When you begin working in an organisation, it is most likely that you will end up in a team. In the current work culture, most companies prefer constructing teams to get their tasks done. Managers or firm owners believe that it is better to divide a task amongst people who are like minded getting better solutions and faster results.
Definition of a team
A team is formed when like minded people, having similar set of professional skills and experience in the relevant department are brought together to work for a common task. People in one team tend to have a similar approach to solving problems, have common goals and objectives and find it easier to collaborate and communicate with each other. When in a team, all team members tend to function in the following manner-
• They are interdependent on their team members.
• Seek cooperation and help when in need
• Listen and comprehend ideas from their fellow team members.
• Share the workload equally and take responsibility of their work.
• Collectively responsible for the team’s work
• Have a shared vision and a common goal to achieve.
• Work with a team spirit to give their best performance.
A team becomes better when the team members work with a strong sense of mutual commitment to work towards the successful completion of the task assigned. A good team is always well coordinated and gives out quality work!
Types of teams
An organisation has various kinds of teams depending upon the tasks that need to be executed. In a team, each member should be able to complement each other and should be ready to help each other in any scenario.
Let us see the various kinds of teams that are formed in an organisation and the various types of tasks that they carry out.
• Permanent teams- these are the kind of teams that are never dissolved irrespective of work or no work. These teams contribute in tasks that are of permanent nature and help in the basic functioning of the firm. For example, the teams like human resources, operations, administration or technical support team can be considered as an example of permanent teams because they are never dissolved even in their tasks. Such teams will always get fresh responsibilities almost always.
• Temporary teams- As the name suggests, these teams are temporary and are formed to complete a specific task. These teams are dissolved once their task is completed. Whenever the need arises, such teams are generally formed to assist or help the permanent teams to complete a specific task. When organisations have excessive workload, they tend to form temporary teams so that the workload of permanent teams can be reduced, and deadlines be achieved.
• Committees- Committees are formed either permanently or temporarily, to execute a task. People of common interests join hands to execute a task on a common platform. Remember, how in college you used to have committees headed by a teacher most of the times, to organise cultural events and other personality development activities all-round the year!
• Task force- task forces are formed to specifically solve a problem or any matter of emergency which needs to be probed with utmost care and attention. Most of the times, Governments form task forces to deal with difficult issues like a terrorist attack. These task forces are meant to concentrate specifically on the investigation and give results within a stipulated deadline.
• Workforce- these teams are formed when a group of people work under the expert guidance of a team leader to achieve a common goal. The leader is generally appointed from within the team to ensure the smooth functioning of the complete team and take all the required decisions. These teams, a lot of times, form the core of the organisation and work to form important strategies for the organisation.
• Cross functional teams- generally temporary in nature, such teams are formed when people from different departments come together to form a team and work on a assignment. People who are at the same level of the hierarchy are brought together to avoid any ego clashes to work parallelly. These teams are usually formed in case of emergencies. People from different professional backgrounds come together to bring up a unique idea to successfully complete an assignment.
• Self-managed teams- as the name suggests, self-managed teams work without a leader. In such teams, every member is accountable for their own work and their performance. These teams have no supervision of any leader and therefore it is even more essential for all the team members that they work in harmony, avoiding any possible conflict. The individuals take initiative on their own, discuss amongst themselves and take decisions with everyone’s consent and are their own mentors.
• Virtual teams- a lot of organisations function in a way which allow them to work with individuals virtually. Thanks to internet, a person need not be present in the office premises to work and still be a part of the team. Virtual teams comprise of individuals which work with an organisation from separate locations, connect with each other through various social media platforms and still work together to successfully complete a assignment or solve a problem.
Team Building- what and why!
Each team has its own flaws and capabilities! No person is perfect and so no team is perfect! But when you are the manager of a team, it is your responsibility to make sure that your team is motivated, has good coordination and works together to achieve the assigned target successfully. But when you feel that your team is lagging, and their shoulders are dropping, this is when team building activities come into play.
Team building refers primarily to activities that are undertaken to encourage the team and keep them motivated to boost the overall performance of the team. You cannot just expect the team to work on its own without having any encouraging factor! With the right team building activities, you can boost the morale of your team members and help them work better.
A good team manager will make sure to conduct good team building activities to buck up the team. These activities help in developing a stronger bond amongst the team members which automatically helps in making the team perform better.
