Leadership in Teams and Decision Groups - Research Paper Example

? LEADERSHIP IN TEAMS AND DECISION GROUPS Nature of teams The increasing use of teams in most organizations makes the team leadership an important area for research. Organizations have thus replaced individuals who had the authority to make decisions and granted teams the duty of making the decisions and executing tasks. A team is a small task group whose members have common goals, complementary skills, and interdependent roles. The fact that the organizations depend on the teams to deliver its core goals, team management need is to be effective and active in propelling the organization towards its success. There are various types of teams in an organization include functional work teams, self managed teams, top executive teams and cross-functional teams. The differences in the teams emanate from the autonomy in determining the team’s mission, authority of the team leader, stability of team members and diversity of the members. Cross-functional teams These teams are formed in an organization to enhance coordination of interdependent activities among the diverse units. Cross-functional teams are composed of representative from all the units and sometimes include representatives from outside the organization like suppliers and partners (McCallin, 2003). To ensure their smooth operations, the teams are given the role to plan and conduct complex work that demands high level of coordination and cooperation among the parties. This type of team is formed when an organization is involved in the development of new product or in the introduction of a new information system that affect the operations of the different units. The members of the cross-functional teams will always remain the same individuals from other particular units and most cross-functional teams are temporary i.e. they are formed to achieve specific organization mission. In order to benefit the organization, the teams must be flexible and efficient in deploying resources and personnel in order to unfold the solution to the problems and challenges. The representatives from the various units should be persons with expertise to help add value to the team’s decision. These teams have the potential to generate new and innovative ideas from the diverse members with differing backgrounds and improved coordination (McCallin, 2003). Moreover, the team have to view the problems in a wider perspective if the organization successes to be achieved. However, cross-functional teams are faced with challenges. The use of jargon creates communication barrier that might impair the realization of the team goals. Secondly, the loyalty of the members to their respective functions should not override the objectives of the team but rather focus on how their diversity can help in realizing the team’s objectives. Managing the disagreements and tight deadline is further essential in the successful operation of the team. A leader with good interpersonal skills and expert position power is needed. This will ensure he leads the people with conflicting interests and resolve the likely problems with the power that is vested on his position (2011). Additionally, the leader should have technical expertise, project management skills, and cognitive skills that will enable understanding of the complex problems. Finally, the leader of a cross functional team should also have political skills necessary in formation of coalitions and in gaining resources. Apart from the skills, a cross-functional leader needs to exhibit some leadership behaviors i.e. being visionary to help in formulating strategic objectives and generating ideas. The leader should also require to have the ability to organize and plan activities by creating deadlines and standards. Besides, the leader should be self-integrating i.e. promoting cooperation and equal participating on top of dealing with the external parties. A cross-functional leader should be one who can forecast emerging challenges and problems and influence outsiders. Self managed work teams As opposed to the cross functional teams, self managed work teams have all its members drawn from the same functional units and does the same operational task repeatedly while maintaining stable membership. This work team is responsible for producing distinct products. To remain beneficial, self managed work teams are accorded the authority in making operational decisions like setting standards; work scheduling and making purchases while the mission and strategies are normally set by the parent organization. To ensure that the members of the team remain motivated and focused, the team’s leadership should encourage members to learn of the various tasks to promote job rotation and continuous learning. There are various advantages of self-managed work groups. These include stronger commitment of team members, job dissatisfaction, enhanced efficiency, reduced turnover, and effective management. Through ensuring cross sectional training, the group leader will make the work more enjoyable and flexible hence making dealing with emergencies easier. Self-managed work teams also reduce costs to the organization by reducing the specialists and number of managers. In addition, the team leadership should possess the quality of empowering the team members and solving interpersonal conflicts that might wreck the achievement of the teams’ objective. The success also depends on how well the changeover is implemented to avoid resistance and conflicts. In summary the prerequisites of self-managed teams is stronger management support, competent leadership, recognition and rewards, and strong interpersonal skills. A leader in a self-managed team must have a clear understanding of the routine activities of the team. The leader should possess coordination and supervisory skills and must promote group cohesion. Moreover, in executing the external roles, the leader should be able to obtain information, resources, and political support for the organizations smooth operations (Morgeson, 2010). Advocacy and coaching ability is instrumental for a leader of a successfully self-managed group Virtual teams Virtual teams are teams whose members are geographically apart and rarely meet face to face if at all. Communication is done via mails, fax, video conferencing, and cell phones. The increased virtual teams have been fueled by rapid changes in globalization, desire for flexibility at work place, increase in inter-organizational cooperation and desired flexibility in innovation management. Experts whose locations are not known are therefore involved in execution of work. Virtual team poses more challenges to its leadership given the lack of face-to-face interaction. The leaders in these teams have the difficulty in building trust, monitoring performance and ensuring collective identity. The leader therefore requires a strong coordination ability, communication ability and most importantly ability to forecast problems and challenges. Determinants of group performance The successful realization of a group goals and objectives depends on various factors,. To begin with, the commitment to shared values determines the worth of the tasks and therefore a high commitment to group values increases the results of the tasks. Secondly, the manner in which the challenges and problems are perceived will influence the strategies developed to solve the potential challenges. In addition, skill and role clarity will ensure that the roles are performed in the right manner and in a timely way. A leader must thus make the roles and expectations clear so as to make the members work towards the organizations expectation. Moreover, organization and coordination further determines the performance of a group. The manner in which the interdependent activities are synchronized together with the way in which the roles are assigned will influence significantly a group success (Morgeson, 2010). Tasks should be allocated to relevant staff to ensure optimal output. Finally, groups that is characterized by a high level of mutual trust and commitment, high external coordination and good political support is better placed to record high results. Group leaders must therefore work towards ensuring presence of these discuses determinants to make the groups effective. Decision making in groups Making decision in groups poses more challenges than individual decision-making. to ensure that the groups make effective decisions, the members should be encouraged to participate, communication should be clear, predictions should be accurate and disagreements should be resolved (2011). Hasty decisions, misguided consensus, lack of planning and polarization should be reduced. The group should also make timely decisions despite the longer duration taken. In summary, effectively led groups’ leads to organizational effectiveness and achievement of objectives. Better group decisions must be made without being biased or by disregarding part of the membership. References McCallin, A. (2003). Interdisciplinary team leadership: a revisionist approach for an old problem?. Journal of Nursing Management, 11(6), 364-370. Retrieved April 13, 2012, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2834.2003.00425.x/abstract Morgeson, F. (2010). Leadership in Teams: A Functional Approach to Understanding Leadership structures and processes. Journal of Management, 36(5). Retrieved April 13, 2012, from http://scottderue.com/wp-content/downloads/pdf/leadership-in-teams.pdf Organizing Team Decision Making - Decision-Making Skills Training from MindTools.com. (n.d.). Mind Tools - Management Training, Leadership Training and Career Training. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_86.htm Read More