Creating and Managing Effective Teams

Creating and Managing Effective TeamsOrganizations of today’s society have reorganized their work environment to be able to compete more effectively and efficiently in the modern business world. Pressure on organizations for high-performance in competitive markets has placed a premium on teamwork. Teams are more flexible and receptive to changing events in the modern business world than traditional permanent groups. According to Effective team vital for success in workplace (2007) “There are significant benefits to be gained by having in place an effective team in your organisation [sic] -- you will notice improved flexibility, communication and morale; quicker and better problem solving; and less dependency on outside support functions.” To put this statement to the test, I ran through the Creating and Managing Effective Teams simulation provided by Axia College. The purpose of this essay is to relay my findings and show how effective team management can benefit organizations.

As a General Manager of Luxurion Auto Design Center, during the simulation, I was given the task of temporary Team Manager. My primary objectives and tasks included but were not limited to:•Match team candidates with appropriate roles.

•Manage individual and team conflict.

•Practice techniques for ensuring high team performance.

•My team’s research was intended to set the future direction Luxurion Auto’s next line of vehicles.

•If the team would fail the company would face possible jeopardy.

In addition, I was assigned a mentor, Sarah Fisher, to give me periodic feedback about my decisions, and to remind me of end goals throughout the simulation.

My first task was to determine what type of team I would need for the project. The basis for the team selection was to have members that could work together, create, implement, and follow through with the use of diversity and innovation to produce effective and efficient results (Robbins, S., 2005). I chose to have a Cross-functional Task Force (cross-functional team) because this type of team would allow for more diverse ideas. I would be able to choose from the best employees of varying expertise and from different work areas for the specific task, for a temporary time-frame, and the team would be easy to disband once the task was complete. Sarah concluded that I had made the right choice, and in support of this conclusion, McManus. K. (2007) confirmed that… “Effectively led cross-functional teams can help organizations ensure that a diverse set of ideas are considered.”My second task was assembling the task force (temporary cross-functional team). I was advised to (1) match the best experienced employee to each of the five positions available, (2) highlight the team’s universal purpose, and (3) build trust with team members for myself, and other members of the team (Robbins, S., 2005). Of the seven employees I had to choose from, I chose the five that I believed best fit the five positions that were available.

1. Assessor and Advisor: Offers insightful analysis of options, and encourages the search for more information.

•John—Left BMW to spearhead (lead) Luxurion’s Development department; 15 years experience managing automotive development.

2. Creator: Initiates creative ideas.

•Amrita—Left Ferrari to become Luxurion’s Interior and Exterior Designer; six years experience as a junior designer and two years experience as a Production Interior and Exterior Designer. Best selling Designs in Europe.

3. Controller and Organizer: Examines details, enforces rules, and provides structure.

•Marcell—Left Ford’s Jaguar Finance Department; five years experience as a Project Manager; excellent project management skills. Best known for helping keep teams focused and on track.

4. Promoter and Maintainer: Campaigns ideas after they are initiated, and fights external battles.

•Janice—Left Mercedes-Benz; 12 years experience in Public Relations; a natural net worker. Best known for bringing excitement and momentum to Luxurion’s PR Dept.

5. Linker and Producer: Coordinates and integrates, provides direction and follow through.

•Petra—Training and Development Manager for Luxurion; experience as a classroom educator at a prominent automotive college; excellent verbal communication skills; previous classroom leadership and present leadership coordination of Luxurion’s training programs have been exceptional.

Of the five positions