The main challenges and opportunities that managers face when working in teams. What role does team leadership play in this context?

Résumé du document

The ability to work in a team is a desired competence, which is rare in the French system, especially among the "chiefs" and the managers. In France, importance is given to genius, and a strong personality on which everything may depend. Even is teams are formed, they do not function as teams as they are built on a model where the team-members are under the control of the chief, and must conform to the established rhythm of work, and methods. In this model, the chief does not delegate, he just sub-contracts. Real team work requires that all members are subjected to the rule, including the leader. Each one has a task allocated in order for the team to be successful. The "chief" is then the person who is in charge of the coordination, the arbitrations, animation and the impulse of the team. This requires a completely different frame of mind, where the leader accepts that all the work is not done with his measurement, and according to his good pleasure. He accepts that important components of the realization are not under his narrow control, and thus depends on the members of his team. Beyond a certain level, tasks cannot be accomplished by only one person, even if he is surrounded by an army of advisers and assistants. Although he may be exceptionally brilliant, this person is limited by being human, and cannot know all. To work in a team makes it possible for him to create synergies, with the team-members focusing their energy on the project. They use their talents in the most optimal way, instead of having to pass part of their time to adapt to the steps of another. It is a bigger achievement when the task one performs well is replicated.

Extraits

[...] On the chart below, we have a non exhaustive list of the different role. In the text that we have seen in class, the MGI case, we have seen various aspects of the team work. We can note that at the beginning, each member had a role to play. The team was very homogeneous, meaning that each member had his own knowledge and capabilities. The founders of the company (Igor, Roman and Sasha), were very dynamic and had not the same profile. [...]

[...] It is much more developing when the task which one made well is taken again such as it is, than one finds his mark in the achievements The team work 1. The main principles of a team work and the different roles that we can have In each team, we have at least 2 persons and some common objectives must be present. We have different principles in order to be successful when we are working in a team. We can comment some of them. - A common objective: a clear and precise objective is essential to any team work. [...]

[...] It was very difficult to talk between each person, and when it was the case, it was in a hostile environment. It illustrates perfectly the differences between the managers and the rest. The hierarchy is maintained, so we cannot really work in team. Moreover, there was an important problem of personality. In fact, Sasha is unfocused (meaning that he can jump from an idea to another), aggressive and not opened to others. On the contrary, Henry for example, is calm. [...]

[...] The individuals work in a team just if they test the need in a really pressing way. In other words, the formation of the work groups constitutes a means of achieving a task possible to carry out individually. - The respect of the individual differences: a gaining team is a team in whom the members feel recognized and support by their colleagues. The attraction for a group than another by an individual is the recognition of the uniqueness of each member and a certain guarantee of its original contribution. [...]

[...] With that, practice is added The role of the leader The most important thing to do and to know is to motivate all the members of the team. In fact, the leader must know the different domain of motivation in order to contain and give a positive energy to the team and all the workers. The capacity of motivation is a mix between 3 crucial factors: - be oneself enthusiastic and to be motivated because it is necessary to deeply accept the project because if it is not the case, anyone can be attentive to the project and the idea, as if it is a very good one. [...]