Understanding of the article The Discipline of Teams
In this article, Katzenbach and Smith emphasizes on the issue of successful teams. The authors argue that teamwork and organization performance cannot be separated (2). Organization executives should always encourage teamwork in order to attain good performance. The reason is that teamwork symbolizes a set of ideals that encourage listening and acting.
This is done in response to the views articulated by others, offering other members the benefit of doubt, granting support as well as being familiar with the achievements and interests of others (Katzenbach and Douglas 3). These values are responsible for successful team performance and promoting the individuals performance that will finally enhance the organization performance. However, the group or joint effort actions are hardy restricted to the cooperation standards (Smith 52).
Katzenbach and Smith assert that not all groups working together are teams (Katzenbach 32). The difference between teams and other groups working together can be identified through performance results. Task execution outcomes from a given crowd are the operation upshots of each affiliate within the work group. However, a team’s performance results are the products of the collective work and individual performance.
Team performance fundamentally depends on more than debates, group discussions, sharing information, and decisions (Katzenbach and Douglas 5). Teams require the best practice and performance standards. In addition, teams need mutual and individual accountability. With respect to task execution and actions, a team is considered to be above the summation of every unsurpassed performance of the group affiliates (Smith 61).
The real meaning of teamwork is its common commitment. With common commitment, the members’ contributions become a commanding component of collective performance. This type of commitment should have a purpose that all members of the team believe in. The credible purposes for a team have the elements that relate to the best performance, transforming or forward-looking.
According to Katzenbach and Douglas, teams have the capability of developing impetus, course, and obligation as they work to shape a significant purpose (162). That is, putting together ownership and commitment into purpose. Ordinarily, successful teams shape their purpose in reaction to the rising prospects or stipulations that in most cases arise from the management.
This is important as the team functions within the framework of the organizational goals. In addition, the management shows its commitment in determining the rational, charter as well as addressing the challenges that a team may face (Watkins and Leigh 189). However, the management should leverage the control and allow flexibility especially in the day-to-day decision-making.
Best teams invest a lot of resources and effort studying, designing, and making agreements on the purpose that affects both individual members of the team, and the group. This process is perpetual throughout the life of the team. Moreover, the best teams translate their common purpose into performance objectives (Katzenbach 39).
For the purpose to become a major driver of performance, it must be built on goals. It must merge with the commitment of the team. The first step in shaping a common purpose is transforming the broad objectives into performance goals that are specific and measurable.
Team performance goals that are specific are important. This is because they identify distinctive work products both from the broad mission of an organization to the employees’ job intent. The specific work products need the combined effort of team members. Besides, the detailed performance goals level the progress of communication, and encourage positive arguments among member of the team. The ability of the team to attain specific goals is essential towards the teams’ concentration on the outcome (Katzenbach and Douglas 112).
Specific goals enable teams to attain smaller objectives as they continue to pursue broader objectives. These small achievements are instrumental in overcoming inevitable obstacles that prevent the attainment of broader objectives. The performance objectives are persuasive.
They signify the teams’ achievement that in effect energize and motivate. The performance objectives are challenging to the teams members, makes members of the team to be committed, and result into a team that makes a difference (Katzenbach and Douglas 6). The urgency and the fear of failure act as the driving forces for the attainment of specific goals.
A blend of explicit aims and the team intention is central to the teams’ achievements. The symbiotic relationship between purpose and specific goals specifies the team’s performance. Performance goals are significant for the team’s progress and accountability whereas the teams’ purpose provides meaning as well as energy (Watkins and Leigh 189).
Characteristics of successful teams
Katzenbach and Smith assert that successful teams have shared leadership roles (5). In addition, the performance accountability must be both collective and individual. The authors go on to say that, successful teams must deliver on their purpose and must have common work products. They further add that, successful teams encourage unrestricted deliberations and dynamic analytical meetings (Smith 61). Members of the team measure a wide-range of collective performance. Successful teams discuss, decide, and implement their decision.
