This is a HB case review : Disciplne of teams on HR

1. A Harvard Business Review
Presentation on

2. The article says:
If a manager wants to make better decisions about teams, they must know
what a team is.
TEAM :-
A small no. of people with complementary skills who are committed to a
common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold
themselves mutually accountable

3.  Common Commitment and Purpose.
 Performance Goals
 Complementary Skills
 Mutual Accountability

4. Teams that Recommend things
 Teams that Make or do things
 Teams that Run things

5. GROUP TEAM
Strong , clearly focused leader Shared leadership roles
Individual accountability Individual and mutual accountability
Individual work products Collective work products
Discusses , decides and delegates Discusses , decides and does real
work together
Runs efficient meetings Encourages open-ended discussions
and active problem-solving
techniques
Group’s purpose is same as the
broader organizational mission
Specific team purpose that the team
itself delivers

6.  A set of VALUES : that encourage listening and responding constructively
to views expressed by others.
 Providing Support & recognizing the interest and achievements of others
 These values help teams perform, promote individual performance & that
of the entire organization.
 The essence of a TEAM is Common Commitment: without it , groups
perform as individuals and with it, they perform as powerful unit of
collective performance.
 Teams fall apart if a common goal is missing, but on the contrary when
goals are combined with team commitment, they become a powerful
engine of performance

7. Reasons For Transforming Broad Directives Into Specific
And Measurable Performance Goals
 Defining a distinct work product- Specific team-performance goals
help define a set of work products that are different both from an
organization-wide mission and from individual job objectives.
 Facilitating clear and productive discussions- The specificity of
performance objectives facilitates clear communication and
constructive conflict within the team. When goals are clear, the
discussions can focus on how to pursue or change these goals.
 Helping the team to assess its performance- The attainability of
specific goals helps teams maintain their focus on getting results. With
the measure of attainability of the goals or objectives ,the team knows
exactly where it stands.

8. Reasons Continued…
 Have a leveling effect conducive to team behavior- Outward bound
and other team-building programs illustrate that specific objectives have
a leveling effect which is conducive to team behavior.
 Allows a team to achieve small wins- Specific goals allow a team to
achieve small wins as it pursues its broader purpose. These wins are
invaluable to building commitment and overcoming the obstacles that
get in way of long-term purpose.
 Performance goals are compelling- They are symbols of
accomplishment that motivate and energize. They challenge the people
to commit themselves, as a team, to make a difference.

9. Approaches For Building Team Performance
 Establish Urgency, demanding performance standards, and
direction- The more urgent and meaningful the rationale, the more
likely it is that the team will live up to its performance potential. Teams
work best in compelling context.
 Select members for skill and skill potential, not personality- No
team succeeds without all the skills needed to meet its purpose and
performance goals. So, a manager must choose people for their existing
skills and potential to improve them and learn new ones.

10. Pay particular attention to first meetings and actions. Initial impression
always makes a great deal- When potential teams first gather, they monitor
the signals given by others and pay particular attention to those in authority.
Set some clear rules of behavior- Most critical initial rules pertain to
attendance, discussions, confidentiality, analytic approach, end-product
orientation, constructive confrontation and contributions.
Spend lots of time together- In order to be successful as a team, the
members must give themselves the time to learn to be a team.

11.  Set and seize upon a few immediate performance-oriented tasks and
goals- Effective teams trace their advancement to key performance-oriented
events. These events can be set in motion by establishing a few goals that can
be achieved early on.
 Challenge the group regularly with fresh facts and information- New
information causes a team to redefine its understanding of performance
challenge, thereby helping the team share a common purpose, set clearer
goals and improve its common approach.
 Exploit the power of positive feedback, recognition, and reward- Positive
reinforcement works well in team context. Giving rewards or feedbacks helps
shape new behaviors critical to team performance.

12. “The combination of purpose and specific
goals is essential to performance. Each
depends on the other to remain relevant
and vital”

13. • No fixed criteria
• Small size more of a pragmatic guide than an absolute necessity for success.
Issues:
• Issues in constructive Interaction.
• Logistics issues.
Result:
• Superficial missions.
• Meeting becomes a chore and people don’t even know why they have
gathered.
• Very frustrating for the team members.

14.  Complementary skills.
 Not necessary to have people with same skill set or background.
 CFTs
Skill Requirement:
 Technical or functional expertise- Appropriate and diverse.
 Problem solving and decision making skills- problem and opportunity
identification, evaluate options and move forward.
 Interpersonal skills- Risk taking, helpful criticism, objectivity,
active listening, recognizing the interests and achievements of others.

15.  It’s common to overemphasize the skills in team selection
 The authors of the case study didn’t encounter any successful teams that
had all the needed skills required for the task at the beginning.
 It was discovered that teams are powerful vehicles for developing the
skills needed to meet the team’s performance challenge.


16.  Element of Commitment (to a common goal)
Element of Emotional logic
Establishment of Social Contract
Group Teams
Accountability

17. HP and
motorolla
Ingrained
perfect
ethic
Allow
organic
team
formation
Factor of
mutual
accountability
Being in
boat
together

18. Features :
Joint Specialization
 Decentralization
 Mutual adjustments
 much verbal communication
 people work over time

19. Challenges with type of
teams

20. Issues
 Getting off to a fast and constructive start
 Dealing with ultimate handoff that’s required to get
recommendations implemented
Predetermined completion date
Management’s role
Form team with different skills and influencing power
Remove obstacles(say political barriers) and improve
cooperation .

21. Issues
How to build necessary system and power without falling into
trap of appearing to promote teams for their own sake
Management’s role
Training should be given to teams, responsive for real time
needs

22. Issues
Determining whether a real team approach is right or not?
Working in GROUP is preferred over TEAM work
Management’s role
If Top management uses TEAMS to run things, it should be
make sure that the TEAM succeeds in identifying specific
purpose and goals

23.  Real Team performance at Top lever of management occurs
 Effective Team becomes primary unit of performance
“Top Management must recognize a team’s unique potential to
decline result, deploy teams strategically when they are best tool
for jobs, Foster basic discipline of teams- that will make them
effective”

24. Any queries or suggestions ?