Team Management
Team management is the ability of an individual or an organization to administer and coordinate a group of individuals to perform a task. Team management involves teamwork, communication, objective setting, and performance appraisals. Team management refers to the various activities which bind a team together by bringing the team members closer to achieve the set targets. For the team members, their team must be their priority and everything else should take a back seat. They should be very focused on their goals.
Concept of a Team
Work teams have been defined in various ways. Two of the important definitions of a work team are presented here for analysis:
These definitions highlight the following important features of a team:
- A team is a small group.
- A team is a group with a common goal.
- A team works as a compact unit with accountability for results.
- A team places emphasis on concerted action.
- A team generates synergy through coordinated efforts.
- A team is self-directing, self-managing, and autonomous.
Types of Teams
Different types of teams prepare an organization for different reasons. In this section, I will run through the five different types that exist currently, and look at some of their pros and cons.
Here are five different types of teams that currently exist:
1. Working Teams
Working teams are teams that are basic to any organization: Marketing teams, Human Resource teams, Finance Teams. They are divided according to their function and they perform ongoing tasks for any organization. Traditionally, the majority of organizations are organized in such a way.
2. Special Purpose Teams
Special purpose teams are teams that are formed to fulfill a special purpose or a one time off project. These teams include working committees for a particular event or a committee that comes together to solve a particular problem. Usually, these teams are not permanent and they are usually disbanded once the purpose of the team is served.
3. Multi-functional Teams
These teams consist of members formed from different areas of expertise. They may come together for a short term basis or sometimes they’re formed permanently. This depends on the nature of the organization they work in.
4. Self-Directed Teams
Self-Directed Teams do not have a clear leader. They have shared leadership and share the responsibility for their work. We do not often see self-directed teams in companies and big organizations; they usually exist in small music groups like bands.
5. Management Teams
Management Teams are like the board of directors of a company. The directors or managers come together to deliberate on strategic and macro-issues that affect the whole organization. This function is traditional and a necessary extension if the organization has workgroups.
Strategy for Effective Team Management
Team management refers to the various activities which bind a team together by bringing the team members closer to achieve the set targets. For the team members, their team must be their priority and everything else should take a back seat. They should be very focused on their goals. The following is a checklist that can be used to build strategies for effective team management.
1. Build a positive company culture
Developing a corporate culture, and adding clarity to the shared values and beliefs of your company can help to establish a foundation for your unique working environment. Corporate culture can play a significant impact on the way your employees perform and make them feel part of something special, which will, in turn, enable them to feel that they have a real purpose in contributing to your company and adding value. You can either implement a mission statement, express corporate culture verbally, or as part of the on-boarding process when hiring new employees.
2. Develop healthy communication practices
Be a role model to your team by developing healthy communication practices at your business. You can do this by ensuring that you invest some time in listening to your employee’s concerns and ideas, as well as by recognizing ways to tackle problems in the work environment that need your input. If you shy away behind emails, delegate to another project manager, or do not address key concerns of your employees, then they will find you less approachable, and the communication framework may break down.
3. Appreciate and reward your employees
Taking the time out to recognize and reward exceptional work from your employees will motivate them to work even harder and feel valued. If you are managing a large team, it can often be difficult to recognize individual efforts or exceptional performance. In this instance, you could invest in arranging a monthly work dinner for those who meet sales goals or send a team email congratulating employees when they have worked exceptionally hard and shown significant results due to their performance. There is a psychology behind the gesture of giving, and that is, by giving, people want to give back and often give more.
4. Invest in training
If you want your talented employees who show promise to really excel and contribute significantly to the growth of your company, then be prepared to invest in training that can enable them to be high-performance employees. You could run workshops, send employees to conferences or organize an in-house training session. With the advancement of technology, the way we run businesses have changed and the need for more training incentives is critical.
5. Look into resources and work environment
The environment and resources available to your employees should be at par with your expectations. If you want your team to deliver successful results and contribute to the growth of your company, you need to be ready to invest in both the resources they need to implement this- and yes, a bright and happy working environment will help. The space you work in can significantly impact your mood, which is why an investment in your office space can ensure that your employees have the resources and space to work cohesively and feel happy to come to work.
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