Building successful teams
There is a clear method on how to build successive teams. However, many teams have followed a common guideline to be successful. All successful teams agree that the team members must have a feeling of urgency for the attainment of a common purpose. All members of a team must see the need of urgency, worthwhile purpose, and the organization expectations (Katzenbach 42). The organization goals must be rational and urgent for the team to achieve its performance prospects.
Second, successful teams must have members with complementary skills. These skills are essential for the attainment of the team’s performance. To be precise, such individual skills are desired for these people to be able to accomplish their routine targets. Third, much consideration should be given to the initial impressions especially during the first meetings.
The first impressions are vital for the success of teamwork. Team members usually pay much attention to the impressions created by others particularly the executives or team leaders (Watkins and Leigh 190). Therefore, the first impression may compel, confirm, or suspend prior assumptions.
It is should be noted that teams must have clear behavioral norms. The rules guiding conducts should specify the required behavior. The codes of conducts should be developed at the onset to help in attaining the specified performance goals.
The team must develop and perform key performance-oriented errands that are feasible. Future performance of the teams depends on the attainment of these immediate performance-oriented tasks (Katzenbach and Douglas 6). Furthermore, organizational teams ought to be often tested with innovative info and statistics.
Teams normally re-define and enhance their understanding of performance challenges depending on the information they have. This is essential for the team to design a common purpose, improve their approach as well a set clear goals (Katzenbach and Douglas 6). The team must also spend most of their time together particularly in the start up phase. It is also important for the team to take advantage of the positive feedbacks, acknowledgment, and rewards.
Experiences with teams supporting this article
Successful teams are made up of a few members. This implies that, small number of members is more pragmatic than a larger number. In fact, a small number has fewer problems interacting conveniently and spends most of their time working together (Katzenbach and Douglas 7).
In contrast, a large number has a lot of trouble working their functional, hierarchical, and individual differences. Besides, a team made of large number of members has logistics problems. For instance, getting enough space to meet and work out their plans is difficult. It is also worth noting that they have problems relating to behavior control as well as sharing of views (Katzenbach and Douglas 7). All these problems have effects on building an effective and successful team.
The reason is that large teams cannot develop a common purpose. Instead, a large number produces meaningful intentions and superficial missions that cannot be converted into real goals (Katzenbach and Douglas 7). In most cases, a large group tends to make quick decision particularly when the meeting is reasonable.
However, most members are not contented or have the notions of just getting along. This is somehow frustrating. Though such decisions are made, the team is bound to fail since just a few members understand such decisions. This failure promotes skepticism that appears as a big obstacle to the team’s success.
In essence, a team must look for the right size in order to be successful. It must also have the right mix of complementing skills that are necessary for the attainment of the team’s goals. Usually, complementing skills are in form of functional or technical expertise, decision making and problem solving as well as interpersonal skills.
Functional or technical skills are very necessary for the team to get started. Nonetheless, not every flourishing team has desirable expertise. Effective teams have the ability to build up powerful obligation towards a universal approach. In other words, the way the team members will work together to attain their common purpose.
Works Cited
Katzenbach, John and Smith Douglas. “The Discipline of Teams.” Harvard Business Review, 19.3 (2003): 1-10. Print.
Katzenbach, John and Smith Douglas. The Discipline of Teams: A Mind Book-Workbook for Delivering Small Group Performance, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2001. Print.
Katzenbach, John. Why Pride Matters more than Money: The Power of the World’s Greatest Motivational Force. New York, NY: Crown Business, 2003. Print.
Smith, Douglas. On Value and Values: Thinking Differently About We in an Age of Me, Bloomington, Indiana: Universe, 2011. Print.
Watkins, Ryan and Leigh Doug. Handbook of Improving Performance in the Workplace: The Handbook of Selecting and Implementing Performance Interventions. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.