Team work advantages

The topic of teamwork is perhaps one of the most fashionable in business and academia when it comes to strategic management or personnel models. In the next post we will see the Advantages of Teamwork.

Brainy articles on the matter are constantly being published in the press, specialized magazines and in textbooks, we are given thousands of recipes on what to do, however in few do we find the why and how to do it.

Teamwork is yet another product on the market that is offered as a pret-a-porter suit, or as a general-purpose medication. However, in my opinion we can assimilate teamwork to a medicinal drug, which is at our disposal after years of patient research and thousands of laboratory tests, whose curative power under qualified surveillance is immense. However, if it is used improperly, by non-experts or in excessive doses, it can cause the death of the patient.

Being consistent with this position, in this chapter we will first deal with reflecting on both the organizational and individual foundations of the urgency of working in teams, that is, the why, and then briefly review some investigations of social psychology that They illustrate the basic elements of human behavior in groups. These investigations were mostly carried out in the 50s and 60s, in North American universities, becoming classic, and whose contributions continue to be valid and are key in the understanding of human behavior in groups PC cheese. Finally we will deliver thick guidelines on how to do it, which intentionally by themselves, will not allow to undertake the path independently,since it is necessary and advisable to turn to trusted experts for guidance and thus obtain all the benefits of this wonderful way of working.

Teamwork, without a doubt and from our own experience, brings us closer to recovering work as a recreational activity that has the property of providing us with emotional, spiritual and economic satisfaction, much more abundant than anyone could imagine.

WHY TODAY YOU SHOULD WORK IN TEAMS

The contemporary world is evolving at a speed that not even the most daring of the futurists of the past imagined. We see how the stable and secure Tayloriano model of conception and organization of work, collapses before our eyes and the worst, under our feet. The securities and stability that we are losing in relation to work cover various areas; of which, the one that concerns us on this occasion, is related to human behavior and interactions in companies and in general, in labor organizations.

The old model guaranteed us privacy and emotional security by not requiring us to maintain close relationships with our colleagues or most direct collaborators (which we could do if we wanted to and obviously outside of any work context), since a basic principle was "the right man in the right position. In this way, each one did his own thing without the need to interact directly with the others and if this was required by the nature of the work, it was also clearly defined thanks to the contributions of Weber, who masterfully proposed a work organization model and regulations to behave successfully in them, which he called the bureaucratic model.

Another important aspect of our old work study was that the demands were clearly defined. The information that each person had to use was biased so that only the leadership could put the puzzle together and give it meaning. Therefore, the demands for handling and processing information were very low from the cognitive point of view, but not from the emotional point of view, since each person handled themselves in an environment of uncertainty regarding the information, but paradoxically in a absolutely stable and predictable world with respect to job demands and job and organizational stability. We all know stories (and unfortunately they still exist) of people who have worked 30 or more years in the same company doing exactly the same thing.

So it was also pristinely clear who controlled the work, who was to be obeyed, and to whom to report the results, which were independent of what others might or might not do. Responsibilities and individual contributions were clearly identifiable as well as the consequences of each one's actions. Therefore, strictly speaking, each one did his job, being absolutely irrelevant for the individual specific task what the others did, although it was not so for the progress and overall results of the company. The global dimension of business was only a concern and had meaning for those who had the key to integrate all the information and give it a logical meaning, that is, the top of the organization;only there the work and information of each of the collaborators had meaning.

The demands and demands of the jobs were clear, stable, and largely routine. Therefore, the possibilities of planning the weeks, months, years and decades, quite accurately, was real. People's lives were predictable. people hardly emigrate, the jobs of parents and children were the same, etc.

The contemporary world presents us with challenges in which the only thing that is clear or the only certainty is change and within them, the great change is related to the ways of interacting with others within organizations.

Let's review some of the changes in the contemporary world that directly impact these relationships. One is the introduction of technologies that accelerate production processes, making them technology-intensive and independent of human physical effort both in intensity of force and in number of people. We are freeing ourselves more and more from the tasks that demand physical effort and, therefore, it is no longer required that many people work together, but that few people are enough to move large volumes. For example, in the work of the sanitation companies 20 years ago, all the earthwork to install the drinking water matrices was carried out with shovels and picks in crews of 15 or 20 people. Today, the same work is carried out by a group of 4 or 5 people with backhoes.

The growing and explosive communication through the Internet has allowed the capacity to accumulate and transmit information to grow to ever greater levels. However, this does not mean - contrary to what is believed - that we have more knowledge, as we will explain later. Likewise, the introduction of technologies has led us from a manufacturing labor organization model to a model that we will call mental invoicing, which is characterized because the main productive effort and the main added values ​​are found in the world of ideas, in the creative and thoughtful effort of all working men.

