TEAM WORKING
1
Define the word „team‟ and how would you identify team working? (4)
 a team is a group which has been established for a particular purpose to
achieve the same objective.
 shared purpose or goal
 sense of belonging to a team (having an identity)
 dependence or reliance on each other.
2 How can each member of a group contribute to making the team
effective? (4)
 share expertise to help new or less experienced employees
 share tasks according to skills and ability
 help colleagues who have a large volume of work
 cover for absence due to holidays or sickness
 train others member of the team.
3 Managers often state that “There is no I in team”. Discuss this view of
team working and the importance of this approach for business success.
(4)
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teams have skilled individuals which can work together to contribute
to business success
no one person will have all of these skills, so a collaborative approach is
often needed in business
teams can share tasks and expertise
employees working in teams usually have reduced stress levels
compared to those working on their own as tasks etc are shared.
team members can share concerns with other members of the team
if an employee works alone they bear all the stress and if they are
absent the business may not have access to important information.
team working promotes a higher retention rate of experienced staff.
These employees are a valuable business resource.
4
Inbox
From:
Managing Director
To:
Human Resources Manager
Subject:
Effective Team Working
I am concerned that employees are not working together in effective
teams. Also, managers are not promoting team working in their
functional areas.
Please prepare a presentation to help managers to develop effective
team working skills. Your presentation should include the following:
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Definition of a team, and a attributes of an effective team
Overview of the work of Meredith Belbin on team working
Belbin’s team roles
Factors which determine the effectiveness of a team
Importance of good team leadership
Why different leadership styles may be necessary.
PRINT your presentation as handouts (6 slides per page). (20 marks)
SUMMARY SLIDE CONTENT
1 – DEFINITION OF A TEAM, AND ATTRIBUTES OF AN EFFECTIVE TEAM
(4 marks)
 a team is a group which has been established for a particular purpose
SLIDE
to achieve the same objective.
 shared purpose or goal
 sense of belonging to a team (having an identity)
 dependence or reliance on each other.
SLIDE
2 – OVERVIEW
(2 marks)
OF THE WORK OF
MEREDITH BELBIN
ON TEAM WORKING
 Meredith Belbin is a management „guru‟ who has studied team working
 The size of a team is critical, with the ideal size being 4-6 team
members
 If the team is too large sub-groups will form, conversely if a team is too
small one person will dominate the team
SLIDE
3 – BELBIN’S
TEAM ROLES
(5 marks)
 Belbin identified team roles, and suggested that members in an
effective team will fulfil these roles.
 There must be a balance between „thinkers‟ and „doers‟
 Team roles include motivator, checker, finisher etc. Students should
identify and describe four team roles in the presentation
SLIDE
4–
FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TEAM
(4
marks)
Explanation of each of the following:
 team composition
 team development/cohesion
 nature of the task
 team maintenance/environment
SLIDE
5–
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD TEAM LEADERSHIP
(5 marks)
 good leader will motivate employees by setting a clear vision, meeting
the needs of the team etc
 ensure that conflict is kept to a minimum
 communication is open and constructive
 involve the team in decision-making and listen to their ideas on how to
achieve a task – share leadership
 a team is a group which has been established for a particular purpose to
achieve the same objective.
 shared purpose or goal
 sense of belonging to a team (having an identity)
 dependence or reliance on each other
5
a A team-based approach can bring numerous benefits for employers
and their employees. Identify and explain these benefits. (10)
 risk-taking – groups are more likely to take risks, which encourage
individuals to try out ideas they might not have tried on their own.
Calculated risks may pay off and give the organisation the competitive
edge
 pooled resources – exchange of ideas and shared skills enhances
creativity and individual learning and development. This results in job
satisfaction and motivation.
 Morale and motivation – individuals have a greater sense of involvement,
development and achievement. The organisation benefits from improved
efficiency and productivity
 Multi-skilling – in the absence of one team member, their work can be
covered by other member of the team
 Responsibility – effective teams need less supervision and management
which can lead to delayering. Team members benefit from increased
empowerment.
b. Explain the difficulties of adopting this business model? (3)
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Teams may not have the ideal „team role‟ balance
Conflict which is not resolved
Poor communication
Poor team leadership.
c How do managers develop effective team working among their
employees? (4)
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Communicate
Positive feedback to team
Share decision-making and involve team in problem resolution
Team building events – eg social events, paintball etc