Part: Iv

Reward Systems, Legal issues and

Team Performance Management
Chapter 11
Part: Iv
Team Performance Management
❑ 11.1 Definition And Importance Of Teams
• A team is in place when two or more people interact dynamically and
interdependently and share a common and valued goal, objective, or mission .
• Teams do not have to be permanent, and team members do not have to be in the
same geographical location.
• In fact, team members do not need to have ever met in person to be members of
the same team.
• As long as they work together, need each other, and share common goals, they
are considered to be members of the same team.
• Numerous organizations are structured around teams, including teams called
autonomous work groups, process teams, or self-managing work teams.
• When autonomous work groups are in place, members have the authority to
manage their own tasks and interpersonal processes as they carry out their work.
 ❑ Why are teams so popular?
• First, businesses are facing increased pressures, including global
competition, and they believe that the use of teams might be one way
to improve products and services and to increase productivity.
• Second, many organizations have gone through downsizing and
restructuring, which has led them to become flatter and has reduced
the number of hierarchical levels. Using teams provides greater
flexibility for these organizations.
• Third, products and services are becoming very complex, requiring
many people contributing their diverse talents to the same
project.
• Finally, rapidly changing business environments are also responsible
for the popularity of teams because teams are able to respond
more quickly and more effectively to changes than can
individuals working alone.
• The Performance Management system should target not only (1)
individual performance but also (2) an individual’s contribution
to the performance of his or her team(s) and (3) the
performance of teams as a whole. An organization that includes
any type of teams would therefore benefit from managing the
performance of both individuals and teams.
It is important to note that some conditions are necessary for team
performance management to lead to improved team performance:
• The processes involved in the performance of the team are relatively
unconstrained by other requirements of the task or the organization.
For example, a constraint may be individual and team goals that compete against
each other.
• There are elements in the organization that support team
performance (e.g., reward systems, training systems).
• Performance feedback focuses on team processes that are under the
control of team members.
❑ Types Of Teams And Implications For Performance
Management
• Teams can be classified based on the complexity of the task (from routine to non
routine tasks) and membership configuration (from static to dynamic).
• Routine tasks are well defined; there are few deviations in how the work is
done; and outcomes are easily assessed after the task has been completed. By
contrast,
• Non routine tasks are not defined well; there are no clear specifications
about how to do the work; and outcomes are usually very long term and
difficult to assess.
• Membership configuration includes how long the team is expected to work
together and the stability of its membership. For example, there can be product
development teams, task forces, and committees.
The three main types of teams based on task complexity and membership
configuration dimensions.
• Work or service teams. These intact teams are engaged in routine tasks,
including manufacturing or service tasks
• Project teams. These teams are assembled for a specific purpose and are
expected to disband as soon as their specific tasks have been completed.
• Network teams. These teams include members who are not constrained by time
or space and members who are not limited by organizational boundaries. Usually,
team members are geographically dispersed and stay in touch via
telecommunications technology such as e-mail, videoconferencing, and, of course,
telephone. Their work is extremely nonroutine. Network teams usually include a
combination of temporary and full-time workers, customers, vendors, and even
consultants
FIGURE 11.1 Types of Teams Based on Membership Configuration and Task Complexity Dimensions
❑ Including Team Performance In The Performance
Management System
Team performance is not difficult if we follow the following six basic principles:
1. Make sure your team is really a team. As noted above, there are different
types of teams. Before a team component is introduced in the performance
management system, we need to make sure the organization has actual teams.
2. Make the investment to measure . Measuring team performance, as is the
case with measuring individual performance, takes time and effort. The
organization must be ready to make this investment for the measures to yield
useful data.
3. Define measurement goals clearly. Defining how the data will be used
(e.g., administrative vs. developmental purposes, or both) is a decision that must be
made before measures of team performance are designed.
4. Use a multi-method approach to measurement. The measurement of
team performance is complex. Thus, multiple methods and sources of data are
often necessary.
5. Focus on process as well as outcomes. Behavioral/process-oriented
measures as well as results are as useful for team performance management
systems as for individuals. Thus, serious consideration must be given to how both
types of measures will be used within the context of managing team performance.
6. Measure long-term changes. Although short-term processes and results
are easier to measure, it is important to also consider long-term measures of
performance. Team performance must be sampled over a variety of contexts and
over time.
Now, let’s consider each of
the components of the
process when we design a
system that includes team
performance and let’s
incorporate the six basic
principles outlined above
into the various steps in
the process.
1.Prerequisites
• The first component of the performance management process involves
two prerequisites. First, there is a need to have good knowledge of
the organization’s mission. Second, there is a need to have good
knowledge of the job in question. Second, there is a need to have good
knowledge of the job in question.
• if we have good information about what a team is supposed to do and
how, then it is easier to establish criteria for team success.
We need to identify KSAs that will especially conducive to team performance.
Examples include the following:
• Communication. Giving and receiving constructive feedback, listening, and
sharing information and ideas.
• Decision making. Helping the team make decisions.
• Collaboration. Dealing with conflict effectively, committing to the team and
its goals, valuing the diversity and experience of other team members, and
sharing accountability.
• Team leadership. Taking on the role of team leader, including knowing how
to extract the best out of the team.
• Self-control. Keeping emotions under control and not displaying negative
actions even when faced with opposition or even hostility from others.
