Why Teams?

1. Why Teams? | February 2006

2. Why Teams? Characteristics of Teams Definition, Basics, Model, Domains Six Reasons Four Challenges

3. Characteristics of Teams • A group of individuals becomes a true team as a result of a meaningful purpose and a challenging set of performance goals • A group of individuals rarely becomes a team for the sake of becoming a team • A constancy of purpose and consistent performance challenges sustain true teams • True teams form best in organizations with strong performance standards • True teams present many competitive advantages, including: competitiveness, cost efficiency, productivity, change readiness, community and professional growth • Individuality and teams are not mutually exclusive • Teams are not the same as teamwork, and there are many types of teams

4. Team definition1 A Team is a small group of people Mutually Accountable to achieve a Common Purpose and Performance Goals through their Collective Talents and Collaboration 1. Adapted with permission from The Wisdom of Teams, Katzenbach, Jon, Smith, Doug, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, 1993 (p. 45)

5. Five basics extracted from the definition… Common Purpose Mutual Accountability Collaboration Performance Goals Collective Talents

6. … and placed into a model Common Purpose Mutual Accountability Collective Talents Performance Goals Collaboration

7. The domains within the five team basics Collaboration Common Purpose Performance Goals • Team Purpose • Team Member Purpose • Team Performance Goals • Team Member Performance Goals • Roles, Responsibilities • & Behaviors • Team Leadership • Team Members • Work Approach • Meetings • Problem-solving • Decision-making • Planning • Execution • Managing Performance Collective Talents Mutual Accountability • Interpersonal Dynamics • Communication • Conflict Management • Coaching & Feedback • Knowledge • Skills • Experience • Mastery • Commitment • Ownership • Contribution/Support • Trust & Respect

8. 1. Competition Competitive pressures are driving organizations to respond successfully to financial, quality, innovation and customer service challenges The traditional hierarchy/individual-contributor formula cannot achieve the productivity and performance required to respond to these challenges Combinations of multiple skills, knowledge and experience are required to respond to these challenges Teams bring together complementary skills, knowledge and experiences that by definition exceed those of any individual on the team Teams can, therefore, achieve greater levels of productivity and performance and respond successfully to these challenges Why teams? Six reasons

9. 2. Cost Reduction Teams integrate well into process-based organizations, leading to the reduction of management layers, bureaucracy and unnecessary activities Teams adapt quickly to new systems and environments through the leveraging of their multiple competencies Through “teamsharing” compensation and bonus systems, teams focus more on revenue production, cost reduction targets, customer satisfaction and quality standards Teams that are fully self-directed can ultimately manage their own employee life-cycles with minimal intervention or support Teams provide greater satisfaction and healthy functioning, leading to less tardiness, absenteeism, employee dysfunction and turnover Why teams? Six reasons

10. 3. Productivity The combination of a meaningful purpose and mutual accountability provides teams with a strong performance ethic Clear and challenging performance goals afford teams greater levels of productivity than units with broader or less clear performance expectations A common working approach supports teams in establishing communications that support real-time decision-making, problem-solving and initiative By developing new competencies, team members experience constant learning and growth, ultimately contributing more to the organization Through enhanced commitment, determination and energy, teams foster productive and successful partnerships with organization members, investors, customers and suppliers Why teams? Six reasons

11. 4. Change Readiness Teams are flexible and adaptable and can be readily formed, refocused and disbanded to respond to changing challenges Teams are catalysts for the dismantling of traditional organization structures, e.g.: Dismembering functional silos Supporting the reduction of layers in the hierarchy Absorbing the surrender of control from traditional management Working to take on more authority, influence and power “Showing up” as conscientious representatives of the organization to all customers, investors and suppliers Because team members experience constant learning and growth, they can embrace and manage change more successfully Why teams? Six reasons

12. 5. Community-at-Work Five main categories of community exist: 1) Family; 2) Friends and social groups; 3) Civic duties; 4) Church and temple; 5) Workplace The roles of the first four have changed: Families are spread across the country, are second to work, or are divided Friends and social groups are third to work and family Civic activities are less popular Religious affiliations are less prominent The workplace has become one of the core centers of the lives of many individuals, who are longing for a sense of community Teams are groups of human beings that, by design, can offer this sense of community Why teams? Six reasons

13. 6. Professional Opportunities Today’s organizations place a premium on those individuals who are flexible and can perform a variety of functions Pay for knowledge and incentives for group performance are on the rise In teams, individuals gain more flexibility by expanding their knowledge of the organization and proving their ability to work with others By working in teams, individuals have influence over their careers and can demonstrate their personal worth to the organization Teams provide a social dimension that enhances the economic and administrative aspects of work Through a meaningful set of purposes and challenging performance goals, teams provide members with a sense of passion, pride, fulfillment and enjoyment Why teams? Six reasons

14. Why teams? Four challenges 1. Results Take Time • Productivity, products and customer service results may suffer at first • It may take time for certain individuals to understand how to become team players • Team responsibilities -- such as goal setting, work planning, problem solving, conflict management, etc. -- take time to learn as a collective • Decision-making takes more time at first as teams grapple with decision models • Teams fluctuate back and forth in terms of their learning and growth • It often takes time to design and implement the necessary Human Resources systems to support and maintain the desired team behaviors

15. Why teams? Four challenges 2. Not Everyone Will Play • Often, senior members of the organization “believe” that they have more to lose by playing the team game — as a consequence, they may resist or leave • Strong individual contributors may not choose to play — as a consequence, they may resist or leave • Other individuals may simply not succeed in the environment and ‘relationship damage’ may occur

16. Why teams? Four challenges 3. Up Front Investments may include: • Facility layouts that are conducive to teaming • The training required to succeed in teams • The extra time spent in handling team member issues and conflicts • The time lost up front in productivity breakdowns, product glitches and poor customer service • The design and implementation of the new Human Resources

17. Why teams? Four challenges 4. No Chance of Success • Certain organization cultures just cannot embrace teams • When senior members of the organization do not “walk the talk,” teams have a greater change of failure • If the Human Resources systems do not fully support the team behaviors, teams have a greater chance of failure