Successful Knowledge Worker Teams - Coursework Example

Successful Knowledge Worker Teams Introduction Getting a variety of information before making decisions is important for any organization or business. A broad knowledge base always pushes one to make informed choices which turn out to be the best solutions in most cases. Therefore, there is need for knowledge worker teams to be successful in doing their duties. For these worker teams to achieve their goals, they have to focus on some factors which are the key elements for the success. Since the task forces in these teams are normally distributed across the globe, there is need for collaboration among the members. The Six Cs of Global Collaboration comes in hand in this case. The three key factors that ensure success for the globally distributed worker teams include cooperation, coordination, and communication. Cooperation creates trusted relationships, coordination organizes the teams’ work, and communication keeps the teams updated. This paper will illustrate how these three factors play a major role ensuring success for the globally distributed worker teams. Cooperation One of the key elements that the knowledge worker teams needed to rely on for success is cooperation among the team members. Cooperation is a quality the team players should have if they want to build trust within the team. Globally distributed teams require this element so much since it is hard to create trust when there is a big distance between team players. There are some crucial reasons why cooperation is very important for the success of the knowledge worker teams[Bai111]. First major reason why team members ought to be cooperative is to ensure smooth flow of the tasks they do and effective coordination. When the knowledge worker teams instill cooperation among them, it becomes easier to allocate tasks as they will be done appropriately[Abu13]. Cooperation is good quality among team members since it is going to help in ensuring deadlines are met by all the people involved. This explains why it is considered a key element in assuring success for knowledge worker teams. When people working together are cooperative, it becomes easier for them to allocate duties as they are done effectively and on time[Bai11]. Trusting relationships are also created by cooperation among team members. For instance, globally distributed knowledge worker teams are usually operating in different cultural environments and time zones. Despite having these differences, it is easier to create trust among the workers if they have the quality of being cooperative. A good trusted relationship between team members found in different geographical areas is instilled through cooperation. When we have someone who is always cooperative to us despite being far from us it becomes easier to trust him or her. It is this concept that cooperation relies on to build trust among globally distributed knowledge worker teams. With cooperation, even globally team players who would never meet face-to-face get to trust each other[Ben12]. Relationships of workers across time zones are also boosted by cooperation. Once the knowledge team workers are distributed globally, it is certain that they will fall in different time zones. Due to this reason, some workers will be off duty since it is night hours at the areas while others will be working as its daytime in their zone. Cooperation between dispersed workers needs cooperation if the team is targeted at being successful. The reason why cooperation becomes useful in this case is because it makes people take charge when their fellows are not at a good time to take duty[Ben121]. Different cultures around the globe can also be a hindrance to success for the globally dispersed knowledge worker teams. People of different culture have different believes and norms which can determine what they will be okay doing for the team. Therefore, cooperation will enable the workers cope with their fellows and even join in where they cannot be efficient. Whenever there are issues within the team, cooperation is useful in trying to handle the issues. A cooperative workforce in a team will always ensure the goals set by the team are achieved despite the challenges that may come on the way. For example, when one worker is unable to take his or her duty due to some difficulties there will always be away to cover for the duty. Cooperative nature among the team members will see some other person take action towards doing the role. Being cooperative will also push the globally situated knowledge workers provide the necessary details that the team needs. In some cases where members cannot work together, it is hard to get information from someone who knows you will never get to meet him or her. Coordination Another key element that pushes knowledge worker teams towards success is coordination. Ability of the team to coordinate their activities is an assurance that the idea of teamwork is instilled by the group. Therefore, the advantages that come along with teamwork are to be enjoyed by the team that is well coordinated. The globally distributed knowledge worker teams can rely on a well planned coordination to ensure they also benefit out of joint work despite the distance between the workers[Bru13]. There are a lot of pros attached to coordination within a team. A team that has its members coordinated is most likely to have organized work. The team members will all have a part to play. Through coordination the work can be synchronized properly after every member has done his or her part of the task. Coordination also helps the team or organization save a lot of time. Many teams loose time when same work is done by more than the required number of people needed to do the work. With coordination, the knowledge workers in the team can share the work they have to do and later on join their efforts. Without coordination there are some disadvantages that teams are likely to face. Some of the cons of not being coordinated as a team are harsh. For example, without coordination a team can go through a series of misunderstandings among the members in many way areas. When a globally distributed team is not coordinated the work they do