“Wake Up and Smell the Coffee — The Imperative of Teams” by Simon Mac Rory (LID Publishing Limited, $19.95). Workplace demographics are changing: Millennials account for about 40 percent of today’s workforce; by 2025, that percentage will grow to 75 percent. When it comes to teams, their views of work are far different than those […]
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“Wake Up and Smell the Coffee — The Imperative of Teams” by Simon Mac Rory (LID Publishing Limited, $19.95).
Workplace demographics are changing: Millennials account for about 40 percent of today's workforce; by 2025, that percentage will grow to 75 percent. When it comes to teams, their views of work are far different than those of preceding generations.
Like Star Trek's Borgs, Millennials believe in the collective, “hive” mind — not the traditional, top-down managerial structure. They value coaching over supervision because it's focused on building from individual strengths, learning style and goals. They thrive on collaborative “creating” because it broadens their knowledge base and makes them promotable/marketable.
Organizations that don't adapt to a new team management style will find it difficult to keep/attract talent. That style involves understanding that all teams have different characteristics.
Mac Rory identifies four team types — traditional, project, virtual and team working group. Here's a snapshot of each:
Traditional (Functionally oriented, leader determined by org chart) — Teammates share common technical skills, which leads to ongoing interaction. Team development should emphasize rotating assignments regularly, so teammates don't become bored and complacent.
Project (Cross-functional, short-term problem-solving or product/service development) — Because teammates come from different areas and usually aren't assigned full time to the project, it may be difficult to: a. focus on the project, and b. assess their across-the-board performance. Managers of teammates must constantly request feedback from the project manager.
Virtual (Geographically-dispersed and usually project-oriented) — Their lack of face-to-face contact creates trust-building and supervision issues. Managers must cede some decision-making and communication protocols to the team to build trust among teammates.
Team Working Group (Traditional/functional but with changing composition and membership because they often work in shifts) — Teammates vary in age, skills, experience and attitudes, which can lead to communications issues and work errors within the shift and on other shifts. Capturing shift members' experiences as they come off shift will help managers identify and address potential problems.
