In LO4204 Dan Barkley asks about the inherent criteria for a team.
Briefly, the major criteria are as follows:
- formed for a short duration
- formed to "defeat" an external foe or achieve a SPECIFIC, clearly defined
objective
- small in size, preferably 10-15 people
- members have a diverse skill mix
- leadership is shared within the team based upon demands of the task
- high levels of communication vertically and horizontally
- team knows how it/its efforts fit into and directly impact the "bottom
line" of the larger organization
- members feel a high degree of responsibility and accountability to other
team members for achieving the team's goals/objectives
- members work toward a team agenda (task) rather than a personal agenda
(process)
All of this together means that a large (bureaucratic) organization cannot
perform as a team. It is too large and has no clearly defined, specific
objectives. What such an organization has is a set of recurring
processes/requirements. Once achieved, these requirements start over
again. No "foe" is overcome and no goal is achieved except to do these
"routine" processes over and over again. Decisions are handled at the top
(the manager or supervisor) and communication is typically one-way ...
downward. The place of the group in the larger organization and their
contributions are unimportant: they belong to the company and that is
enough. If tasks don't get done when they are "supposed" to, it matters
little because they will get done later.
Efforts to improve work processes, communications, member involvement,
etc. to the most efficient or effective level possible calls upon a higher
level of *teamwork*, but exhibiting this teamwork does not make the
organization a team, merely a high performing workgroup.
How large is this non-team? It depends upon the group. If a group of
only 5 people with similar backgrounds (say ... accounting) are about
their business of accounting for clients' moneys and expenses, preparing
tax forms, etc., they are working as a high performing group. They have
similar backgrounds and each does their respective "thing" independently
of the others. None needs the others to accomplish their tasks except to
help handle the volume of work.
On the other hand, if one of these accountants works with a tax lawyer and
a business manager to stop an action that will cost their common client a
ton of money, they are working as a team. Once they have staved off the
taxman, their objective is achieved and they are no longer a team. The
team is disbanded. If these people continue to work together routinely
they may be constitute a high performing workgroup working to prevent such
a situation from occuring again by prudent management of money and other
assets. But they are no longer a team.
--Clyde Howell The Howell Group OrgPsych@aol.com