Teams & Teamwork
Work Teams: Types,
Effectiveness, and
Stumbling Blocks
Effective Teamwork
through Cooperation,
Trust, and
Cohesiveness
Teams in Action:
Quality
Circles, Virtual Teams,
and Self-Managed
Teams
Teams
Team Small group with
complementary skills who
hold themselves mutually
accountable for common
purpose, goals, and approach
Evolution of Teams
A Work Group Becomes a Team When:
1) Leadership becomes a
shared activity
2) Accountability shifts from
strictly individual to both
individual and collective
3) The group develops its own
purpose or mission
4) Problem solving becomes a
way of life, not a part-time
activity
5) Effectiveness is measured
by the group’s collective
outcomes and products
Types of Work Teams
Advice teams (help broaden information base for managerial
decisions)
Production teams (perform day-to-day operations)
Project teams (apply specialized knowledge for creative problem
solving)
Action teams (collection of highly-coordinated specialists who
exhibit peak performance on demand)
Characteristics of an Effective Team
Clear purpose
Informality
Participation
Listening
Civilized disagreement
Consensus decisions
Open communication
Clear roles and work
assignments
Shared leadership
External relations
Style diversity
Self-assessment
Research Support for Cooperation
1) Cooperation is superior to
competition in promoting
achievement and
productivity
2) Cooperation is superior to
individualistic efforts in
promoting achievement
and productivity
3) Cooperation without
intergroup competition
promotes higher
achievement and
productivity than
cooperation with
intergroup competition
How to Build Trust
Communication
Support
Respect
Fairness
Predictability
Competence
Steps to Enhance Group Cohesiveness
Socio-emotional Instrumental Cohesiveness
Cohesiveness Regularly update and
Keep the group relatively clarify the group’s goal(s)
small Give every group member a
Strive for a favorable vital “piece of the action”
public image to increase Channel each group
the status and prestige of member’s special talents
belonging toward the common goal(s)
Encourage interaction and
Recognize and equitably
cooperation reinforce every member’s
contributions
Emphasize members’ Frequently remind group
common characteristics
members they need each
and interests
other to get the job done
Point out environmental
threats
Basic Distinctions Among
Quality Circles, Virtual Teams and
Self-Managed Teams
Self-Managed
Quality Circles Virtual Teams
Teams
Type of team Advice or project Production,
Advice
(see Table 13-2) (usually project) project, or action
Type of Consultation,
empowerment Consultation participation, Delegation
(see Table 16-2) or delegation
Managers and Production/service,
Production/service
Members technical technical
personnel
specialists specialists
McGraw-Hill © 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights rese
Basic Distinctions Among
Quality Circles, Virtual Teams and
Self-Managed Teams
Self-Managed
Quality Circles Virtual Teams
Teams
Basis of Assigned
Voluntary Assigned
membership (some voluntary)
Relationship to
Parallel or
organization Parallel Integrated
integrated
Varies, depending
Amount of face-
Strictly face- Periodic to on use of
to-face
to-face none information
communication
technology
Attributes of High Performance Teams
1) Participative
leadership
2) Shared responsibility
3) Aligned on purpose
4) High communication
5) Future focused
6) Focused on task
7) Creative talents
8) Rapid response
Self-Management Leadership Behaviors
1) Encourages self-
reinforcement
2) Encourages self-
observation/evaluati
on
3) Encourages self-
expectations
4) Encourages self-goal-
setting
5) Encourages rehearsal
6) Encourages self-
criticism