Summarizing the previous ideas, we can say that information is not knowledge, and that the main opportunity to add value in a highly technical and globalized world is through ideas and knowledge. So, the next question is: where and how is knowledge generated? An obvious answer (is that knowledge is generated in large academic and / or research centers. However, this answer, although it was valid in the past, is no longer valid today. Universities continue to bring together a large number of intellectuals, academics and researchers, but it is not only they who today generate knowledge, but each person faced with the challenges of daily life, is capable of systematizing their experience and transmitting it to their peers, thus generating new knowledge.

This is a reality today in every factory, plant, office or company. You can no longer expect answers from others or global answers, because when they are obtained, it will be too late and others will have them. Therefore, it is the mission of each organization to generate the specific knowledge that will allow it to maintain its viability. Hence, KNOWLEDGE becomes an ECONOMIC GOOD that must be permanently being built and maintained. This task is not the business of a brilliant executive, engineer, biologist, psychologist or administrator. History shows us that geniuses are rare and that most of the knowledge accumulated by humanity has been the result of the efforts of persevering human groups with clear leadership;So the answer to our question is that today knowledge is being produced in teams and organizations, in every place where there is a need to answer questions or solve problems. Knowledge is thus A STRATEGIC ASSET of companies, which is generated by the joint effort of its members, forming teams. The knowledge generated must be well managed, as it represents the competitive advantages of companies and countries.They represent the competitive advantages of companies and countries.They represent the competitive advantages of companies and countries.

We can conclude that to have knowledge it will be necessary to SHARE information, COOPERATIVELY, analyze it and in this way, add value which, applied to the production processes of goods or services, will be transformed into competitive advantages for the company. This can only be done by work teams made up of PEOPLE who have interpersonal relationship skills and who have reached adequate levels of emotional development, that is, people who - as stated in the first chapter of this series - have a harmonious and balanced development physical, social, psychological and spiritual.

On the other hand, the people of the contemporary world have changed. We are not the same as before, we are exposed to multiple stimuli and the general educational levels of the population are increasing. People are demanding ever higher levels of knowledge and demands on educational systems, and today it is recognized by all sectors that the educational system of the countries is a key platform for sustained growth. However, current education still prepares isolated individuals, in a world of atomized and compartmentalized knowledge, without the need to collaborate and establish alliances, and with a strong incentive for individualism.

Today's and future complex world will require creative people, with the ability to take risks and to do things with others. Therefore, the companies of the future must be able to offer their employees the opportunity to constantly learn, to present them with future challenges and to offer them an environment in which they can develop emotional ties both with their specific task, their objectives and. especially with the people with whom they interact. In every organization people will seek to learn something special. If a company or organization has nothing to teach, then it will be out of the game.

For both individuals and companies, it will be necessary to develop the ability to cooperate and compete at the same time, (overcoming the false dilemma of cooperation versus competition), which can only be done in environments that facilitate trust and human support. Hence, in the world of the future, academic training will not necessarily be the only factor for success; so will curiosity, creativity and inventiveness to solve problems and process information.

The skills required in the future will be the ability to learn and work in a team, explore, rehearse, find alternatives, design and invent; experimentation will be an essential learning factor. Companies and individuals will constantly wonder about what are the skills and knowledge to develop and take advantage of market opportunities. And the most efficient possibility of answering these questions is given by the opportunity given to constitute solid, stable and efficient work teams.

In the 21st century we will return to the time of great inventions, discoveries, romanticism for risking to explore and conquer unknown worlds. On this occasion, what we have to conquer is our own ability to know our immediate world and especially ourselves and those around us. And this, like Colon, Scott, Livingston or Curie, is only done, BY FORMING TEAMS.

In conclusion, the world of work and business of the next century will require on the part of people and companies, a great intellectual effort and a model of relationships that fully integrates the capacities and needs of creating, dreaming and feeling of people, which will only be successful if it is done by teams. In this way, a more satisfying world for all can be built.

SOME BASIC ELEMENTS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN GROUPS

The classic social psychologists of the 1950s and 1960s, and later the occupational psychologists of the 1970s onwards, have investigated people's behaviors with care and curiosity, first in social situations and then in work situations. The contributions have been fruitful and impossible to overturn in these short pages. Hence, briefly and by way of illustration, we will show some classic discoveries of group research for the understanding of teamwork:

• One of the first contributions, and today it seems obvious to us, is that for a group to form an initial relationship between people is necessary, thus starting a development path that will never end as long as the group exists as such. At the beginning, the relationships between the members undergo important changes until they are consolidated, apparently achieving stability. However, they are imperceptibly modified since, by definition, people change day by day and therefore, the relationships we establish with our peers and with the environment in general also change. An ideal group is a group where the individual is feels safe, wanted, and needed, where you can accept your peers and know that they accept you; members' interests and motivations are known and shared

The literature distinguishes what has been called the force of attraction of a group and what is called cohesion.

