analysis
• Goal Specification
• Strategy Formulation
 Action processes
• These processes take place when the team
attempts to accomplish its goals and
objectives.
• In this stage, team members keep each other
informed about their progress and their
responsibilities, while helping one another
with certain tasks.
• Feedback and collaborative work continues to
exist in high levels throughout this process.
This is done through :
• Monitoring progress toward goals
• Systems Monitoring
• Team Monitoring and Backup Behavior
• Coordination
 Interpersonal processes
• These processes are present in both action
periods and transition periods
• and occur between team members.
• This is a continuous process, in which team
members must communicate any thoughts
and/or feelings concerning either another team
member or a manner in which a task is being
performed.
• Furthermore, team members encourage and
support each other on their individual tasks.
 Interpersonal processes that need to be managed

• Conflict management

• Motivation and Confidence building

• Affect Management (Affect is a concept used in psychology to

describe the experience of feeling or emotion)

• Teamwork performance generally improves when a team

passes through these processes, since these enhance
coordination and communication between the team members
and therefore increase teamwork and collaborative work.
 Training to improve teamwork
• Overall, teamwork and performance can be
enhanced through specific training that
targets the individual team members and the
team as a whole.
• Bruce Tuckman proposed a team
developmental model that separated the
stages of a team's lifespan and the level of
teamwork for each stage:
• Forming
– This stage is described by approach/avoidance issues, as well as internal conflicts about being
independent vs. wanting to be a part of the team.
– Team members usually tend to 'play it safe' and minimize their risk taking in case something
goes wrong.
– Teamwork in this stage is at its lowest levels.
• Storming
– The second stage is characterized by a competition for power and authority, which is the
source of most of the conflicts and doubts about the success of the team.
– If teamwork is low in this stage, it is very unlikely that the team will get past their conflicts. If
there is a high degree of teamwork and willingness to collaborate, then the team might have a
brighter future.
• Norming
– The third stage is characterized by increasing levels of solidarity, interdependence, and
cohesiveness, while simultaneously making an effort to adjust to the team environment.
– This stage shows much higher levels of teamwork that make it easier for the above
characteristics to occur.
• Performing
– This final stage of team development includes a comfortable environment in which team
members are effectively completing tasks in an interdependent and cohesive manner.
– This stage is characterized by the highest levels of comfort, success, interdependence, and
maturity, and therefore includes the highest levels of teamwork.
• Dissolution:
with the objective reached, the dissolution
phase is characterized by low motivation.
It’s the leader’s duty to mitigate this feeling
for future projects.
 Enhancing teamwork
• A manner in which organizational psychologists measure teamwork is through the Knowledge, Skills, and
Abilities (KSA) Teamwork Test.
• The KSA Teamwork Test assesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) of people wanting to join a
team.

• Overall, the KSA is separated into two main categories:

The Interpersonal KSAs that contain items such as Conflict Resolution and Communication,

and

The Self-Management KSAs that include items such as Goal Setting and Task Coordination.

The fact that the KSA focuses on team-oriented situations and on knowledge of appropriate behaviors
instead of personality characteristics makes the test appropriate to assess teamwork and team-specific
behavior.
Furthermore, it makes it appropriate for organizations to figure out their personnel's level of teamwork, and
ways in which they can improve their teamwork and communication skills.
 Drawbacks Of Work Teams
Social Loafing:
social loafing is the phenomenon of a person exerting less effort to achieve a goal
when he or she works in a group than when working alone.
This can create an inequality between the amount of work other individuals are
placing within the team, therefore can create conflict and lead to lower levels of
performance.

Behavior Conflicts or Ingrained Individualism:

Employees in higher organizational levels have adapted to their positions at the top
that require more individualism, and therefore have trouble engaging in
collaborative work.
This creates a more competitive environment with a lack of communication and
higher levels of conflict. This disadvantage is mostly seen organizations that utilize
teamwork in an extremely hierarchical environment.

Individual Tasks:
Certain tasks do not require teamwork, and are more appropriate for individual work.
By placing a team to complete an 'individual task', there can be high levels of conflict between
members which can damage the team's dynamic and weaken their overall performance.
 What are the different types of work
teams?
• Each of these different types of work teams
has a specific purpose that justifies their
creation according to each model.
• The truth is, there are many different types of
teams.
• Some teams are permanent while others are
temporary.
• Some are part of the corporate hierarchy
while others are adjunct
• The most common types of teams in the
workplace.
 1- Functional work team

• In this work team, all the members belong to the

same functional area and respond to a single
manager, responsible for the management of the
whole group.
• It’s very common in companies with rigid
hierarchies and you’ll recognize them for the
examples we are going to give: such as
Accounting and HR departments or the
Maintenance team and other specialized groups
like these.
 2- Inter-working team

• In this case, the work team is made up of members from different areas of
activity, and its members usually have the same hierarchical level.

