Teams sans Managers
AS RESPONSIBLE adults we make important decisions everyday. We manage our families and teach our children new skills. We purchase homes, cars and decide how our money should be spent. However, when it comes to making important decisions about our work, we often have very little say. Think about it. How many people have a say in how they do their jobs or lead a team? How many employees have the freedom to resolve work issues on their own, make important strategic decisions and have direct access to information that enables them to set their own goals and targets? How many work-teams are allowed to plan, manage and improve the way they work without any express outside influence? The answer to be really honest, is only few.
Globalisation, greater diversity, technological advancement, and organisational changes have increased the complexity of work and democratised it to a considerable extent. As a result, many organisations are willing to embrace and capitalize on teamwork and employee empowerment- the two most important corporate buzzwords that are synonymous with success in today's workplace.
AT&T, Federal Express, Johnson & Johnson, and Minnesota based 3M are some of the companies that allow their employees to manage their day to day work through self directed work teams. Such teams are usually considered to be a "managerless" group of workers who perform many management functions. They are also empowered to take corrective measures to resolve day-to-day problems. They also have direct access to information that allows them to plan, control and improve their operations.
Self-directed work teams are a revolutionary approach to the way work is organised and performed-an approach that goes beyond quality control or improvised problem-solving teams. Such teams work together to perform a function or produce a product or service. They function on the premises of mutual interdependence and joint responsibility for outputs. Unlike traditional management hierarchies where work is organised by reducing the process to individual steps, work in the case of self-directed teams, becomes structured around whole processes. Such teams not only do the work, but also take on the management of work- functions that were formerly under the domain of supervisors and managers.
Employee-centric
A self- directed work team is employee-centric, promotes empowerment, is customer-focussed, and helps in effective decision making even at the lowest level. This, in turn, provides the organisation with a competitive advantage in the marketplace as well as in employee motivation and retention. The lack of involvement and motivation in traditional approaches produces boredom at the bottom-level jobs. This new system integrates the needs of the people with the work to be done, allowing those closest to the jobs to help design the job. Other advantages include improved quality, productivity and service, greater flexibility, faster response to technological changes and a better reaction to workers' values and increased employee commitment to the organisation.
A mature self-directed work team will be able to make quicker decisions and achieve its targets and goals with twice the speed and efficiency of a team hindered by management hierarchy. However, before an organisation sets out to create self-directed teams for specific purposes, it needs to get the basics right.
Team basics include size, purpose, goals, skills, approach, and accountability. There's no need to throw out the hierarchy. Teams are best when they integrate across structural boundaries. Rather than completely doing away with managers and supervisors, it would be a better idea to give them the roles of advisors or facilitators. The team should have a common vision and mission, and have a clear understanding of roles and operating guidelines. The team also needs to understand its part in the company mission.
Trust
There should be a high level of trust and confidence among team members. This will result in enhanced personal and group confidence. Teams that have strong trust and confidence support risk taking, and provide psychological safety for their members.
Performance standards for the teams must be specified so that they will know what is expected of them. These must be attainable and not something difficult to understand or achieve.
Results, accountability, and high standards of excellence should be the driving forces for such teams. Members should share the responsibility for outcomes. Definition of roles and responsibilities should be clear so that members understand what needs to be done and can work together for it.
Training is an extremely significant part of developing the teams. Team members must acquire skills in conflict management, assertiveness, communication, problem solving and decision-making and skills that will help them to work together effectively. An effective feedback method will help the teams in self-improvement.
Operational boundaries must be set for the teams, for them to know and understand the limits of their empowerment. As the teams become more sophisticated, they can take on more complex decision-making.
Other external factors like organizational context, reward systems, competition, and team autonomy within the organizational structure also affect the success of such teams. According to one survey, self-directed work teams are30 to 50 percent more productive than conventional teams.
The breakthrough concept of self directed work teams, when created in the proper context and with due precautions can improve productivity and increase the involvement of employees in the functioning of the organization.
BINDU SRIDHAR
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