Creating an effective team is important in every aspect of everyday life. Team characteristics play an essential role in everyday life to shape a person’s team contribution abilities. There are many different types of team characteristics include—team types, team composition, and team interdependence.
These team characteristics help define an array of qualities that each team member should posses in order to be successful. Teams are an essential part of everyday life—work, school, and play and are highly valued in each and every person.
Team types are a combination of the team’s purpose, length of the team’s existence, and the amount of time involvement the team requires of its members. “Team Types” incorporates a large variety of teams including work teams, parallel teams, project teams, action teams, and management teams.
Ø Work Teams are designed to be more permanent. Generally providing a good or service, work teams do their best to apply and combine their knowledge to create an effective product or service. In our experiences within work teams, we watch out for one another, correct mistakes, and accomplish goals to help us create a successful outcome. In the article “What Makes High Performance Teams Excel?” By Lisa J. Daniel and Charles R. Davis, they talk about managers who lead high- performance work team need to keep mind a couple very important things. The first of which being interpersonal relationships with co-workers to lead to success, the second being corporate deadlines and the third being quality standards to meet. These things need to be balanced by the manager to ensure his team meets all standards. Good work team success is driven by the communication and interpersonal relationships of the members. When all of these things come together and influence one another the teams are much more effective. It has been proven that when a team is more humanistic, they are more successful than a team that does not possess those attributes.
Ø Management Teams are a scale higher than work teams. Often times, Management teams oversee work teams that effect an entire organization. Management teams are responsible for coordinating activities to achieve long-term goals. Essentially, management teams help create the goals that they would like implemented to lead to the ultimate success of the company. For example, Nick, a Branch Manager for College Works Painting, selected employees based on leadership, dedication, honesty, and confidence. In addition, Nick implemented strategies to grow company success and image to leave an everlasting impression on his clients, employees, and superiors. In the article “Becoming the Boss,” by Linda A. Hill, Hill explains that managers often focus on the rights and privileges that come along with being a boss like their authority and freedom. Manager’s work hard to build relationships with their employees. Forgoing good individual relationships helps to build trust, influence, and mutual expectations for the work environment. In the end, it is ultimately important to balance the two ideas together, one-to-one relationships can lead to a high success, but if too high of relationships come into play, it can have a negative effect to the team’s success rate.
Ø Parallel Teams are composed of members from various jobs who provide recommendations to managers about important issues that run the organization’s production process. As stated above, Nick was a part of a management team who implemented marketing strategies for College Works Painting. Nick worked closely on an innovation team with other management team members to help drive the company’s success and future.
Ø Project Teams are formed to take on “one-time” tasks that are generally complex and require a lot of input from members within different types of training and expertise. Nick’s painters at College Works work together as a two-man team to budget, planned, and painted a house within a strict amount of time.
Ø Action Teams perform tasks that are normally limited in duration. These complex tasks are generally accomplished to a crowd of high supporters. In the past, both Nick and Courtney have been involved in many action teams—volleyball, soccer, choir, performance, baseball, and golf. Being actively involved is very essential to help build character, leadership skills, and teamwork abilities.
Team Composition is a mix of people who make up a team mixing knowledge, skills, abilities and personalities. Throughout each team, each teammate displays an array of qualities in order to make the team successful in every way, shape, and form, to generate success on and off the court, field, or stage. In addition, there are many different roles that help display effectiveness of a team—roles, ability, personality, diversity, and team size.
Ø Member Roles generally incorporates a coordinator, energizer, slacker, encourager, blocker, and gatekeeper. In Courtney’s high school volleyball team, many of these qualities described each teammate. Generally, the leaders were the team captains—team members who showed leadership skills on and off the court, encouraged and energized the team, and were extraordinary in many different aspects—often times, not even in volleyball skills.
Ø Member Ability requires a certain skill set in order for a team to be effective to lead to success. Often times, many abilities are tied together in order for them to create an effective team. For example, there is often CEO of a company, but below that CEO, a management team (President, VPs, CFO) helps to drive their success. With all their abilities combined, they successful run a Fortune 500 Company. In the article, Becoming the Boss, Hill explains the importance of making sure group performance is equal. Often times, this is through member ability. Not everyone on each team will have the same skillset, which is great, but it is important that managers create a diverse team to ensure that the team can be as effective as possible in doing all tasks. In Daniel Goleman’s article, “What Makes a Leader,” Goleman goes into great depths explains the importance of making a leader the most effective. The difference that separates a great leader from a sub-par leader is that generally, great leaders have a high degree of emotional intelligence and self awareness.
