Teams are crucial building blocks in the organization structure that can increase productivity and cost-efficiency of a business. Effective teams initiate not only change and innovation, but also provide benefits for their members, including learning opportunities and personal rewards. A team is different from a group since it performs as a unit of people “with complementary skills who trust one another and are committed to a common purpose, common performance goals, and a common approach” (Bateman, Snell, & Konopaske, 2017, p. 274). A capable team needs to meet certain criteria, which include productive output, member satisfaction, and long-term commitment (Bateman et al., 2017). There are various ways, which can help an organization build productive teams, recruit the most effective leaders, and develop appropriate communication channels.
Firstly, management can introduce an external performance challenge (outside competition) to engage members as well as ensure their commitment. An outside challenge helps team members identify a common goal and create effective performance strategies such as allocation of roles and appropriate communication channels. Secondly, it is important to consider the option of tying rewards to team performance. By motivating teams with financial rewards, managers can create a social facilitation effect (working better in a group) since members become responsible for their own productivity. For example, teams at Nucor are empowered and motivated to increase their performance because of the significant bonuses (Bateman et al., 2017). Additionally, managers have to select and recruit new team members with the right combination of technical, functional, and social skills. Each team is unique and, therefore, it is crucial to prioritize some skills over other ones based on the level of expertise or the character of social interactions required to be a part of a particular team. At Whole Foods Market, for instance, employees have an opportunity to remove a new hire after the first month of working with them (Bateman et al., 2017). It helps the company recruit members with similar attitudes and values, which ensures effective communication and mutual understanding.
An effective team consists of people who fill certain roles and have different responsibilities according to them. Task specialists and team maintenance specialists are two of the most important sets of roles that help an organization move forward and accomplish common goals (Bateman et al., 2017). These roles can be filled by one person or a group of people, but it is vital for these individuals to have essential leadership traits. A task specialist needs the ability to scout, which would help them seek all the necessary information to further investigate potential problems. A team maintenance specialist, on the other hand, must have appropriate interpersonal skills, including the ability to relate to team members in order to build trust and soothe hurt feelings. Social skills are often more essential than technical knowledge when it comes to being an effective team leader since emotional intelligence has the most transformational impact on team maintenance and productivity (Mysirlaki & Parakseva, 2020).
The performance measurement of effective team leadership is affected largely by the level of cohesiveness in a team, referring to how attracted and committed members are to staying in a particular group. Leaders can create safe and friendly environments for their coworkers, which increases member satisfaction. However, cohesiveness can lead to negative performance outcomes (Bateman et al., 2017). For example, if the team task is to make a decision, the members of a highly cohesive group cannot solve a simple problem since they are afraid to criticize each other. An effective leader makes sure the task is to produce an output so that the members are required to criticize, argue, and compromise. Moreover, highly cohesive groups need to enforce high-performance norms. If the common goal of a cohesive group is poor performance, it will eventually achieve the worst outcome (Bateman et al., 2017). Managers need to ensure team leads create the right tasks and develop the appropriate performance norms.
The fundamental aspect of most team operations, including problem-solving and conflict resolution, is effective communication. It is crucial for management to create a two-way communication channel, which would allow a message sender to get feedback from a receiver. Oral communication includes “face-to-face discussion, telephone conversations, and formal presentations and speeches” (Bateman et al., 2017, p. 297). The effectiveness of different types of oral communication depends on the situation, but, to my mind, face-to-face interactions are the most effective form of oral communication in a team environment. While a discussion can be time-consuming, it allows speakers to receive instant feedback as well as to be more receptive and persuasive. If an employee wanted to discuss a personal matter such as a possible vacation, it would be more effective to have a face-to-face discussion. Written communication, including texts, e-mails, reports, and letters, allows the sender to revise the message, while the receiver has more time to analyze the information from it. In my opinion, e-mail is the best option for written communication in a team environment since it reduces time and expenses related to other written communication modes. While social networks like Twitter and Facebook are considered too casual, e-mail can be used as an official communication channel to create a permanent record for later reference.
Effective team building includes presenting an external challenge, tying rewards to performance, as well as recruiting people with complementary skills and similar attitudes. A good team leader needs to have a combination of technical, functional, and social skills. Task and team maintenance specialists need to have the ability to scout for the necessary information and relate to other members. It is crucial for the company’s management to develop appropriate communication modes, including oral and written communication, which present their own set of advantages and disadvantages.
References
- Bateman, T. S., Snell, S. A., & Konopaske, R. (2017). M: Management (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
- Mysirlaki, S. & Parakseva, F. (2020). Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership in virtual teams: Lessons from MMOGs. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, doi: 10.1108/LODJ-01-2019-0035