The Requisite Factors to Successful Team Buildup - Research Paper Example

 Introduction Management of an institution of learning involves the following of some basic principles. All staff members have to be extensively trained and motivated to perform to their best at all times. In addition, the end result should be that these members are satisfied with their jobs and also possess pertinent information that aids in quick decision making (Bradley & Cartwright, 2002). People who have the responsibility of running learning centers must be aware of the basic principles of organizational behavior. The better the understanding by those in power, the more effective the systems employed in running those centers. Numerous studies have been done on the relationship between work teams and the environmental requirements required to make them perform to their best. The most basic requirements for building of successful teams is the dissemination of information, networking, communication between the employees, leadership, politics of the organization, the reward schemes present and other motivational initiatives. Research has shown that the qualities that are required for people to create successful teams are also the same that hinder the creation of such teams. Successful teams need to be large, meaning that they encompass all aspects of the educational organization; diverse, meaning that they have to be on all topics and not only centered on a single issue insinuating that they must be flexible; virtual meaning that ideas do not have to be developed and shared in set premises but should be in a continuous setting and should be composed of specialists who have the necessary qualifications to know what is expected and what is right. These factors; size, qualifications, virtuosity and diversity are the reasons that have been identified as being the problem causers in teams (Carron et al., 2003). As such, some requirements are required to make sure that instead of causing problems, the factors actually contribute to the success of the teams. The discussion below will detail these requirements. Discussion The goal of teams should be to share knowledge and other pertinent information in a free manner, to learn from each other, to assist each other in the completion of mutual jobs, to assist each other in the breaking of bottlenecks that are unexpected when they occur, to flexibly shift workloads and to share the resources at their disposal. All these expectations can be summed up by simply saying that collaboration yields the best results in teams. Team members should be in a position to say that they “swim and sink” together, desire for the success of each other and consider their goals as being common (Bayazit & Mannix, 2003). The starting point in order to achieve the set objectives is the support from the executive. The most senior educator´s policy is the one that is reflected in the everyday performance by the teams. Research has shown that teams usually perform to the best of their abilities following their executives´ investment in support of social relationships, creation of a gift culture, demonstration of collaborative behavior within themselves and in the interaction with employees (Shadur, 1999). Interaction perhaps is the most crucial as employees will view it as a gift in itself and will treasure it hence acting as a motivator. The investment in signature relationships among employees and subordinates can be in a variety of ways equally effective and unique to the setup they are being invested in. For example, having a single staffroom where teachers have cubicles can assist in the creation of a community sense compared to having individual offices for teachers. The existence of swimming pools, gyms, football pitches, leisure clubs, restaurants and retail shops in schools ensures that teachers will be in constant interaction with each other increasing their efficiency as a team in turn. Executives must be seen as collaborating in themselves. As such, senior level teachers should each be equipped to handle multiple tasks at that level. This means that whenever one is absent, there is no standstill experienced. Collaboration can also be manifested in the senior members interchangeably working on different projects. For example, occasional events like dinners, trainings and others should not be conducted by the same person every time. The interchangeability will depict a level of collaboration at the senior level which will ultimately rub off on the junior level staff. As a less demanding way of depicting collaboration, members at the executive level should each make an effort of interacting with others frequently (Bridges & Harrison, 2003). This entails sharing the same meals at times and working from the common staffroom in some occasions. Executives should cultivate a culture where mentoring and coaching is key. Both formal and informal mentoring are important for increasing collaboration in teams. However, the kind that is integrated into the everyday activities of the staff members should be the one most emphasized. In coaching, executives should ensure that they initiate newcomers by explaining to them the importance of every member of staff. In this way, new as well as old employees understand each other from the onset. The human resource functions are also an important aspect in building successful teams. Many people have the