Broad Team Types
As already mentioned above, the scope of this chapter is limited to the 4 most common types of teams that one ought to come across more often than not. Once we are done with discussing these aspects, we will be moving on to the various factors that ought to have a direct impact on these teams. The four major types of teams are discussed in details below.
Teams for production and services
This is perhaps the most common type of team that most individuals ought to come across more often than not. One of the major aspects as far as these teams are concerned is that fact that they are mostly brought together so as to offer their clients with the desired form of services or products. This is quite simple. Let us take into account another example. Suppose your team deals with jewellery items. The sole purpose of the entire group will be selling their products. As a result, there are several category of employees in the team. There ought to be individuals who ought to excel as far as all sorts of crafts work with metals are concerned, then there ought to be individuals at the managerial level. Such teams are often referred to as teams for production and services. They are also referred to as teams that are directed by their member, teams that are managed by their members, teams that work and manage themselves, etc. These teams are often considered to be self-sustaining due to the fact that all they need to do is provide a budget and the various other activities that are necessary in order to run a team are provided by the various authorities who are in charge of the team.
If such groups are taken into consideration, you ought to come across the fact that there are two noteworthy varieties of such groups. In a few groups there exists a progressively unmistakable group pioneer, and without a doubt these are here and are called lean groups, contrasted and groups where everybody on a level that is uniform throughout (for instance, Oliver and Kerrin way back in 2002). In 2002 Doorewaardetal recognize ‘progressive groups’ and ‘shared duty groups’, made the argument that while considering the various leveled groups, group self-governance doesn’t refer to the idea of colleague independence. They go ahead to state that a great deal of purported self-sufficient groups are lean groups and without a doubt there exists very little self-governance for colleagues as the pioneer of the group ought to be responsible. In groups where in the responsibilities are shared, a pioneer may develop, or the authority may fluctuate as indicated by the idea of assignment, resting with individuals who have the maximum proper abilities to offer. Pioneers, in the two types of group, should go up against administrative assignments, for example, arranging, sorting out, supporting people, showing data and speaking to the group to whatever remains of the association. The manner in which the pioneer completes these exercises and includes the various other individuals in them is something to look forward to. This will obviously affect the adequacy of the group. Where administration is the pioneer’s part is frequently defined as far as an instructing as opposed to a coordinating part.
The idea of self-administration likewise affects the part of directors outside the group. Customarily these chiefs would do the errands portrayed at a higher level and will screen and take control of the execution of the group. On the off chance that these undertakings are never again fitting, what role does the director have to play– does a role exist by any stretch of the imagination? It will not shock anyone that the arrangement of self-guided groups is viewed as a danger to a few supervisors. Nonetheless, Casey (1993) remarks that ‘self-guided groups don’t prevent the part from claiming director, they redefine it’. He likewise takes note of that the administration of the group is a harmony between duty inside the group and administration without, instead of a win or bust circumstance. He proposes a move that is directed in the direction of 90 for each penny inside the group in a circumstance that is self-administered as opposed to closer 30 for each penny in a conventional administration circumstance. Where self-guided groups exist, the part of the customary director outside the group changes to counselor and mentor, as these individuals have currently appointed a large portion of their duties regarding straightforwardly dealing with the group. These directors turn into an asset to be approached when required with a specific end goal to empower the group to take care of their own issues. In 1992, Oliva drew a supportive system for the better understanding of the particular administrative parts of customary administrators and groups in a group domain, appeared in diagram 13.2.
The group that oversees itself has a lot to offer as far as expanding worker control and possession and along these lines discharging their dedication, inventiveness and skills. There are, obviously, potential issues as far as this approach is concerned as well. These incorporate the level of difficulty in case you are coming back to conventional frameworks once workers have encountered more noteworthy self-rule; resistance from different sections of the association; and companion weight and its outcomes. We would likewise include resistance from colleagues as well. Give us a chance to take a gander at handful of these points in more depth.
