Teams are a useful business tool
for process and quality improvement, which may lead to higher
customer satisfaction or cost reduction. Many managers recognize
the benefits teams may bring but do not properly consider what it
takes to get a team functioning in the direction management
desires. When forming teams, manager should consider the team's
purpose, member participation and placement, as well as team
processes and plans. With the 5 P's of purpose, participation,
placement, process, and plan, management can better design teams
and determine development needs.
Purpose - Will the team clearly understand why it exists, what it
is to do and how it will know they are successful? The team and
management must agree to written purpose or mission statement so
that they are working together in a common direction towards
solutions that meet their overall purpose. Team goals and
management deadlines should align with their overall purpose and
will serve to guide the team performance and help them meet
challenges.
Participation - Who would be the best people to include on the team
and how large should the team be in order to accomplish its
purpose? Management needs to consider necessary skill sets,
professional attitudes, and process knowledge when selecting team
members. In addition, for membership at the formation of team or as
team personnel needs to grow, look for a balance between
personality types for both task and people focus to be included so
the solutions team may design will be more diverse and innovative
to achieve team purpose and required work.
Placement - Where will the team members be physically located and
how often should the team plan to have meetings? If the team is to
be an intact work group, this may make some things simpler but the
team will need a meeting room for complex problem solving. If the
team is spread over multiple sites, managers will need to consider
costs and possible problems team may have due to culture or time
differences, and then determine whether travel for some meetings is
required or if any special equipment is needed for members to meet
regularly via phone or on-line.
Process - How will the team get to where it needs to go in order to
accomplish its purpose? The team should develop and agree to their
ground rules, any constraints that management may set related to
decision-making authority or functional boundaries. Initial team
training should include meeting management with a suggested meeting
agenda and record-keeping formats, interpersonal communication,
problem solving, and if relevant to team's work include process
mapping.
Plan - Will the team acknowledge when its project or assignment
will be complete and know what it needs to accomplish its tasks? If
the team goals are specific to their purpose and the team agrees
these are relevant and achievable goals, then the team needs to
agree to a timeline for goals and a way to measure how they are
doing towards goals. Not only should the team and their management
define work deadlines and expected milestones in its goals and
schedules, but it should also include necessary training to acquire
team and task related skills.
Considering the 5 P's of purpose, participation, placement,
process, and plan, management can design better teams and plan team
development needs accordingly. Recognizing the benefits teams can
bring to a business or organization is good, but teams are only
effective when management understands what it may take to get their
teams moving in the desired direction. Well designed and developed
teams only become a useful for process and quality improvement when
managers consider member selection for best participation and
preferred placement along with the team's purpose, process and
plan.
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