Teams - the Best Way to Organise, Manage and Motivate in Organisations - Literature review Example

Management According to Tom Peters, organisations need to organise a lot around the teams in order to attain an enhanced focus, innovativeness, task orientation and individual commitment. This is regardless of whether or not such a fit is perfect and thus organise each and every function into ten to about thirty people in self-managing teams. I wholly concur with Tom Peters’ assertion that indeed, teams are the best way of organising, managing and motivating the workforce. This is because effective leadership is essential for the success of any team in the organisation. Effective leadership is based on dedicated, focused, loyal and disciplined team members and as a result empowered “team members” having such qualities and who are both solution oriented “problem solvers” and self-starters will be more productive. According to Peters (1987:296), such individuals are, therefore, of immense value to any given organisation. A team which refers to a group of individuals who are working together in “a coordinated effort aimed towards a common goal” is an important component in any organisation. Teams are indeed the best way through which common organisations can be organised, managed and motivated because it is through them that both supervisors and managers can be able to get things done right. This can be achieved if the managers and supervisors create a good environment in which both the teams together with their individual members are able to experience success as stated by Bob and McGrath (2013:123). Managers can be able to ensure that their organisations are better organised, managed and motivated by ensuring that they analyse both the strengths and weaknesses of their tem members and use management techniques matrix in order to focus their efforts in the development of action plans for individual team members which are capable of yielding positive results as stated by Clegg, et al, (2011:20). Tom Peters’ assertions that Self Directed Work Teams (SDWT) are really the “basic organisational building blocks” of this new millennium is indeed genuine. SDWT are important in the success of an organisation because they normally comprise of a group of employees coming from diverse backgrounds that are both empowered and tasked with the accomplishment of an organisation’s specific objective. Scholz (2014:220) further says that organisations can better be managed, organised and motivated if the managers can create an effective “team dynamics toolkit” which comprises of team concepts, rewards and recognition, goals and objectives appraisals and feedback, team conflict, motivation, trust and motivations for employees in their organisations. Teams are the best mechanisms through which organisations can better be managed, organised and motivated because it is truly through them that the implementation of an organisation’s corporate strategy can most effectively be conducted. This can be successfully be implemented through ensuring that teams within the organisation are appointed to not only resolve specific problems but to also implement the strategies. In each and every implementation team, a leader should be chosen. It is always prudent for organisational managers to ensure that there is always clarity especially regarding the roles played by both a team in general and the roles played by an individual in such a team. According to Kourdi (2009:87), an empowered team in an organisation will ensure that there is not only the generation of new ideas but there is also generation of change. It is quite essential to note that the importance of action teams in organisations cannot be easily ignored. This is because the most effective way to ensure that anything in the organisation gets done effectively or successfully is through the creation of a team which is highly motivated and the provision of a clear and tight brief giving such teams authority and the finally through monitoring their progress. I therefore fully agree with Tom Peters that indeed, teams are the best mechanisms through which organisations can better be managed, organised and motivated. Richardson and Despontin (2008:72) says that this is quite true because the creation or establishment of “special implementation teams” in the organisation can enable such firms to attain faster and greater results especially when both individual roles and team roles have been cleared identified. Organisations can better be managed, motivated and organised by ensuring that the individuals in the teams within the organisations are better managed and the teams and groups within the organisation are also better managed to ensure efficiency. This can be effectively achieved through ensuring the team members are well coached and motivated as well according to Neale, et al (2009:60). Managers ought to create the right environment in the organisation for people to become motivated. According to Mailer and Cowling (2013), they should therefore be keen to motivate their workforce through devising schemes which are aimed at both recognising the commitment of the employees towards the organisation and rewarding them as well. Teams are the best way through which organisations can better be managed, motivated and organised because it is through the teams that good managers can get a good opportunity of managing through example and ensuring that the people in the teams see the manager