• This type of work team is usually formed to develop work with a

multidisciplinary view, in which each area represented by team members
complements the knowledge of others, bringing more creative and
comprehensive results.

• Examples of these types of work teams would be committees and

councils, where members from different areas work together to solve
specific problems, such as a Sustainability Committee, for example; or
strategic, as is the case with the Boards of Directors of companies.
 3- Troubleshooting team

• Organizations employ these teams usually

to improve processes to find out how to solve
the problems that are harming them.
• When determining the options for solving the
causes of problems, they are sent to the
departments responsible, as this kind of work
team does not implement the solutions it
suggests.
 4- Self-managed teams

• Groups of employees who work in an

extremely integrated and collaborative way
because they don’t have a formal leader.
• Members define the division of labor,
responsibilities and the distribution of tasks,
as well as make decisions and even control
and supervise themselves.
 5- Project team

• These are work groups an organization creates to

implement a specific project until completion.
Afterward, the group dissolves as it achieved its
objectives.
• Typically, members come from different areas of
the company and perform other tasks related to
their home department.
• But, as far as the project is concerned, they
answer to the project leader.
 6- Task Force team

• This is one of the most interesting types of work teams.

They form only when emergency situations
emerge which the organization needs to solve.
• Its members are usually the best of the company in the
area. During the resolution of the emergency, they will
dedicate themselves exclusively to this task. Their goal
is to do this in the best way and in the shortest possible
time.
• Now that you’ve seen what the different types of work
teams are, understand how they form their dynamics.
 7-Department teams
• Departmental teams have been around for quite
some time.
• As a department team, individuals relate to
specialty or focus he or she has mastered, with
everyone working toward achieving goals
• outlined in the company’s mission statement.
Some examples include developer teams at a
tech start up or the sales team at a marketing
agency.
• Departmental teams are permanent and typically
work on ongoing projects or goals.
 8- Problem-solving teams:
These types of teams are usually temporary and
focus on solving a specific issue.

For example, after the 2008 financial crisis, several

organizational task force teams and governmental
committees were created to come up with solutions
to help the country climb out of a steep recession.

Once guidelines were set in place and plans were

formed, the task forces and committees were
disbanded.
 9-Virtual teams:
A virtual team can be any type of team that
communicates digitally rather than in person.
Easier communication tools allow managers
to build teams based on strengths and
weaknesses rather than geography.
 10-Cross-functional teams:
In most business settings, permanent team
members are going to collaborate with other
departments to tackle certain events for the
company– such as new product launch

In these situations communication between

internal departments is crucial in order to
address the project goals.
 11-Self-managed teams:
These types of teams are the most
empowered, as they have to power to make
decisions.
Each team member brings a certain skill set to
the table to make informed decisions, complete
assignments or deliver services for customers.
Companies that implement self-managed teams
say their employees tend to feel more
ownership of the project.
 5 Steps to Creating Really Effective
Teams
Great teams can help you get more things done
better.
Unleash the power of teams in your
organization, and reap the benefits.
 1-Recognize the power of teamwork

• Before you begin, take a moment to appreciate the power of

teamwork and how you can best utilize this tool.

• Consider the result you want and the tasks you think are required
to achieve it.

• As you think about your employees, match their skills to the tasks
of the project, but also identify personalities you feel complement
one another.

• A successful team project maximizes the talents of its individual

members, but the true power of teamwork comes from the group's
cohesion and combined energies focused on a common goal.
 2. Choose the right people
• If you want your team to be really effective, you'll need to
get the right people for the job.

• If possible, try to incorporate employees or departments in

your organization that bring varied experience and
perspective to the project.

• If, for example, you're trying to come up with a new way to

track customer satisfaction using new social media tools,
then be sure to include employees who represent sales,
information technology, customer service, and more.

• Try to choose people for your team who together will

provide a broad perspective on your project.
 3. Delegate
• Once you've chosenyour team and outlined your expectations,
• delegate the authority and access the team needs to complete the
project.

• Industrious, energetic, and creative people will become frustrated

very quickly if they do not have the freedom, access to tools, and
other resources they need to complete their work.

• Once you have set forth your guidelines, your job becomes making
sure they can do theirs.

• Avoid telling members of a team what to do and how to do it.

Instead,

• work with them to set goals, and then remove obstacles, grant
access, and provide the support your team needs to achieve those
goals.
 4. Monitor progress

• In an ideal world, you'll have chosen exactly the right people for the team, and
everything will take care of itself.

• In the real world, you will have to verify that the team is working well together
and that the project is on track.

