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Source: ASQ
A team is a group of people who perform interdependent tasks to work toward a common mission.
Some
teams have a limited life: for example, a design team developing a new
product, or a process improvement team organized to solve a particular
problem. Others are ongoing, such as a department team that meets
regularly to review goals, activities and performance.
Understanding
the many interrelationships that exist between organizational units and
processes, and the impact of these relationships on quality,
productivity and cost, makes the value of teams apparent.
Types of Teams
Many
of today’s team concepts originated in the United States during the
1970s, through the use of quality circles or employee involvement
initiatives. But the initiatives were often seen as separate from
normal work activities, not as integrated with them.
Team designs have since evolved into a broader concept that includes many types of teams formed for different purposes.
Three primary types of teams are typically used within the business environment:
- Process improvement teams
are project teams that focus on improving or developing specific
business processes. These teams come together to achieve a specific
goal, are guided by a well-defined project plan and have a negotiated
beginning and end.
- Work groups,
sometimes called “natural teams,” have responsibility for a particular
process (for example, a department, a product line or a stage of a
business process) and work together in a participative environment. The
degree of authority and autonomy of the team can range from relatively
limited to full self-management. The participative approach is based on
the belief that employees will be more productive if they have a higher
level of responsibility for their work.
- Self-managed teams
directly manage the day-to-day operation of their particular process or
department. They are authorized to make decisions on a wide range of
issues (for example, safety, quality, maintenance, scheduling and
personnel). Their responsibilities also include processes traditionally
held by managers, such as goal-setting, allocation of assignments and
conflict resolution.
The Value of Teams
Team processes offer the following benefits to the organization:
- Synergistic process design or problem solving.
- Objective analysis of problems or opportunities.
- Promotion of cross-functional understanding.
- Improved quality and productivity.
- Greater innovation.
- Reduced operating costs.
- Increased commitment to organizational mission.
- More flexible response to change.
- Increased ownership and stewardship.
- Reduced turnover and absenteeism
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Individuals can gain the following benefits from teams:
- Enhanced problem-solving skills.
- Increased knowledge of interpersonal dynamics.
- Broader knowledge of business processes.
- New skills for future leadership roles.
- Increased quality of work life.
- Feelings of satisfaction and commitment.
- A sense of being part of something greater than what one could accomplish alone.
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Excerpted from Duke Okes and Russell T. Westcott, editors, Certified Quality Manager Handbook: Second Edition, ASQ Quality Press, 2001, pages 37-41.
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