Team Based Organization Performance - Article Example

HOW TO ENCOURAGE TEAM-BASED ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCE Term Paper Number of Words How to encourage team-based organization performance Introduction In the recent past, organizations have opted to reorganize into teams because of the potential exhibited by teamwork. There are increasing research initiatives that seek to understand the functionality of teams and how to maximize their performance. There is evidence that some organizations have faced challenges when implementing the team-based organization performance. Others have tried to maximize the functionality of each team and have registered multiple benefits. However, it is evident that adopting a team-based organization performance is not an easy task and need expertise. This is the reason why there are multiple consultants seeking to help organizations to overcome the challenges involved. Forrester and Drexler developed a model that can serve as an effective map for organizations opting for team-based organization performance. The two authors published an article, in which they described all the critical components of ensuring those teams function effectively. This paper will discuss the steps taken in an effort to encourage team-based organization performance. Moreover, the paper will highlight the potential risks for team-based organization performance approach, and highlight how to handle them effectively. One of the critical steps in encouraging team-based organization performance is ensuring that there is a balance in the formation of the teams. An effective team is one, which comprises of the right individuals on the right team. This means that the composition of a team should depend on the specific tasks of the team. In accordance with Forrester and Drexler, composition of a team should also promote coherence.1 This means that individuals forming a team should be determined to take up their responsibilities and function as a whole. The organization should ensure that it offers supportive systems that create a favourable environment for the functionality of teams. Some of the setbacks that may result during the formation of a team are incongruence, team isolation, and the presence of organizational barriers. Unless the organization recognizes a realistic need for developing teams, then incongruence will occur because the team formation is for the wrong reasons. Therefore, the lack of coherence results to the isolation of the team. This occurs when a team does not experience belongingness to the entire organization.2 On the other hand, organizational barriers may involve issues such as inadequate resources for the team, and failure to recognize that teamwork is a collective activity and focusing on offering individual compliments. This may discourage other members of the team.3 Forrester and Drexler also highlighted that dependability is a critical aspect in successful teams. This means that the team is willing to share information with other units of the organization. Such a free flow of information and openness determines the success of the team. Moreover, dependability also brings in the aspect of different teams relying on each other and on the organization as a whole. Finally, dependability requires teams to put the interest of the organization first and their own interests second.4 This means that they can prove flexible enough to accept some changes in their organization, in an effort to achieve the organizational goals.5 Therefore, to achieve the effective team-based organization performance, it is critical to ensure that there is a measure of dependability in the teams. Certain aspects such as secrecy scepticism and self-interest may hinder the dependability. This is the reason why it is critical to ensure that information sharing occurs and that the team has the interests of the organizations in the right place.6 At the risk of having a sceptic team, it is critical to ensure that, the organizational structure places emphasis on the need for teams to exhibit commitment and handle matters in a professional way. Adopting a team-based organization is impossible if the organization lacks clear focus of what it intends to achieve in a specified period. Therefore, advising top executives to define a clear strategy for the organization outlining the intended goals and the period is of critical importance. If the organization has such a clear focus, then teams are likely to function more effectively. According to Forrester and Drexler, defining a clear direction for the organization highlighting measurable goals and ensuring that there is a measure of accountability are some of the critical keys in ensuring that the organization has a clear focus.7 Organizations face the risk of operating aimlessly and treading on uncertain paths as well as freelancing when there is a lack of a clear focus. In such a situation, the executives should focus on defining a clear strategy. This can help teams become more functional. After the executives define the focus of the organization, effective communication of the focus to all the teams should follow. This serves to ensure that all the team members are aware of the organizational goals and they will be prepared to work towards them.8 In an organization, whereby only the top executives understand the focus, team works may prove dysfunctional. In addition, the concept of buy-in described by Forrester and Drexler is also an important aspect in ensuring that team-based organization performance as remarkable. The buy-in concept denotes the measure of freedom and discretion that teams can exercise. Moreover, it also involves the level of control that the organization can exert on the teams.9 These two aspects must exhibit a balance. Teams require the freedom to make certain decisions while it is unwise to leave them function without any form of control by the organization. Therefore, encouraging team-based organization performance needs the organization to create a favourable balance of power regarding the teams.10 If the organization controls the team entirely without allowing them to exhibit a form of autonomy, then the team members may feel trapped. In addition, the buy-in concept should compel an organization to allocate sufficient resources to all the teams so that they can prove to be functional.11 Lack of resources only serves to derail team activities. The organization should also have values that can guide the actions of the teams values are of critical importance in organizations that rely on teams.12 This is because only values can create a bond between the teams. Some organizations find themselves in a situation whereby they exhibit the full control of the teams leaving them powerless. This is an off-key for buy-in as described by Forrester and Drexler. There are organizations that fail to allocate sufficient resources for each team and end up frustrating the members.13 The lack of