PRACTICE AREA
Vesuvius
According to the reports of Arkin way back in the year 1999 Vesuvius, a disengaged Scottish station of an expansive universal aggregate, utilized self-guided groups all through the generation procedure, and in what manner this, along with an accentuation on representative advancement, has driven quick organization development. Vesuvius presented self-guided groups in a watchful way and based upon a time of slow alteration in the manner in which they worked, arranged (with the union by their side) where the occupation and fee structure was without a doubt altered, and the point where the laborers of the generation were given preparing so they could carry out all employments inside the new groups. There were doubts in the first place and in addition to this, resistance in some form or other, and the groups that were newly formed were ease back to begin working viably. Inescapable major concerns that the individuals came up with were regarding the misfortunes of employment, however administration attempted to create a sense of trust. They did so in a manner that was not familiar to most of the individuals. They took a bit of time out of their tickers so as to ensure that there is no all the more looking at in and. Groups wound up noticeably dependable ‘for the assignments they did, the things they utilized and the issues they experienced’. Foremen were widely created in their part as catalysts to the groups, and started to concentrate on security, quality and preparing. Furthermore every worker had a self-improvement design. Feeling overviews demonstrate that the excitement of the workforce is a lot more, the quantity of client protests has diminished also, the organization has indeed made certain cost investment funds of five hundred thousand euros per year. While the idea to characterize these agreeable results simply to the presentation of self-guided groups is extremely impractical, it is sensible to reason that out of all these possibilities, these are the ones that have been contributed.
Across the nation
In an altogether different arrangement, the Society of Building all across the Nation that is chosen to bring the idea of teams that are self-sufficient into the regulatory focus at Northampton in order to create multiskilling in a structure that is a lot more flat. For example, Harrison and Scott back in 1997. Groups were brought into the home loan and protection client benefit office, in view of past work-gatherings, and were joined by expanded preparing and aid for basic leadership, conflict administration and group building aptitudes. Each group has in the vicinity of nine and eighteen individuals, and the pioneer’s part is stated as an instructing instead of a coordinating part. The group allots act as this idea steps in, contingent upon abilities and workloads. Step by step groups assumed on the liability of making any sort of agreement with the various branches so as to enhance common comprehension and grow better approaches to cooperate. The consequences of each group are graphed in an assortment of class tables & there is without a doubt a cognizant aggressive component between groups. This impelled groups to oversee nonappearance levels, which are usually overseen on the basis of the various other criteria’s for execution. In the beginning, there existed a lot worries that self-guided groups were an approach to get more prominent tasks out of the representatives without any compensation, and some group pioneers dreaded lost control.
As far as the manner of things were concerned, there existed an impermanent dunk in execution after the groups were at first set up, however in the long run execution enhanced and nonappearance declined. If you look at the present day, this very approach is being spread to different areas, in spite of the fact that the nearness of different activities implies that the idea of attaching changes to the presentation of self-guided groups is an extremely difficult one.
Area for Practice
Resistance from other parts of the organization
A team may not always have complete control over itself. There may be other governing bodies that have a huge role to play as far as the proper functioning of the team is concerned. Under such circumstances, it is extremely important for the various individuals of the team to ensure that they are well aware of what the governing bodies of the team have to say. If the opinion of the various governing bodies of a particular team are not taken into consideration, there are high chances that the team might end up getting dissolved. Hence, in order to ensure that they don’t come across such a situation, the member of the team must make it a point to consider the various forms of opinions that the desired authorities have. If this is not done, coping up with the resistance that these governing bodies have to offer may turn out to be extremely difficult.
Resistance within the team
As the saying goes, no two individuals are the same. As a result, irrespective of whether the member of a team are working with each other for a long time or the team has just been brought together, one this is for certain that there ought to be a lot of confusion as far as the approach to be taken for a particular project is concerned. This is without a doubt due to the fact that every individual in this world is different from the other. Each with have their very own opinion as far as a particular topic is taken into consideration. Hence, suppose a group of individuals in a team are looking forward to take an approach say X and the other group is willing to take an approach Y, there ought to be a lot of tension amongst the various members of these groups. Each ought to fight over the fact that his or her approach is a lot better than the other. In order to deal with such scenarios, the best option would be to conduct a meeting. The usefulness of the various forms of meetings as far as a particular team is concerned has already been discussed under the scope of chapter 3. In the event that any sort of doubt or queries persist after going through this portion, all an individual needs to do is head over to chapter 3 in the event that he or she hasn’t gone through it already. The chapter will without a doubt provide the individuals with all the information that one may possibly need.
