When to Create
Teams
By Timothy I. Thomas
We throw around the word “team” a lot in
business. But it is important to understand exactly what
a team is so that we can create truly productive and
dynamic teams that can transform our organizations:
- A team has a common purpose and shared goals.
- A team involves multiple people cooperating to get
the job done.
- A team involves interdependency: each member has a
stake in the task outcomes of the others.
- A team is accountable as a functioning unit within
a larger organizational context.
Having defined what a team truly is, it is important to
understand that teams are not always the right answer in
the business environment. They can be a powerful solution,
but they can also hamper an organization’s effectiveness
if they are put in place ill-advisedly.
To determine if a team approach is appropriate in a given
business situation, ask yourself the following questions.
The more you find yourself answering “yes,” the
more likely it is that a team approach will work well in
your particular circumstances:
- Is the scope of the project so broad that ideas
and solutions will require more than one viewpoint
or approach?
- Are you willing to accept a temporary drop in performance
in return for long-term improvements?
- Is “buy-in” critical to the outcome of
the initiative?
- Are you willing to give the team decision-making power
within negotiated boundaries?
- Is the organization willing and able to provide the
team with necessary training, resources, and ongoing
support?
Here are a few situations where you should definitely
NOT form a team:
- When a decision, recommendation and/or solution needs
to be determined quickly and you can identify experts
to make/find the answer(s).
- When a team approach is not well thought out, but is
instead the popular or trendy thing to do.
- When a team is merely “window dressing” and
has no real power to make decisions or implement a course
of action.
© 2008 Timothy I. Thomas
Article Source: http://www.makariosconsulting.com
About the Author
Timothy I. Thomas is the President and CEO of Makarios
Consulting, LLC, a leadership development and business
consulting firm. Makarios Consulting specializes in interactive
training and one-on-one coaching in progressive organizations
in order to equip and empower their leaders to maximize
their own leadership skills and inspire others to accomplish
extraordinary business results. Timothy Thomas is the author
of Creating
All-Star Performers: The Power of Effective Feedback,
now available for immediate download at www.MakariosConsulting.com |