Ø Member Personality reflects the combination of personality traits and cultural values. Personality traits are qualities team member’s posses that shape each individual to who they are in response to their environment, which can reflect how they contribute to the team. Personality traits that are often displayed are dependence, optimism, loyalty, independence, assertiveness, and passion. Cultural values are shared beliefs about desirable end states or modes of conduct in a given culture. Cultural values often reflect and portray personality traits. Depending on their cultural influences, directly effects how they act in certain situations.
Ø Member Diversity is the degree to which members are different to one another in terms of any attribute that might be used by someone as a basis of categorizing people—race, gender, sex, age, social standing. Diversity exposes a larger pool of knowledge and perspective to which a team can draw its mindsets from. When the diverse teammates understand the exchange of information they are more likely to be successful because of the comprehension abilities of the team.
Ø Team Size is the direct number of people that are involved within the activity. Despite what one may think, there are many advantages and disadvantages to this concept. The positive outlook on a team size would be “the more the merrier.” More ideas, diversity, communication, and knowledge can drive to the success of a team. On the flip side, if there is an abundant amount of team members, distractions, poor team productivity and effectives, and communication errors can dramatically come into play. For example, a football team requires a lot of members because each player’s role is so significant. There are offensive and defensive teams, and individual roles within those teams. In reverse, a small team may be helpful to accomplish tasks faster and can often reduce costs.
Team Interdependence
Team Interdependence controls the connections among team members. Essentially, interdependence is the way members of a team are linked to one another through the interactions that take place on each team. This directly reflects the goals and rewards of a team. The three times of Team Interdependence are task interdependence, goal interdependence, and outcome interdependence.
Ø Task Interdependence is the degree to which each team member interacts with and relies on each team member for materials, resources, and information necessary to accomplish the work for the team. The four main types of task interdependence are pooled interdependence, sequential interdependence, reciprocal interdependence and comprehensive interdependence. Pooled interdependence is the lowest required coordination—completing assignments independently, but turned in together to represent the total output. (Picking Apples at an Orchard). Sequential interdependence where members specialize in certain tasks, in a certain order. (Paper Plane assembly in discussion). Reciprocal interdependence members interact with certain members to complete teamwork. (Members of a board working to create a new vision). Comprehensive Interdependence requires the highest level of interaction and coordination, choosing what they do and who they work with in order to accomplish their goals. (Work team trying to accomplish a common goal)
Ø Goal Interdependence relates the team members in alignment with their individual goals to their team goals. Ultimately, the team works together towards a common goal, but each individual contributes their best abilities to achieve team and personal success. In “3 Skills that every 21st Century Manager Needs,” Scholar Cathy Davidson explains that we should be dividing our attention deliberately. Davidson states that as we all work towards a common goal, it is important to be creative, let your mind wonder, take you to unknown depths, and you may find your answer. Perhaps, “thinking out of the box,” is something that can help a team accomplish a goal together. Tying creative ideas with a innovative process could result in a great performance success for a team working towards a common goal.
Ø Outcome Independence sharing the goal achieved and the rewards and benefits that comes along with it. Often times, people do this out of the kindness of their heart, but also like the formal recognition. Advantages and Disadvantages come into play when team members depend on the performance of other team members for addition time off, bonus pay, and team survival. In a group or team, outcome interdependence is beneficial when the team succeeds and the benefits are shared with the group. If one group member did not pull their weight however, and they receive the same reward, this could lead to controversy within the team and ultimately that team not succeeding in the future because of a hostile work environment towards one another.
These team characteristics help define an array of qualities that each team member should posses in order to be successful. Teams are an essential part of everyday life—work, school, and play and are highly valued in each and every person.
Team types are a combination of the team’s purpose, length of the team’s existence, and the amount of time involvement the team requires of its members. “Team Types” incorporates a large variety of teams including work teams, parallel teams, project teams, action teams, and management teams.
