TEAMS

Teams
A team is viewed as a mature group comprising people who;
• share a common purpose,
• share common responsibility,
• share accountability
• have complementary skills
for achieving performance goals.
*interdependent tasks
Teams
A group is not necessarily a team!
What distinguishes teams from immature and developing groups?
*a total commitment to common goals,
*accountability to the team
*more or less thinking on the same lines
*members should complement each other
Some Key Characteristics of Teams
Teams are accountable for achieving specific common goals.
*Members are collectively responsible for achieving team goals, and if
they succeed, they’re rewarded collectively.
Teams function interdependently.
*Members cannot achieve goals independently and must rely on each
other for information, input, and expertise.
Some Key Characteristics of Teams
Teams are stable.
*Teams remain intact long enough to finish their assigned tasks, and
each member remains on board long enough to get to know every
other member.
Teams have authority.
*Teams possess the decision-making power to pursue their goals and to
manage the activities through which they complete their assignments.
Some Key Characteristics of Teams
Teams operate in a social context.
*Teams are assembled to do specific work for larger organizations and
have the advantage of access to resources available from other areas of
their organizations.
TYPES OF TEAMS
• Problem-Solving Teams 
• *These are formed to deal with problems. 
• *specific and known problems. 
• *potential future problems that have not been identified yet. 
• *could be temporary or permanent
• e.g; quality circles 
• -a team of employees committed to recommending and
implementing work and product improvements and solving quality-
related problems.
TYPES OF TEAMS
Cross-functional Teams
*consists of members from different functional departments (e.g.,
engineering, accounting, human resources, marketing)
*formed to address a specific problem.
*team members come from different departments and different levels
(managers and non-managers)
*using the skills, competencies, and experience of individuals from diverse
areas within a firm can increase camaraderie, trust, and performance.
*Building trust and commitment in cross-functional teams is challenging
because of previous impressions, attitudes, and relationships that are formed
before the team is assembled.
TYPES OF TEAMS
Virtual Teams
*a number of people who use technology to work across location and
time boundaries to accomplish an interdependent objective.
*geographically dispersed members interact electronically in the
process of pursuing a common goal.
*a virtual team’s membership rarely meets face-to-face.
*Virtual teams can meet without concern for space, time, or physical
presence.
TYPES OF TEAMS
Virtual Teams
*The efficient and successful use of technology is one of a number of
important factors contributing to the success of virtual teams.
*The hierarchical command and control process is minimized when
using virtual teams.
*Virtual team members must be self-reliant but remain connected to
and knowledgeable about the goals of the organization.
*The dispersion of virtual team members creates a challenge for
leaders in terms of creating a sense of team.
TYPES OF TEAMS
Research & Development Teams
*are used to develop new products.
*Their use is most extensive in high-tech industries such as aviation,
electronics, and computers.
e.g; a computer company may form a cross-functional R&D team made
up of representatives from marketing, sales, engineering, purchasing,
and finance to develop plans for a new product
TYPES OF TEAMS
Self-Management Teams
small groups of individuals who are;
empowered to perform certain activities based on procedures
established and decisions made within the team,
with minimal or no outside direction.
SMTs are not for everyone, nor have they been successful in every
organization.
Before implementing SMTs, organizations should make certain such
teams are consistent with the organization’s: (1) business requirements,
(2) values and goals, and (3) competencies.
TYPES OF TEAMS
Manager-Led Teams
*the manager is the team leader and is in charge of setting team goals,
assigning tasks, and monitoring the team’s performance.
*The individual team members have relatively little autonomy.
e.g; the key employees of a professional football team (a manager-led
team) are highly trained (and highly paid) athletes, but their activities
on the field are tightly controlled by a head coach.
Why we need teams?
1. More knowledge and skill is brought to the problem.
2. Information flow is more effective.
3. More people are aware of the full breadth of the
problem.
4. Meetings are more productive and goal-oriented.
5. Better decisions are made.
6. Team problems are identified sooner and more clearly.
7. Team members learn from each other.
Why we need teams?
8. The team becomes more cohesive and develops a stronger sense of
belonging to the organization.
9. Overall morale improves.
10. More is accomplished than is possible by equivalent individual efforts.
11. Productivity and time savings are achieved by
eliminating duplication of efforts.
12. Absenteeism and missed deadlines are reduced.
13. Team members understand organizational issues better.
14. Management work is shared.
15. Teams set and achieve tougher goals than individuals.