Article- Team Management

A team is a group of individuals who come together for a single goal. They possess complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose. A team differs greatly from a group as a group is just a gathering of people and it is not necessary that they share the same motive. But in a team, a task is at hand and the team members contribute one’s share to achieve the goal. A team always works more effectively than individual performances as there is a sharing of ideas and intermingling of personnel. The expertise, the knowledge, the experience, the skill and the perspectives are better off shared and analyzed in a team that set on a goal individually. It is conflation of many brilliant minds melting down a single task and moulding it desirably. This brings about to the co-mingling of wisdoms and experiences in a single go, producing the most effective outcome possible.

 

The building of a team is as essential as ingredients to a tasty dish. Every person has his/her own trait that may or may not be suitable for a team and this depends greatly upon the task.  So the preliminary step in making a team is to identify the purpose of the team and to employ an able leader who can handle all the personality types and situations very well.

The selection of a team is very important. Hence, the team members should not be of a random choice, but a result of careful analysis of each person, their style, manners, experience, skill and effectiveness. Both existing and potential skills are to be considered and also blend of problem solving and decision making talents and interpretational talents are weighed dearly.

 The goal determines the team size as a great team may create more fuss. Hence, a smaller team is to be assigned for complex tasks and a large team is better off bestowed on with simpler tasks that demands straightforward measures.

Before the team begins to pour upon a task, it is necessary to prescribe the leadership roles and to define the goals well. This also includes a briefing up on other such teams that specialize in areas related to their tasks. This will help in inter-team relations. The norms and guides of team behaviors is also set up in the early stages, while building a team so as to limit clashes and confusions. The rules are to be clearly drawn out right at the beginning.

When leading a team, it is necessary to pick up certain break points. The goals should be set at the onset to give a clear cut idea of what is to be done. The goals should also be communicated clearly without any scope of confusions. Every achievement is to be valued and celebrated. Individual contributions are to be brought to the forefront.

Participation from each and every member is to be ensured and the team members are to be delegated special roles so that no further tension would arise in the group later. Decision making should be more of a contributed effort rather than an individual act. The leader is to ensure group participation during decision makings and everyone is to have a say. This is possible only if the leader approach the team mates with an open mind, free of prejudices. Unity and participation in the group decides the team efficiency.

It is necessary to build a consensus within the team and every conflict is to be resolved as quick as it arose. Once an agreement is made, it is safe not to ponder more upon it and to move quickly to catch up the pace. Setting expectations for the team boosts up its overall performance and also keeps them pressurized so as not to wander into petty conflicts and time killers but helps them stay on track. Whenever it is necessary intervene immediately rather than waiting for things to go beyond control. The team’s cohesion is a strong factor.

The easiest way to improve the team’s performance is to establish a clear purpose and to issue proper directions. The selection of the team members greatly affects the performance, so the most suitable personality types are to be gathered as a team. Clear rules of behavior and clear work space are deciding factors when it comes to a team’s performance. All possible feedbacks and reviews ( peer review, customer review, self appraisal, team leader review and management review) are to be considered seriously and dealt with, rewarding or warning the person accordingly.

It is always easy avoiding clashes in a team and slowing paces and it all depends on the bringing together of a team that can withstand clashes and problems from both inside and outside the team.