The common discourse in organizational and business settings today is defined by a paradigm shift from the traditional hierarchical structures to team-based strategies. Regardless of the landscape of the business or organization, the team-based approach can yield a significant number of benefits achieved through improved decision-making, creativity, processes, and problem-solving , and use of a diverse array of employee capabilities. According to the findings of a meta-analytical study by Richter, Dawson, and West (2011), team working has a significant positive relationship with staff performance and attitudes if implemented using complementary human resource measures. The outcomes are attributed to the high focus on goals and positive results that characterize self-directed high-performance teams that allow them to outperform other similar teams and expectations. Self-directed, high-performance teams readily engage in solution building, planning and implementation of strategies once the charter and working norms are understood. However, the process of establishing a self-directed, high-performance teams is filled with managerial hurdles to be handled. This report examines some of the administrative challenges, and crucial elements in the building of such teams , including recommendations for successful implementation of the plan.
Managerial Challenges in Establishing Self-directed High Performing Teams
Getting the job done is vital to many organizations and business, but the era of dependence on a single person excelling in their career is well past. Organizations place emphasis on employees who can function in a team to deliver positive results within time and budget and minimum adverse scenarios. Establishing such self-directed , high-performance teams faces significant challenges because cross-cultural differences define such teams , especially given that members comprise of individuals from different business cultures. According to Oertig and Buergi (2006), challenges in leadership, managing practical aspects of communication, and developing trust are of significance in the management of cross-cultural teams and have a direct impact on establishing high-performance teams. Therefore, developing such a high impact on a dynamic group of individuals with capabilities to produce timely , quality, and planned results faces numerous challenges. Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson et al. (2002), leaders and members of high-performance teams face particular challenges in selecting individuals with the right balance of technical and interpersonal skills and abilities and in evaluating the performance of such individuals. Other identifiable problems impeding the establishing of high performing teams include the following:
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Lack of a Clear and Compelling Purpose and Vision
A management of project self-directed high-performance team cannot function optimally if a clear, overriding, and persuasive vision or mission is absent. Self-directed teams are defined by their sense of a particular direction and thus need a compelling reason for getting to their goals quickly and more efficiently . However, most team leaders may not have the skills and expertise required to ensure the team is equipped with the same understanding of the objective of the team. Team leaders may fail to effectively communicate the purpose for the team ’s existence which is crucial in providing meaning and direction. As a result, apathy may develop , team members may opt to work independently, there would be an increase in conflict on how the goals are to be achieved , slow decision making emerges, team members take different directions, unfocused meetings, and arguments over insignificant issues, all of which potentially lower performance levels.
Team Members Failure to Hold Each Other Accountable
The issue of accountability present challenges due to its complex nature that make it difficult to address. Leaders encounter obstacles when trying to establish a culture within a high-performance team wherein individuals are accountable of each other accountable to group related work. Failure to instigate this culture from the very start leads to the unspoken rule of “If I do not hold you accountable, you will not hold me accountable.” If a team leader fails to ensure accountability in the team, the project is likely to be defined by delays, internal and external conflicts, backstabbing, withdrawn from full participation, bad feelings, and erosion of gained team spirit, all of which are detrimental to the goals of the self-directed high-performance team.
Lack of Shared Leadership
For a high-performance team to be successful, a leader with strong character is needed to steer members towards team goals. However, most managers are likely to fall short in controlling the group because they do not have the necessary skills to direct the team and offer good internal leadership. Some leaders are likely to fail the agility and decisiveness test needed in addition to developing the internal leadership capacity. Therefore, they face the challenge of competition for resources or training among team members, duplication of tasks, team members seeking advice from external sources, divisions, and covering up of mistakes, all of which are detrimental to performance of the team
Ineffective and Unclear Team Processes
The nature of the goals of self-directed high-performance teams requires precise descriptions of methods . However, the specificity of the task implies that team managers and leaders may fail to capture foundational elements needed for optimal functioning including measurable performance objective that addresses the current situation; clear norms and codes to dictate the group’s behavior; clear roles and responsibilities; and recognizing and rewarding individual efforts . Failure to institute these elements is a recipe for confusion on priorities, recurring conflicts, lack of personal accountability, and uncertainty on how to address given issues.
