The Decipline of Teams - Case Study Example

The Discipline Of Teams The Journal elaborates on the discipline of teams. It tackles some issues ranging from the rationale or rather the factors that make a group qualify to be a team. Ideally, all organizations have teams but in a majority of them they are designed in a manner that does not reflect the ideal characteristics of groups. The primary element that distinguishes a team from other forms of groups in the organization and performance that is prevalent in teams. If a team does not perform then, it is a group since the purpose of teams is to achieve a common objective that is directly related to results or rather overall performance (Kanaga and Browning, 2011). Similarly, the journal explores the techniques that managers ought to implement to leverage maximum benefits from organizational teams. According to the journal teams, should be formed based on skills rather than personality. Most managers in organizations come up with the composition of groups based on the personalities of the individuals rather than the skills that those people possess. Ideally, before a team is formed the manager should first analyze the skills that are required to accomplish the objective or goals of that team. From that point he/she will be able to select the suitable members who possess the required skills or those who have related skills and are capable of improving them in order to accomplish the mandate of the team collectively. In essence, the journal is an insight into the idea of organizational teams as it explains what ought to be done to ensure teams perform as expected. Similarly, it acts as a benchmark for the best team practice that should be implemented in firms to ensure increased performance. Teams exist in nearly all companies, but the act of transforming the teams to tangible results or performance is what lacks in a majority of the organization. The Journal elaborates on the mistakes that are often committed in organizations that hinder the effectiveness of teams. From that notion, it offers solutions on the best practice as far as teams discipline is concerned to ensure a transformation in performance in those particular organizations. In a nutshell, the journal makes an in-depth analysis of how organizations can be able to build team performance through the implementation of a number of strategies that will revolutionize performance in the given firms (Woodcock and Francis, 2008). Describe in detail the main issues discussed in the journal article The Journal elaborates in detail the differences between a working group and a team in an organization. In essence, not all groups are teams but then some groups tend to have the characteristics of teams or rather operate in a manner that is similar to that of teams hence making them qualify to be teams. There are some features that make teams stand out in organizations thus acting as the distinguishing factors that differentiate teams from groups. To begin with, teams have a shared leadership role in that all the team members have the obligation to take leadership roles whenever necessary. In that light, there is no designated leader in a team. A random member can lead it through a particular task as pass the mantle to another member who will do the same through another role. It overcomes the idea of leaders giving instructions to other members and thus makes the parts of the team to be collective whereby each can participate without adhering to any commands (Dyer et al., 2013). Accountability in teams takes places on two levels. First each member has to be personally accountable for his/her actions, and again the overall team is also responsible for decisions or actions that it conducted collectively. In that sense the team will be able to account for all its operations without passing blame to one another since members are held accountable for their individual acts while the entire team takes responsibilities for decisions and actions that are conducted collectively by all members. A distinguishing element that differentiates a team from any other groups is the fact that it has a specific objective that it goes on to accomplish. Working groups also have goals or rather goals, but the idea of achieving the set purpose is what makes a group qualify to be a team. Teams are based on performance thus those that do not perform are regarded as mere groups since the primary role that organizations come up with teams is to spur the overall performance of the firm. Ideally, collective work products are what a team prides itself rather than individual efforts. Members of groups are allowed to exhibit their individual skills through personal achievements, but a team has to have substantive results that come out of collective efforts from all its members for it to be regarded a team. To build performance in teams, the management of organizations ought to first establish the urgency and demand for performance standards before developing teams to accomplish those set objectives. That way the team will get to understand what is expected of them and within what time frame to beat the milestone and deliver the required results. Prior to the team commencing its operations clear guidelines on the acceptable behaviour for the team while it is conducting its activities have to be established. The rules will instill discipline and ensure structured activities in the unit to avoid any form of ambiguity thus ensuring the team remains focussed on its goals. Additionally, the team members need to spend some time together to create some bond and cohesiveness that will facilitate their collective efforts in yielding the required results. Despite being bound together by a common purpose the members of the team need to interact with each other to better understand the personalities of their colleagues in order to facilitate the manner in which they interact while in operation (Kanaga and Browning, 2011). Conversely, whenever one is coming up with a team, it is prudent to select the members based on their skills or rather potential skills development rather than on their personalities. Teams normally have certain objectives that ought to be accomplished and for those goals to be achieved a mix of particular skills and competencies need to be pooled to ensure the required results are obtained. Thus, choosing members of teams based on their skills will ensure the group is composed of all the desirable skills that are needed to accomplish the particular task that was assigned to that team. There are some competencies and teams ought to balance between interpersonal, technical and decision-making skills to ensure they effectively accomplish their objectives (Dyer et al., 2013). What lessons have you learned about teams from the article? The journal has helped me to understand the difference between groups and teams. Ideally, not all groups are teams, and for any group to be regarded as a team it has to have a single objective that binds its members that it goes on to accomplish. Additionally, performance is the driving force of teams; if a team does not provide tangible results then it is a mere group since the purpose of the team has to be transformed into results. That notwithstanding, to build performance in teams desirable skills have to be incorporated by recruiting members that possess skills that will assist in achieving the goals of that team. Members of teams should be selected strictly base on the skills that they possess or their talent potential and not their personality. Essentially, teams can achieve their goals if the required skills are pooled together to realize a working team (Dyer, Dyer, & Dyer, 2013). Alternatively, if the members do not possess the required skills they will only be bound by a common objective that they will never accomplish since they do not possess what it takes to deliver the required results. Relatively, I have learned that teams need to be regularly challenged by being presented with new information to ensure they remain consistent in their pursuit to achieve results. Additionally, I have also learned that there are several types of teams based on the kind of activities that they perform. There are teams that recommend for certain actions to be done by undertaking research and analysis, for instance, those in task forces, project groups and audit groups. Teams that make things happen are those that pool their skills and knowledge by mobilizing resources to ensure they come up with new products and services in organizations or through their efforts they provide certain milestones are realized. References Dyer, W. G., Dyer, J. H., & Dyer, W. G., 2013. Team building: proven strategies for improving team performance. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass. Kanaga, K., & Browning, H., 2011. Maintaining Team Performance. New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons. Available at: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-201412062559. [Accessed on 29 May 2015] Woodcock, M., & Francis, D., 2008. Team metrics: resources for measuring and improving team performance. Amherst, Mass, HRD Press. Read More