Build Effective Work Teams

In order to respond to both change and complexity, most organizations are turning to new, more adaptive ways of doing their work such as flatter organizational structures, more team-oriented environments, and greater support from technology. Higher organizational performance is being gained from empowered individuals working together jointly to contribute the best of their knowledge, skills, and capabilities. Long before this trend was apparent in business and government, TRG was conducting team building and team development training within client systems. We have over twenty years of experience facilitating the formation, sustenance and development of both intact and newly formed teams and work groups.

Our experience has shown that teams don't just spring up and yield high performance automatically. Typically the following questions require attention to build effective, healthy teams and work groups:

• What kind of work can best be accomplished by a team? By a work group? What's the difference between a team and work group, anyway?
• What is the purpose of the team? What are the specific performance goals?
• What is the appropriate membership of a team? How should team member roles be defined?
• What are the most effective behaviors and skills for teams and work groups?
• How do team members get rewarded? How are they held accountable?
• How do teams make the time the come together (meetings) most effective? How can they ensure that individual contributions, particularly between meetings, are most constructive?
• What kind of leadership is most appropriate for effective teams? Teams require a particular kind of leadership and management to operate at their best. Team leaders must know how to empower people and delegate responsibility. Team members must develop and sustain rapport, trust, and confidence. Team dynamics require a balance of people with different and complementary skills and knowledge. All the while, a team must pay attention to its process of operation in addition to the "real work" issues at hand.

TRG offers teams a wide range of services to help build and sustain their effectiveness. Among services we provide are:

• Team Formation-Clarifying the team's purpose, performance goals, definition and clarification of roles and responsibilities, delineation of how the team will work together, and the development of a near-term work plan.
• Developing team skills-Training team members to develop such skills as enhanced communications skills, giving and receiving constructive feedback, facilitating and participating in effective meetings, and share work responsibilities.
• "Second-Generation" Team Issues-Helping intact teams sustain high performance, integrate new members, and change direction or leadership.
• Managing in Team-Based Environments-Helping team leaders and senior managers empower team members and direct reports, harness the best skills and knowledge of team members, and provide incentives and feedback for teams.
• Empowering the Support Function in Team-based Environments-Helping staff broaden their services to meet demands coming from multiple sources, balance their roles and responsibilities effectively, and understand their changed roles in a team-based environment.