misguided notion that reward systems that are tied to individual or team achievements are the most efficient in building collaboration in teams. Formal human resource programs usually have a limited impact and as such better ways should be employed in the creation of collaboration (Testa, 2001). Focus should be on skills that are related to collaborative behavior and also on the investment in supporting informal community building. The implementation of these two approaches should be in the lines of the organizational culture and also its habits. The existence of the collaborative culture where teams desire to collaborate and are encouraged to do so but have no knowledge of doing it is the case in many organizations. In training employees in conflict resolution (Parris, 2003), management of programs and in sustaining purposeful conversations, one inadvertently transfers the collaborative skills to them. Other skills that also lead to the development of the collaborative culture and are imparted in training are teamwork, corporate social responsibility, company strategies and shared values, coaching, emotional intelligence and networking. Developing a community sense is also important (Stewart, 2000). This can occur spontaneously as discussed earlier by housing people in the same office space or in other facilities. However, most community senses are developed by organizations by organizing events for their employees. Cooking classes, competitive team activities or even an informal blog can be ways in which the HR department can ensure that a community sense is developed. The other requirement for successful team building is the team leaders assigned. These include department heads and senior teachers. These people should be both task and relationship-oriented. Arguments for either style of leadership have been made. In a relationship-oriented leadership style, people share information and knowledge on the foundation of mutual trust and goodwill (Costa, 2003). In the task-oriented style, clear objectives, shared awareness on the tasks themselves and the existence of reliable monitoring and feedback systems were cited as the basis. A central argument that supports a hybrid style of both orientations is the most viable in leading teams. The makeup and structure of the teams in question is also a major requirement in their success. Basing a team on the preexisting and proven heritage foundation can be a guarantee for success. Established relationships through formal interaction methods are more efficient than a new relationship without formal guidance. In forming teams, it is important to look at the history of members so that one can capitalize on previous trusts built (Schleicher et al, 2004). However, caution is advised as too much familiarity breeds contempt which is disruptive to say the least. Collaboration works best when individual team members have specific and defined roles. In most cases, people consider defined goals as the more important. However, when people feel that they can contribute in a definite way in the team, they are more motivated to see out their end. In contrast, unclear roles can lead to duplication and confusion in carrying out roles. Conclusion As discussed above, there are a number of requirements that are necessary for building successful teams. They can be broadly divided into those that are reliant on the executive, the human resource department, the structure of the team and the team leaders. In particular, investment in signature relationships, fostering collaborative behavior, creation of a gift culture, ensuring that team members have requisite skills, supporting a community sense, existence of team leaders that are both task and relationship oriented, using heritage relationships as a foundation and understanding the roles clearly are the requisite factors to successful team buildup. References Bayazit, M. & Mannix, E. A., (2003). “Should I stay or should I go? Predicting team members’ intent to remain in the team.” Small Group Research, 34(3), 290-321. Bradley, J. R. & Cartwright, S., (2002). “Social support, job stress, health, and job satisfaction among nurses in the United Kingdom.” International Journal of Stress Management, 9(3), 163-182. Bridges, S. & Harrison, J. K., (2003). “Employee perception of stakeholder focus and commitment to the organization.” Journal of Managerial Issues, 15(4), 498. Carron, A. V. et al., (2003) “Do individual perceptions of group cohesion reflect shared beliefs?” Small Group Research, 34(4), 468-496. Costa, C. C., (2003). “Work team trust and effectiveness.” Personnel Review, 32(5), 605-423. Parris, M. A., (2003). “Work teams: Perceptions of a ready-made support system?” Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 15(2), 71-83. Schleicher, D. J. et al, (2004). “Research reports - reexamining the job satisfaction-performance relationship: The complexity of attitudes.” Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(1), 165-178. Shadur, M. A., (1999). “The relationship between organizational climate and employee perceptions of involvement: The importance of support.” Group & Organization Management, 24(4), 479-503 Stewart, G. L., (2000). Teamwork and group dynamics. John Wiley, New York Testa, M. R., (2001). “Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and effort in the service environment.” The Journal of Psychology, 135(2), 226. Read More