Chapter 1
Studying Business Grade 10
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6. Team Performance Criteria In order for a team to work together successfully, it is important that the team embarks on the process in a planned and intentional way. Many teams are unsuccessful because they just dive into the task and work on an ad hoc basis which leads to important aspects being forgotten, deadlines being missed and an inability to reach goals – in fact, goals are often not set at all! This approach is tantamount to climbing into the car and driving without any planning till you reach a place that you like (or you are too tired to continue) and stopping there for a holiday. The problem is that you will not have the correct clothing (e.g. for swimming) and may have difficulty in finding accommodation. If you had taken a bit of time to plan, pack and phone for reservations, many of the problems would have been avoided. The criteria for successful teams are as follows:
6.1 Planning This is the process of discussion, brainstorming and thinking through the task at hand in order to decide what needs to be done, by whom and which resources will be needed. If the team is not already constituted, it may include setting up a team with the necessary skills to accomplish the task. Some of the issues that will have to be addressed include: ○ Size of team and skills needed; ○ Goalsetting (these may be short- or long term, depending on the task); ○ Timing (starting date, interim deadlines and date of completion); and ○ Other resources required (stationery, equipment, premises etc.).
6.2 Execution The plan must be put into action, and the team processes discussed earlier in this chapter are a good guideline to follow. Important aspects to consider in this phase are: ○ Cohesion of the team members and their ability to work together; ○ Commitment, work ethic, trust and integrity of each team member; ○ Leadership ability of the leader; ○ Flexibility of the team to cope with problems or obstacles (e.g. conflict); and ○ The ability of the team members to align their individual goals with team goals.
6.3 Review It is important to check the progress of the team on a regular basis against the goals which have been set. ○ During the process: This could include time-lines, budgets, the motivation of the members of the team or the usage and effectiveness of resources. ○ At the end of the task: Wrap-up or consolidation of the task; the success (achievement of goals); and the drawing up of a ‘snag-list’ or lessons learnt in order to avoid similar problems in future tasks.
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