Ø Work Teams are designed to be more permanent. Generally providing a good or service, work teams do their best to apply and combine their knowledge to create an effective product or service. In our experiences within work teams, we watch out for one another, correct mistakes, and accomplish goals to help us create a successful outcome. In the article “What Makes High Performance Teams Excel?” By Lisa J. Daniel and Charles R. Davis, they talk about managers who lead high- performance work team need to keep mind a couple very important things. The first of which being interpersonal relationships with co-workers to lead to success, the second being corporate deadlines and the third being quality standards to meet. These things need to be balanced by the manager to ensure his team meets all standards. Good work team success is driven by the communication and interpersonal relationships of the members. When all of these things come together and influence one another the teams are much more effective. It has been proven that when a team is more humanistic, they are more successful than a team that does not possess those attributes.
Ø Management Teams are a scale higher than work teams. Often times, Management teams oversee work teams that effect an entire organization. Management teams are responsible for coordinating activities to achieve long-term goals. Essentially, management teams help create the goals that they would like implemented to lead to the ultimate success of the company. For example, Nick, a Branch Manager for College Works Painting, selected employees based on leadership, dedication, honesty, and confidence. In addition, Nick implemented strategies to grow company success and image to leave an everlasting impression on his clients, employees, and superiors. In the article “Becoming the Boss,” by Linda A. Hill, Hill explains that managers often focus on the rights and privileges that come along with being a boss like their authority and freedom. Manager’s work hard to build relationships with their employees. Forgoing good individual relationships helps to build trust, influence, and mutual expectations for the work environment. In the end, it is ultimately important to balance the two ideas together, one-to-one relationships can lead to a high success, but if too high of relationships come into play, it can have a negative effect to the team’s success rate.
Ø Parallel Teams are composed of members from various jobs who provide recommendations to managers about important issues that run the organization’s production process. As stated above, Nick was a part of a management team who implemented marketing strategies for College Works Painting. Nick worked closely on an innovation team with other management team members to help drive the company’s success and future.
Ø Project Teams are formed to take on “one-time” tasks that are generally complex and require a lot of input from members within different types of training and expertise. Nick’s painters at College Works work together as a two-man team to budget, planned, and painted a house within a strict amount of time.
Ø Action Teams perform tasks that are normally limited in duration. These complex tasks are generally accomplished to a crowd of high supporters. In the past, both Nick and Courtney have been involved in many action teams—volleyball, soccer, choir, performance, baseball, and golf. Being actively involved is very essential to help build character, leadership skills, and teamwork abilities.
Team Composition is a mix of people who make up a team mixing knowledge, skills, abilities and personalities. Throughout each team, each teammate displays an array of qualities in order to make the team successful in every way, shape, and form, to generate success on and off the court, field, or stage. In addition, there are many different roles that help display effectiveness of a team—roles, ability, personality, diversity, and team size.
Ø Member Roles generally incorporates a coordinator, energizer, slacker, encourager, blocker, and gatekeeper. In Courtney’s high school volleyball team, many of these qualities described each teammate. Generally, the leaders were the team captains—team members who showed leadership skills on and off the court, encouraged and energized the team, and were extraordinary in many different aspects—often times, not even in volleyball skills.
Ø Member Ability requires a certain skill set in order for a team to be effective to lead to success. Often times, many abilities are tied together in order for them to create an effective team. For example, there is often CEO of a company, but below that CEO, a management team (President, VPs, CFO) helps to drive their success. With all their abilities combined, they successful run a Fortune 500 Company. In the article, Becoming the Boss, Hill explains the importance of making sure group performance is equal. Often times, this is through member ability. Not everyone on each team will have the same skillset, which is great, but it is important that managers create a diverse team to ensure that the team can be as effective as possible in doing all tasks. In Daniel Goleman’s article, “What Makes a Leader,” Goleman goes into great depths explains the importance of making a leader the most effective. The difference that separates a great leader from a sub-par leader is that generally, great leaders have a high degree of emotional intelligence and self awareness.
