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The tricky business of teamworkCritics say concept is often bungled
By Linda Keene "Teamwork," "team-building" and "team spirit" are favorite buzzwords in the business community these days, but what if someone were to ream the team concept? That someone would be George Cloutier, of American Management Services, Inc., in Boston. After working with approximately 5,000 companies of all sizes, Cloutier is here to tell you that team work is "overrated" and "dramatically overdone in terms of achieving bottom-line accountability." For small businesses, team efforts are particularly tricky because there usually isn't enough time or money to effectively execute the concept, he says, noting that, "the process can slow down profit growth." Hiding Mediocrity It can also hide mediocrity. Cloutier argues that only 25 percent of workers really excel at their jobs, and everyone else falls in middle, mediocre or poor categories. "The less-competent, less-productive players tend to hide behind the team," he says, noting their potential to diminish the team's overall performance. "The team has to move to the middle rather than excel." If this sounds rather harsh, Cloutier says he isn't out to win a personality contest. "I don't always get awards for sensitivity," he jokes. "I feel your pain, but you better perform." Of course, not everyone agrees with Cloutier's views. At a recent small-business summit in Buffalo, N.Y., where the consultant addressed about 200 CEOs and managers, one doctor rose to defend teamwork and later told Onvia.com that it has dramatically helped his business. "When I didn't use it (teamwork), it was not good," says Dr. Raul Vazquez, who runs the Urban Family Practice in Buffalo. "It became me against them. I had to replace an entire staff." Uniting employees Searching for a solution, he adopted a team strategy to unite the group and started holding monthly meetings to air disagreements and identify problems. Rather than ride herd over the staff of eight. Vazquez even introduced them to the "bottom line," telling employees, "We have to see 40 patients a day to be able to make it." Now, he says, staff turnover has decreased, patient flow has improved and morale is up -- because his employees "feel part of the process, not just like workers." Vazquez is still very much in control of the company, though, a factor that Cloutier argues is key to making any team effort succeed. "You can have a team, for camaraderie and team spirit" he says, "but it can't be running the company. You need an outside force enforcing the rules." Others basically agree. Terry Bragg, a business consultant in Salt Lake City, who runs Peacemakers Training, says, "Building teams is a real art. It's not easy for most companies." A management fad? It's not enough to simply assemble a group and label it a "team," he says, echoing Cloutier's concern that "team-building" and "empowerment" have become faddish and overused. But if attempted, Bragg says a team needs a foundation based on what he calls the GREAT formula, which outlines Goals, Roles, Expectations, Abilities and Tools. With the GREAT strategy in place, he says teams can stimulate creativity, spur better ideas and enhance performance, because the members take increased ownership in their work. Goals: "Too often, a business owner says 'you're now a team,' but people don't know what to do," says Bragg. Common team goals are needed to direct a group's effort. As simple as that sounds, it is often overlooked. Bragg cites a group of telephone solicitors in Kansas City that had been identified as a "team" but were struggling because they had not identified a common goal. Instead, they were operating independently and competing against each other. "You have to get different groups operating toward a common goal," he says. Roles: Team members may have different duties, depending on the overall function of the team -- problem-solving, investigating new products, etc. Common roles include team leaders, meeting facilitators, technical experts and communicators, says Bragg. In small companies, some team members might carry out multiple roles if they are cross-trained to do so. "If someone is absent or leaves, another can fill in," he says. Expectations: To avoid trouble and conflict, Bragg says it's important to discuss expectations about what each member will perform and accomplish. Don't assume that everyone has the same expectations, because they often don't. "This is where small businesses, particularly family businesses, get into trouble," he says, noting the potential to transfer personal baggage to business decisions. "People don't realize that expectations are driving decisions, at a lower level," he says. Abilities: This is fairly straightforward, matching skill sets with team members. But organizations fill teams with people just because those employees have the time to participate or nothing else to do. "If they don't have abilities, they can hold the team back," says Bragg. "They become space fillers." Tools: Once a team is in place, it will need resources to succeed ---materials, equipment and financial support. Lacking that, most teams will fail. Teams also need the biggest resource of all -- time. That's especially true initially, when teams must develop skills and overcome conflict before moving onto objectives. Bragg warns that deadlines should not be established too soon because, if they aren't met, "someone panics and starts calling the shots. That can destroy the foundation of the entire team." Obviously, team building is not as easy as it sounds. In fact, Bragg says it's not for everyone: "Studies show that in most organizations, if they're not really serious about building a team, then they're better off not to mess with it." Terry Bragg and Peacemakers Training offers a variety of tools for promoting, maintaining, and recognizing excellence in your workplace. We also offer tools for helping you achieve and maintain personal excellence. To learn more about these tools, click here: Tools for Workplace and Personal Excellence To find out more about Terry's book, 31 Days to High Self-Esteem, click here: 31 Days to High Self-Esteem To learn more about onsite seminars and workshops for improving interpersonal relationships, resolving conflict, and promoting and maintaining excellence in your workplace, click here: Seminars & Workshops
For more information about team-building and Terry Bragg, contact him at: Terry Bragg runs a company called Peacemakers Training in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is the author of the book 31 Days to High Self-Esteem. He works with organizations to create a workplace where people want to work, and with managers who want their people to work together better. If you want your organization or your people to have more energy, more trust, more respect, and more meaning, please contact him at: Peacemakers Training Subscribe to our Free
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