The attractiveness of a group refers to all those elements and factors that identify a group, distinguish it from others and make it desirable for the members of a given community. Cohesion has been defined by Festinger as the result of all the forces that act on the members of a group so that they remain as members of it. Some of these forces mentioned by the author are the following:

• The incentive properties of the group: they are manifested through the goals, programs, style of operation and characteristics of its members, among others Motivational base of attraction: it refers to the needs that the members of the group can satisfy through their permanence in it, such as membership, recognition, security, among others Expectation: it is the subjective possibility that membership will have beneficial effects for its members Level of comparison: level of results that should be obtained by membership the group versus belonging to another group.

The consequences of cohesion are manifested in that members maintain membership, the group exercises power over the members, people participate and develop loyalty to the group as a whole and to each of its members in particular, and higher levels are reached. personal safety and self-assessment.

• All groups have within the scope of their abilities to be able to recognize, define and solve problems, and satisfy their common needs. The group's action is based on the consensus achieved through the participation of all its members, for which a minimum degree of understanding from the other members of the group is required.

The members of the groups may have the same needs or interests, however their intensity may be different, which explains some failures.

Characteristics of the effective functioning of a group according to Mc Gregor.

• The ambient atmosphere is informal, comfortable and not tense. There is an intense and active discussion of all the members but always in reference to the collective tasks. The discussion of the objectives tends to be understood and accepted by the members. Once accepted The objectives are always taken into account in the discussion Verbal reports are heard by all, there is no fear of raising ideas There are disagreements that are not overlooked and are resolved based on the objectives Voting for disagreements They are the last resort. Criticism is frequent and is oriented towards opinions, not people. By taking action, each one assumes their responsibilities. Leadership is exercised based on input,experience and training of the members (situational leadership) and not of the formal power that each one could have. People in the groups acquire or play roles, before which the theorists propose two positions. The first indicates that the roles that are acquired obey the characteristics of social interaction within the group and the second, that the roles are fundamentally determined by the personality characteristics of each of the members.

(Zander 1974).

There is a certain consensus regarding the final factors of individual role adoption, which would be basically three:

1.- Group activity

2.- Skill in the task (expertise)

3.- Sympathy

The combination of these three factors will define the type of role that will be played within the group:

1. A person with 1,2 and 3 highs, exercises the role of leader; A person with 1 and 2 highs, becomes the specialist in the task; A person with 3 highs, will be dominant of the climate, and A person with the three low factors, will become marginal within the group and possibly conflicts will focus on it.

Another possible categorization of roles within groups is related to the classic division of Blacke and Mouton between concern for the task and concern for people. According to this position and recognizing that roles are assumed to satisfy both personal and group needs, some people would assume task roles, that is, they would be primarily concerned with the group's tasks and others, would assume socio-emotional roles, that is, fundamentally concerned for alleviating problems and overcoming inter-personal hostilities within the group.

• The more committed members are to the group or the more responsible they feel for their future, the more they will develop the desire and will for the group to succeed Groups prefer to tackle tasks of moderate difficulty rather than tasks of high or low difficulty, as well their productivity is higher compared to intermediate tasks. A very high or ambitious goal for a specific group can lead to greater chances of mistakes and failure. (Stedry Kay) The greater the knowledge of the members of a group of the level of achievement and satisfaction achieved both individually and collectively, the greater the group's effectiveness: the concept of permanent feedback. (Shaw and Blum) Groups, made up of historical individualities, require three media or environments to develop and act,on which will depend the effectiveness of your efforts and ultimately the success in reaching the goals. In this way it is spoken of:

1. A physical environment made up of the walls, chairs, tables, the texture and color of the floor, the brightness, ventilation, temperature, among others, which will positively or negatively affect its operation; A social environment, made up of the emotional interactions, sympathy or antipathy, identification or differentiation, competition or cooperation, etc., generated between members of the group; yA means of task, made up of the cognitive interactions of the group members based on the fulfillment of the group's objectives.

9) People require a territorial space and a minimum basic personal space to develop our daily activities, a question that has been studied at length by experimental psychologists since the 1930s and 1940s. Territoriality is understood as the assumption of an orientation of ownership to a geographic area by a person or group, however there is no legal right to the area in question. There is individual territoriality ("my desk") and group territoriality ("our room").

Personal space refers to the body of people, and unlike the territory that is in a specific place, personal space goes with the person and its limits are more or less wide, depending on the circumstances. Little (1965), defined it as the area immediately around the individual, in which most of his interactions with others take place, is a private space to which others cannot reach and enter without the express will of each person and whose violation it involves unpleasant and / or aggressive reactions.