may become hard to analyze. The consequence of this is that the goals of the team may not be achieved[Bra12]. Among the reasons why coordination is a key element for success is the fact that it makes the team able to assign each team player with roles and responsibilities. The work that the knowledge workers do will thus be aligned with clearly distinct roles for everyone. A team that is coordinated is likely to be successful in its activities since success comes from a well planned work. Through coordination the resources required can also be shared in a proper way the same way activities are distributed. There are various methods through which this can be done. Consideration of professionalism is one of the best methods of sharing tools[Dai12]. Coordination is mainly used in business to ensure there is good flow of work and information. As it is noted that a coordinated team will always have its work well organized, a business with coordinated departments will be properly managed. Businesses also adopt this element so that they can save resources by having the processes and tools of work shared efficiently[Ern13]. Issue within teams can be mitigated through coordination. When there is a challenge being faced by the organization or team, all the players are coordinated to find a lasting solution to the problem. A decision that is brought on the table by joint agreement of all the stakeholders turns out to be the best in most cases. Other than that, coordination enables teams to avoid issues of unfinished duties and clashing of roles. Such issues force many teams to fallout if some members feel their roles are snatched from them or they are overworked. Communication Reliable communication channel is also a crucial key element that determines the success of a team. It is a necessity especially where the team members are always far from each other. A reliable communication network is one that the message being passed across reaches the intended recipient on time and feedback is sent back to the messenger. For many reasons, communication is leading factor that determines the success of a globally distributed team and organization[Est12]. Communication is critical for success because it enables passing of any kind of information that is needed for all the activities of the team to be done. For example, when responsibilities are to be given to every team member they must be informed of what task they have to take. After working, they are also required to communicate back and report all they have done so that assessment can be done[Yeu12]. Communication is also important when making changes in the operations of the teams. In case there is a challenging factor that slows the activities of the knowledge worker teams, changes are prone to be made. If the changes are effectively communicated to all team members, the team is expected to pick up and thus strive towards success[Sar11]. Issues in globally distributed teams can also be mitigated without a lot of difficulty through proper communication. The ability of verbal and written communication to be passed across continents through new technologies help globally dispersed teammates to connect. Since messages can easily be passed around even if the people solving the problem are far placed, the solutions are expected to cover every area. Examples of such new innovations in communication include the use of internet connected offices and videoconferencing[Ole11]. Many firms have adopted these ideas. Businesses that are run from continent to continent rely on good communication channels to get knowledge about the different markets served. Knowing the market one wants to deal in helps ensuring demand is met by the supply from the firms. Therefore, the globally knowledge worker teams need to have efficient modes of communicating to ensure they are successful[Fri12]. Many people forget to value the knowledge they have as an asset since they forget to consider that whatever product they make is out of the information they had in mind. In some other scenarios, people do not use knowledge as a valuable input they can rely on to increase their values. When an organization puts into consideration the knowledge it has on different markets it has globally, it becomes easier for this firm to have goods and services that suit each market. Therefore, such an organization has used the knowledge it had as a valuable asset[Ole11]. Conclusion The three factors I have looked into in this paper are important for the success of any globally distributed worker team. Cooperation is a key element that will assist in boosting the relationships between the team members who are dispersed in different places all over the world. People of different cultures on the globe are brought together with a cooperating knowledge team. Therefore, it becomes easier to collect a variety of information from different places. The data collected require reliable communication networks. The next crucial factor is introduced as communication. Since the people sharing information are far placed, the new communication technologies that enhance communication across continents are preferred. Internet plays a major role in making communication a success. Coordination is also a necessity for all the plans of a team to be reached. The team players must coordinate the resources they have in order to obtain good results. When these three key elements are put into consideration, the globally distributed knowledge worker teams are expected to be successful. References Bai111: , (Baiden, The effect of integration on project delivery team effectiveness, 2012), Abu13: , (Abu-Rish & Brock, 2013), Bai11: , (Baiden & Price, The effect of integration on project delivery team effectiveness, 2011), Ben12: , (Bennett & Gadlin, Collaboration and team science: from theory to practice, 2012), Ben121: , (Bennett, Collaboration and team science: from theory to practice, 2012), Bru13: , (Brunnermeier & Bolton, 2013), Bra12: , (Brady, 2012), Dai12: , (Daim, 2012), Ern13: , (Ernest & Hopkins, 2013), Est12: , (Estabrooks & Boyle, 2012), Yeu12: , (Yeung, 2012), Sar11: , (Sarker & Ahuja, 2011), Ole11: , (O'leary, 2011), Fri12: , (Frishammar & Floren, 2012), Read More