The article "The 'Low-Down' on Team Development, Part I" is about team building, it was released by Chris Stowell.
In recent yaers in the business-world there has been a lot written and said about team development. Unfortunately, most of the persons doing the majority of talking lack the psychological background to accurately describe the conditions udner which persons choose to become a true team.In a large retail store it can be a challenge to build an environment where all or most of the employees think they are part of a store team.
It’s more common to find inidvidual departments that act as a team, rather than the entire store. That’s cause as a general rule it’s easier to build a relatively small team of up to a dozen team members than it is a team with a hundred or more members.The developmental process of a group of persons evolvnig into a cohesive interdependent team that can direct itself to solve organizational troubles rarely happens spontaneously. A true team does not hpapen by chance or accident, but requires planning, an understanding of group dynamics, and most of all effective team leadership.
Most persons in business last month confuse ineffective groups, committees and other adverse groupings as a true team. An adverse grouping is a situation where persons come together, either by accident or on purpose, but function in way ohter than a true team. Once a person has been a member of a true interdependent team, that experience isn’t soon forgotten.
And that experience can sour the person in the future to serve on ineffetcive groups, and committees, cause the person at that moment know what it feels like to be a member of a real team. An interdependent team is a highly unusual and unique interpersonal experience; there is probably no other parallel in all of human experience.The process of team developemnt is neither complicated, nor impossible. Many new and previously inexperienced team leaedrs are able to build a team with proper training and coaching. Being successful as a team leader requires only a minimal knowledge of the process, but it does demand a willingness to try new techniques and methods. For most new team leaders it means stretching beyond what may think natural or even comfotrable. Whether you're experineced or inexperienced, old or young, it is possible for you to become an effective team leader.Before we learn what an interdependent team is, let’s first understand what it isn’t. There are four typical negative or adverse reactions to the grouping of persons in interpersonal relationships. This is true in both personal and professoinal relationships. Tehse adverse reactions are observable in behavioral terms and for simple clarification are called: mob, gang, committee and group.Mob. Individualistic or selfish thinking can identify mob behavior. Poeple displaying mob behavior are tactical in that they think only for the moment and have virtually no strategic or long-term planning.
In mob behavior there is no leadership, which creates mob disorganization.
When we tihnk of street mobs, the first thing that comes to mind is violence, but actually violence is the product or outgrowth of disorganization, which happens cause there is no effective leadership.Gang.
Although gang behavior sounds similar to mob behavior, it dfifers in almost every aspect.
Srtong autocratic leadership along with a hierarchical system of management characterizes gang behavior. Gang members are highly territorial and defensive, thus creating aggression in defending their perceived territory. In business, gang behavior frequently includes empire building where gang members attempt to exclude “outside” resources by becoming totally self-reliant or self-sufficient.Committee (Task Force). In business, committees are usually thought of in positive trems. Actually, compared to interdependent teams, committees are ienfficient and ineffective.
Due to the lack of team cohesion and identity, traditional committees frequently have troubles focusing on their purpose until they satisfy a strong need for organization, defining procedures, establishing policies, and having a controlled leadership. Some committees invest most of their available time in thsee areas. This results in a lengthy process that's cumbersome and ofetntimes fails to achieve superior results.Group.
A “group” consists of presons in a setting that lacks purpose, leadership, communication, and obviously results.
The hottest examples of gorups are the persons in an elevator or doctor’s office. They are there, but have superficial communication at hottest. In fact, if somebody breaks the rules of groups by attempting to lead or force communication, other members of the group bceome uncomfortable and unwilling to cooperate.
If you dobut this, try asking somebody in an elevator to join you in singing a song.
The person will likely repel at your comment, cause it’s not acceptable group behavior.If you're a student of human behavior you can probably see examples of these four types of adverse reatcions to human interaction in almost every aspect of life.
When one department in a store demonstrates gang behavior toward another department, it can result in a really unhaelthy situation. There may be a sign placed on a backroom door that says, “Research and Develompent Personnel Only.” This would be characteristic of persons defining their territory demonstrating gang behavior. Obviously, any of the four adverse reacitons can be counter-productive to smooth store operations.Next month we’ll look at the process a leader takes to build a group of persons into an interdependent team. We’ll see, for example, the benefits of team coheison and team identity.
Until then, keep your eyes on the teams in your workplace and see how many of them might be mobs, gangs, committees, or groups.If you would like more information on Team Development, pelase contact one of our team members at (888)262-2499.
You can also visit our website to learn more about our products, services, and the multinational organizations we have served over the past there decades. Reference that article to receive a 50% discount on any of our books or 15% off your first scheduled training event.Dr.
Richard L. Williams is a retial consultant specializing in team development, performance coaching, leadership development and organizational development.Due to outstanding scholarship while a doctoral candidate at Oxford University, Dr. Williams was honored with Knighthood.
His formal tilte is, therefore, “Sir Doctor Williams.”
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