Assessing Team Effectiveness: A Key to Enhancing Productivity and Profitability
Assessing Team Effectiveness: A Key to Enhancing Productivity and Profitability
A key question you need to ask and answer for yourself is, "Do you sincerely think you need and want a peak performing team of people to collaboratively help you lead and manage your company?" If so, you can benefit from what has been learned over the last 30 years from the mixed results of organization development programs, activities, and research.
Over this time, many useful techniques and concepts proved their value in enhancing people's performance and organizational functioning. One of the most significant findings was that management, leadership and work teams could be deliberately and methodically developed into powerful problem solving groups that produced excellent results. Over and over again, effectively developed teams demonstrate the ability to collaborate, cooperate, establish a top quality work environment and ensure the production of excellent products and services.
Eight research based attributes of team effectiveness can be measured and enhanced in any company: clear aims; assertive leadership; effective leadership and managerial practices; positive climate; appropriate structure; balanced power relationships; and effective teamwork.
Teams that are mature and effective have been painstakingly built over a period of time. Problems have been successfully worked through, relationships deepened, and roles clarified. When peak performing teams are examined, they are found to have achieved these attributes. The items in this survey have been developed from the classic on my book shelf: Improving Work Groups: A Practical Manual for Team Building by Dave Francis and Don Young.
Survey your management team members who see you in action and who are those you serve. Also other staff members and work groups which observe your team in action. Determine how different people view the relative degree to which your management team has achieved each attribute.
Ask them, “To what degree, 1 being low and 5 being high, does our management team possess the attributes below.
APPROPRIATE LEADERSHIP - The manager of the team has the skills and intention to develop a team approach and allocates time to team building activities. Leadership of the team is seen as a function shared by all members.
SUITABLE MEMBERSHIP - Team members are individually qualified and capable of contributing the "mix" of skills and ^characteristics that provide an appropriate balance.
COMMITMENT TO THE TEAM - Team members feel a sense of individual commitment to the aims and purposes of the team. They are willing to devote personal energy to building the team and supporting other team members.
CONSTRUCTIVE CLIMATE. - The team has developed a climate in which people feel relaxed, able to be direct and open, and prepared to take risks.
CONCERN TO ACHIEVE RESULTS - The team is clear about its objectives, which are felt to be worthwhile. It sets targets for performance that are felt to be stretching but achievable. Energy is mainly devoted to the achievement of results, and team performance is reviewed frequently to see where enhancements can be made.
CLEAR ORGANIZATION ROLE - The team has contributed to the company's planning in a distinct and productive way.
EFFECTIVE WORK METHODS - The team has developed energetic, systematic, and effective ways to solve problems together.
WELL-ORGANIZED TEAM PROCEDURES - Roles are clearly defined, communication patterns are well developed, and all procedures support a team approach.
CRITIQUE WITHOUT RANCOR - Team and individual errors and weaknesses are examined, without personal attack, so the group can learn from its experiences.
WELL-DEVELOPED INDIVIDUALS - Team members are deliberately developed and the team can cope with strong individual contributions.
CREATIVE STRENGTH - The team has the capacity to create new ideas through the interactions of its members. Some innovative risk taking is rewarded, and the team will support new ideas from individual members or from outside. Good ideas are put into action.
POSITIVE INTERGROUP RELATIONS - Relationships with other groups have been systematically developed to provide open personal contact and identify where joint working together may give maximum pay off. There is regular contact and review of joint or collective priorities with other groups.
If your team averages 4-5 across the board from all the different perspectives, you are doing great! If you average 3 on any item, it would be a worthwhile investment to have a business consultant or coach help you investigate what it would take to strengthen it and then facilitate you through doing it. If you average 2 or less on any attribute, it is critical to make the investment of time and money in professional help to strengthen it. If you don't, it will negatively impact your team's strengths and cause your team to function far below its potential. This leads to poor morale, lost time and frustration. It negatively impacts the individual levels of performance necessary for the efficient and timely achievement of your company's vision, mission and goals. It will thwart the optimum productivity of your people and the maximum profitability of your company.
Assessing Team Effectiveness A Key to Enhancing Productivity and Profitability - To learn more about this author, visit Millard MacAdam's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Free Download - Fostering Staff Creativity To Enhance Productivity By Millard MacAdam |
To remain competitive, businesses today need staff members who take leadership initiative and are stellar in carrying out the managerial and other responsibilities related to the functions and tasks of their positions. As an owner or leader, you need and deserve a good functioning team of people. They can help you keep the "company ship on course" and your company’s operations in good health and balance.
