Team Based Approach in an Organization

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The potential effectiveness of a team based approach in an organization is clear. However, getting the best outputs in team based approaches is also a challenge due to, for instance, poor team dynamics, lack of team harmony and such. Switching to a team based approach in an organization is, therefore, a decision that requires a lot of planning and analysis before implementation. Ordinarily, a decision to switch to a team based approach should be accompanied by training sessions for the team members to improve their team dynamics, harmony, and align their individual interests with those of the team and the organization in general. For instance, unlike individual-based training, team based training needs assessments to identify interdependencies among team member and determine cognitive skills and knowledge necessary for members to successfully interact as a team (Weiner, Schmitt, & Highhouse, 2012). The training, however, is usually not straight forward and some issues of concern usually arise requiring a calculated approach to training by the training manager. Many agencies, across all sectors, usually have individual based work approaches due the fact that results are due to the personality and determination of individual agents. This, however, does not mean that agencies cannot apply team based structures. Shifting to team based work approaches in agencies is, however, likely to lead to multiple concerns of team integration and motivation of individual members initially used to working alone. These are issues that are likely to flare up during the team training, which is among the first phases in the introduction of team based approaches and a phase in which members are still usually in denial and crisis over the shift. In ag... ... middle of paper ... ...” To align the interests of the members to a common goal, Any topic (writer's choice)5 Nilson argues that team learning designers must ensure the team based learners are guided by an organizational goal or mission and not by a narrow “training objective” or personal ambitions, such as being the best performing agent. Organizational goals for teams are usually stated in terms of service, quality, innovation, and improved processes. In general, to overcome most of these issues, team based approaches, as Swanepoel (2008) argues, require more effort and resources to be dedicated to, among others, communication and development of shared mindsets about the goals and norms of the team. Additionally, emphasis must be placed on training and retraining in technical skills pertaining work and also in social skills revolving around working and operating as a team. References

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