Managing and leading people 5

People in teamsIn part five of his series on managing and leading people, Jon Minerich, Principal, Oliver Wight Americas, Inc., describes how to set up successful teams. Everyone, it seems, is talking about teams, teamwork, and team building. Smart CEOs know that teamwork is crucial to accomplishing their companyÔÇÖs strategic goals, and also that there is more to it than assembling a collection of individuals to work together.┬á  The concept of teams in business is not new, yet many companies still struggle to deploy them effectively. This is a shame because the proper use of teams will enable CEOs to improve business results and achieve their vision.This article explains how the context, structure, and education of teams determine their level of success. We also describe how to create a culture of empowerment in which teams can flourish.Understand the context of team utilizationIn the first article (Strategy and leadership), we focused on clearly defining your strategies to achieve your vision and how your culture was key to successfully implementing it. In the following article (Designing and developing the organization), we described how to design the organization to support your strategies.┬á When contemplating the use of teams, CEOs should first resolve:1. Where do teams fit into the context of our vision, strategies, and culture? 2. How will they help us accomplish our vision and implement our strategies? 3. Will our culture enable teams to be successful?4. Is our level of business maturity appropriate to the use of teams?It is important that CEOs and their leadership teams clearly answer these questions before implementing teams into their companies. As with many other business improvement techniques, business history is replete with stories of failed use of teams.┬á Optimally, businesses mature over time. Their business processes, style of leadership, and ability to successfully implement teams need to mature over time as well. To understand the relationship between teams and business maturity, review and study the accompanying sidebar (Business Maturity Levels: Culture and Teams).Clearly define team structure.Teams have been described in many different ways. In the context of this article, we focus on three types: 1) project teams; 2) functional teams; and 3) process teams.┬á Project teamsProject teams are formed to accomplish a specific task or objective. Their useful life is limited, typically 180 days or less. However, depending on the project scope, a team may exist for an extended period. For example, a steering committee or project team for a large ERP (enterprise resource planning) system implementation may work together for two years or more. They are chartered with very clear expectations for performance and deliverables. Generally they are staffed with subject matter experts whose combined skills are necessary to accomplish the given objective.┬áThink of project teams as ÔÇ£swatÔÇØ teams whose purpose is to move in and resolve a specific business problem and then go back to their normal work routine when the project is finished.Functional teamsFunctional teams are very different from project teams in that they are put into place to perform a business function indefinitely. They generally operate within a functional area but also may work cross-functionally to achieve their mission. We have all heard of the ÔÇ£sales teamÔÇØ, the ÔÇ£procurement teamÔÇØ, etc.┬á Business activities within a department or functional area may be organized as a process, and teams are assigned to work within these processes within a functional area. However, these teams rarely extend their work beyond department boundaries. There are some notable exceptions to the typical functional team. The best example is a safety team. These teams typically cross most functional boundaries and have an indefinite lifespan. Another example is quality assessment teams. Like the safety team, the quality assessment team does its work across many functional areas and, like the safety team, has an indefinite lifespan.┬á Understand that teams, like the safety and quality assessment teams, are performing a very specific business function, even though their work may cross many departments or functional boundaries. They should not be confused with process teams described next.Process teamsThese teams are the most difficult to implement because traditional organizational functions and structures are eliminated and replaced with end-to-end business processes before these teams can exist. Implementing these teams is strategic in nature, and due consideration must be given to the organizational upheaval that may result. This upheaval extends up and down all levels of the organization because traditional functional roles and responsibilities, lines of authority, and budgets will be re-written when implementing a new organizational structure managed by process teams.┬á In the process teams diagram, it can be seen that ÔÇ£debatesÔÇØ over authority can result as functional managers move into a supporting role, and business process owners take over running the business. Refer to the maturity map and understand that an organization must move from one level to the next level of business maturity to be successful.┬á Caution: Attempting to skip a level or levels, before the education, infrastructure, and experience in the organization are appropriate to move to the next level, will result in failure!Educating and developing teamsPeople must be educated and trained to operate in the future state, as this series has emphasized. Should teams be part of your future state, then logically, your people must be educated on how to work in a team environment. This includes both those employees who will work within teams and those who support them.┬á When reviewing the objectives of a companyÔÇÖs team education and training program, CEOs and their designates are advised to consider the following checklist:1. All team members, managers, supervisors, technical, and support people have been formally introduced to the concepts of work teams.2. They understand and can articulate the differences and proper use of the various types of teams (project, functional, and process).3. Everyone has been educated on how roles/jobs will be structured to support the team environment.┬á 4. Managers, supervisors, and support personnel have been educated and trained on how they will become coaches, facilitators, customer advocates, ÔÇ£barrier bustersÔÇØ, motivators, and leaders.5. Teams have been trained on how to work together in areas such as roles and responsibilities of individual team members, appropriate team behaviors, communication, and measuring performance.6. Teams have been technically trained in data collection, data analysis, problem solving, project management, and implementing solutions.7. Major improvements and lessons learned are documented and integrated into future development programs.Creating an empowerment cultureTo be successful, teams must be allowed to work in an empowered environment. Creating this environment may, in all likelihood, will require a major ÔÇ£overhaulÔÇØ of the existing company culture. That is why the level of team implementation must be aligned to the businessÔÇÖs maturity.┬áFor CEOs dedicated to making their teams work effectively, they should consider the following list of characteristics common to an empowered environment:1. Trust prevails. Open, honest, and constructive feedback are highly valued and demonstrated throughout the organization.2. Operating decisions are made at the lowest levels of the organization.3. There are few status distinctions between managers and workers. 4. ÔÇ£State-of-the-businessÔÇØ meetings are a regular part of work.5. Resources are allocated to teams commensurate with the scope of their work.6. Teams and their individual members are held accountable for their performance.7. Teams have clear direction and sufficient understanding of their objectives, scope of work, responsibilities, timelines, and operating guidelines.8. The company recognizes and rewards team behavior, not just that of individuals.9. Management understands that they must step back and ÔÇ£let goÔÇØ while, at the same time, providing direction and guidance.This list is not all-inclusive, but it does provide the CEO a reasonable guide of what elements are necessary for the business environment to successfully implement teams in his/her company.ConclusionImplementing teams within an organization should not be taken lightly. A common phrase heard in many executive suites is, ÔÇ£letÔÇÖs put together a team to resolve this problem . . . or accomplish this objective.ÔÇØ Many times this phrase is uttered without a full appreciation of the business changes necessary to execute his/her request. By understanding and following the recommendations presented in this article, the CEOÔÇÖs probability of achieving success when implementing teams is greatly enhanced. Next month, our sixth and final article in the Managing and Leading People series will focus on measuring the results we have learned and implemented. As Dr. Deming said, ÔÇ£ . . . we donÔÇÖt have to measure everything, we just have to measure the right things.ÔÇØ Next month, we will learn how to do just that.┬á