LEADERSHIP AND TEAM MANAGEMENT (MGMT623)

ASSIGNMENT NO. 2
HASSAN AMIR (MC190402450)

Case Study Scenario: Trust as a Building Block for Team Flow at Buurtzorg
(In-Home Care)
Buurtzorg Nederland has gathered international acclaim as a
high-performing healthcare organization whose employees work in self-managed
teams and find their work extremely satisfying. Three members of Buurtzorg
Nederland’s Zelhem team spoke to us about their team flow experiences.
From our conversations, we gathered that the employees found the innovative
organizational structure liberating. Employees are given as much personal
responsibility as they can handle, which immediately improves their job satisfaction.
For that very reason, Buurtzorg tends to attract workers who are keen to try
new things and unafraid to take on new responsibilities. These qualities are
required as they have to run in-home care for the surrounding area by themselves.
That also requires a lot of collaboration. These freedoms allow team members to be
their authentic selves and perform optimally. Sharing all responsibility has often
proven a catalyst for team flow experiences. These highly trained people divide
their tasks among themselves in a way that allows each member to do what they’re
best at and what they most enjoy doing, making the most of the skills and abilities
present in the team. The team members share a bond of trust that is especially
important when adversity strikes, which in this line of work can be a matter of life
and death. This trust means each member has people to turn to, which is essential in
any strong team and a requirement for experiencing team flow. Open communication
also contributes to the success of Buurtzorg’s teams. When something
challenging happens, help is promptly requested and immediately offered. The team
members can be vulnerable around each other without fear that their trust will be
violated. Everyone is considered to hold equal value and authority, which is not a
claim many organizations can make. This equality aids open communication, which
, in turn, contributes to team flow. Finally, there are frequent team meetings as well as constant
casual consultations, ensuring that everyone knows what everyone else is doing and how to help
each other when needed. This allows them not only to
provide better care to their clients, but to do more as a team than anyone thought
Possible”.

After reading the case study of Buurtzorg (In-Home Care), answer the following questions in
light of the case study and the relevant topics and concepts from leadership & team Management
literature that you have studied:
 LEADERSHIP AND TEAM MANAGEMENT (MGMT623)
ASSIGNMENT NO. 2
HASSAN AMIR (MC190402450)

Q1.a. Identify and analyze at least 5 key elements to characterize the team flow at
Buurtzorg (In-Home Care) that enabled all team members to outperform individually and
as a team as well.

Solution:

1- Task distribution according to team members capabilities

Teams work most efficiently when the workload is evenly distributed among all
members. However, even distribution does not mean that everyone should be taking on
the same projects

2- Trust

Trust means that you rely on someone else to do the right thing. ... Trust is essential to
an effective team, because it provides a sense of safety. When your team members feel
safe with each other, they feel comfortable to open up, take appropriate risks, and expose
vulnerabilities.

3- Open communication

Open communication happens in a team when its members are empowered to share their
thoughts without any fear of repercussions. ... It's a cultural trait that teams cultivate with
practice. Open communication helps build trust in the organization and sows the seeds of
transforming employees into co-entrepreneurs.

4- Support

It is important to support each other in a team so that the team will be successful
whenever it comes to reaching its goals. In this regard, members support one another
as they collaborate and communicate freely together.

5- Empowerment

eam empowerment at work happens when a group of employees has the responsibility

and authority to make decisions. Instead of waiting for a manager to issue instructions or
approve requests, an empowered team organizes itself around a leader
 LEADERSHIP AND TEAM MANAGEMENT (MGMT623)
ASSIGNMENT NO. 2
HASSAN AMIR (MC190402450)

Q1.b. Secondly, explain and discuss with the help of the given scenario, how these key
elements have made the team outperform what no one thought possible!
Marking Scheme: [(5*5=25) +(5*5=25) =50

Solution:

1- Task distribution according to team members capabilities

The most efficient teams work towards a common clear goal together. Create and share
relevant goals with the whole team, so that everyone can understand what they are aiming
for. This will also make planning tasks and projects a lot easier, allowing you to focus
more on working, rather than planning. In this case trained people divide their tasks
among themselves in a way that allows each member to do what they’re best

2- Trust

Its presence cements relationships by allowing people to live and work together, feel safe
and belong to a group. Trust in a leader allows organizations and communities to flourish,
while the absence of trust can cause fragmentation, conflict and even war. ... Trust is hard
to define, but we do know when it's lost.
In this case team members share a bond of trust that is especially
important when harsh conditions strikes, which in this line of work can be a matter of life
and death. This trust means each member has people to turn to, which are essential in
any strong team and a requirement for experiencing team flow

3- Open communication

An open communication office leads to a more engaged and trusting team of employees.
Having fewer boundaries and more spontaneous discussions allows employees to bounce
ideas off one another more freely and in a team setting
Open communication also contributes to the success of Buurtzorg’s teams

4- Support

It helps to build interpersonal relationships and morale, as well as reduce stress. It helps
build skills. ... Individuals get a chance to combine their skills, learn from each other, and
be more effective overall.
In this case ensuring that everyone knows what everyone else is doing and how to help
each other when needed. This allows them not only to provide better care to their clients,
but to do more as a team than anyone thought Possible”.
 LEADERSHIP AND TEAM MANAGEMENT (MGMT623)
ASSIGNMENT NO. 2
HASSAN AMIR (MC190402450)

5- Empowerment

It may provide an employee more authority in performing their tasks, more freedom to
contribute ideas at higher levels of decision making, more confidence to think and stay as
organizational partners, and better strategy to handle effectively and creatively in new
working environments.
In this case everyone is considered to hold equal value and authority, which is not a
claim many organizations can make. This equality aids open communication, which
in turn, contributes to team flow.