Today in America, teams are considered almost sacrosanct: Faced with increasingly complex tasks, more globalization, and the flattening of organizational structures, the widespread belief that working in teams makes employees more creative and productive encourages organizations to assume that teams are the best way to get the job done (Coutu and Beschloss, 2009; Northouse, 2016). Gone are the days of remembering one’s place and working for someone…today, boundaries are blurred and we all work together. Organizational teams are composed of members “who are interdependent, who share common goals, and who must coordinate their activities to accomplish these goals” (Northouse, 2016, p. 363). Team leaders are responsible for helping the group accomplish its task (getting the job done) and keeping the group functioning (maintaining a cohesive team; PSU WC, 208, L.9; Northouse, 2016). The bottom line is that the leader is to do whatever it takes to help the team succeed (Northouse, 2016). But, do most organizational team leaders really know what team leadership looks like and understand their role? Or is team simply a convenient salutation employed by the leader to address the work group and demonstrate that he or she is aware of the organization’s commitment to team leadership?
Every day—many times over the course of every day—I receive emails from our region manager that begin with the salutation, “Team:”. But, if it wasn’t for these emails (and my employee handbook describing the company’s commitment to teamwork) it would never cross my mind that I am part of a team. Of Hackman’s (2012, cited in Northouse, 2016) six enabling conditions that lead to effective team functioning, the first is: Is it a real team? What does that mean? “At the very least, it means that teams must be bounded” (Coutu et al., 2009): The leader needs to know who is on the team, and the team members need to know they are part of the team. I think of myself as a sales manager who is accountable for a territory and reports to a region manager; I concern myself with the performance of my territory without considering the other territories or the performance of the region. If our region is a real team, my outlook must change.
After a team leader and his or her team members acknowledge that a team exists, the leader should provide a compelling purpose that “energizes team members, orients them toward their collective objective, and fully engages their talents” (Hackman, 2012, p. 437, cited in Northouse, 2016). A team goal must be very clear so that one can ascertain whether the objective has been achieved and motivating enough for members to believe it to be worthwhile and important. Instead of encapsulating our region’s purpose with a terse “increase sales”, our region manager should provide a specific volume target—for the team— to be achieved by acquiring new business or increasing purchases within our current customer base. He should clarify the sales contribution for each territory within our region and provide quarterly sales targets that are designed for each sales manager to help move the team toward its regional sales goal.
But, it cannot stop there. Grouping individuals and communicating a goal is not enough to develop a team even if all communication is addressed, “Team:”. According to Northouse (2016), “Excellent teams are those that have developed a sense of unity or identification” (p. 370). Connectedness is created through the development of trusting relationships based on honesty, openness, consistency, and respect (Northouse, 2016). Team leaders should encourage team members to interact, collaborate, and view each other as a resource for encouragement and support (Northouse, 2016). As sales managers, we are required to provide weekly reports to our region manager outlining prospective clients, sales activities, and market trends within our territories. But, that information is rarely shared with the “team”. In a more collaborative environment, sales managers would share strategies and communicate progress within their territories to promote best practices and encourage effectiveness in the region. A sense of unity would prompt a sales manager that is having difficulty closing new accounts to reach out to a successful colleague for advice. And shifting the focus from individual performance to team performance for goals, recognition, and rewards would foster openness (no need for competitiveness) and enable the team to become more effective (Northouse, 2016).
Although I believe there are many things our region manager should do, I’m not letting myself off the hook. Remember that the nature of leadership makes it available to everyone (Northouse, 2016). And “the complexities of team processes demand the attention and focus of all members of the team” (Northouse, 2016, p. 365). So, it follows that team leadership functions can be performed by the formal leader and/or team members…team leadership can be shared (Northouse, 2016). Shared team leadership occurs when members of the team take on leadership behaviors, stepping forward when situations warrant to provide necessary leadership to influence the team and to maximize team effectiveness (Northouse, 2016). So, instead of rolling my eyes when I see the salutation, ‘Team:”, I should view it as a call to action. I can inquire about our region’s sales goals, initiate contact with my colleagues, and share my territory’s progress and best practices with the team. I can pull sales reports, analyze data, and ask our region manager to clarify our direction…and share that information with the team. I can take steps to change team from a salutation to a solution.
References
Coutu, D., & Beschloss, M. (2009). Why teams don’t work. Harvard Business Review, 87(5), 98-105.
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Penn State World Campus (2018). Lesson 9: Team leadership. Retrieved March 17, 2018 from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1923777/modules/items/23736159