When we hear the word team, I bet most of us think immediately of sports. Our favorite football, basketball or hockey team. Many of us have participated in one or more teams over the years. The team goal was usually to win. We did this by working together, listening to the coach, and executing the plan to reach the goal. Thinking about teams in a business environment isn’t much different though most often more complex. When team leadership is good, the team will understand the ultimately goal. This could be a new product, service to clients, or creative idea. A good team leader or leaders moves the team toward the desired goal.
Now I am not exactly new to the business world and thought certainly I have been a part of a number really great, effective teams over the years. After all, effective teams have greater productivity, produce quality products and offer improved innovative creativity (Northhouse 2016, p. 364). But one point kept coming up. Highly effective teams usually don’t just “happen”. These teams are intentionally developed, nurtured and supported by team leadership and the organization. Excellent team also have certain characteristics which were identified by Larson & LaFasto (1989). I found myself comparing teams I had been a part of to these standards and most often, my teams fell very short.
First, to understand what makes a great team, we must first understand – what is a team? “A team is a type of organizational group that is composed of members who are interdependent, who share commons goals, and who must coordinate their activities to accomplish these goals” (Northouse, 2016, p. 361). Now to look at what makes excellent teams.
Teams must have a clear goal. And that goal needs to be the team’s priority. One of the key roles of the team leader is to keep the team focused on reaching the goal. In today’s business climate, the word priority is usually not singular. Team members have multiple priorities, agendas, etc. The goal must be understood and obtained for teams to be a success. If there is a stated goal, the team can be measured against it tot determine if it was a success. Think of a rely track team. Each member on the team knows how far they need to run and how fast to reach the other member on their team. If the team works together as planned, they will cross the finish line and achieve the goal. If one team member decides to run the wrong way or passes the baton to someone on the other team they like better, the team will lose. Everyone knows and understands and agrees to play the game. Teams in business can run the same way.
Teams have a results-driven structure. There is no one set structure for a successful team. The structure for a team of fire fighters will be different than a team of writers for new movie script. Each team is dealing with different priorities, tasks, codes of conduct, etc. This should be a well-thought-out part of the process in developing the team. Fire fighters need to know their role in the team and execute flawlessly so other team members survive and they are able to put out the fire. Writers need the space to be creative, there would be less structure but all would know the end goal. The structure is important so the team can ultimately succeed.
Teams must have a unified commitment. Excellent teams are “carefully designed and developed” (Northouse, 2016, p. 370). The people on the team are unified in reaching the expected goal. A team member’s priority shouldn’t be their individual goal. They should see themselves as part of the bigger picture. Football teams won’t succeed if everyone is trying to grab the ball to make a touchdown. They are committed to reaching the goal line as a team so that everyone wins. Leaders should promote the unity of the team and encourage the commitment to the team’s success.
Teams must have a collaborative climate. This is probably one of the most important and most difficult areas in team leadership. Bringing together employees means different personalities, different ideas, different work styles. The team environment needs to be one of collaboration and openness to express ideas and feelings. Leaders need to create this positive space for team members so that each can thrive ensuring the success of the entire team.
Standards of excellence. When team members understand the goals and standards in which they are expected to perform, they will be more likely to rise to meet those expectations. Team leaders are responsible for setting and communicating those standard to the team and holding each on accountable.
External support and recognition. As I mentioned before, excellent teams don’t just happen. The organization puts thought in to how to support, motivate and recognize the people on the team. Now there are employees who will go above and beyond to reach goals out of self-motivation and commitment to a job well done, however, most need a little more. Teams should be supported through training initiatives to develop skills. The team needs to have the necessary equipment, time, supplies, etc. to excel. Finally, teams should expect there will be recognition when they exceed the goals given to them. The team leader needs to recognize when the team isn’t getting the support they need and take the necessary steps to get whatever may be lacking. It is important to realize this early on so the team stays motivative to achieve. Imagine a bobsled team. They don’t have a track, a sled or race on the calendar. How motivated will they be to show up for practice each morning? It takes more than the team’s desire to succeed. They need the support and tools for success.
Principled leadership. Leadership is the central driver of team effectiveness and drives a team forward through four important processes: cognitive, motivational, affective and coordination (Northhouse, 2016, p. 371). There will be a leader in a team. Whether it is an assigned leader or one who rises to the job. They will help the team understand the problems they need to overcome to reach their goals. They will motivate the team to unite and achieve. The assign the roles and create the direction for success keeping the team focused on priorities and addressing issues with performance as it may arise. It is the most important job in a team.
