Chapter 8

Teams and Teamwork

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 Learning Objectives

1.Explain the nature of a self-managing work

team, and characteristics associated with
team member success
2.Explain several mechanisms by which
continuous learning takes place in teams
3.Describe how to foster teamwork.
4.Develop insight into managing on-site teams
as well as virtual teams.
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 SELF-MANAGED WORK TEAMS

 A self-managed work team is a formally

recognized group of employees who are
responsible for an entire work process or
segment that delivers a product or serve to
an internal or external customer.
 A dominant trend in job design is to organize
workers into teams
 Work teams can be considered group job
enrichment.
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Self-Managing Work
Teams
 Team is responsible for entire work
process or segment; has ownership
 Focus is on customer requirements
 Team members are usually generalists
 Team typically has pride
 Social skills and teamwork knowledge
important for members
 50% record of success for work teams
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Continuous Learning
in Teams
 Leads to individual development and
higher team performance.
 Team learning orientation is best up to
a point.
 An unusual problem or crisis facilitates
learning (conversations helpful).
 Collective problem solving helps.
 Coaching of team improves learning.
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Team Coaching
 Positive coach is supportive and
reinforcing. Negative coach actively
intervenes in problem solving.
 Coaching can be motivational
consultative, or educational.
 Outside professional sometimes
coaches the leadership team. Gives
executives feedback on behavior.

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Building Teamwork
 Shared leadership  Code of conduct for
 Urgent, constructive teamwork
purpose  Mutual trust among
 Empowerment for team members
choosing method  Consensus decision-
 Norm of working making style
together  Feed team members
 Teamwork words valid facts and
and phrases information

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Building Teamwork, continued
 Use language that  Create right physical
fosters cohesion and structures, such as
commitment, such as shared physical facility.
in-group jargon.  Reward team and
 Avoid individuals.
micromanagement—  Use outdoor training
second guessing team including physical
members. challenges.
 Let team members  Publish a team book
know what others are with biographies.
working on.

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On-Site Team
Effectiveness
1. Must be real team in terms of
interdependence, knowing its authority
2. Has compelling direction
3. Has enabling structure, including
design of work, norms, people mix
4. Supportive organizational environment
5. Leader must be expert coach
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Collaboration in Virtual Teams
 Difficult because of geographic
dispersion
 Use formal, signed work agreements
 Agree on network technology
 Organization chart about whom to
contact for every part of project
 Occasional face-to-face meeting
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