Developing Teams in Business Assignment Essay

What is a Team? A team is individuals whom are moulded into a group who work together to achieve an objective or task. Benefits of a team Being in a team is very beneficial as every individual has their own opinions and views , a whole team can manage to gather information and materials much easier than an individual , also within a team there is more creativity which is a benefit as there isn’t only one brain but more than one. Furthermore being in a team enables individuals to gain skills such as communication skills, listening skills and being able to be open willingly and share opinions. Team Recruitment Recruiting the right team members is the key to the success of your team. When the leaders of any group recruit new members, there are a number of skills, qualities needed as well as a process that each member has to go through in order for them to be an successful addition to the team. This process is called job analysis from where a person specification is drawn up and following all the qualifications and qualities that a new team member would be expected to have. There are different types of teams which consist of: Formal Informal Different size teams Temporary Permanent What is a formal team? A formal team is a team where individuals are put together for a specific  reason, each individual within the team is given a specific role. Formal teams are mostly permanent teams, for example within the supermarket Tesco they would have different formal teams likes, customer services team, marketing team, human resources these teams also have sub teams such as groceries and the butchery. All these teams work effectively to reach their objective What is an informal team? An informal team is a team which is less structured compared to a formal team, theses times are about the individuals within the team, the team its self has minimal rules and expectations compared to a formal team. This type of team would hold social events , have irregular meeting maybe at break times the team does not have a specific leader all team members are equal and take on the same role therefore there is no co-ordination. What is a different size team? A different size team is basically what the name of the team is, it is a team that has different sizes of team members. The size of team varies on the task that needs to be completed. Temporary teams A temporary team is a team that is set up for a short period of team, the team is not long lasting, the team would come together for their objective and as soon as their objective is completed they would split up. Permanent teams A permanent team is a team that works together continuously, the team is long term and work is reoccurring. What type of teams would Tesco use? As Tesco is a large company they would use all the above types of teams such as: Formal team: E.g.: The customer service team at Tesco represent  customers this team may consist of over 5 member it also may most likely be a mixed gender team. The team members would have all the same skills such as communication skills, attentiveness, positivity, the ability to read customers and a calming presence. Together the team should form a well-rounded team as individual has the skills for the position they are given. Informal team: E.g. A team of trainees at Tesco may hold informal sessions to track their progress within the company and their development within the company these meetings may not be compulsory and may not be happen all the time all the members in the team would be on the same level so in this case they would all be trainees within the company. Within the team they may talk to each other about their progress and what they think they could do better, but it wouldn’t be a case where the team would have a manager sit them down and speak to them. Different size team: E.g. Tesco could have a team of HR that could consist of 3 members but then they could also have a team of customer service employees that team could consist of 6 members. Initially in a team 5 is the magic number even though 5 is an odd number it is a good size for a team as the team is also small enough to involve all members in addition to that if a decision needs to be made having an odd team helps. Temporary teams: E.g. Within Tesco 8 different employees may be put together for a project for example to market a new product coming out within the company , therefore the members would all work together to put I’m ideas to market the product , after the product is published the team will disperse. Permanent teams: E.g. The administration team for Tesco would be a permanent team as that team helps the business function, this team would classify as a permanent team as it is a team that the business needs in order for it to function well. What is a leadership? A leader is a person who leads a group of people, an organisation or a team, being a. Leader doesn’t necessarily mean you do this but also being able to be a leader is a trait of leadership. A leader is being able to think on behalf of your group, being able to fix a crisis if one rises without hesitation, a leader is someone inspirational, confident, and assertive. Being a leader is not taught. Whereas being a mange can be taught. A leader  knows it’s members strengths and weaknesses for example a manager at Tesco could know that one of his/she’s employee is not as confident on tills but is good speaking to customers the leader would know to not put that employee on the sales team but with customer services where the employee feels comfortable. Leadership styles 1.Autocratic leaders : These leaders make decisions without consulting their team members, even if their input would be useful. Although these leaders do not consult their members this type of leadership can also be advantage for example when a decision needs to be made quickly/instantly the leader can make the decision without the input of members. On the other hand this role can also be demoralizing 2.Democratic leaders: These leaders are the ones who make the final decisions, but they would consult their team members and include their opinions in the decision-making process. They encourage creativity, and people are often highly engaged in projects and decisions. As a result, team members tend to have high job satisfaction and high productivity. This is not always an effective style to use, though, when you need to make a quick decision. 3.Participative leadership: This is a way leadership in which it involves subordinates in the goal setting with the problem solving team building. As well as retail the final decision making authority 4.Laissez-faire: These types of leaders give their team members a lot of input in how they do their task and how they set their deadlines. These type of leaders do not get involved but do support their team and offer advice if the team needs it. This type of leadership can damage a team as they do not have a lot of guidance as some members may lack time management, knowledge, skills or self motivation. Leadership skills and attributes What skills and attributes are needed to be a good / effective leader? A good leader must have the skills applicable to lead a team, these characteristics encourage members to follow the team leader. Within Tesco  the leader of sales has to have the right attributes and skills to control their team if they didn’t the team would not functional properly these skills consists of: Communication Effective team leaders communicate clearly. Quality verbal and written communication skills allow leaders to present expectations to team members in a way workers can understand. Effective communication skills also allow team leaders to listen to the input of others. Organization Effective team leaders possess exceptional organizational skills. Organizational skills help team leaders plan objectives and strategies, which allow team members to perform optimally. Organized team leaders put systems in place that maintain order and guide team members toward meeting company goals and objectives. Confidence An effective team leader is confident in his abilities, as well as confident in the abilities of his team members. A confident leader is secure in the decisions he makes that affect his team. A self-confident team leader also reassures team members of his authority within the organization. Respectful A quality team leader is respectful of his team members. A respectful leader empowers employees by encouraging them to offer ideas about decisions that affect them. This lets team members know that the leader respects their input and opinions. Fair A quality team leader treats team members fairly. He is consistent with rewards and recognition, as well as disciplinary action. A fair leader ensures all employees receive the same treatment. Integrity An effective team leader is honest and open with his team members. Leaders who possess integrity gain the trust of team members because he does what he says he will do and treats others the same way he wants to be treated. Influential Influential leaders help inspire the commitment of team members to meet  company goals and objectives. Influential leaders also help manage change in the workplace by gaining the confidence of workers through effective decision making and communication. Delegation Effective team leaders know how to share leadership through delegation. Delegating certain tasks to trustworthy team members allows the leader to focus on improving workplace functions and production. Facilitator Effective team leaders are powerful facilitators. As a facilitator, team leaders help workers understand their goals. They also help organize an action plan to ensure team members meet their goals and objectives more efficiently. Negotiation Team leaders utilize negotiation skills to achieve results and reach an understanding in the event of a workplace conflict. Team leaders who negotiate effectively streamline the decision-making process, as well as solve problems for the best interest of everyone involved. (http://smallbusiness.chron.com/10-effective-qualities-team-leader-23281.html