The Contributions of Teams Well-managed teams are powerful forces that can deliver all desired results1. Teams can increase productivity, improve quality, and reduce costs2. Teams can enhance speed and be powerful forces for innovation and change3. Teams can be useful learning mechanisms4. Team members can provide one another with feedback, identify opportunities for growth and development, train, coach, and mentorTEAM: The words group and team are often used interchangeably however they are not the same A working group is a collection of people who work in the same area A team is formed of people with complementary skills who trust one another and are committed to a common purpose, common performance goals, and a common approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.Types of Teams Work teams make or do things such as manufacture, assemble, sell, or provide service Project and development teams work on long-term projects but disband once the work is completed Parallel teams operate separately from the regular work structure of the firm on a temporary basis Management teams coordinate and provide direction to the subunits under their jurisdiction and integrate work among subunits Transnational teams are work teams composed of multinational members whose activities span multiple countries

Self-managed teams are autonomous work groups in which workers were trained to do all or most of the jobs in a unit, have no immediate supervisor, and make decisions previously made by first-line supervisors.1. Traditional Work Groups have no managerial responsibilities2. Quality circles are voluntary groups of people drawn from various production teams who make suggestions about quality3. Semi-autonomous work groups make decisions about managing and carrying out major production activities4. Autonomous work groups control decisions about and execution of a complete range of tasksHow Groups Become Real TeamsGroups become true teams via Basic group activities Passage of time Team development activitiesWhy Groups fail sometimes ?Failure lies in not knowing and doing what makes teams successfulTeam is often just a word used by management to describe merely putting people into groupsTeams sometimes are launched with little or no training or support systemTeams are not truly empoweredTo build high performance teams requires maintenance and costs a lot

Building Effective TeamsTeam effectiveness is defined by three criteria 1. The productive output of the team meets or exceeds the standards of quantity or quality2. Team members realize satisfaction of their personal needs3. Team members remain committed to working together againMotivating Teamwork When working in a group individuals may display one of the following characteristics1. Social loafing occurs when individuals work less hard and are less productive in a group2. Social facilitation effect occurs when individuals work harder when in a group than when working alone To motivate individual members of the team it helps if:1. Group members are held accountable2. Rewards are tied to team performance3. The teams task is motivating.

Conflict The complex maze of interdependencies throughout organizations provides boundless opportunity for conflict to arise Many things cause great potential for destructive conflicta. The sheer number and variety of contactsb. Ambiguities in jurisdiction and responsibilityc. Differences in goalsd. Inter-group competition for scarce resourcese. Different perspectives held by members of different unites People believe they have benefited from a conflict wheni. A new solution is implemented, the problem is solved, and it is unlikely to emerge againii. Work relationships have been strengthened and people believe they can work together productively in the future

Conflict Stylesi. Avoidance is a common reaction to conflict in which people do nothing to satisfy themselves or othersii. Accommodation means cooperating on behalf of the other party but not being assertive about your own interestsiii. Compromise involves moderate attention to both parties concernsiv. Competing is a highly competitive response in which people focus strictly on their own wishes and are unwilling to recognize the other persons concernsv. Collaboration emphasizes both cooperation and assertiveness, the goal is to maximize satisfaction for both parties

When conflict arises the best solutions come from collaboration and focusing on super ordinate goals Super ordinate goals are higher-level goals that take priority over specific individual or group goals

Being a Mediator

Managers spend a lot of time trying to resolve conflict between other people. This is known as being a mediatorFour step strategyi. Investigate the disputeii. Decide how to resolve the disputeiii. Take action by explaining the decision and reasoningiv. Follow up by making sure everyone understands the solution