These meetings are conducted in order to ensure that the various members of the team can come to a common conclusion as to how they must go about a particular project. In the event that this form of meeting isn’t able to solve the issue, then it is strongly recommended for the member of the team to consult the higher authorities and discuss their opinions in front of them. However, a team certainly won’t wish to take up matters to higher authorities as it will without a doubt give a negative impression. However, under circumstances where in there is no other way out, individuals can very well opt for this option.
Peer pressure
Peer pressure is a term that one ought to come across more often than not. In order to understand the concept of peer pressure a lot better, we might as well consider the students of the various schools and colleges in the modern era. Now, the question arises, what is peer pressure? Well, peer pressure is something that is extremely common with the students of this generation. If you are a student yourself, then you will definitely be able to understand this concept a lot better. Do you by any means feels that the amount of syllabus you receive from you school or college is effective? Is it possible to finish such a huge volume of syllabus in the time span that is allotted? Well, under most circumstances, you answer ought to be a NO. These schools and colleges have been often questioned regarding the amount of syllabus that they provide and the answer that they provide under most circumstances is without a doubt below average. As a result, it is strongly recommended that this amount of excessive pressure is dealt with is a manner that ought to be efficient to both the institutions and the students.
The same may happen in the event that the time span provided for a particular project is too less as compared to the volume of the project. Under such circumstances, it is often advisable for the members of the team to appoint more employees as it would without a doubt play a huge role in ensuring that the project is completed on time.
PRACTICE AREA
TEAMS WITH CROSS – FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT
If you are considering the various forms of teams that ought to be discussed in details under the scope of this chapter, you ought to come across the fact that the management teams that are cross functional are without a doubt the most unique amongst them all. These teams without a doubt have their very own set of functions. Let us assume that your company has received a project that ought to help you develop an online application for an educational institution that ought to aid the students in checking their attendance, fees, marks and many more. Under such circumstances, you may come across scenarios where in the individuals from the management level of your company are aiding you with the structure of the application. Well, these individuals certain have their separate roles in the company, but they are temporarily being a part of your team in order to ensure that your team is able to carry out the development process without much of a hassle. Your team might as well comprise of one or two individuals from the educational institution itself that ought to provide you with a brief idea of their needs and expectations. These individuals certainly won’t be a part of your team for any other project. However, in the event that you actually wish to complete the project in hand, it is for certain that you will require their aid. Therefore, you can very well understand that the individuals of the other organization who may not have any sort of knowledge as far as software development is concerned may come in handy as far as the scope of a particular project is concerned. This is what the idea of such teams look like. Just as the name suggests, it comprises of various members who are not going to be a part of the team for long. However, they have come together so as to ensure that the project that is in hand is delivered on time.
The problem with such teams is that the level of uncertainty increases by a considerable margin. This idea makes the teams all the more heterogeneous which in turn results in a lot more conflicts among the various members of the team. This is perhaps one of the major reasons as to why such teams must conduct various sessions for group discussions. You can very well understand by now what the true need for these group discussions are. The sole purpose of conducting these group discussions sessions would be to resolve the various conflicts that may have raised amongst the various member of the team. This is an approach that may sound to be disastrous but in the event that the various individuals who are brought together are able to deal with it in a manner that is profitable for everyone. One thing is for certain that the team will without a doubt be able to fulfill its objectives in the stipulated time. In the event that the team is unable to do so, one thing is for certain that the team wasn’t able to resolves its issues in a manner in which it was supposed to and as a result the project failed.
