Behavioral Characteristics of Teams in Human Relations

Teams in Organizations in Human Relations

1. What is team? A group of authors in StudySmarter in UK (2024) defined  team as consists of individuals collaborating on specific tasks to achieve common goals and objectives.

2. Teams in Organization Organizations use different types of teams in different ways to accomplish their objectives. Some teams have a very simple and specific focus, and others face complex issues with organization-wide ramifications. 

3. Teams in Organization Simple Work Teams Administrative Teams Cross-Departmental Teams Process Teams Virtual Teams

4. Teams in Organization Simple Work Teams Simple work teams have low task complexity and low team fluidity. Their goal is simple problem solving, and often they are a group that supports day-to-day activities, dealing with issues that require input from more than one person or to generate commitment from employees. Usually these are people from a same team or department, so they generally have a similar focus and tend to work together relatively easily.

5. Teams in Organization Administrative Teams An administrative team has high task complexity but low team membership fluidity, meaning that the problems the team deals with are complex but people stream in and out of the group. The goal of an administrative team is to problem solve and then “sell” their ideas to the rest of the organization. Their focus could be internal, external, or both, and the team members are usually management level.

6. Teams in Organization Cross-Departmental Teams A cross-departmental team tends to have a low complexity level but a high team membership fluidity, meanin g the work is fairly simple, but the teams are committed and fairly unchanging. Their goal is integration in structure and setting ground rules, and their focus is internal and very specific.

7. What are the advantages of cross-departmental teams? Cross-departmental teams entail various benefits for companies, among which the following three advantages are most prominent: Cross-departmental teams accelerate task completion. With their skillful and diverse members, cross- departmenal teams can tackle various projects at hand. Cross-departmental teams are dynamic and creative in producing innovative ideas.

8. Teams in Organization Process Teams Process teams deal with high complexity tasks and have high team member fluidity, meaning people are assigned to the team and stay. These folks are creative problem solvers and deal with implementation. Their focus is strategic and broad.

9. Teams in Organization Virtual Teams It’s worth noting that there are now also virtual teams, which are teams that use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal. It is true that these virtual teams might be an administrative, cross-functional, simple work or even a process team, but they are distinctive in that they allow people to collaborate online.

10. Self-managed Team Self-managed teams (SMTs) are a commonly used process team used in organizations. Self-managed teams are process teams of employees who have full managerial control over their own work. 

11. Overall self-managed teams include these characteristics: The power to manage their work Members with different expertise and functional experience No outside manager The power to implement decisions Coordination and cooperation with other teams and individuals impacted by their decisions Internal leadership, based on facilitation. This means that a rotating leader focuses on freeing the team from obstacles as they do their work.

12. Overall self-managed teams include these characteristics: Self-managed teams require a change in structure on behalf of the organization and a high level of commitment on behalf of all parties to ensure their success. Most self-managed teams that fail do so because of a lack of commitment on the part of the organization.

13. What are the responsibilities of a self-managed work team? In this team, members often perform tasks ranging from work scheduling and operational planning to working with customers and assisting operational decision-making processes.

14. Problem Solving Team A  problem-solving team  consists of 5-10 members from the same department. The team will have a number of weekly meetings to resolve specific business problems. In fact, this type of team can alleviate possible risks associated with certain crises while developing thorough solutions that address multiple business segments. Often, problem-solving teams are assembled temporarily. Usually, team members in problem-solving teams are gathered in case of a crisis or an unplanned matter at work. Thus, such teams try to address the issue and drive the organizations out of the ongoing crisis.

15. What are possible crises that concern problem-solving teams? Problem-solving teams can work to alleviate possible risks in crises such as the global financial crisis in 2008-2009, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the currently increasing inflation rates across countries, and so on.

16. Team Effectiveness Team effectiveness is all about creating an empowering and satisfying work environment. It involves a group of individuals who work together to achieve a shared goal established by an authority, a team or team members. With the help of different models such as frameworks, a team dynamic can be analyzed and improved.

17. Factors of Team Effectiveness Reinforce a Shared Purpose L eaders must inspire their teams with a sense of purpose and vision. Leaders must lay out the direction and provide updates for their work teams. Leaders also need to show their teams how changes impact their individual goals and purpose and most importantly leaders need to show their teams that they value their efforts.

18. Factors of Team Effectiveness Provide Role C larity Everyone needs to be clear on who does what so employees can remain focused on achieving goals. Team leaders establish role clarity by setting individual goals and responsibilities, and making sure expected contributions are clear. More importantly, leaders should make sure each team member’s qualifications, capabilities, and motivations match their role. Also, team members should help leaders by knowing their own boundaries when making decisions and assigning work.

19. Factors of Team Effectiveness Promote Enabling P rocesses Teams need time to reflect on their successes and failures. They also need to ensure they have the time, staff, funding, and resources to do their job. Successful teams have clear team processes for planning, tracking, documenting, and managing work. Teams also need to control how they spend their time. Leaders need to make sure their teams are not falling behind because of inefficiencies or wasted time. Leaders should check in regularly with their teams to get feedback on whether they have what they need.

20. Factors of Team Effectiveness Create a Psychologically Safe Environment. Team members want to feel comfortable, valued, and involved. Unfortunately, the vast majority don’t feel this way. Teams establish emotional security with a high level of trust, comfort,  psychological safety , and understanding. They also need to respect one another, and intentionally invite everyone’s input and incorporate it into collective activities, like brainstorming sessions. Psychological safety is one of the most important factors in teams, especially during times of crisis and uncertainty. Leaders need to engage with their teams on an emotional level to keep them engaged and productive.

21. Factors of Team Effectiveness Encourage a Collaborative S pirit. A collaborative spirit encourages everyone to come together to think about the best ways to tackle work. It often brings new, diverse ideas and perspectives to the project team. L eaders must encourage a collaborative spirit if they hope to achieve team effectiveness. They should share relevant information openly and clearly with their teams and encourage their teams to prioritize collective contributions over individual competition.

22. Factors of Team Effectiveness Foster Growth Orientation People need to learn and grow if they want to improve their performance. Effective teams provide more ideas and output to benefit the entire organization, sparking growth. These ideas come from experimenting or brainstorming new ways to solve problems. One way to continue growing is for team members to learn from each other. Teams provide opportunities for everyone to grow and develop skills together.

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