Ø Member Personality reflects the combination of personality traits and cultural values. Personality traits are qualities team member’s posses that shape each individual to who they are in response to their environment, which can reflect how they contribute to the team. Personality traits that are often displayed are dependence, optimism, loyalty, independence, assertiveness, and passion. Cultural values are shared beliefs about desirable end states or modes of conduct in a given culture. Cultural values often reflect and portray personality traits. Depending on their cultural influences, directly effects how they act in certain situations.
Ø Member Diversity is the degree to which members are different to one another in terms of any attribute that might be used by someone as a basis of categorizing people—race, gender, sex, age, social standing. Diversity exposes a larger pool of knowledge and perspective to which a team can draw its mindsets from. When the diverse teammates understand the exchange of information they are more likely to be successful because of the comprehension abilities of the team.
Ø Team Size is the direct number of people that are involved within the activity. Despite what one may think, there are many advantages and disadvantages to this concept. The positive outlook on a team size would be “the more the merrier.” More ideas, diversity, communication, and knowledge can drive to the success of a team. On the flip side, if there is an abundant amount of team members, distractions, poor team productivity and effectives, and communication errors can dramatically come into play. For example, a football team requires a lot of members because each player’s role is so significant. There are offensive and defensive teams, and individual roles within those teams. In reverse, a small team may be helpful to accomplish tasks faster and can often reduce costs.
Team Interdependence
Team Interdependence controls the connections among team members. Essentially, interdependence is the way members of a team are linked to one another through the interactions that take place on each team. This directly reflects the goals and rewards of a team. The three times of Team Interdependence are task interdependence, goal interdependence, and outcome interdependence.
Ø Task Interdependence is the degree to which each team member interacts with and relies on each team member for materials, resources, and information necessary to accomplish the work for the team. The four main types of task interdependence are pooled interdependence, sequential interdependence, reciprocal interdependence and comprehensive interdependence. Pooled interdependence is the lowest required coordination—completing assignments independently, but turned in together to represent the total output. (Picking Apples at an Orchard). Sequential interdependence where members specialize in certain tasks, in a certain order. (Paper Plane assembly in discussion). Reciprocal interdependence members interact with certain members to complete teamwork. (Members of a board working to create a new vision). Comprehensive Interdependence requires the highest level of interaction and coordination, choosing what they do and who they work with in order to accomplish their goals. (Work team trying to accomplish a common goal)
Ø Goal Interdependence relates the team members in alignment with their individual goals to their team goals. Ultimately, the team works together towards a common goal, but each individual contributes their best abilities to achieve team and personal success. In “3 Skills that every 21st Century Manager Needs,” Scholar Cathy Davidson explains that we should be dividing our attention deliberately. Davidson states that as we all work towards a common goal, it is important to be creative, let your mind wonder, take you to unknown depths, and you may find your answer. Perhaps, “thinking out of the box,” is something that can help a team accomplish a goal together. Tying creative ideas with a innovative process could result in a great performance success for a team working towards a common goal.
Ø Outcome Independence sharing the goal achieved and the rewards and benefits that comes along with it. Often times, people do this out of the kindness of their heart, but also like the formal recognition. Advantages and Disadvantages come into play when team members depend on the performance of other team members for addition time off, bonus pay, and team survival. In a group or team, outcome interdependence is beneficial when the team succeeds and the benefits are shared with the group. If one group member did not pull their weight however, and they receive the same reward, this could lead to controversy within the team and ultimately that team not succeeding in the future because of a hostile work environment towards one another.
References
Gardner, H. (2012). Coming through when it matters most. Harvard Business Review, 90(4), 82-91.
Goleman, D. (2004). What Makes a Leader?. Harvard Business Review, 82(1), 82-91.
Hill, L. A. (2007). Becoming the BOSS. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 85(1), 48-56.
Colquitt, J. A. , Lepine, J. A., & Wesson, M. J. (2010). Organizational Behavior: Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace, 2nd Ed. Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Gardner, H. (2012). Coming through when it matters most. Harvard Business Review, 90(4), 82-91.
Goleman, D. (2004). What Makes a Leader?. Harvard Business Review, 82(1), 82-91.
Hill, L. A. (2007). Becoming the BOSS. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 85(1), 48-56.
Colquitt, J. A. , Lepine, J. A., & Wesson, M. J. (2010). Organizational Behavior: Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace, 2nd Ed. Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw-Hill, Inc.