self-managing team

Examples of self-managing team in the following topics:

• Self-Managing Teams

  • A self-managing team has considerable discretion over how its work gets done.
  • Self-managing teams are distinct from self-directed teams.
  • Members of self-managing teams plan, coordinate, direct, and control their activities.
  • Because they eliminate a level of management, the use of self-managing teams can better allocate resources and even lower costs.
  • There are also potential drawbacks to self-managing teams.

• Cross-Functional and Self-Managed Teams

  • A cross-functional team is fully or partially self-managed group of employees with different functional expertises but with a common goal.
  • The Morning Star Company, a privately held food processing and agribusiness company, is a fully self-managed company, having no formal hierarchy, and allowing colleagues within the company to commit to their own activities, organize their own work, and coordinate their own working relationships with other colleagues.
  • For example, every one of the Whole Foods Market stores, the largest natural-foods grocer in the United States developing a focused strategy, is an autonomous profit center composed of an average of 10 self-managed teams, while team leaders in each store and each region are also a team.
  • Some business leaders have begun to structure their companies as either partially or fully self-managed.
  • A fully self-managed company is one that imposes no formal hierarchical structure upon employees (in some cases, having no hierarchy whatsoever).

• Teams

  • Every one of the Whole Foods Market stores, such as the one shown here, is composed of an average of 10 self-managed teams.
  • For example, every one of the Whole Foods Market stores, the largest natural-foods grocer in the US, is an autonomous profit center composed of an average of 10 self-managed teams, while team leaders in each store and each region also act as a team.
  • Cross-functional teams often function as self-directed teams responding to broad directives.
  • Decision-making within a team may depend on consensus, but is often led by a manager/coach/team leader.
  • The rise of self-directed teams reflects these trends.

• Leadership

  • When one considers this definition of management, it becomes apparent that leadership is actually a sub-category of management.
  • When applying these concepts for "manager" and "leader" in a team setting, one finds interesting results.
  • If there is a team leader that is perceived to be unconcerned with the team members' needs or has a personal agenda more important than the team's goals, then the leader is perceived to be more of a "manager" and becomes estranged from the team members.
  • Conversely, the team leaders who are admired and followed loyally are those who show concern for the team members as individuals with real needs, and who put "the cause" of the team above their own persona agenda.
  • If a team leader's tasks, such as efficiency analysis, were done hand-in-hand with sincerely seeking to know team members' individual needs, then the team leader would be perceived to have a genuine desire to make the team more successful.

• Setting Team Goals and Providing Team Feedback

  • The way team members function as a group is as important to the team's success as the quality of what it produces.
  • Periodic self-assessments that consider the team's progress, how it has gotten there, and where it is headed allow the team to gauge its effectiveness and take steps to improve its performance.
  • Once they have identified the areas for improvement, members of the team and others (such as managers) can develop a plan to close the gaps.
  • The team can then use the results as a starting point for its discussion.
  • Apply effective performance management procedures to the process of goal setting and feedback

• Shared Leadership

  • Team members must be willing to extend their feedback to the team in a way that aims to influence and motivate the direction of the group.
  • Shared purpose means team members have a similar understanding of the team's objective and collective goals.
  • Voice refers to the degree to which team members believe they have input into how the team carries out its activities.
  • Through active encouragement and positive reinforcement of team members who demonstrate leadership, coaching can foster independence and a sense of individual self-efficacy.
  • Coaching can also nurture collective commitment to the team and its objectives, increasing the possibility that team members will demonstrate personal initiative.

• Interpersonal Skills of Successful Managers

  • These concepts of "manager" and "leader" can be distinguished within a team setting.
  • A team leader who is unconcerned with team members' needs or who has a personal agenda that is perceived to be more important than the team's goals may be considered more of a manager than a leader, with the possible outcome of being estranged from team members.
  • Conversely, team leaders who are admired and loyally followed are those who show concern for the team members as individuals with real needs and who place their team above their own personal agendas.
  • Empathy, self-reflection, situational awareness, and charisma all play integral roles in communicating effectively and positively.
  • A sender communicating a message to a receiver is not simply transmitting factual information; self-image, context, charisma, and the relationship between the two people also impact the reception of the message.

• Types of Teams

  • Depending on its needs and goals, a company can use a project team, a virtual team, or a cross-functional team.
  • Teams may be permanent or temporary, and team members may come from the same department or different ones.
  • Common types of teams found in organizations include project teams, virtual teams, and cross-functional teams.
  • Software development is most commonly done by project teams.
  • It is common for an organization to have many teams, including teams of several types.

• Leading Teams

  • There is often a balancing act that the leader must manage between being a leader and a member while ensuring the goal is clear and obtainable.
  • The team lead reports to a project manager (overseeing several teams).
  • The team membership may not directly report or answer to the team leader (who is very often a senior member of the organization but may or may not be a manager), but would be expected to provide support to the team leader and other team members in achieving the team's goals.
  • Manage performance as described When Teams Work Best by LaFasto and Larson.
  • Therefore, an effective team leader must be both a component to the team and also a leader to manage the team's progress.

• Defining a Team

  • A team is a group of people who work together toward a common goal.
  • Each member is responsible for contributing to the team, but the group as a whole is responsible for the team's success.
  • Sports teams are a good example of how teams work.
  • Organizations typically have many teams, and an individual is frequently a member of more than one team.
  • Some teams are permanent and are responsible for ongoing activities.