Next time I am on a team, I am going to use these points to evaluate whether I am on an excellent team or just working with a collection of individuals. If I determine it the later, I have the guidance to help make it an excellent team.
References:
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
slw5651 says
Alison,
Your Blog does a great job examining Larson and LaFasto (1989) characteristics of team excellence (Northouse, 2016). I especially like your statement of how highly effective teams do not “just happen” but are intentionally developed. There is a lot of truth in that statement. However, while one can assume managers are out to purposely build the best teams they can. It does not always guarantee the best results as an outcome. For example, in 1961, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched Alan Shepherd making him the first American to enter space. NASA had purposefully placed some the best mathematical minds together as a team to calculate the trajectory and landing of Shepherd’s launch. Yet, it was not until Katherine Johnson, a black American who later joined the team, used her aptitude for mathematics to helped NASA successfully finish the calculations to meet the launch deadline (NASA, 2013). Hence, greatness in teamwork can come from the intentional to the unexpected. So, I want to supplement your Blog by discussing a few different types of teams and the criticisms of team leadership.
According to Northouse (2016), the team leadership approach is criticized for its “conceptual framework to assist team-based leadership in its decision making. As such, it lists only some of the many skills that leadership might need to employ… depending on the type of team or situation… Additional, this framework also does not provide on-the-spot answers to specific problems facing the team leaders… Hence, the model only points the leaders in the right direction and suggests skills needed to solve complex problems” (Northouse, 2016, pp. 383-384). Thus, one of the biggest weakness of the team leadership approach is the breadth it takes on. This approach relies on the leader having the necessary aptitudes, innate or learned to be able to guide the team to accomplish their goals as well as maintaining the team’s performance level in the process. So, as you stated Alison, teams need to be intentionally created with the right people to fit the right situation. But again, it still does not guarantee the desired result. Thus, having a leader with experience can make a big difference in a group becoming successful or not.
Furthermore, there are many different types of teams which require their own finesse to lead. Permanent teams, temporary teams, task force teams, committee teams, self-managed teams, cross-functional teams, virtual teams, etc. (Juneja & MSG, n.d.). I will only be using virtual teams in my example to keep this post within a specified length. It is common to find virtual leadership in international business as well as online colleges like here at Penn State World Campus. Leadership in virtual teams can be very challenging, especially if one is dealing with vastly different time zones, languages, and cultural barriers. It is suggested, to be successful in leading such teams, one must first accept that they have to lead such teams differently than they would in a face-to-face environment. Second, one must be proficient in the use of communication technology such as Skype or google documents in order to effectively communicate with a team. Third, one must design the structure of work to fit a virtual environment. To expound, face-to-face groups have the means to coordinate work synchronously, while virtual teams have the more difficult task of working asynchronously with each other. Fourth, building trust with team members is key to enhancing a team’s cohesiveness and synergy. Lastly, one must be able to utilize the strengths of such a diverse team. If I was tasked to create an international value statement for a company. Leading a team of geographically diverse individuals would give me a better picture on how to piece together a diverse value statement over leading a group of individuals who come from a similar background (Williams, 2018).
In concluding, I agree with what American educator Richard DuFour had to say about team leadership. He states, “we settle for working in groups instead of working in teams” (Solution Tree, 2009). He continues to explain how groups are subpar versions of teams, with the main difference being team members hold each other mutually accountable for their work and goal attainment (Solution Tree, 2009). Thus, instead of evaluating whether you are on a good team or not. Choose to become an active member of your group, using your knowledge of team characteristics to build a cohesive, synergistic, goal achieving team.
References
Juneja, P., & MSG. (n.d., n.d. n.d.). Managment Study Guide. Retrieved from Types of Teams: https://www.managementstudyguide.com/types-of-teams.htm
NASA. (2013, 11 06). Katherine Johnson: A Lifetime of STEM. Retrieved from NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/a-lifetime-of-stem.html
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice (7th Edition). London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Solution Tree. (2009, 10 09). Rick DuFour on Groups vs. Teams. Retrieved from YouTube.com: https://youtu.be/0hV65KIItlE
Williams, J. (2018, 01 01). Geographically Dispersed Teams. Retrieved from Instructure.com: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1923777/modules/items/23736262