Unit VI Assessments

BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VI Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Explain the importance of teamwork in an organization.

Reading Assignment Chapter 10: Leading Innovative Teams Chapter 11: Managing the Temporary Team Please use the Business Source Complete database in the CSU Online Library to read the following article: Stewart, I. (2014, July). Leading innovative teams. Training Journal. 39-42.

Unit Lesson In this unit, we will discuss how the most valued leaders are the ones who truly understand how to lead innovative teams. These leaders know how important it is to supervise and guide groups of workers to generate and implement quality products, processes, and strategies. We will also discuss how temporary teams, better known as task forces, are led effectively. These project-based teams work on assignments that are typically scheduled to last anywhere from six weeks to a year. Decisions are made by the group and are well thought out and discussed carefully. Research indicates that innovative teams typically have the following characteristics (Dyer, Dyer, and Dyer, 2013):

 a leader with strong innovation skills,

 team members who possess a mix of innovative and execution skills, and

 team processes that encourage, support, and require engagement of members to question, observe, and network.

An innovative leader welcomes insight from the team as to how he or she is performing overall. After assessing the leader’s strengths and weaknesses regarding how he or she questions the status quo, observes small details in activities, networks different perspectives, experiments with new experiences, and associates findings, the next step is to find a specific, current challenge to approach for practice (Dyer et al., 2013). When a leader leads by example, he or she lays the foundation for building an innovative team. A sense of safety is created for others to follow in the process. As members begin to innovate, they must recognize where most of their time is spent during the day and on which particular tasks. The difference of time determined between today’s and tomorrow’s activities is placed in what is known as the gap column. Leaders and team members should critically specify where their time is spent each day to best apply a committed block of time for each specified task (Dyer et al., 2013). All teams, particularly diverse teams, will face numerous challenges when attempting to work together. However, effective leaders know how to select key team members and how to inspire and support them. Providing the necessary tools and encouragement will build a team’s desire to succeed. It is also vital that members are encouraged to be creative and to take risks. A climate of trust must exist in which members feel safe and empowered to work together while thinking outside of the box (Dyer et al., 2013).

UNIT VI STUDY GUIDE

Mastering the Leadership of Innovative and Temporary Teams

BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

Title

In working with temporary teams, often referred to as ad hoc committees, the leader has to ensure that workers come up with a work plan, make decisions, develop recommendations, and take specific actions that are first carefully brainstormed and meaningful. It is also imperative that the temporary team is given adequate resources and ample authority to complete the tasks assigned (Dyer et al., 2013). Temporary teams are similar to permanent teams in that they must establish a supportive, emotional climate. In addition, they must design methods for setting goals, solving problems, and communicating openly. Planning and sharing expectations is essential for temporary teams to excel in the completion of projects and achievement of established milestones. In addition, the team must set clear priorities and goals, establish operating guidelines for how to make decisions, keep the work on schedule, solve problems, and keep key stakeholders adequately informed. In return, stakeholders will then provide input as to whether the final product meets acceptable standards (Dyer et al., 2013). According to Neilson (1996), the temporary team may be small, but it is considered an innovative tool that aims to address specific transformational tasks and processes—a task-based team that is purposed to set goals and see that they are completed. It is also responsible for monitoring the pace of predetermined initiatives and controlling the risks of change. “Teamwork enhances an organization’s productivity” (Shriberg & Shriberg, 2011, p. 186). With temporary teams, it is significant that leaders know the purpose of the team and the different challenges that he or she might face. These challenges must be anticipated and addressed appropriately in order for the team to successfully move forward and complete the necessary tasks as they are assigned. Today’s teams vary in many ways, particularly in structure and roles. Therefore, it is important that leaders know each team member’s strengths and how to best guide the team to success.

References Dyer, W. G. Jr., Dyer, J. H. & Dyer, W. G. (2013). Team building: Proven strategies for improving team

performance (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Neilson, G. L. (1996). Creating temporary organizations for lasting change. Strategy & Business. Shriberg, D. & Shriberg, A. (2011). Practicing Leadership: Principles and Applications (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ:

Wiley.