What is Team Building

Definition of Team

According to Smith, “A team is a group whose members have complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose or set of performance goals for which they hold themselves mutually accountable”.

According to P.Robins, “A team work is a collection of people whose individual efforts result in a level of performance which is greater than the sum of their individual contribution”.

Definition of Work Team

“Generates positive synergy through coordinate effort”.

Nature/ Characteristics of Team

> Group of people
> Basic units of performance
> Represents set of values
> Energized by challenges
> Outperform individual
> Flexible and responsive to change
> Deep sense of commitment
> Interdependence
> Positive synergy

Types of Teams

Lead Team: A lead team follows the approach of “do as I do” rather than the conventional “do as I say” manager directs subordinates
Problem Solving Teams

- Improving quality
- Efficiency
- Improve work environment

Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss way of improving.

Self-Managed Teams/ Autonomous Work Group: Groups of 10 to 15 people who take on responsibilities of their former supervisors.
Cross Functional Teams: Employees form about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.
Virtual Teams: Teams that use computer, technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal (different directions).

Team Roles

a. Contributor
b. Collaborator
c. Communicator

Differences Between Groups and Teams

Criteria	Work groups	Work team
Goal	Shared information	Collective performance
Synergy	Neutral (sometimes negative)	Positive
Accountability	Individual	Individual, mutual
Skills	Random and varied	Complementary
Leadership	Formal – established	Shared roles
Performance	Sum of individual outputs	Collective and synergistic
Orientation	Common goal	Common committee

Benefits of Team/ Need / Significance

Enhanced performance (ex: improved customer service )
Employee benefits (ex: better quality of work life )
Reduced scrap, fewer errors, fewer remuneration, turnover, quality decisions (ex: alternatives)
Improved process (ex: project planning)
Global competitiveness to the firm (ex: us)
Organizational enhancements and achievements of goals (ex: innovation, creativity and flexibility)
To build unity and set team goals
Foster understanding and ensure efficiency
Diagnose weakness
Ensure effective leadership

Definition of Team Building

According to Lusier, “Team building is an organizational development techniques used to assist work groups operate more efficiently and effectively”.

According to Johnson, “Team building is defined as any planned event with a group of people who have or may have common organization relationship and/or goals which are designed to improve the way in which work gets done by them in some way or another”.