Developing an Effective Team

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Another aspect of team building that must be determined is a reward system. Bringing the two teams together may be difficult and offering some type of reward for the entire team for performing well together may be a good way of encouraging synergy and cooperation (Hackman). For many years, organizations have used reward systems to improve performance and produce beneficial outcomes for all involved. According to a book entitled “Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for great performances” a good reward system is designed to provide reinforcement and recognition that is based upon the performance of team members. Rewards provide team with motivation to meet the challenges that are before them (Hackman).

In addition, providing a team with a reward makes it clear to them that the organization values the work they do and is willing to provide additional resource to demonstrate the value of the team (Hackman). Additionally, rewarding the team as a group encourages them to work together in a collective manner because they are aware of what is at stake (Hackman). As it relates to recognition and reinforcement theorists established long ago that rewards are more beneficial to changing or shaping behaviors than punishment (Hackman). So instead of punishing a team for performing poorly it is more advantageous for an organization to reward a team for performing well (Hackman). In offering the reward the team and the individuals on the team will be more likely to perform well on a consistent basis (Hackman). The type of reward that the team is presented with is also of the utmost importance. It is important that member of the team have a say so concerning the types or rewards that they will receive.

In most cases some type of monetary gift is the most popular type of reward (Hackman). Choosing the right type of reward is important because if the team believes that the reward is silly or not conducive with the type of work that went into the project, they may not strive to perform well in the future (Hackman). Lastly it is important that the organization realize how important teams can be to the overall health of the organization.

Overall team building can be a rather difficult task. Through team coach and team reward any organization that has a desire to maintain a competitive advantage well into the future would benefit greatly from effective team building.

Conclusion

Fundamentals of Building Effective Teams are involved in building and maintaining an effective team. An effective team needs a supportive environment, good leadership, discipline, effective communication, challenge and empowerment. But in my opinion the key fundamentals of building and maintaining effective teams are; maintaining the right size, developing the right mix of skills, committing to a common purpose and performance goals, committing to a common approach and developing mutual accountability. Right Size One fundamental aspect of the building a team is to pay particular attention to its size. Size may vary depending on the team purpose, performance goals, approach and complementary skills and accountability, but a small group, typically less than twelve tend to be more effective. The team must have an adequate number to have the right skill mix represented and to perform its intended function. But the team cannot be too large. Large numbers of people have more difficulty interacting constructively, have more difficulty communicating, have more trouble finding common ground on specific actions and may have more issues with hierarchical differences. Large groups have issues such as finding enough physical space and workable times to meet. Large groups may face constraints related to social behaviors that may prevent sharing of viewpoints. Adequate Levels of Complementary Skills Another fundamental for building effective teams is that the team must develop the right mix of complementary skills and skill potential to accomplish the teams’ task. The team needs to have team members with the right technical and functional expertise to accomplish the task. The team needs to have problem and decision making skills to be able to identify the problems and opportunities, evaluate the options and make the necessary trade-offs and decisions on how best to accomplish their goals. The team must also have the interpersonal skills to effectively communicate, deal with conflict, and criticism, listen, support and recognize the interests of all the team members. It is important that each team member understand each other’s skills and roles within the team. Fulfilling the individual’s potential helps achieve the teams’ purpose. Common purpose and performance goals A team must be committed to a common purpose and have performance goals which are designed to achieve this purpose. Performance goals that provide significant challenges help energize the team. Without performance goals related to a clear purpose the team will never cohere and go forward. Broad directives should be transformed into specific and measurable performance goals. The purpose should be clear. A common clear purpose can set the tone and build ownership in the team. Sometimes the team may develop their own purpose, be given a purpose from the leader or the purpose may be shaped from the outside, possibly by management. Direction from management can help frame the requirements and the performance goals for the team. However, a team that explores, shapes and agrees on its own purpose can build ownership and help motivate the team. Team discussions can focus on how to pursue and change goals. To be effective, a team must require roughly equivalent contributions from all the team members and the contributions should add real value to the teams’ ultimate goals. Specific performance objectives clarify communication and helps with constructive conflict within the team. Attaining specific performance goals helps the team maintain its focus on getting results. Specific objectives have a leveling effect conducive to team behavior. Specific goals allow the team to achieve small wins. The teams purpose and performance goals have need to be integrated to stay relevant and vital. Performance goals should be specific and measurable. Specific performance goals help the team track its progress. Performance goals may involve some risk, require trust and interdependence to carry out and may require hard work to execute. Common Approach The development of a common approach is very important. Developing a common approach is about how to accomplish the team’s purpose. The approach should include an economic, administrative and social aspect. The approach should be clear, concrete, and understood and agreed upon by everyone. The approach should capitalize on the capabilities of all team members. Team members should be equally involved