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Making "Team" an Action Verb

Teams!  Teams!  Teams!  What ever happened to the individual superstars?  We are happy to report that they are very much alive and well, except now they are team members, not lone rangers.  Many companies are looking at teams as organizational building blocks; replacing hierarchical, layered organizations.  Why?  Here are some of the most common reasons.

• Teams provide an organization with greater flexibility.  When a number of individuals are trained to perform a set of skills as they are in a work team, the organization becomes less dependent upon any one person.  Using a sports analogy, with a team, there is a built-in depth chart.  If someone leaves, is absent, or is pulled of to work on another assignment, other team members can close ranks and fill the gap.  A team having as few as five or six members can absorb the work of a missing teammate for a period of time before a replacement is necessary.
  
  
• There is value in diversity.  From our experience we know that exploring different points of view around a common problem brings innovation and creativity.  When we can gather together a number of knowledgeable, experienced people (team members) to look at a problem, chances are the solutions that are generated will be practical, creative, and effective.
  
  
• Teams develop their own discipline and management.  This is especially true when there are good performance measures and corresponding rewards for team success.  Team members, working together to accomplish clear, common goals, have little need for bureaucratic management.  They can and would prefer to manage themselves.
  
  
• Teams develop a broad view of the organization and how their contribution(s) fit with other teams to affect overall results.

What about rewards?  A lot has been written about and many organizations are experimenting with team rewards.  Are there some key things to think about when considering a team-based reward system that will help ensure success?  Yes, here are a few ideas:

• Teams, just like individuals, do what gets measured and rewarded.  The old adage, “what gets measured gets done” is true.  Conversely, if you don’t measure and reward desired behavior or results, there is a low likelihood that it will be repeated.
  
  
• Deal with the poor performers.  The objective is to raise the performance level of the whole team to that of the highest individual performer.  Make the super-achiever work to stay ahead of the team.  Don’t handicap the team by refusing to deal with the sub-par performer.  Be understanding, but be decisive.  Keep only the best.
  
  
• Balance risk and effort with reward.  Performance expectations should be high, but attainable.  When a team surpasses your expectations, make the rewards worthwhile.  That way, the team will be willing to make the commitment, put forth the effort and take the risk, in the future.  Remember, success breeds success.  Encourage extra effort.
  
  
• Keep the rewards coming.  It is better to provide smaller rewards for achieving incremental milestones than holding all of the rewards until the end, after the grand slam has been hit.
  
  
• Include “customer-based” performance measures.  Whether the team’s customers are internal or external, include some measure of customer satisfaction with the way the team provides service.
  
  
• Eliminate hierarchy from job structures.  The traditional progression steps, i.e., Technician I, II, III, promote status consciousness and differentiation of power.  Use a broadbanding approach to administering base pay.
  
  
• Use lump-sum rewards to recognize milestone accomplishments.
  
  
• Recognize individual excellence.  Make sure that you acknowledge key performers.  Use non-cash forms of recognition and increased opportunities for promotions or expanded leadership assignments.  Money isn’t the only motivator.  Involve peers in identifying nominees.
  
  
• Promote team spirit.  Make sure that the team, as a unit, is recognized; that celebrations occur.
  
  
• Include peer input in performance appraisal.

These points are drawn from our experience and from The Total Compensation Handbook, Fourth Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York City.

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