Under circumstances where in any sort of issue arises between the members of the team, it is extremely important for the members of the team to handle it is a calm manner. The best possible solution at this point would be to carry out various group discussion session where in the various members of the team ought to put forth their views in a manner that it is understandable to the others. This will without a doubt be beneficial for all the members of the team. In addition to this, the various members of the teams must also ensure that any new member doesn’t feel out of place. It is due to the fact that the new members of the team won’t be able to perform at their maximum potential until and unless the other members of the team play their roles as far as the making the new member feel comfortable is concerned. In the event the old members of the team aren’t able to make the new member feel at home, one thing is for certain that the various individuals of the team won’t be able to make much of a progress. These sort of problems however, don’t arise as far as the standard teams are concerned, i.e. the teams that have worked together for a considerably long period of time. This helps in ensuring that the various members of the team know each other quite well and no individual isn’t going to feel out of place. As a result, the team as a whole will be able to perform at its maximum possible potential. In the event that such a team is subjected to any sort of changes in their composition, it is strongly recommended for the members of the team to be extremely polite towards the various individuals who are going to be new. These new members must not be bullied or harassed by any means. The old members must keep in mind that these changes have only been made in order to ensure that the team as a whole benefits from it. The individuals removed from your team might as well be placed in areas where in they can explore their skills in a manner that wouldn’t have been possible as long as they were members of this team. The top team of management of a corporation is generally of this type. It comprises on members from various subordinate teams. The parliament of the various nations often adopts this type of an approach.
Functional teams
These are the type of teams that have been brought together keeping in mind the common functions that the members of these teams have to perform. In the event that the members of this teams aren’t able to perform at a level that is expected from them, under most circumstances, the entire team is dissolved. In order to ensure that such a circumstance doesn’t arise, it is advisable for the members of the team to be extremely focused as far as performing their desired functions are concerned. In the event that the members of a particular team aren’t able to do so, one thing is for certain that the team as a whole isn’t going to succeed in the long run.
As key aspect regarding these type of teams is the fact that these teams comprise of members whose skills are more or less at the same level. In addition to this, the functions and the approach of these members ought to be similar as well. Hence, the frequency of the conflicts arising between such teams is considerably lower than the other type of team. However, this certainly doesn’t refer to the fact that the number of meetings conducted by these teams are any lesser than the other types of teams. As already mentioned above, meetings are not always meant for resolving the various disputes that may arise in a particular team. The meetings that are conducted by these teams are mostly for the purpose on updating latest information’s and providing details. However, this certainly doesn’t mean that the meetings of these teams are any less important than the meetings that are conducted by the other type of teams.
EXERCISE
Problem-solving teams
Though the name of these type of teams was coined in recent years, the idea of these form of teams have been quite prevalent over the years. The only issue lied in the fact that the name wasn’t coined. The purpose of bringing together such a team may be cross functional or simply functional. In the event that such a team has indeed been brought together, it obviously refers to the fact that some sort of problem must have definitely arose which in turn resulted in the formulation of this team. Suppose a company comes across an issues that is extremely difficult to resolve for the various employees of the company individually. Under such circumstances, the company may form a team of individuals who comprise of its employees for the sole objective that this team will be dealing with a certain problem in hand. Let us take into account a content writing company. Suppose the company has 100 writers or freelances at its disposal who are capable of writing all sorts of contents for the company such as blogs, seo, etc. Suppose for a particular month, the company receives a surplus amount of SEO contents and as a result the usual schedule of assigning work to the various free lancers may not suffice. As a result, there may be instances where the authorities of the company aren’t able to cope up with the extensive amount of peer pressure that ought to arise. As a result, the company may form a team of 50 members who ought to be working on SEO contents alone for as long as the surplus volume of the seo contents aren’t neutralized. Under such circumstances, it is extremely important for the concerned individuals to figure out as to which of the individuals in their company are capable of being a part of the team that they are about to formulate. Certain minimum conditions must be laid down for the individuals who are willing to be a part of the team.
These conditions may be somewhat like each individual of the team must write at least five thousand words daily. Based on whether or not an individual is going to accept this condition or not, he or she will without a doubt be entitled to various forms of incentives. For example a bonus of ten percent in the event that five thousand word limit for a day is maintained. In the event that this limit isn’t maintained, then that particular member isn’t going to be eligible for the extra bonus of ten percent. Under certain circumstances, the entire team may be penalized for the mistakes of a single member of the team. Hence, it is extremely important to take all the major aspects into account before including a particular individual in such a team.
EXERCISE
Links of Previous Main Topic:-
- Selection methods and decisions
- Staff retention
- Ending the contract
- Strategic aspects of performance
- Organisational performance
- Individual performance management
- Team performance
- Purpose nature and impact of teamwork
- Broad team types
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