Company Operation and Management

Teamwork

Preparation: Words and Expressions

incremental
accountability
organizational performance
the bottom line
emergency room
trauma
functional department
be accountable for
creative innovation
reward system
pay back
individuality
independent thinking
group decision-making
managerial skill
coordinate
interpersonal relationship
mutual trust
bring out potentials
closely-knit
keep track of
time-consuming
line manager
pre-requisite
team-building
nurture
nurture team dynamics
promote team spirit
drive team success
minimize
inhibit
liven up
training session
rafting
rock climbing
teammate
impact
complementary
revitalize
sense of responsibility
at hand
overbearing
go back on
overly critical
open-minded
title
common vision
gauge
trait
commitment
interpersonal communication skills
interpersonal skills
address
creative innovation

Background Reading

The difference between a work group and a real team

The distinctions between a team and a work group are very important because the operating level of a group effects:

the ability of groups of people to contribute to their organization
the levels of personal growth and satisfaction of group members
the return on resources (time, talent, money, etc.) expanded by the group
the requirements for operating, growing and maintaining the group

The difference between a work group and a real team

Fundamental factors that distinguish between work groups and real teams are the presence or absence of:

an incremental performance need or opportunity
true interdependence and
real shared accountability

The best single criterion to use for determining whether a team or work group is the best choice for a given situation is this: Does an incremental performance need or opportunity exist? Put another way, is there a need or opportunity to make a significant difference in organizational performance? It is important to select the right kind of group, either work group or team, for each situation. One it not inherently better than the other. If a significant performance need or opportunity exists, then a team is potentially a better choice. If it does not, then a work group is preferable. Teams have greater performance potential, but require more development and maintenance than work groups. It comes down to an issue of return on investment. Remember also that return is measured not only in dollars, but in quality of work life and other intangibles which will ultimately, though not always immediately, effect the bottom line.

Examples of situations where real teams are needed are sports teams or emergency room trauma teams. For both of these, there is a key performance need or opportunity, true interdependency and shared accountability. If they are not functioning as real teams, the result is disaster.

Examples of situations where you often find work groups are a functional department in an organization, or clerks in a department store, or waiters in a restaurant. In each one of these groups there can be similar individual objectives, but a lack of any small group common objective. There is some form of coordination or collaboration, but not usually shared accountability or interdependency. In each of these work group examples, if a significant performance need or opportunity existed, then it would be worthwhile to explore the choice to become a real team with a common group objective, shared accountability, true interdependency and other real team attributes.

The decision whether to become a real team or a work group should be made based on the advantages obtained versus the investment required.

Sample Test

Part One: Interview

What do you think is the role of a team leader?
What are the effective ways to boost team morale?
What is essential in successful team building?
Is it a good idea to hire a team building provider?

A team leader is a person who leads a group of individuals to achieve set objectives or goals. Providing instruction, direction and coordinating the team work are the major responsibilities of a team leader. A team leader also performs many of the same tasks as the rest of the team members.
One way is to organize team-related events so that employees feel more connected to one another and this will enhance a greater sense of responsibility for the success of the team. Another way is to give incentives to those who have performed well, or to address the suggestions given by team members.
I think the secret of successful team building is setting up mutual trust. When members share a trusting relationship, they will better communicate with each other. This helps to bring out the potentials, experience and creativity of the individual and create good work environment.
Yes. If we get professional advice from a team building provider, we can im.prove the way team members communicate, upgrade their ability to solve problems and increase work efficiency in general.

Part Two: Mini-presentation

What's important when organizing a team building event

planning the schedule in advance
costs of the event

When organizing a team building event, the first thing you need to do is planning the event ahead of time. You should work with your team closely to work out all aspects of the planned event, such as setting clear objectives, deciding on effective team-building activities, choosing venues, predicting things that can go wrong during the event,etc. Full preparation can help you truly build up team spirit and ensure that your team members get something out of the event you organize.

With that being said, we can move on to the next important thing we need to consider, that is costs of the event. We need to work out what we have to purchase to help the event move along, and how much it will cost.

On top of that, we should also decide whether to hire others to help us set the event up properly.

A Good Team Leader

The company you work for is thinking of selecting a new team leader. You have been asked to make suggestions about the makings of a good team leader.

Discuss the situation together, and decide:

what personal qualities a team leader should possess
what leadership style a good team leader should choose

A: I think the most important personal quality we expect in a good team leader is integrity -- a good leader should be an honest and trustworthy person, he or she should be committed to ethical values.

B: Yes. I'm quite with you here. Integrity helps to reinforce ethical behaviours among team members and enhance cooperation and build up good working atmosphere.

A: Competence is another important leadership quality. A good team leader should be experienced and capable of coordinating tasks the team is supposed to achieve. A competent team leader can always command the attention and respect of the team members so that he or she can direct the team efficiently and provide assistance when necessary.

B: I agree. Decisiveness is also important. A good team leader should have the ability to make decisions quickly based on the information at hand and stick to these decisions. A team leader must constantly tell team members what to do and make decisions about projects. Inability to make right decisions can hamper project progress. And if the leader goes back on decisions, he can lose his integrity and credibility.

A: You're quite right. A team leader should also be open-minded and easy-going. If workers are afraid to approach their team leader, it can result in communication failure.

B: Yes. Besides all this, creativity and innovative spirit are also expected in a good team leader.

A: Yes, of course. A leader leads based on his strengths, not on his titles. And I should say the leadership style a team leader chooses will have direct impact on the workplace.

B: I think a democratic leadership style is very effective in mobilizing the team toward a common vision. The teammates will be happy to contribute fresh ideas and work together for the shared objectives.

A: Being a good team leader means that he can never give up on the team. A democratic style enables the leader to communicate more effectively with the team and increase work efficiency.

B: Good leaders are always willing to listen. An overbearing leader can only lead to negative team emotions.

A: Yes. A good leader doesn't act like a bossy person who's in charge of everyone. He himself is a good team player.

What are the bad effects of never praising your teammates?
What are the qualities bad leaders have in common?
Should the length of service be considered in selecting a team leader?
Should the length of service be considered in selecting a team leader?

As a team leader, you should always be ready to praise your teammates whenever they have done a good job. Not to show your appreciation for their efforts can discourage them and as a result can lower the morale of the team.
Bad leaders usually have a negative attitude towards everything. They are overly critical and always see negative outcomes in just about everything the team members do. They cannot trust people and usually lack communication skills, so they tend to ignore information or concerns raised by his teammates.
Yes. If you choose a person who has worked in the company for a considerable length of time, he certainly has a good knowledge of the organization, and can make better decisions suited to the workplace.
Yes. Being a team leader can be emotionally challenging. Emotional maturity is what a good team leader should possess. He should be able to not only control his own emotions, but gauge the motions of his team, manage their anxieties and effectively influence them in a positive way.