2.Performance Planning
• The second component of the performance management process
involves performance planning.
• Performance planning includes the consideration of results and
behavior. In addition, performance planning involves the creation of a
developmental plan.
• Each of these issues needs to be considered at the team level: results
expected of the team, behaviors expected of team members, and
developmental objectives to be achieved by the team and its members.
Consider the following recommendations regarding how to facilitate and
accelerate team learning and development:
1. Facilitate adaptive learning. As part of the team development plan, team
members can be encouraged to try new behaviors.
2. Facilitate generative learning. Teams can be given information regarding
best practices implemented by other teams in the same organization or even
in other organizations. Teams can be given time to practice new skills until
they become habitual.
3. Facilitate transformative learning. Teams can be encouraged to
experiment with new ways of working together, including a discussion of
feelings of uncertainty when facing change. Members from other teams can
be invited to participate in discussions about performance or even to work
as team members temporarily as a way of importing innovation and change
into the team.
3.Performance Execution
• The third component of the performance management process
involves performance execution.
• Autonomous teams are solely responsible for performance execution;
however, when a team has a supervisor, then both the team and the
supervisor share responsibilities for performance execution.
4.Performance Assessment
• Three types of performance need to be assessed: (1) individual
performance or task performance, which refers to the specific
activities required by one’s individual job, such as a programmer’s ability
to write quality code; (2) individual performance or contextual
performance, which refers to specific activities that contribute to team
performance, such as team members cooperating with each other; and
(3) team performance as a whole.
• “There is no ‘I’ in team,” this just isn’t so because teams consist of
individuals with their individual motivation, needs, and talents. The
system should include a good combination of both “me” and “we”
considerations.
How can we assess the “we” side of performance?
• As in the case of measures of individual performance, measures of
team performance should include both results and behaviors. Team
performance as a whole can be measured using the following four
performance dimensions:
1. Effectiveness. This is the degree to which results satisfy team
stakeholders, including both internal and external customers. Results
could be the same as those that are measured to evaluate individual
performance. Specifically, these can include measures of quality,
quantity, cost, and time.
2. Efficiency. This is the degree to which internal team processes
support the achievement of results, team growth, and team member
satisfaction. This can include measures of communication,
coordination, collaboration, and decision making.
3. Learning and growth. This is the degree to which the team is able to
learn new skills and improve performance over time. Specific
measures can include innovation, documented learning, best practices,
and process improvements.
4. Team member satisfaction. This is the degree to which team
members are satisfied with their team membership to which teamwork
contributes to their growth and personal well-being.
5.Performance Review
• The fifth component of the performance management process is the
performance review, which takes place when the team members meet with
the supervisor or manager to discuss how they have been working.
• In organizations that are structured around autonomous teams, there may not
be a supervisor or manager. In that case, a team leader or representative
would meet with a performance review board, which includes representatives
from all teams.
• At least two meetings are needed. First, the supervisor meets with all
members of the team together. Second, the supervisor meets each team
member individually.
• Both meetings emphasize the past, the present, and the future.
 6. Performance Renewal and Recontracting
• The final component of the performance management process involves
performance renewal and recontracting.
• Essentially, this component is identical to the performance planning
stage; however, performance renewal and recontracting uses
information gathered during the review period to make adjustments as
needed.
• In addition to individual performance, the system includes individual
performance as it affects the functioning of the team as well as the
performance of the team as a whole.
❑ Rewarding Team Performance
• If the performance management system includes the measurement of individuals’
contribution to team performance and overall team performance, it also needs to
reward these types of performance.
• The principles guiding the allocation of rewards in systems including a team
component are the same as those guiding the allocation of rewards in systems
including individual performance only.
• For example, rewards should be visible, contingent, and reversible.
 10 Team Management Skill Examples to
Start Building Today
• Emotional Intelligence: Team leaders possessing high emotional
intelligence can curb tensions, inspire trust, and foster a work
environment where every team member feels valued and
understood.
• 2. Ability to Delegate: A wise delegation allows managers to not
only unburden themselves but also cultivate a team of motivated
individuals who feel trusted and valued.
• 3. Transparency: Such team managers lead in open communication,
share their insights into decision-making processes, and
simultaneously encourage feedback. It fosters a culture of trust and
accountability where everyone is kept in the loop and understands
the 'why' behind tasks, leaving no room for misunderstandings.
• 4. Promote Balance Instead of Burnout: Effective managers
prioritize their team's well-being, encourage a balanced approach to
everything, and recognize that refreshed and content employees are
more creative, productive, and loyal.
• 5. Recognition: The positive impact that recognition can have on an
individual or a team is profound.
• 6. Connect Work to Team Goals: Influential leaders show every
team member how their work contributes to the collective mission.
• 7. Time Management: Effective managers do not simply manage
time; they instead optimize it and focus on impact-worthy activities
that ignite their team towards team goals.
• 8. Team Building: It is about forging bonds and developing a sense
of belongingness that can tackle challenges and drive success. As
influential team managers, you can actively invest in creating
opportunities for collaboration, trust-building, and shared
experiences.
• 9. Industry Expertise: It is not simply limited to knowing trends but
how practically you can guide and lead your team with rich insights.
• 10. Give and Take Feedback: Influential leaders can give
constructive feedback and, in turn, take it to make sure that
development is achieved in every aspect of time.