The limits of personal space are flexible and vary according to the social and personal relationships of the subject, as well as the specific physical and emotional environment. There would be a comfortable distance that will vary depending on the people and the circumstances in which it is, such that the comfortable distance in an elevator will be less than on the beach. An investigation carried out by Little showed that the maximum comfort distance was in the office, the distances required in a public building, on a university campus, or in a waiting room being less. This information is relevant in the design of both individual and group work spaces, and it is worth emphasizing once again that a determining factor of personal spaces is the emotional closeness between group members.

TEAMWORK

It is necessary to specify that we deal specifically with what WORK TEAMS are, differentiating them from any other type of equipment such as sports teams. Likewise, when we refer to groups we also refer to WORKING GROUPS, differentiating them from other types of groups, such as social ones.

Taking charge of that popular adage that says what is known is silent and because it is silent is forgotten, we will begin this point by briefly recalling that work teams are made up of PEOPLE and not by organizational roles or professional or expertise titles; that teams are created and developed in a specific organizational (business) environment with culture. mission. Values, products, buildings, unique and found in a global environment defined by geographical, climatic and ethnic factors. cultural political, economic, educational, etc., that characterize the human community to which they belong.

The task of fully understanding the operation of work teams requires considering each and every one of the aforementioned factors, and this is not enough, also the interactions that are generated between them. In practice, it means that teamwork experiences cannot be exported even to our neighbors and even less beyond our borders, if we do not carry out a thorough study and specific analysis of each one of them.

Social and organizational factors are not the subject of this article, but personal factors are. Hence, it is pertinent to make a small anthropological point in this regard.

• People are unique and unrepeatable, exclusive, unique models, therefore, we are irreplaceable in the strict sense of the term in terms of people, since no other person will be able to do things in the same way as I do, by not having the same characteristics, history, experiences, etc. However, in reality we see that things and actions are still executed, but in a way that reflects the way of doing of the other. This is very important, because team members are irreplaceable in terms of people and if they can be irreplaceable in terms of roles or contributions. However, as team members change, the team as such changes, it is no longer the same.

• People are in constant development and change, and by nature we constantly seek perfection that for believers is to get closer to God and for those who are not, it is to execute more and better what they do. Being immersed in a given environment, we are exposed to its influences and, therefore, in addition to our own personal processes of change, we are subject to changes caused by environmental stimuli that will have different effects on each person. However, there is no doubt that these stimuli, even if they are repeated on the same person, will not cause the same effect, since the previous presentation of the stimulus modifies the person. This characteristic of human beings has led the scholars of systems theory to propose that people are NON-TRIVIAL systems, that is,that we respond differently to the same stimulus presented at different moments in time and space.

• People have differential characteristics both in physical aspects (age, height, weight, morphology, metabolism, skin color, etc.), psychological (personality, vocation, interests, motivations, aptitudes, aspirations, etc.), social (culture, ethnicity, family origin, geographic, social, etc.) and spiritual (values, beliefs, faith, etc.). The possible combinations are endless. Therefore, no one can say that they KNOW a certain group or segment of the population. What is possible is to find some common characteristics to a segment and you can only know people as individuality.

• Each person with their individual characteristics and their history (following Ortega y Gasset, one is one and their circumstances) will interact and, therefore, influence the behavior and actions of the team to which they belong, in such a way that everyone we influence and are influenced by the behaviors, actions and ideas of others; and in turn, that same interaction as a different body from those that generated it, will influence the individual and collective behavior of the team, thus acquiring a synergistic character on the team.

Working as a team is having a meeting space between people who have different ideas, experiences and skills and who, as a result of this, can achieve results and solutions that are quantitatively and qualitatively superior to individual achievements (Mundaca, 1996).

This broad definition of a team can lead us to misjudge. So our first task is to clearly distinguish a group from a team. In this regard, a clarifying article that appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1993, written by J. Katzenbach and D. Smith, makes the following parallel:

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORKING GROUPS

• They have a strong, task-focused leader Responsibility for results is individual The purpose of the group is no different from the rest of the organization Work product is generated on an individual basis Effective briefings Effectiveness is measured individually indirect through the effects that occur in the overall result of the company (financial results). It is discussed, decided and delegated.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORK "TEAMS".

• Leadership is shared by several. Responsibility is both individual and joint. The objective is specific to the team and different from that of other teams and the organization as a whole, but dependent on it. Products are generated that are the result of collective work. encourage open discussions and meetings; The objective is to solve problems actively. The results are measured directly by evaluating the product of the collective work. It is discussed, decided and worked together.

«Teams are those that achieve results, and not those incongruous groups to which we usually give that name because we think that the term is motivating for the

people, (J. Katzenbach and D. Smith, op. cit)

Teamwork is a form of work that has as its substrate a set of values, thus alluding to the system of ideas that sustains a certain type of work, which is commonly called work culture. Hence, by adopting teamwork as a modality, we are making direct allusion to a change in the work culture and in the culture of the organizations.

