Project Report Working in Teams

Project Report Working in Teams

INTRODUCTIONIt is truly said that;Alone we can do very little; together we can do very much. Helen KellerDefinition:Katzenbach and Smith give a useful and comprehensive definition of a team;

Team is a small number of people with complementary skills that are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.This definition highlights a number of key points that inform team design and effectiveness:Small number:Research has shown that as task co-ordination becomes increasingly difficult through the addition of new members in the team, the performance of teams begins to decrease with size of the team. Most effective team number varies between two and twenty people, in the majority cases numbering less than ten.Complementary skills:Teams need a blend of skills. One of the strengths of teams is that they contain a range of skills which no one individual alone can possess. Team skills requirements fall into three types: technical or functional skills; problem-solving and decision-making expertise; and interpersonal skills.Committed to a common purpose and performance goals:Knowledge of the objective of the team either developed by team member itself or with help from management, helps define the boundaries within which the team cans perform effectively. Performance goals then define the purpose more precisely into specific, actionable elements. Teams must be committed to this common purpose and to the team goals if they are to work well together.Committed to a common approach:A common approach is needed if a team is to perform together to meet their purpose and performance goals. As Katzenbach and Smith shown that: Team members must agree on who will perform particular tasks, how task will be set and adhered, what skills need to be obtained, how regular membership is to be earned, and how the group will make decisions and modify them.Mutual accountability:Accountability must be depending on the level of the team if the team is to perform. Team members should be lonely and jointly responsible for the teams goals, tasks and approach. This mutual accountability can help build commitment to and trust in the team. It is facilitated by having specific, clear, and agreed performance goals.Studies have shown that teams develop synergy they can help ensure that the performance of the whole is greater than the sum of the alones. Teams are also used to tackle difficult problems when time is short and flexibility and speed of response are essential. In developing common goals and sharing complementary skills teams can facilitate communications and react to new challenges more quickly than individuals. Continuous improvement is frequently accomplished through the use of teams, such as cross-functional task forces and quality-improvement teams.TYPES OF TEAMS

There are two main types of teams;1. Formal team.2. Informal team.

Now we briefly describe these two types,FORMAL TEAM:Formal team is a group that has been created by the management of a company specifically to perform specific tasks and help meet organizational goals. The most common type of this group is the command team that includes a manager and all employees who are answerable to that manager.INFORMAL TEAM:A group that managerial or non-managerial employees form to help achieve their own goals or to meet their own needs. An informal team is similar to a formal one, but it doesnt have a rank structure as in; having a manager or someone who co-ordinates as task. All team persons in an informal team are equal in every task given to that team.These formal and informal teams are further classified into various teams, as shown in the figure on the next page,

Figure 1.Types of TeamNow we describe these sub categories of formal and in formal teams.Types of Formal Teams:Cross-functional Teams:Cross-functional teams are normally made up of people from different sections in an organization or different departments. Cross-functional teams are assigned unique, uncertain tasks, and are expected to produce non-routine functions. Members are combined together from a diversity of backgrounds. Given the complexity of the tasks they have to undertake, the teams normally have large mandates and responsibility for making decisions within defined strategic parameters agreed by senior management. Leadership may be based on knowledge and task expertise, functional expertise, or managerial posts, and may change according to project phase, technical requirements, and customer requirements. Cross-cultural teams:It is based on members from various cultures or countries. Cross culture is an important issue in international dealing, as the success of international dealing based upon the smooth interaction of employees from various cultures. An increasing number of companies are consequently devoting substantial resources toward training their employees to interact effectively with those of companies in other cultures in an effort to foment a positive cross-cultural experience.Top-management Teams:Top-management teams represent a special form of work team. Typically, top management teams have a clear internal hierarchy. One member is ultimately in charge. The highest rankingexecutive officers (withtitlessuch as chairman, chairperson, chief executive officers, presidents,directors,vice-presidents, etc.) responsible for the entireorganization. Top managementgives thepolicy(formulated by theBODs) intotask,objectives, andstrategies, andprojectsa shared-vision for the future. It givesdecisionsthat affect every person in theorganization, and isresponsible for thesuccessorfailureof the organization.Research and Development Teams:A team whose members have the expertise and experience needed to develop a new product. Investigative activities that a business chooses to conduct with the intention of making a discovery that can either be approach to the development of new products, or to improvement of existing ones. Research and development is one of the ways by which business can experience future growth by developing new products or processes to improve and expand their operations.Command Teams:A group composed of subordinates who report the same supervisor, also called a department or unit. The goal of the command team is to combine instructions and coordinate action among management. In other words, command teams acts as the middle man in goals.Task Forces Team:

Task forces are a widely-used team design. They can be found at any level in the organizational hierarchy. They require no changes in organizational structure or authority relationships. Hackman identifies four distinctive characteristics of task forces:1. Team members typically do not work closely together in their normal organizational roles; they are brought together from different jobs or different units, to undertake a specific task. Membership may be assigned rather than voluntary.2. The work of the team is non-routine. The task to be undertaken requires a once-off team to be brought together rather than being handled by the routine ways of working.3. Task forces are temporary groups. They are normally given a specific deadline for the completion of their goals. The team separates when it has completed its work.

4. Task forces have an unusual mix of autonomy and dependence. They are often free, within the limits, for the progress the work. But at the same time, they do not normally make decisions; they report to some other person or group.

This last point, illustrates that task forces make recommendations rather than decisions, highlights a point crucial to the success of task forces; that of the mechanisms set up to respond to task force recommendations.Virtual Teams:Virtual teams use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a goal. They allow people to interact online using communication channels like area networking, video conferencing technology, or e-mails whether they are only a room away or continents apart. Virtual teams can do all the things that other teams do-share information, make decisions, and complete goals. And they contain members from the same organization or link an organization's employees with members from other organizations. The three main factors that differs virtual teams from face-to-face teams are:1. The absence of preverbal and nonverbal cues;2. Limited social context;3. The ability to overcome time and space constraints.

A well saying by Robert Yates; It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit. Types of Informal Teams:Friendship teams:An informal group composed of employees who enjoy each others company and socialize with each other. Friendship groups are formed by members who enjoy similar social life styles, political views, religious background, or other common activities. Members of this group enjoy each other's company and often meet after work to take part in these activities. For example, a number of employees who form a friendship group may have an exercise or gym group, a football team, or a potluck lunch once or twice a month.Interest Teams:Interest groups usually continue over time and may last longer than general informal ones. Members of these groups may not be part of the same organizational department but they are bound together by some other same interest. The objectives and goals of group interests are specific to each group and may not be related to organizational goals and objectives. An example of this group would be students who come together to form a study group for a specific purpose.Types of Task Interdependence

There are three types of interdependence to describe the intensity of interactions and behaviors within an organization. The study of interdependence allows business chairpersons understand how the different departments or units within their organization depend on the performance of others.1. Pooled type interdependence;2. Sequential type interdependence;3. Reciprocal type interdependence.

Interdependence basically means that each member of a team depends on others. This interdependence differs from dependence relationship, in which some members depend on others while others dont. In interdependence relationship participants are responsible for each other. Now we turn by turn look at these various types of interdependence and also look that how they differ from each other.

Pooled Type Interdependence:Pooled interdependence is perhaps the loosest form all of these. In this type of interdependence, every organizational division or business unit performs completely different functions. While divisions may not directly interact and do not directly dependent on each other in the pooled type interdependence model, every one contributes individual works to the same overall problem. This develops an almost blind, indirect dependence on the performance of other members wherein one department failures could lead to the failure of the overall process.Sequential Type Interdependence:Sequential interdependence occurs when one division in the overall process produces an output necessary for the performance by the next division. Perhaps the most obvious example of this interdependence is an assembly line. The demand for coordination to prevent slowdown is greater than for pooled task interdependence. Scheduling and planning your organization resources in a sequential interdependence model is essential to efficient operations. More practiced now a day.Reciprocal Type Interdependence:Reciprocal interdependence is similar to sequential interdependence in that the output of one unit becomes the input of the other ones, with the addition of being cyclical. In this model, organization departments are at their highest intensity of interaction with members. These models are the most complex and difficult to manage.

This interdependence is shown in the figure on the next page:

Figure 2.Different type of task interdependenceTEAM DEVELOPMENT STAGES

Teams mature experientially and in stages; designating a group of individuals to function as a team is only the first step in team development. The development of a number of people into a team takes some time, commitment and energy. To become effective, teams must establish common goals, and their individual focus must be on those tasks, ahead of personal goals. The task of teamwork is that, with time, a highly successful team will emerge that exhibits synergy between the individual members of the team. Two models for the development of group stages are described now;1. The Tuck man Model.2. The Cog Model.The Tuck man Model:Tuck man describes five stages through which groups traverse as they mature into well-functioning teams. Tuck man gives the first four stages in 1965 and the fifth stage is added in 1977 when new studies were made by Tuck man and Jensen. Each stage involves two aspects interpersonal relationship and task behavior. Not every team gets to the performing stage, resulting in a myriad of outcomes.

