Introduction.
“A champion team will always beat a team of champions.” That statement’s often heard in sport. But it applies in the workplace too. Managers sometimes concern themselves with building a team of champions. They should concentrate on building a champion team. Think about it this way.
The Team As the Basic Workplace Unit
Organizations are comprised of individuals. We spend lots of time and money trying to get individuals to perform well. That’s desirable. But there’s another perspective. Each individual can perform well. But if they can’t work effectively with each other, your business will suffer. The basic human performance unit of the workplace isn’t the individual. It’s the team. You don’t have to build teams. You have to develop those which already exist. If you fail, it will limit your business results especially in small business.
Characteristics Of A Workplace Team
In the workplace, a team is identified by three simple characteristics.
- If one person in the team doesn’t do their job well, someone else in the team can’t do theirs well either.
- Individuals depend on the help of other members to achieve their work goals.
- The goals of the overall team are more important than the goals of the individual members.
When I use the word “team” that’s what I mean.
Misleading Titles
Unfortunately the use of the word has been devalued in the workplace in recent years. Some managers and consultants use the word to describe any work group. It’s as if by saying “team” you create “teamwork”. There’s a lot more involved than trendy word play.
Take care. Merely because we call a work group a team, e.g. “sales team”, doesn’t mean it’s effective. It may not even be accurate. The so called “sales team” includes support staff. But some salespeople don’t treat support staff as co-members.
Multiple Team Membership
Even in very small businesses most employees are members of two or more teams. Sales support staff, for instance, may also be members of the “admin team”. Clerical staff are in the “admin team” but could also be part of the “warehouse team” and the “accounts team”.
Corporate Goals and Team Goals
Clearly defined corporate goals are essential if you want your company to be successful. They’re also necessary so that you can set effective team goals. Individual goals flow from them. It’s not enough to have sound corporate goals. You must convey them, very clearly, to both your teams and the individual members. You cannot expect either individuals to drive themselves down a road that has neither a clear destination nor signposts. And top management must agree on their roles and goals.
New Mindsets
Effective team performance demands new mindsets. Managers need to recognise the importance of teams in achieving corporate goals and in developing competent performance among members. You may need to review your reward systems to reflect their performance. Individuals need to understand that being a “star performer” isn’t as important as being an effective contributor to a “star team”.
Relevance Of Relationships
Work isn’t a “love in”. Unfortunately many attempts to develop “teamwork” focus on building better interpersonal relationships between members. I’ve experienced many examples where close interpersonal bonds actually interfered with effective team performance. In these cases, individuals were not willing to risk upsetting a personal relationship for the good of the overall group.
When individuals commit to team goals they’ll find ways to minimise their differences. And all members, even those who don’t “get on well”, will experience the satisfaction of achieving the goals. That’s always an advantage in your business.
Conclusion
Start developing your workplace teams by identifying them clearly. Remember multiple membership too. Set goals and performance standards for your teams. Develop systems that enhance performance both within and between teams. And review your rewards and incentives to ensure they include team performance. But if you don’t have clearly defined corporate goals, sort them out first.