Among the values ​​that teamwork fosters, we find that people listen to each other, that diversity is sought and that they respond constructively to the points of view expressed by others. For a team to be able to effectively achieve results, there must be a basic discipline that allows teams to function and in this way, the slogan team equates to good results becomes a reality ”, by promoting individual work in a global context of cooperation.

The results of the group work are given by the contributions of each of the members. On the other hand, in teams the results are given both by what each individual has achieved, and by the product of the collective work that is the result of the tasks in which two or more team members must work together.

Another source of effective teamwork is given by the social exchange that takes place around clear and common objectives. This phenomenon is known as team synergy, which is the process of social interaction that allows obtaining results that would be impossible to achieve individually for each of the team members.

Considering the elements delivered up to this point, we can venture a definition: «A team is a group of people with diverse and complementary capacities, committed to a formally explicit common objective, with measurable operational references, for which an interdependence of efforts is required of people, who share working methods and standards of conduct for which everyone is held responsible>.

The essence of a work team is COMMITMENT, TRUST and RESPONSIBILITY, first among its members and then, in front of an objective that has been clearly defined and that responds to the interests and needs of each one of them.

A group of people working together constitutes a true work team when, in addition to the interdependence between the functions, it is possible to be more creative, productive and solve problems and challenges in a better way, than if each one worked for their part.

DEVELOPMENT OF TEAMS

Companies must provide the framework of reference to the teams, define a mission, a purpose. Teams take these references by shaping them. Thus, they become aware of where they are going, increasing their drive and commitment as they work to formulate a specific objective with meaning both for each of them and for the organization. The management of the company must be flexible and allow the team to develop its own dynamics.

The objectives must be concrete, specific and measurable. This helps to define the set of products of the collective work, it also facilitates communication and the constructive resolution of conflicts between team members and the fact that the objectives are achievable maintains the cohesion of the team.

Teams spend a lot of time and effort exploring, shaping and agreeing on the purpose, the means to achieve it, and getting to know each other. This aspect is particularly important, since a team will be effective to the extent that its components discover together, how and with what each member can best contribute to the objective and explicitly value individual contributions.

Among specialists there is consensus that the maximum number of members of a team, to be effective, is 10 people, the ideal being 8.

There are some basic capabilities or attributes that team members must meet as a whole, among these the most fundamental are three:

1. Technical or functional knowledge Capacity for problem solving and decision making Capacity for personal interrelation.

Likewise, teams are an excellent way of developing these capacities in their members, which will only be possible if at the base there is trust, common objectives and shared values.

Up to this point, we have mentioned in a generic way the issue of the objective of 105 work teams, and it is then necessary to devote some attention to it, because contrary to what is mentioned in most of the classic texts, work teams do not have a single objective to which to dedicate your efforts. Having considered it that way in the past may explain the failures of many attempts in companies to work under this modality.

The experience in advising and facilitating management teams, professions and process improvement teams, as well as the most recent texts of the specialty, indicate that teams must formulate at least three types of objectives:

1. Those referring to the development of the team as such, that is, going from being isolated individuals to forming a group and after some time and effort to overcome conflicts, becoming an effective WORK TEAM. The tasks to be undertaken are related to knowing and recognizing each other as individuals, establishing psycho-social relationships, learning to work together, establishing decision-making modalities, rules of conduct and work methods, as well as the rules that will govern the team Those referring to the increase of capacities: that is, to increase and / or improve the knowledge and skills of the team members, which is carried out through the exchange of experience between the members and through courses,workshops or seminars referring both to the specific technical aspects of the team's tasks (hydraulics, electricity, biochemistry, etc., as the case may be) and to those related to teamwork methodologies and techniques. that is, the objectives that specifically refer to the fulfillment of the mission entrusted by the organization to a team, and that must clearly identify how the team will add value to the company's processes and the expected contributions to the achievement of the objectives.the objectives that specifically refer to the fulfillment of the mission entrusted by the organization to a team, and that must clearly identify how the team will add value to the company's processes and the expected contributions to the achievement of the objectives.the objectives that specifically refer to the fulfillment of the mission entrusted by the organization to a team, and that must clearly identify how the team will add value to the company's processes and the expected contributions to the achievement of the objectives.

In the course of a team's work, two types of interactions or basic tasks are inevitably combined:

1. Those of content, which refer to the subject to which the team applies its efforts, and which includes the knowledge, skills, information and analysis necessary to achieve the results. It is THE WHAT OF THE TEAM: Process, which refers to the way the team uses the content, the dynamics that are developed to set performance standards and share responsibilities, set goals, divide efforts, interact and review results. IT'S THE HOW OF THE TEAM.

