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quickly on decisions； a good balance of team members； the ability to work
collectively； and a size appropriate to the task。
Team types
Teams can be made up of anything from 5 to 20 people。 Anything above 20 is
usually too unwieldy and will take up more resources than an organization
can afford to devote to one aspect of the business。
Business teams
These are a group of people tasked with managing functions and achieving
specific results over the longer term。 In this example there are three of these；
Figure 4。7 Groups are not the same as teams
128 The Thirty…Day MBA
covering sales； administration and warehouse/dispatch。 So； for example；
the sales team is expected to meet sales targets and the dispatch team to
get goods to customers on time。 In practice； every firm will have its own
definition of business functions。
Project teams
These are o。。en cross…functional； made up of people from different areas。
These can be assembled for any period of time to look at a particular project。
In this example we have assumed that each of these teams has been asked
to look at how each function could be made more efficient。 The value of
having someone from other functions in these teams is to ensure that too
parochial a view is not taken。
Taskforce teams
This is a short…term body put together quickly to look at one narrow issue
or specific problem。 For example； if you proposed changing your working
hours a taskforce could look at the implications for everyone inside
and outside the firm and report back。 Then a decision based on the best information；
provided by people most affected by the change； can be made。
Team roles
However talented the soloists are in an organization； in the end it is orchestras
that make enough ‘noise’ to make things happen。 But teams don’t just
occur naturally。 The presumption that people are going to work together is
usually a mistake。 Chaos is more likely than teamwork。
Cultures in businesses have very different pedigrees and can pull the
organization in very different directions。 Take one successful new internet
business for example； where people came from financial services； retail and
more recently technology。 The pany’s roots were in financial services。
Their petitors were banks and brokerage firms and their employees
had moved around the sector in search of the ultimate accolade； to bee
a vice…president。 The focus was inwards towards ‘hierarchy and title’。 Their
second cohort of employees came from retailing； the staff of their one…time
expanding branch network。 For retailers the focus is outwards towards
the customer。 Their success was measured in the market and the best salespeople
had the greatest respect and power。 The third group； and the most
recent； was the technologists。 For these people success was measured by
technical expertise。 Titles were irrelevant and their main concern was for
the pletion of the project。 Their loyalty was not to the hierarchy but to
the principles of the project itself； and to their team。
Pu。。ing people with disparate cultures into teams because of their particular
professional or job skills may not be effective。 If the team is to function
effectively； the balance of behavioural styles has to mesh too。 These are the
Organizational Behaviour 129
key roles identified by Meredith Belbin while a Research Fellow at Cranfield
（belbin）； which need to be taken if a team is to work effectively
（there are other methods of categorizing team roles）：
。 Chairman/team leader。 Stable； dominant； extrovert。 Concentrates on
objectives。 Does not originate ideas。 Focuses people on what they do
best。
。 Plant。 Dominant； high IQ； introvert。 A ‘ sca。。erer of seeds’ who originates
ideas。 Misses out on detail。 Thrustful but easily offended。
。 Resource investigator。 Stable； dominant； extrovert and sociable。 Lots
of contacts with the outside word。 Strong on networks。 Salesperson/
diplomat/liaison officer。 Not an original thinker。
。 Shaper。 Anxious； dominant； extrovert。 Emotional and impulsive。 Quick
to challenge and to respond to a challenge。 Unites ideas； objectives and
possibilities。 petitive。 Intolerant of woolliness and vagueness。
。 pany worker。 Stable； controlled。 A practical organizer。 Can be
inflexible but likely to adapt to established systems。 Not an innovator。
。 Monitor evaluator。 High IQ； stable； introvert。 Goes in for measured
analysis； not innovation。 Unambiguous and o。。en lacking enthusiasm。
But solid and dependable。
。 Team worker。 Stable； extrovert； but not really dominant。 Much concerned
with individuals’ needs。 Builds on others’ ideas。 Cools things
down when tempers fray。
。 Finisher。 Anxious introvert。 Worries over what could go wrong。 Permanent
sense of urgency。 Preoccupied with order。 Concerned with
‘following through’。
BUILDING AND RUNNING A TEAM
These are the five essential elements to establishing and running effective
teams。
Balanced team roles
You have to start building a team by recognizing that people are different。
Every team member must not only have their ‘technical’ skills such as being
an accountant or salesperson。 They must also have a valuable team role。
Experts in team behaviour have identified the key team profiles that are
essential if a team is to function well。 Any one person may perform more
than one of these roles。 But if too many people are peting to perform
one of the roles； or one or more of these roles are neglected； the team will be
unbalanced。 They will perform in much the same way as a car does when
a cylinder misfires。
130 The Thirty…Day MBA
Shared vision and goal
It is essential that the team has ownership of its own measurable and clearly
defined goals。 This means involving the team in business planning。 It also
means keeping the munications channels open as the business grows。
The founding team knew clearly what they were trying to achieve and as
they probably shared an office they shared information as they worked。
But as the group gets larger and new people join； it will bee necessary
to help the informal munication systems to work be。。er。 Briefing meetings；
social events and bulletin boards are all ways to get teams together
and keep them facing the right way。
Have a shared language
To be a member of a business team； people have to have a reasonable grasp
of the language of business。 It’s not much use extolling people to improve
return on capital employed or reduce debtor days if they have only the
haziest notion of what those terms mean； why they ma。。er or how they can
influence the results。 So you need to develop rounded business skills across
all the core team members through continuous training； development and
coaching。
patible personalities
While having different Belbin team profiles is important； it is equally vital
to have a team who can get on with one another。 They have to be able to
listen to and respect other people’s ideas and views。 They need to support
and trust one another。 They need to be able to accept conflict as a healthy
reality and work through it to a successful oute。
Good leadership
First…class leadership is perhaps the most important characteristic that distinguishes
winning teams from the also…rans。 However good the constituent
parts； without leadership a team rapidly disintegrates into a rabble bound
by li。。le but a pay cheque。 （See later in this chapter for more on leadership。）
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
One team stands apart from all the others within an organization – the
board of directors； usually reduced to the title ‘the board’。 Directors in
major or public panies have a role outside of that of simply heading
up a function such as production； sales or marketing； though they may
Organizational Behaviour 131
perform one of those functions too。 There is o。。en confusion as to where the
ultimate power rests in a pany； with the directors or the shareholders。
In private panies they are o。。en one and the same body but in public
panies； even where family ties remain； they are distinct and separate。
In law a pany is an entity separate from both its shareholders and
directors。 According to a pany’s articles of association； some powers
are exercised by directors； while certain other powers may be reserved
for the shareholders and exercised at a general meeting。 If the powers
of management are vested in the directors； then they and they alone can
exercise these powers。 The only way in which shareholders can control the
exercise of powers by directors is by altering the articles； or by refusing to
re…elect the directors of whose actions they disapprove。 Some of a director’s
duties； responsibilities； and potential liabilities are：
。 To act in good faith in the interests of the pany； this includes
carrying out duties diligently and honestly。
。 Not to carry on the business of the pany with intent to defraud
creditors or for any fraudulent purpose。
。 Not knowingly to allow the pany to trade while insolvent； directors
who do so may have to pay for the debts incurred by the pany
while insolvent。
。 Not to deceive shareholders and to appoint auditors t