12/ 26/ 2006
by Charles R. McConnell
A businessman named B. Brewster Jennings claimed that humankind's "greatest discovery is teamwork by agreement." On the other hand, scholar C. Northcote Parkinson advanced the belief that "the amount of work accomplished by a committee is inversely proportional to the number of members." In other words, Brewster champions the collective power of a properly focused group, while Parkinson suggests that members of a working group get in each other's way so much that they hinder progress.
Who is correct? Jennings or Parkinson? Both are right in that each looks at both sides of the teamwork issue--its good and its not-so-good implications.
Much is written about teams in present-day management literature, most of it positive. In some quarters, the use of teams has achieved fad-like status, thanks largely to the recent popularity of team-oriented problem solving in conjunction with numerous implementations of total quality management (TQM). We will examine the advantages and disadvantages of teams and highlight the major characteristics of an effective one.
The positives
Teams can be successfully utilized to address any number of problems or issues. The benefits of teams include:
- Greater total expertise. It's always been true that in many circumstances multiple heads are better than one. Team formation is never a cure-all, but it does tend to refine a group's skills and expand its collective ability to solve problems. Multiple members bring multiple viewpoints, some of which will duplicate or overlap others, but many of which also add to a combined expertise greater than one person may possess.
- Synergy. The total achievements of a team are invariably greater than what can be achieved by individuals acting independently.
- Improved morale. Sociological needs are usually met well in the team environment as individuals thrive through their acceptance as members of a unit and as partners in an important undertaking.
- Increased flexibility. Team efforts reduce dependence on individuals. Progress does not suffer unduly when a single member is missing.
- Improved personnel retention. Research shows that employees are less likely to leave when they are members of a team, especially a team that has been recognized for its successes.
The negatives
Teams have their downside. Team shortcomings can include:
- Inefficiency. Teams aren't always needed. Individuals can handle many situations better. Often specialists handle certain situations more quickly and efficiently without having to consult with others or strive for group consensus. Attempts to introduce teams into areas where people are not interdependent in their work are largely a waste of time and effort.
- Start-up time. In the life of a team, there's always a necessary period when effort goes into team formation and orientation while nothing much is accomplished.
- Bureaucracy. A once-useful task force can become a self-perpetuating body that accomplishes little.
- Speed. When fast action is required, someone must take charge and get things done. The time to call a meeting is not when an emergency arises.
A question of legality
A serious downside to teams that are composed primarily of rank-and-file employees is that there are numerous issues a company-sanctioned employee team cannot legally address. If an employee team concerns itself with terms and conditions of employment--any dimension of pay, benefits and working conditions--there's a risk of being adjudged a company-sanctioned labor organization.
Another drawback to an employee-dominated team is this: Without exceptionally strong guidance, it's all too easy for team meetings to deteriorate into gripe sessions.
What constitutes an effective team?
An optimally effective team exhibits some or all of the following characteristics:
- Collectively it possesses all the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to fulfill its charge and get the job done.
- It is democratic, without rank or formal authority. It has a leader who treats other team members as associates or partners, not subordinates.
- It remains focused on what it's trying to accomplish. Its charge and goals are clear, and its members are united in their direction.
- It possesses "power" based not on formal authority but on credibility earned through performance.
- Its members trust each other and respect each other's needs.
- It addresses and eliminates conflict with other teams or individuals through collaboration, cooperation and coordination.
Here to stay
There has traditionally been a lot of disparaging commentary about teams and committees and other such collectives, but few, if any, forces in business are as potentially creative and productive as a team of honest, fully participating individuals united in pursuit of a common objective. This sort of collective will always be with us.
