Team structure, effectiveness, and development at Herman Miller

Herman Miller

Describe the different types of teams

Teams have come to be a benchmark in the contemporary business realm. The following are the types of teams:

Virtual Teams

These are the teams that communicate and convey messages in a digital manner rather than in person. These enable managers to create teams centered on their string suits and weaknesses, not owing to their geographic location.

Permanent Teams:

These are teams that are created to undertake tasks on a permanent basis. They are not disbanded once the tasks at hand are accomplished.

Temporary Teams:

Different from the permanent ones, these are teams that are created to undertake tasks on a provisional basis. These teams are disbanded once the tasks at hand are accomplished.

Task Force

These are teams that are created for a distinct purpose of undertaking any particular project or coming up with a resolve to a very serious and significant problem.

Work Force

These are teams that are created to undertake a certain task or job, but are usually administered and controlled by a leader. This particular leader is chosen or elected amongst the other team members (Management Study Guide, 2015).

i. How can the teams effectively build trust amongst team members?

In order for a team to be successive, it is imperative for team members to effectively build trust amongst each other. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. Trust is integral to a team that is effective, for the reason that it offers a sense of protection. When the team members are able to feel secure with each other, they become more contented to be more open, undertake fitting risks and uncover susceptibilities (Mind Tools, 2015). Devoid of trust, there is minimal novelty, cooperation, creative thinking, and efficiency. More so, individuals spend their time safeguarding themselves and their own interest, which is the period that ought to be employed in achieving the objectives of the group (Derby, 2010).

One of the ways in which teams can effectively build trust amongst team members is by sharing relevant information. According to Mind Tools (2015), having knowledge is power. However, it becomes even more powerful and influential when it is shared. The team members have a tendency of trusting other team members they know as individuals and can ascertain with. Having experiences that are shared, interests and identification that is shared, can generate a firm foundation that the team members can land on at any time when there is conflict and resistance. The sharing of information amongst the team members enables team members to become more loose and dependent on each other. This in turn increases the level of trust within the team (Mind Tools, 2015).

Another aspect is addressing issues in a direct manner. Friction comes along with close collaboration. It is almost certain that at one point or the other, members of a team will rub on others in a wrong manner. When members of staff bug each other, and speak directly to one another, it assists in the building of trust. In order to create a relationship that is trusting, the staff ought to be willing and accepting to have awkward and bumpy conversations in order to make it better. This is because lack of discussing and conversing about these issues can cause the buildup of anger and resentment. In the end, this more often than not results in harm that is harder to repair in comparison to the initial issue (Derby, 2010).

ii. How might the CEO encourage collaboration in a team environment?

A team environment that is collaborative is vital and integral to the success of the team. By being a mature leader, it is imperative for the CEO to understand the significance of collaboration and more notably, the environment necessitated to encourage and permit it to succeed. There are a number of ways in which the CEO of the company can encourage collaboration in a team environment. To start with, the CEO should discover the strengths and strong suits of the company. Taking into consideration the everyday chores that take up most of the office time of the CEO, it is more often than not challenging for the CEO to get to have a better understanding of the workers and to apprehend their strong suits. The CEO should interact with the employees more as he or she will come to the realization that they are capable of undertaking so much more. In order for the CEO to encourage collaboration in a team environment, it is imperative for him or her to know how to employ the unseen capabilities of the team in a manner that profits the individual, the group and the company as a whole (Murray, 2013). Another aspect is for the CEO to build trust with the personnel of the company. Despite the fact that it is always challenging when acquaintances take place between management and members of staff, it is by no means grimaced upon to be a leader that the personnel are able to talk to. If the CEO is approachable and open to ideas, takes the time to pay attention and frankly appreciates the members of staff, then group effort becomes a natural thing. There is still a borderline there, but it is not an impending, threatening one. It does not encumber novelty, but rather inspires and recompenses it (Murray, 2013).

The CEO can encourage collaboration in a team environment by coming to the realization that no employee enjoys a one-way discussion and dialogue. The personnel within the company do not enjoy being talked to by the management, devoid of the CEO listening to whatever the personnel say. Cooperation within a team setting comes about in instances where the CEO gets the meeting started and the members of staff take the subject matter and feed off of it. Great collaboration begins with the capability of the CEO to talk to and communicate with the personnel. The notion that management of the organization is a sort of club on its own terminates the ability of a staff to collaborate with each other, which created challenges within the team setting (Murray, 2013). One other aspect is that the CEO has to come to the realization that it takes every individual for the company to prosper and cooperate. Therefore, in order to attain collaboration, it is imperative for the CEO to make sure the other personnel and members of staff feel important to the company. When the personnel feel like they play an important role to the company, they eventually come up with alternative conceptions to come up with enhanced products, save time and also enhance the business of the company (Murray, 2013).