The Tuck man model defines the five identifiable stages of team development as shown below;

Figure 3.Stages of Tuck man ModelForming:

In this stage, members of the group are polite to each other. During this period team members assess each other and how they fit into the group; they test the limits of tolerance of their group members. Little tangible work is accomplished as people get to know each other. Productive work that can be accomplished during this time is to agree on group goals and to establish ground rules for how the team will work together. The group being on its best behavior characterizes the forming stage. Below figure shows forming;

Figure 4.FormingStorming:In the storming stage, members begin to let down their guard and argue with each other. However, if the conflict is not channeled in a productive fashion, the team is at great risk of disillusionment. Cliques that thrive on unhealthy conflict may now form within the team. In this storming phase, the group should develop strategies for encouraging constructive controversy and respecting differences of opinion. It is critical that the inevitable conflict that arises as groups begin to struggle with their differences be channeled in such a way to foster creativity and allow for the evaluation of a large range of ideas. Its not easy to work through conflict at the time; a group is well served by openly dealing with their differences and discussing their strategy for productive conflict resolution. Tuck man believes that groups that never learn to work through the storming phaseperhaps because they are conflict adverse and choose instead to allow one leader to set the direction for the teams actionsare, in the end, less creative. However, the team members can be divisive because they never learned to compromise with their differences.

Figure 5.StormingNorming:In this stage, group members accept and appreciate the differences of other team mates, keen to productively work through conflict and concentrate on the task at hand. The risk of group think may be encountered if individuals go along with ideas to maintain harmony rather than introduce differences of opinion.

Figure 6.NormingPerforming:

In the performing stage, group members have come to trust each other; they all reap the rewards as the group transforms into a productive fun, and rewarding team. During this stage, team members agree on goals; creative brainstorming is fostered; ideas, rather than personal agendas, are debated; and the team takes collective pride in their team accomplishments. Creative confrontation and innovative problem solving characterize this stage.

Figure 7.PerformingAdjourning:Tuck man's fifth stage, adjourning, is the break-up of the team, when the task is accomplished successfully, its purpose obtained; everyone can go on to new things, feeling great about what's been achieved. From an organizational point of view, recognition and sensitivity to people's vulnerabilities in this last stage is helpful, particularly if members of the team have been closely attached and feel a sense of insecurity or threat from this change.

Figure 8.AdjourningThe Cog Model:The Cog Ladder of Group Development delineates the stages through which a working group passes as it matures into a well-functioning team. Cogs model recognizes that team developments are a process; it takes time and energy to develop a group of people into a productive team. Individuals should expect the team development process to take time to unfold. Teammates should prepare themselves for a few difficulties as the roles of individuals within the team and the personality of the team develop. There are five stages of the Cog Team Development Ladder;1. Polite Stage;2. Why are we here? Stage;3. Bid for power Stage;4. Constructive Stage;5. Esprit Stage;

Polite Stage:

This stage is characterized by politeness as people get to know each other and establish their individual identities within the group. In this stage team members go out of their ways to avoid conflict.Why are we here? Stage:

In this stage, members of the group ponder the purpose of the group and their own contribution to it. Members may also ask the question Why am I here?Bid for Power Stage:

In this stage, the traditional roles of individuals within the group emerge. The roles that have been historically comfortable for people such as writer, technical expert(s), leaders, task master, creative thinkers, time keepers, etc., begins to define that how the team will develop. As the roles of every member emerge, and because the team has crossed the polite stage, power struggles between individuals may begin to surface. Also, as team members begin to have expectations from each other member, they may start to subtly expect team members to perform their preferred or natural role.Constructive Stage:

In this stage, individuals move past performing the role that is most comfortable to them to performing the role that best complements the other members of the team. This stage is characterized by enhanced harmony as team members envision and implement strategies that promote the purpose of the team.Esprit Stage:

In this stage all for ones and ones for all, reached by small number of teams, members within the group experience a high interdependence; the team shares in the esteem of group goals and accomplishments. In this stage, team members clearly identify with the team; they are proud of being a team member and demonstrate genuine caring for the welfare and success of their teammates.CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMS

Effective teams are rewarding and share many common characteristics. Respect for other team members is essential for group effectiveness. Valuing the strengths of team members, while minimizing their weak points, upgrades team cohesion. Cooperating as a group requires trust, focusing on, and believing in the end task, arguing minimum and exploring much.At a minimum, there are five points to a productive team: positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotes interactions, appropriate use of social skills and group processing.Positive interdependencies achieved when members of the team rely on each other to complete the project. They understand that their individual success is inherently linked with that of their other team members and with the success of the team as a whole. Group members focus on two objectives to achieve positive interdependence: maximizing their own productivity and working to maximize the productivity of all other group members.Individual accountability means that each team member is held responsible for his or her contribution to the completion of the project. Team members do not slack off and allow other team members to assume their responsibilities.Promote (face-to-face) interaction implies that group members recognize the contribution of others in the team and give positive feedback for their accomplishments. They encourage and facilitate each other to achieve team tasks, recognizing the huge motivational power of positive feedback.Appropriate use of social skills is necessary because interpersonal and small group skills are critical for the success of team. Team communication skills contribute to building positive relationships between team members and promote higher achievement and productivity.

Through group processing techniques, team members reflect on how well their team is functioning and how well members are using their social skills to help all members of the team achieve collaborative success. The entire team is committed to team success and recognizes that effective teamwork does not just happen; it is the result of investment, commitment and continuous maintenance of the team.Developing an effective team process:The means by which teams work together is central to their success. Developing rules of behavior, providing team members with the necessary skills, and ensuring effective leadership of teams all contribute to ensuring that the process by which the team carries out its work facilitates the task in hand.Developing rules of behavior;Rules of behavior, or ground points, help evaluate the approach taken to the work of the team and the level of commitment of team members. Generally, rules are agreed for attendances, confidentialities, contributions, and confrontations. Once such rules are accepted, they must be enforced by the teams.Developing team member skills;Training and development is a crucial support for team members. Faced with complex tasks, and a new way of working, team members need new skills and competencies to perform well. Katzenbach and Smith identify three categories of team skill requirements:1. Technical or functional skills;

These are the skills that usually need the least support in a team setting, as members bring these particular skills with them to the team.2. Interpersonal skills;

In a team setting interpersonal skills development is vital. The ability to communicate and deal with conflict in a constructive rather than negative way depends on interpersonal skills. Team-building activities, group interaction skills and conflict resolution skills can help team members work together more effectively. 3. Problem solving and decision-making skills;

Teams need appropriate tools to solve the diverse and complex problems they are faced with. Techniques such as force field analysis, brain storming, nominal groups technique and simple statistical techniques such as Pareto analysis and cause-and-effect diagrams are particularly useful at the problem-solving stage. At the decision-making stage, tools such as multi-attribute decision analysis, and the use of a devils advocate role to challenge tendencies to group think can be useful.Developing the team leader role;Team leader is a person who drives the team and sets tasks for every team member. Team leaders have a key role in two distinct areas;

1. Managing the teams external boundary;

The team leader acts as the link between the team members, other divisions of team, and senior authorities. In this role he/she needs to be able to forecast environmental changes, minimize obstacles, and clarify others.2. Facilitating the team process; The team leader helps the team develop innovative solutions to problems, and supports team members in their respective tasks. In this role, she/he must be able to diagnose group deficiencies and take necessary action to correct deficiencies.Pros and Cons of Team workPro: SynergySynergy is a whole that is greater than the sum of its fractions. Synergy in team performance is the result of performing together and achieving results that couldn't be achieved by any single member of the team. Because every member has strength as well as weak points, working individually can be difficult at some times. In a team that is composed of the right persons, one person's weaknesses are compensated for by the others person's strengths. The result is a synergistic achievement of tasks that is not only greater than any individual team member, but also greater than the total work of the same members if they were each working alone.Pro: TrustTrust is a benefit of a functional and effective team. As people become usual to perform together, they become more relaxed with passing down responsibilities to someone else and letting go down of complete control. This stage of trust is productive on both personal as well as professional stages and can lead to interpersonal relationships that are more open ones and relaxed ones. When all the persons of a team trust each other, for example, to get tasks accomplished on time and to do what they say they will perform, productivity increases and stress decreases in the work atmosphere.Other advantages are;1. More resources and able to complete larger scale projects2. More solutions (Diversity)3. Better ability to detect flaws4. Greater understanding of what need to be done5. See how your piece of the project fits in with the big picture6. Strengthens communication skillsCon: ConflictNot all teams work in an ideal manner round the clock. Because individuals often have different opinions about how tasks should be completed, there is always the chance of interpersonal conflict production when working in a team. People who are used to performing working alone may find it difficult to adjust to the responsibilities and rules that are involved in being component of a team and may find themselves in conflict with other group members as they attempt to maintain control over their individual activities. For some members, the benefits of teamwork will not overweigh the loss of autonomy that is essential to be part of a team.Con: Passing the BuckWhen someone is working alone, he is aware that if he doesn't do something it isn't going to get done by others. There is no chance of passing the buck or waiting for someone other to take care of their things. In a team, individuals that are lazy or lack of motivation may not pull their share of the weight, preferring to wait for others members to pick up their slack. This is a major drawback of the team structure and it highlights the fact that the success of a team is mainly dependent on the character, ability and motivation of its individual members.Other disadvantages are;1. Lost resources due to more time spent planning/organization, poor planning/organization2. Lack of accountability (Everyone should have a part in success or failure)3. The larger the group, the less proportion of people that are willing to voice their opinions (Silence doesnt necessarily mean agreement)Conclusion