A key question you need to ask and answer for yourself is, "Do you sincerely think you need and want a peak performing team of people to collaboratively help you lead and manage your company?" If so, you can benefit from what has been learned over the last 30 years from the mixed results of organization development programs, activities, and research.
Over this time, many useful techniques and concepts proved their value in enhancing people's performance and organizational functioning. One of the most significant findings was that management, leadership and work teams could be deliberately and methodically developed into powerful problem solving groups that produced excellent results. Over and over again, effectively developed teams demonstrate the ability to collaborate, cooperate, establish a top quality work environment and ensure the production of excellent products and services.
Eight research based attributes of team effectiveness can be measured and enhanced in any company: clear aims; assertive leadership; effective leadership and managerial practices; positive climate; appropriate structure; balanced power relationships; and effective teamwork.
Teams that are mature and effective have been painstakingly built over a period of time. Problems have been successfully worked through, relationships deepened, and roles clarified. When peak performing teams are examined, they are found to have achieved these attributes. The items in this survey have been developed from the classic on my book shelf: Improving Work Groups: A Practical Manual for Team Building by Dave Francis and Don Young.
Survey your management team members who see you in action and who are those you serve. Also other staff members and work groups which observe your team in action. Determine how different people view the relative degree to which your management team has achieved each attribute.
Ask them, “To what degree, 1 being low and 5 being high, does our management team possess the attributes below.
APPROPRIATE LEADERSHIP - The manager of the team has the skills and intention to develop a team approach and allocates time to team building activities. Leadership of the team is seen as a function shared by all members.
SUITABLE MEMBERSHIP - Team members are individually qualified and capable of contributing the "mix" of skills and ^characteristics that provide an appropriate balance.
COMMITMENT TO THE TEAM - Team members feel a sense of individual commitment to the aims and purposes of the team. They are willing to devote personal energy to building the team and supporting other team members.
CONSTRUCTIVE CLIMATE. - The team has developed a climate in which people feel relaxed, able to be direct and open, and prepared to take risks.
CONCERN TO ACHIEVE RESULTS - The team is clear about its objectives, which are felt to be worthwhile. It sets targets for performance that are felt to be stretching but achievable. Energy is mainly devoted to the achievement of results, and team performance is reviewed frequently to see where enhancements can be made.
CLEAR ORGANIZATION ROLE - The team has contributed to the company's planning in a distinct and productive way.
EFFECTIVE WORK METHODS - The team has developed energetic, systematic, and effective ways to solve problems together.
WELL-ORGANIZED TEAM PROCEDURES - Roles are clearly defined, communication patterns are well developed, and all procedures support a team approach.
CRITIQUE WITHOUT RANCOR - Team and individual errors and weaknesses are examined, without personal attack, so the group can learn from its experiences.
WELL-DEVELOPED INDIVIDUALS - Team members are deliberately developed and the team can cope with strong individual contributions.
CREATIVE STRENGTH - The team has the capacity to create new ideas through the interactions of its members. Some innovative risk taking is rewarded, and the team will support new ideas from individual members or from outside. Good ideas are put into action.
POSITIVE INTERGROUP RELATIONS - Relationships with other groups have been systematically developed to provide open personal contact and identify where joint working together may give maximum pay off. There is regular contact and review of joint or collective priorities with other groups.
If your team averages 4-5 across the board from all the different perspectives, you are doing great! If you average 3 on any item, it would be a worthwhile investment to have a business consultant or coach help you investigate what it would take to strengthen it and then facilitate you through doing it. If you average 2 or less on any attribute, it is critical to make the investment of time and money in professional help to strengthen it. If you don't, it will negatively impact your team's strengths and cause your team to function far below its potential. This leads to poor morale, lost time and frustration. It negatively impacts the individual levels of performance necessary for the efficient and timely achievement of your company's vision, mission and goals. It will thwart the optimum productivity of your people and the maximum profitability of your company.
Assessing Team Effectiveness A Key to Enhancing Productivity and Profitability - To learn more about this author, visit Millard MacAdam's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Millard's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
 |
 10 Ways To Go International Loyalty Strategies Press Advertising Measure Customer Loyalty Make Money Online |
|
 | ||
 |
Email The Reporters
Press Release Builder | |
 |
Top 50 Diversion Blogs
Top Diversion Blogs of 2009 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||