as being a model for peak performance. It is also through the teams in the organisation that managers can be able to not only set clear goals but also be able to work with the team members to achieve the set goals and depict to the individuals in the teams how they can be able to measure or ascertain their own work performance according to Beckford (2012). Coaching in teamwork is an essential aspect in the organisation because it is through coaching that both managers and team members in the organisation can be able to work as individuals and learn how they can raise their game from good to excellent and take time to acknowledge each other. Managers should ensure that coaching becomes successful in organisations through the development of clear comprehension of each team member’s motivators and even aid them to achieve the team members’ personal desires. According to Mackay (2010), while coaching, managers should ensure that they are always there to provide the needed support and keep in contact as needed and help the team members to stay on track managers should therefore listen to the team members and help them in the development of their own problem-solving skills instead of providing them with a solution every time and then. The way in which the teams and individuals in an organisation are both managed and led will either have a negative or positive impact on the general performance of any given organisation. As a result, effective management of an individual, group or team in an organisation can be regarded as the achievement of the objectives of an organisation through the performance of its team members. As a result, if managers want to seek for the achievement of positive results through its employees in the organisation, it is prudent that they think carefully and positively regarding the way that they will manage the people in the teams. It is important to note that the management of individuals, groups and teams in an organisation based on their performance will need a holistic approach which will require the highlighting of vital links between both the development of the organisational culture and individual and team performance which aspire learning in order to attain peak performance, states Bissel and Dolan (2012:100). One of the most common threads that is known to be ever running through the roles, skills and functions of management is that individual managers in organisations should not only take the responsibility of ensuring that they take maximum responsibility for their employees but also ensure that they are effectively managed. This can be done through ensuring that the study is well motivated to make them retained to the organisation. The managers can therefore motivate individuals in an organisation or even the teams within the organisation through giving those incentives which will make such employees prefer working with the organisation. According to Marilyn (2013:150), organisations can also be better managed, motivated and organised by ensuring that their managers are capable of developing “people skills” which will ensure that good motivational and coaching skills are imparted to their employees. Management plays a crucial role in team performance because based on Tom Peters’ accounts, the power of a team is so great that at most times, it is always wise to not only violate common sense but also force the team’s structure in each and everything. Organisations doing so will thus most definitely attain a stronger and bigger task orientation, greater focus, an improved individual commitment and more innovation. There are various theories and models that abound in the management of team performance. In order to achieve a common task, then three major variables will need to be given consideration and these include the team, the task and the leader. The need to be held together as one working team and the acknowledgement that there are numerous actions which make it either impossible or difficult for a lone person to manage it alone explains the fact why teams are better placed in not only organising but also in the management and motivation of organisations. That apart, there is dire need for managers in organisations to ensure that managers are capable of performing both different and highly interrelated activities and roles aimed at understanding human dimension and motivating teams in organisations. References Beckford, J. (2012) ‘Quality: a critical introduction... vol. 23, pp. 150-300. Bissel, G. & Dolan, P. (2012) ‘Organisational behaviour for social work’ vol. 3, pp. 87-110. Bob, B. & McGrath, J. (2013) ‘The little book of big management theories: ...and how to use them’ vol. 6, pp. -100-150. Clegg S., Kornberger M. & Pitsis, T. (2011) ‘Managing and organisations’, Third edition, London, Sage Kourdi, J. (2009) ‘Business strategy: a guide to taking your business forward’ vol. 45, pp. 10-90 Mackay, A. (2010) ‘Motivation, ability and confidence building in people’ vol. 1, pp.312-340. Mailer, C. & Cowling, A. (2013) ‘Managing human resources’ vol. 2, pp. 120-188. Marilyn, N. (2013) ‘A handbook for head teachers’ vol. 1, pp. 100-200. Neale, R. et al. (2009) ‘Employee resourcing in the construction industry...’ vol. 63, pp. 45-96. Peters, T. (1987) ‘Passion for excellence: the leadership difference’ vol. 2, pp. 100-300. Richardson, N. & Despontin, B. (2008) ‘Senior management teams’ vol. 5, pp. 45-96. Scholz, C. (2014) ‘Personal management...’ vol. 78, pp. 200-250. Read More