• Provide, as necessary, a forum where you and the team can share concerns,
successes, and project status on a regular basis.

• If necessary, you may find you need to assign a team leader, or redefine the
project and reassign roles

• As much as possible, however, try to let the team work through its own challenges.
When a team identifies, addresses, and pushes through obstacles on its own,
individuals draw closer together, and their success gives rise to confidence and
camaraderie.
 5. Celebrate your successes
• When your team accomplishes or exceeds its goals, then be sure to
recognize the win and celebrate it.

• At minimum, schedule a final team meeting where you can thank

the group collectively and describe the positive impact their work
will have on your organization and your customers.

• One hallmark of an outstanding team is camaraderie (comradeship,

closeness)

• The team's success will build on itself, and your team and your
organization will be the better as the team takes on more
responsibility.
Here are our six tips for achieving a happier and more
productive team via some supportive workflows:
• 1. Be transparent
• Transparent working environments have been found
to make teams more accountable, happy and creative.

• It sounds like a big claim but transparent environments

help to develop a feeling of mutual respect between
team members and team leaders.

• Via open and consistent communication, transparent

and authentic workplaces help employees to feel freer
to contribute ideas and suggestions, enhancing
creativity.
• “If all of your team members can have a high-
level of visibility over the project, while also
understanding the part they are playing at any
given time, you will foster a sense of
responsibility, creating accountability among
team members.”
 3. Provide valuable feedback

• Providing feedback to team members is one of

the best ways you can support them to develop
professionally and personally.

• Jean-François Manzoni, Professor of Leadership

and Organizational Development at IMD
International, explains:
• “You do your star a disservice if you fail to help
her figure out how she can continue to grow”
• Even if you have no negative feedback to give, make
sure to hold regular opportunities to check-in.

• This way, you can provide advice on how you feel your
team members are progressing and could grow further.
• If there are any areas of work that you feel could be
improved, these discussions also provide a good
opportunity to share your constructive feedback.
•
• Feedback can be difficult but it is an essential part of
effective team management. When summarizing her
advice on how to give effective feedback, Belle Beth
Cooper said:
• “If you’re finding a conversation difficult or nerve-
wracking, remember that your aim in providing
feedback is to help your team members succeed and
grow.”
• So although feedback conversations can be difficult,
especially in non-hierarchical organizations, they’re
important and necessary for the development of team
members and the success of your wider team.
• 4. Encourage collaboration
• Inevitably, your team members will be happier if
they can get along well with one another. As an
added bonus, they’ll perform better too.
• To achieve this, encourage your team members to
collaborate. On your team, there will likely be a
whole bunch of diverse skills. Make sure these
different skillsets are utilized by ensuring
everyone is aware of ongoing projects. That way,
team members can jump in to collaborate
wherever they feel they can bring value.
• On our marketing team, for example, I’ll often
draw on support from the SEO specialist while
creating the content strategy. Equally, if I know
the SEO specialist is coming up with text for a
PPC campaign, I’ll offer to help. A
collaborative task management tool can help
this process by sharing the upcoming tasks for
each team member with the rest of your
team.
• Try mapping out your ideas
• For a less linear take on collaborative working, try using a
collaborative online mind map. With MindMeister, multiple users
are able to access mind maps at the same time, meaning team
members can add their ideas, provide feedback or vote up or down
on ideas. This can all be done in real-time, whether brainstorming in
a meeting together, or working entirely remotely.
• Generating ideas collaboratively while mind mapping has been
found to boost creative thinking, as it integrates both the linear,
convergent (left-brain) thinking with divergent, non-linear (right-
brain) thinking. This engages the whole mind in processing and
creating new information, using our visual, spatial and kinesthetic
senses to come up with new ideas, increasing our creativity.
 5. Trust your team to do their job

• When I asked Michael Hollauf, MeisterLabs’ CEO, what

his advice would be to other team leaders, he said it
would be to always recognize when to delegate tasks.

• Companies hire competent staff for a reason and

effective team management shouldn’t mean micro-
management.

• If you’ve hired staff for a specialist area like

programming, you need to know when to just leave
them to do their job.
 6. Prevent team burn-out

• As a team leader, you’re in a great position to set

positive boundaries of work, play, and relaxation. In her
article on managing work

• notifications, Belle Beth Cooper argues that it is the

responsibility of employers to set the precedent about
when and where team members should be switching
off from work entirely.

• This could mean, for example, by not expecting team

members to check emails after working hours.
• Of course, this can be difficult. Particularly in
teams where members work flexiblyand might
prefer to start early or work late, to save time
elsewhere.

• However, encouraging team members to set

themselves some working limits, to sleep well
and avoid burn-out, is important.
•
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