values within the organization may create a form of alienation experienced by the teams. Therefore, it is only reasonable to allow teams a measure of independence sufficient resources, and a level of power to make certain decisions if they are to be successful. In addition, ensuring that there is effective coordination within an organization can serve to encourage team-based organization performance. Coordination is necessary because there are different levels of decision-making.14 Other decisions made at each level should also reach the teams in order to ensure that they are operating in accordance with the organizations strategy. Effective coordination should ensure that all the teams receive the relevant information concerning different tasks.15 Coordination is critical in ensuring that there is a smooth flow of things within the organization. One of the critical keys to coordination that Forrester and Drexler highlight is the operational planning.16 The availability of an operational plan that outlines the tasks, those performing the tasks, and the timeline for task completion can serve as an effective guideline for teams.17 However, the organization should give teams the room for flexibility because the business front comprises of unexpected events as well as unforeseen opportunities. Communication is the other key to achieving coordination in an organization. Effective communication should be fundamental amongst teams and among them as well. When effective communication is available, there is a proper connection between the team members, the teams, and the entire organization. Organizations intending to adopt a team-based organization performance may face challenges such as redundancy of the teams because of excessive communication, which may prompt the teams to dwell on similar ideas. In addition, performance gaps may emerge because of assumptions that teams will handle certain tasks, yet they do not complete such tasks.18 In other cases, disjointedness may result where there is friction among the teams. This occurs when the organization does not have a clear operational plan. Therefore, developing effective communication channels and an operational plan that highlights all the activities can serve to minimize redundancy and disjointedness. This can foster successful teams within an organization.19 In order to encourage team-based organization performance, it is important to ensure that the organization eventually reaches a remarkable destination and exhibits an evident impact. This occurs when teams prove to be innovative. Notably, innovation is one of the critical strategies used by many businesses in an effort to remain competitive.20 Innovation can only occur if teams are encouraged to highly creative, and that the organization offers a favourable environment for different levels of innovation. Flexibility is also of significance because teams must be able to recognize upcoming opportunities and exhibit adaptations of exploiting such opportunities. An organization that focuses on these aspects is likely to register outstanding results.21 These results may range from increase profits to launching a diverse range of products in the market. Other results may involve the overcoming of a problem or a crisis. Unless an organization can reach an identified destination, it is unlikely to register any visible impact. Some factors such as rigidity and status quo hinder the company from reaching the destination. According to Forrester and Drexler, mediocrity is also an off-key to impact. Therefore, if an organization is to register impact in its industry, trams must be highly innovative.22 The relevant training and empowerment should also come into place in preparation for high levels of innovation. Notably, flexibility should always be preferred so that the organization and the teams within it can seize opportunities as soon as they emerge. Finally, promoting vitality in the organization would also ensure that the organization is successfully implement team-based organization performance. Vitality denotes the energy level of a specific organization and factors that affect it. Therefore, promoting openness within the team and in the organization as a whole is one of the critical steps in fostering vitality. Moreover, all the teams and team members require a continuous learning experience offered through different forums in an effort to ensure that the organization has the relevant skills knowledge and information. If vitality is to continue increasing, the constant learning is essential. Some organizations may find themselves handling teams and individuals who exhibit apathy.23 In such a situation, employing motivational techniques and empowering the teams would serve to increase vitality. In other organizations, defensiveness may arise in an organization, which is not willing to open up avenues for new learning experiences. The final risk in developing vitality may be complacency, which denotes a situation in an organization when teams and team members do not look forward to any changes are content with the current situation.24 When complacency arises, there is a need for the organization to demonstrate the importance of change and new ideas in propelling the organization to higher success. Conclusion Evidently, the eight aspects described above define the model for team-based organization performance that was developed by Forrester and Drexler. As highlighted, there are certain challenges that may be associated with each concept and many organizations may find themselves handling struggling to address the risks associated with such challenges. Without doubt, adopting a team-based organization performance is not an easy task for many organizations. However, taking into consideration all the critical aspects described can make the journey easier. It is possible to have functional teams appropriately formed as long as they prove to be dependable, and the organization has a specific focus. In addition, having a buy-in concept, proper coordination, registering impact, and exhibiting vitality may help an organization achieve remarkable performance through teams. Bibliography Blumenthal, DM, Song, Z, Jena, AB, & Ferris, TG, Guidance for Structuring Team-Based Incentives in Healthcare, American Journal of Managed Care, vol. 19, no. 2, 2013, pp. e64-e70. Forrester, R, & Drexler, AB, A model for team-based organization performance, Academy of Management Executive, vol. 13, no. 3, 1999, pp. 36-49. Mohammed, S, & Nadkarni, S, Temporal diversity and team performance: the moderating role of team temporal leadership, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 54, no. 3, 2011, pp. 489-508. Rosen, MA, Bedwell, WL, Wildman, JL, Fritzsche, BA, Salas, E, & Burke, CS, Managing adaptive performance in teams: Guiding principles and behavioral markers for measurement, Human Resource Management Review, vol. 21, no. New Developments in Performance Management, 2011, pp. 107-122. Read More