What makes a good team
"We've reorganized our work groups into teams."
"How are they doing?"
"Not so well, frankly. In fact, both employees and managers are
disappointed."
For one thing, the act of calling a group a team does not necessarily
jolt uncooperative groups into highly synchronized teams. For another,
many teams do not perform well. Some are actually bad.
To reformat the issue, ask, "How can managers improve team
performance?" We get answers by observing good teams.
- [] Leadership. Effective teams have leaders who make decisions. Leaders seek and heed suggestions from the team. But group votes are not in order.
- [] Equality. Everyone is not equal on high performing teams. Some members have more responsibility. Some also may have more influence. Some also get more pay.
- [] Discipline. Good teams have good discipline, period. Even though top work teams stress cooperation, members come to work on time.
- [] Performance. Winning teams actually increase the pressure for individual performances. Because low producers reduce team effectiveness, leaders and other team members do not tolerate them.
In short, effective work teams actually increase performance and discipline demands.
Management quiz
Check all of the following that describe your observations of work
teams:
- 1. Stress cooperation above all else.
- 2. Equal treatment of all members.
- 3. Emphasis on group decisions.
- 4. Emphasis on shared leadership.
- 5. Equal pay for all members.
- 6. Absence of a single, identified leader.
- 7. Lengthy discussion of issues.
- 8. Tendency to compromise decisions.
- 9. Patience with low-performing individuals.
- 10. Tolerance toward disciplinary violations.
Seven or more checks may suggest ineffective team practices.
Source:The Tampa Tribune - November 6, 1995 - GERALD GRAHAM of Knight-Ridder Newspapers
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