EVOLUTIONARY STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEAMS

Teams are entities that, like all living beings, evolve and develop. This is how 5 stages have been identified, or in the language of the great psychologist and educator J. Piaget, stages through which every work team passes. These stages do not respond to a linear function, that is, not necessarily once a stage has been passed, this is definitive, without going back, but rather, it responds to a spiral function. That is, the teams will go through each of these stages multiple times, depending on the level of demand to which they are subjected and the level of maturity that their members and as a team want to achieve. Each of the stages is characterized by the following contents and attributes:

TRAINING OR ORIENTATION STAGE:

It is characterized by the fact that team members begin to know each other, and go from a set of individuals to being part of a group. The members feel great concern, both with respect to this way of working, as well as the relationships that will be established, the appropriate conducts and behaviors and, most especially, uncertainty about the purpose of the work. The members show a low level of commitment and emotional expression, as well as no identification with the team or development of conflicts; decisions are dominated by the most active members and the level of information handled is scant or distorted. The end of this stage is recognized when members begin to see themselves as part of a relatively stable group.

CONFLICT OR DISSATISFACTION:

This stage is characterized by the fact that the members accept the existence of the group, which begins to have an identity and a life of its own, for which in some way it begins to exercise control over its members, to which they resist trying to preserve all their degrees of freedom.. The information begins to be more exact and systematic acquiring coherence. Each member wants to impose their objectives and ways of working and solving conflicts and problems, which generates a climate of confusion and tension, with clashes over the definition of roles, areas of influence and Power. Many members leave the teams at this stage, not resisting the tensions or not having the information and / or tools to solve it. Others eventually die at this stage.The term of this is recognized when the group is able to define roles and accept individual competencies.

ORGANIZATION OR RESOLUTION:

It is characterized by the clear definition of the objectives (of the three types mentioned above), as well as the roles and areas of competence and power of each of the members, for which more solid relationships are structured based on mutual recognition. and valuation of contributions to other members. The information is clear and transparent and is used to make decisions, the working methods are agreed by consensus. The climate improves when there is greater confidence, verifying the progress of the team and having the possibility of expressing differences and overcoming conflicts. The end of this stage is recognized when members feel part of a valuable group with clear leadership, which allows them to perform better and job satisfaction. A TEAM has emerged.

REALIZATION OR PRODUCTION:

The structure and objectives are fully defined, as well as the mechanisms to control the progress and contributions of the members. Situational leaderships are recognized, and energy is channeled to the execution of tasks and team maintenance actions. The climate is one of cooperation and pride. Identity and esprit de corps develop, differences and disagreements are accepted, not constituting obstacles to advance. Even the most mature teams look for heterogeneity in the face of problems to enrich their resolution. Information is fully shared, fluid, and fast; members are able to postpone and give in their positions and interests based on the team's objectives, the achievements made reinforce the membership and the team's work.It should be noted that those line or permanent equipment, as they work together, are recycled in these stages, reaching ever higher levels of performance.

TERMINATION OR DUEL:

Only those teams reach this stage that, due to their nature as a task force or because they have been formed for a specific project, must be dissolved once it is finished. It is characterized by the fact that its members feel nostalgic for separation, they seek to continue linked both work and emotionally, and it is usually accompanied by termination rites. In general, people who have belonged to a team and who continue in different areas of the organization, become excellent facilitators of relationships and information flows between their respective areas.

If we could summarize the keywords of the development of work teams, or in other words, the moments of truth in the evolution of a team, these would be:

1. Goals and roles Leadership Decision making Formal procedures Communication and participation Analysis of individual behavior Informal uses and customs Identity Assessment of efforts and contributions Conflict resolution Climate or work environment Team culture

As teams are made up of people, and their results depend absolutely on their characteristics, it is essential to develop some minimum personal abilities and skills that make cooperative interaction between members possible. These skills and abilities are developed as they are exercised, so their learning is essentially practical, although we recognize in some people the ability to be self-taught in their learning or that they have brought them in their genetic endowment, for the majority It is necessary to generate instances in which you would be able to rehearse, lose your fear of them and then develop them fully.

If a parallel could be made, learning to work as a team would be like learning to ride a bicycle: it is only achieved by getting on it and with someone we trust emotionally and cognitively by our side to start the hard learning with successive falls and lifts. All to finally become expert cyclists and in this way be able to teach others.

Learning to work in a team is not achieved by reading books or attending long courses or seminars, it is only possible by exposing yourself to real situations in which there is the opportunity to rehearse behaviors, self-observe and analyze behavior in conjunction with the others. team people. These situations are commonly called workshops or laboratories, which must be guided and facilitated by duly qualified EXPERTS who are able to offer people all their capacities and growth abilities. Next, we deliver those that seem to us the most important and fundamental, being consistent and as they are only possible to acquire in practice, it is useless to stop to deliver long definitions or explanations, for which we will only name them.

