Creating Work Teams: Potential Problems and Benefits

The concept of work teams, which are groups of individuals selected based on their skill attributes by management, is not necessarily new, but it is gaining a lot of attention, especially as of late as companies try to put more emphasis on collaboration than ever before. Although work teams have been proven successful at many Fortune 500 companies, there are many problems inherent that, although not necessarily insurmountable in themselves, can hinder the goals that were initially set forth by management when the work teams were created. Often, the main problem with work teams at organizations of all sizes and functions, is the way members of work teams feel about their position within the work team. If properly handled, however, this can be worked out with good oversight and an emphasis on the value of each individual member of a work team.

There are several reasons why work teams fail, many of which can be worked through to create a successful group. One reason for these frustrations is that people in a team commonly feel that other team members decrease their chances for personal success" (Tudor 2006). In other words, the team members themselves, with various motivations and focuses, can be the root of a failure. While these are some common problems with teams that can lead to failure, the biggest problem areas include a lack of a unified mission, poor oversight, a team that is not well-matched to maximize the talents of all members, or, more simply, general ineptitude that working with a team intensifies rather than helps with. These are all problems that can be solved with good management skills, both in the capacity of a team leader or higher level or management within an organization.

There are several suggestions to be proposed that might help eradicate these problems entirely. One of the biggest problems involves management and the oversight of work teams. Even in cases where teams are well-designed and functional, "lower managers often do not provide the support needed for their teams because many of them do not know how to properly use the team concept" (Tudor 2006). One possible solution to this issue is to integrate management into their own teams and offer them adequate training on work team concepts. Since management often works more independently, the concept of teamwork might not come so naturally.

In order for managers to skillfully work with teams and offer sound guidance, they must understand team concepts. If I were in charge of a work team, I would understand that I (and any other team leader) "must be fearless, determined, and passionate about their own vision and have the capacity to develop an environment in which the other members feel respected and needed" (Richardson 1994). In other words, through skillful leadership, each team member can work to his or her highest potential without feeling as though they had something to lose by being a part of a team. In addition to these efforts, I would also make sure that the members of a work team were all people that could be able to work with one another. In addition, it would also be constructive to lay out a clear mission statement and make sure all members were on the same page, thus alleviating the risk for confusion or a lack of focus.

References

Richardson, B. (1994). Why Work Teams Flop--and What Can Be Done about it. National Productivity Review (Wiley), 14(1), 9-13

Tudor, T. R. (2006). Work-teams: Why do they often fail? SAM Advanced Management Journal (07497075), 61(4), 31-40