A very well-known quote "Coming together is a new beginning. Keeping together is the progress. Working together is the success." Said by Henry Ford

I personally feel that team work is almost totally beneficial to an organization and also to its members. Researchers suggest that 'individuals are better than teams at generating new approaches, but the teams are better than individuals at evaluating approaches'.In my opinion, In order for an organization to function effectively team work is absolutely necessary. Even for the members, the amount of knowledge and experience that they acquire through team work is huge. By performing in a team they tend to learn more about themselves and also develop a higher degree of people skills which takes both the organization and its members to greater finance heights. It is strongly because of the above reasons that teamwork is being enormously used in almost all fields of life like healthcare departments, army's units, and others organizations. Hence both should get a hold on team performance, which acts as an enabler to get their desired goals and tasks at a more faster and efficient rate.

References

1. Committee for Public Management Research Discussion paper 4 Team Based Working by Richard Boyle.2. Successful strategies for team, Team member handbook Written by Frances A. Kennedy.3. Working in Teams by Neville J. Johnson.4. The stages of group development: A retrospective study of dynamic team processes written by Diane L. Miller. 5. https://www.boundless.com/management/groups-teams-and-teamwork/6. http://wps.prenhall.com/ca_ph_robbins_orgbeh_4/46/11991/3069944.cw/index.html7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamwork8. https://www.boundless.com/management/groups-teams-and-teamwork/types-of-teams/9. http://www.gmu.edu/student/csl/5stages.html

Department of Chemical Engineering, PIEASPage1

REPORT ON WORKING IN TEAMS

Submitted To:Mr. Umar Faiz

Submitted By:Muhammad Umair11-6-1-020-2011MS Process 2011-2013

Department of Chemical Engineering, PIEASTable of contents

1) Abstract42) Introduction53) Types of Teams6a) Formal Teams6b) Informal Teams6c) Types of Formal Teams7d) Types of Informal Teams94) Types of task interdependence10a) Pooled Type interdependence10b) Sequential Type interdependence10c) Reciprocal Type interdependence105) Team Development Stages11a) Tuck man Model11b) Cog Model146) Characteristics of Effective Teams16a) Developing an effective team process16b) Developing rules of behavior17c) Developing team member skills17d) Developing the team leader role177) Pros and Cons of Team Work188) Conclusion199) References21

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this report is to understand what Working in Teams means. Whats the difference in team and group? How teams are classified. Understanding of the formal and informal teams and how they are further classified into sub teams. What are different types of task interdependence? Means that how task should be completed pooled type dependence, sequential type dependence or reciprocal type dependence. After that the team developing stages are discussed. Two models of team development should be discussed in this report. The first one is the tuckman model and the second one is the cog model. Tuckman model consist of five stages forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Similarly the cog model also composed of five stages polite stage, why are we here stage, bid for power stage, constructive stage and last one is esprit stage. After that characteristics of effective team should be discussed, that how effective team process should be developed, what are the rules, how to develop team member skills and whats the role of team leader. Both advantages and disadvantages should be discussed.In the end of this report we will understand that why Working in Teams is beneficial. How it should be profitable both for the person itself and for the organization.