• Know how to listen Give and receive constructive criticism Give and receive spontaneous praise and support Being able to say DON'T KNOW humbly Being able to say NO without guilt Learning to ask for help Recognizing that others know more Giving yourself the opportunity to learn from others Giving and receiving confidence Seeking different information and opinions Developing creativity to resolve differences Expressing feelings Developing tolerance for frustration Expression assertiveness of ideas and emotions Ability to delay gratification Develop capacity for empathy (putting oneself in the place of the other> Willingness to change your mind Learning to seek and value both differences and consensus

PERSONAL CONDITIONS FOR TEAM WORK

Wisely, the Argentine Civil Engineer Julio César Neffa wrote a few years ago that in order to work as a team it was necessary to meet some personal conditions without which it is impossible to truly integrate into a team and which contain, in my view, the true secret to work genuinely teaming up with other people:

1. HAVE THE OWN HUMILITY OF THE WISE HAVE PATIENCE AND GENEROSITY THE ABILITY TO COLLECTIVELY FORMULATE THE OBJECTIVES CLARITY AND COURAGE TO IDENTIFY AND FACE CONFLICTS

SUCCESS FACTORS IN THE WORK TEAMS.

In this section I have selected some of the most pertinent recipes among the many that exist. However, like any recipe, it has its secrets that are only possible to discover through learning, modeling and a lot of effort.

A.- What to do to obtain results.

(J.Katzenbach and D. Smith of McKinsey & Company)

1.-Create a sense of urgency, establish adequate levels of demand and provide guidelines.

2.-Make the selection of future members based on their capabilities, potential and personality characteristics.

3.- Pay special attention to the first meetings

4.-Set very clear operating rules.

5.-Set interesting objectives and short-term demands.

6.-Periodically deliver new information to the team.

7.-Spend a lot of time together.

8.-Make the most of feedback, explicit recognition of achievements and contributions.

9.-Consider that teams are essential in change processes.

B.- Characteristics of a High Performance Team (anonymous author)

• Common objective Trained and empowered With high levels of relationship and communication among its members Flexibility in the functions and in everything that was necessary Optimum results Recognition and appreciation among its members Pride of belonging.

C.- Context Factors that Influence Teams.

(Ps. Mrs. Luz Eugenia Mundaca, Business School Leadership Center, Adolfo Ibáñez University).

• Mission and vision of the team integrated into the mission and vision of the company Management exercises leadership by providing visionary inspiration and challenges Company policies in managing clear and coherent people Values ​​and company culture oriented to customer service and satisfaction internal and external.

D.- Elements for a Successful Team.

(Ms. PA Sandoval CEYET)

• Clarity in team goals Defined functions and rules Clear communication Motivating behaviors Defined procedures for decision making Balanced participation Awareness of the group process Use of opinions related to data, searching the processes for the causes of I problems in people. Space for growth, support and emotional expression.

WORKS ARE LOVES AND NOT GOOD REASONS

TESTIMONIALS

As we pointed out in our article, teamwork is an experience and not theory or speeches. Being consistent with this, we have asked those who have lived the experience, to share it with us, for which then we deliver the reports of four people, the first three are from workers of the same company and the fourth is from an engineer of a mining company.

TEAMWORK PROGRAM ESSAM SA

Some antecedents within the diagnoses that have been carried out in the Organization for each of the processes that are being developed, the analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses carried out prior to the strategic planning, clearly indicated a lack of systemic vision of the work, together with an isolated operation of each one of the areas. Faced with this, and as a pilot improvement plan, a Company Guidance Team was formed in 1995, led by the General Manager, plus four members representing each of the Managements. This Team thus formed worked for a year, in which four project teams worked under this scheme.

Based on the results obtained, it was decided to include this Continuous Improvement Program as one of the mechanisms through which we can achieve a cultural change and promote teamwork. While teams work on a certain process that needs improvement, our main emphasis is on teamwork skills and practices. In this sense, Continuous Improvement, we understand it as a learning process in which, together with practice, knowledge is delivered that supports work within a protected space.

Currently, the structural support of the program is given by a central Guidance Team and three zonal ones, which is congruent with the organizational structure of the company, whose main function is to guide the activities related to the program in each of the areas.

Regarding the results, the most evident are the changes in the educational type and skills of the workers, as well as the style of cooperation between them. This is basically observed in some practices regarding how we organize our daily work and in the use of tools introduced by the program. We still have a long way to go to be able to declare that we are a company that meets the desired quality standards, but we believe that doing so through people ensures a constant approach.

AN EXECUTIVE: THE GENERAL MANAGER.

Why did I participate in the Teams?