Excessive or too Little Autonomy
The lack of balance between leadership and other duties contributes to managers and leaders whose work is to generate reports or those who lead too much. In high-impact teams, a high balance of shared leadership must be created to enable balancing of direction and leadership. However, this is not often the case because of the difficulty in establishing mutual trust. It is imperative that even for self-directed high-performance teams, autonomy and authority must be balanced and regulated to better results, an aspect most managers and leaders fail to recognize and address leading to poor results due to power struggles, unnecessary conflicts, lack of innovation, unwillingness to take risks, acceptable performance at best, and low turnover of staff among others.
Elements for Establishing Successful Self-directed High Performing Teams
Establishing a self-directed high performing team is a complex task that requires an understanding of all critical elements needed to ensure the process is successful. Paramount is the need to recognize that such teams are driven by compelling, provocative and explorative visions, and they share high levels integrity, positive values, optimism, and positive attitude about themselves, their leaders, and the organization. Mastering the practices of a high-performing team for maximum performance requires taking specific actions that include addressing the following elements:
Team Focus
A self-directed high performing team is defined by its focus on a shared purpose and vision and how it appropriately shares leadership. The team is guided by measurable performance objectives and works collaboratively with its sponsorship.
The Team Leader
This is a crucial element of the team is the team leader because it is through them that the team can be set up to succeed. Therefore, a team leader needs to exude emotional intelligence and must demonstrate the ability to develop people, strategies, and mastery of informal systems.
Team Balance
The likelihood of a diverse team implies that balance must be struck for the team and the organization to thrive. High-performance teams are highly inclusive and recognize and rewards each other efforts on a regular basis . However, the team must also be able to understand and appreciate periods when renewals are needed, as well as being placed to handle times of extreme successes or failure.
Team Communication
The benefits of good communication in high-performing team cannot be understated. Communication is key to regulation of emotions, and if properly managed, can create beneficial relationships within the team and external networks hence reducing conflicts due to a misunderstanding that may derail the team’s efforts in achieving its goals.
Team Discipline
Self-directed teams are not exempt from punishment because this critical element governs the effectiveness of team processes, competency in executing strategy, agility with change, and innovativeness. These factors are what define the team’s character and ability to outperform others of similar composition.
Recommendations
A self-directed high performing team is dependent on a clear vision. Thus , it should be unique to the team , implying that is should be talked about among members even if the team has subgroups to ensure appropriateness and relevance to the organization. Aligning the vision or purpose with the team’s competencies is essential for creating inspiration and meaning for working together and look into the future.
The management must focus on proper accountability by making building relationships the primary goal. Set norms of responsibility and trust to instill a culture that facilitates the development of healthy working relationships towards the creation of effective team processes.
Develop a model for shared leadership as it has been proven to enhance performance. This aspect of high performing team 's hard to establish and maintain, but its inclusion in the vision and purpose of the team and the team charter is crucial in providing direction, which is needed by even self-directed teams.
It is important to establish clarity about group norms, roles and responsibilities, measurable performance objectives, and team agreements to ensure each member understands their contribution towards the team’s goals.
Establish strategies to evaluate and monitor leadership effectiveness for effective performance by providing clear ends, structure, and guidelines while giving team members the autonomy for open discussion about roles and responsibilities to facilitate agreements and avoid detrimental conflicts.
Plan for Guiding Struggling Managers to Establish Self-directed, High Performing Teams
To ensure that one can develop a successful high performing team, they need to take a step back and examine if they are capable of leadership and managing diverse groups regarding competencies and culture. Therefore, the first step should be to analyze the strengths of the team leader and accurately measure the strength of the team and other areas of promise.
Undertake coaching to enable understanding of what needs to be changed to enhance the performance of the team. A teaming scorecard can be essential in providing insights on how the team can grow.
Coaching is also important in determining which training and team building exercises are needed to improve the performance of the team.
References
Kirkman, B. L., Rosen, B., Gibson, C. B., Tesluk, P. E., & McPherson, S. O. (2002). Five challenges to virtual team success: Lessons from Sabre, Inc. The Academy of Management Executive , 16 (3), 67-79.
Oertig, M., & Buergi, T. ( 2006). The challenges of managing cross-cultural virtual project teams. Team Performance Management: An International Journal , 12 (1/2 ), 23-30.
Richter, A. W., Dawson, J. F., & West, M. A. (2011). The effectiveness of teams in organizations: A meta-analysis. The International Journal of Human Resource Management , 22 (13), 2749-2769.
