Page 3 - HIWT Winter 2011 World of Welding

hiwt@welding.org HOBART INSTITUTE OF WELDING TECHNOLOGY

SucceSSful Team DynamicS

By André A. Odermatt responsibilities are shared. If it is felt that not all members
President contribute as expected, a sociogram, charting the interpersonal
Hobart Institute of relationships in the group can help highlight the problem so
Welding Technology corrective action can be taken by the team leader.

Another important item is that the team agrees at the outset
In a recent editorial of how decisions are made. A team can use three basic types of
Industry Week (July 2011, decision making depending on the nature of the decision.

pg. 6) I read that GE at their
facility in Louisville, KY is Mandate: If the decision involves specialized technological or
implementing the Shingijutsu other expertise that resides with a team member, the decision
approach for the design of a should be mandated based on this knowledge.
new production line. It seems
as if old ideas keep resurfacing Ballot: The team votes and the majority rules. This kind
using a new name. The Lean Manufacturing firm Shingijutsu of decision making can be used for subjects such as the
Co. was founded by a former group manager at Toyota who establishment of meeting times and places, agenda items etc.
uses Kanban, Kaizen, Poka-Yoke and other continuous process It should not be used for important items, because it tends to
improvement philosophies and techniques. An important create a polarization in two groups, those who were for and
element in continuous improvement efforts is teamwork. those who were against! This is not conducive for teamwork!
Many companies today are already team oriented and welders
become part of production teams that practice the pursuit to Consensus: All important decisions should be made by
perfection, just as HIWT students are taught to forever strive consensus. The team discusses the issue until all agree to a
for the perfect weld. Since I have experience creating project solution. Consensus means agreement but not necessarily
teams and working with teams, I am sharing with you some complete agreement. It is an outcome close enough to be
strategies that help to create and maintain successful teams. acceptable. The greater the intensity of the team effort, the
greater the result. Those who feel the solution might not be the
There has to be a compelling and unambiguously defined best but can “live with it” must support the team’s decision with
and agreed upon reason by all involved stakeholders in the vigor and not talk behind the back of others “I was not really
organization to start teamwork. If the goal or objective for the for it”. Gossip creates conflicts and can ultimately destroy the
team is not clear at the outset, team effort is a waste of time team. Unresolved conflicts can only exist if the team leader
and money. does not realize that there is a disagreement or wants to avoid
confrontation. Again, it is important that the team agrees at the
It can be helpful and a motivating factor if the team gives itself outset of a project to this mode of decision making.
a name and perhaps creates a logo centered on the goal or
objective. It could be the first test of a how a team can work The selection of the right team leader is of paramount
together. While organizational structures are typically vertical importance. For this job, “people” skills play a more important
(the pyramid hierarchy) business processes cross horizontally role than “technical” skills. Communication and motivational
through an organization and team members from different skills are essential for good leadership. The leader must have
departments may have different “cultures”. critical thinking skills, a sense of urgency and the ability to
control egos.
The team should establish and agree on a set of metrics and
measure itself within agreed upon timeframes or after defined A team leader can play a dual role, “leading and doing”.
milestones or otherwise. This review permits the team to Leadership can be appointed or shared. The team leader is a
make sure it is on track and can take corrective actions, if facilitator and plays an important role in conflict resolution.
needed. Today’s teams are often “self-directed” work teams. He facilitates the transition from conflict to a solution. The
An effective, goal-focused, result-oriented team should have commitment of the team to its goal increases with the number
no more than six to eight members. The important consensus of conflicts resolved.
decision-making process works better if the group is small.
When meeting, teams work best at a round table, members Vince Lombardi said, “Individual commitment to a group
facing each other. This is conducive for best interaction effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a
between members. Teams tend to perform best when civilization work.”

3