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Self Directed Work Teams (SDWT) bring many benefits.
Throwing a group of people together and anointing them as a team will not, however, produce good
results. Effective work teams need.
Work Team Structures
Work structure consists of the process and layout. Process includes the operational steps,
their sequence, and the required equipment or technology. Layout is the physical arrangement.
Restructuring for Teams
At a manufacturer of custom commercial windows, preparation of an order for production
required many activities and more time than the actual production. The activities included
sales, engineering, checking, data entry, scheduling, and purchasing. Separate groups at
separate physical locations performed these tasks. Every order went through every group. The
employees had no common goal and nobody understood the entire process.
A re-organization established three work teams and a new layout co-located team members.
Average order processing time went from about 11 weeks to less than one week. In addition errors
were reduced.
Team Process Training
Team process refers to the activities and relationships within the team. It involves
communication, conflict resolution, time management and other activities. Team process also
refers to the gradual establishments of behavioral norms, team objectives and bonding.
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Task Training
Teams are especially important for workcells. The work team may not have enough people to
assign one skill set to each person. Workloads are often unbalanced. If trouble develops on a
particular operation, the team needs to quickly shift members and relieve the problem. For these
and other reasons, teams perform better with cross training.
Rewards
Reward systems should be geared to the team rather than individuals. If bonuses and
incentives are part of the reward system, they should be given for the team's performance and
not individual performance. Intrinsic rewards such as recognition, or feelings of accomplishment
have more power than monetary rewards.
Time
Work teams require time to develop and mature. Members master new social and technical
skills. The team learns to resolve conflict. Members forge relationships. While some results
develop sooner, it usually takes 18-24 months for a team to reach fully potential.
A Team Culture
Managers and specialists who operate outside the work teams must also understand them. Teams
can be destroyed by inappropriate personnel policies, pay systems, supervision, or a few
destructive comments from managers and staff.
Summary
Self Directed Work Teams are a powerful means to increase productivity, quality, and customer
response. They make work more intersting, challenging and satisfying. While these improvements
are often-order-of magnitude rather than a few percentage points, they require changes in
both management and individual thinking--a paradigm shift. They also require time, effort, and
tolerance.
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