It seems to me that when observing how a country, society and family are organized, we realize that the company is not alien to replicating organizational systems within them. Today more than ever, the rapidity of the evolution of information technologies and technological development have radicalized specialization and therefore, it is required to work as a team to share experiences and knowledge and thus have the global vision of any process of the business.

Having men with global knowledge today and in the future will be impossible. Well, I think my interest in participating in the teams has a human and a technical side.

Knowing in greater depth with whom I should relate, their weaknesses and strengths and sharing experiences, is an intimate space for learning and education, which allows to be a management tool to introduce planned and conscious cultural changes.

Teamwork is like a prototype of the company, where we can even simulate processes. its modifications and the impact it produces on its members, in order to subsequently implement it in the institution with fewer risks.

What benefits did it mean for me as a person?

The adjustment or induction is smoother and faster to the principles, values ​​and styles of the company. It has allowed me to develop my assertiveness in an important way, since I have considered the intimate space that allows me to work as a team, as a time to consciously and in a planned way produce changes in my habits and also towards the rest of the members. Self-criticism has grown in me and also the opening of spaces of trust to allow, without feeling attacked, constructive criticism. It is precisely trying to change the culture and our way of relating with them with greater openness and transparency in relationships, and on this basis, work on productivity and performance, increasing respect for people and fulfilling our promises and commitments every day.Additionally, it is easier in a small group to detect training needs, in order to develop strengths and correct weaknesses. In this regard, our experience has been very enriching.

How has the company benefited?

Initially we had great conflicts, since there is a radical change in the management style, by introducing the concept of the need to generate synergy to move faster due to the growing and changing demands of the market.

It is easier today for the organization to react as a whole by having a global vision to position itself and face the market again. This situation is even more difficult and critical, when the change has meant moving from a bureaucratic (fiscal) style to a flexible one of private companies.

After passing the climax of the conflict, when he joined the top executive level of the company (Managers) in this style, the benefit has been fundamentally in two aspects: A) growth in economic results and B) Social interrelationships and welfare of employees. workers.

Relationships and the work environment has improved significantly, by generating and cultivating relationships of trust and frankness, where today both satisfactions and dissatisfactions are declared. In short, great transparency in human relationships. In my opinion, this is where we have had great results.

The increase in productivity, efficiency and effectiveness has been slower since it is often difficult to identify in the overall results, and the direct and specific contribution of the worker. The concrete contribution of the teams in the results is still somewhat distant.

Despite the failures we have had, the benefits are much higher and I am sure that it is a clear and effective way to produce improvements in the company. We will continue to advance along this route that we have set ourselves, introducing the pertinent corrections.

What Problems Did We Have to Work?

The most important, I think, has been to identify clearly defined and delimited processes so as not to involve the team in a very global work where expectations will not be met. Once the process to be analyzed has been shared by all its members, it is of great importance to hear from people outside the team, the opinion regarding the expectations that are expected as a result, to contrast different views and opinions, thus achieving the confirmation and necessary corrections.

After this stage, technical training must be carried out and given in handling basic statistical and interpersonal relationship models that tend to develop assertiveness and effective work in meetings.

The other problem arose when the team delivered the results to the Organization, many times invading the actions of the areas that participated, be it mi] and tangentially or through lower hierarchical workers. Here there was a great clash between the necessary autonomy of the team to introduce improvements and corrections directly, and the need to comply with all the rites of a highly hierarchical and bureaucratic organization. We have been winning in this regard by giving teams greater decision-making and implementation power, a situation that has not been easy.

What Advice Would You Give Those Who Start Teaming Up?

For greater effectiveness, it seems important to observe two aspects: firstly, knowing and listening to the experience of a company that has adopted this management tool, knowing its successes and failures, and secondly, having and having in the introduction and knowledge stage of the methodology, an expert advice on the subject. To be effective, listen to other companies before and get advice at the beginning of the program.

For no reason do I advise adopting this work methodology where the corporate identity has not been defined, call it: Mission, Vision, Values ​​and Objectives since it will mean that whoever leads the process of change within the company, generally the General Manager, will not have the responses that allow progress towards clear policies and objectives.

Additionally, it seems to me that the attempt to work as a team should not be abandoned in the face of the first failures. You must persevere, since like any cycle, there is an initial rejection in the face of fear of change.

RICARDO ARANEDA V Civil Engineer, MBA

A PROFESSIONAL

My participation in the Teams formed within the company has been fulfilling different roles, in some I have been a member and in others, I have acted as a facilitator at the local and zonal level.

In personal terms and from this program, I have been able to establish relationships that I did not previously maintain, especially with workers from areas other than mine, where the organization is perceived in a different and absolutely valid way.

In my experience and the reports received, a greater sense of belonging is generated and the objectives that should be common are shared.

However, not everything is easy and expeditious. Often it seems that the process stagnates and this is where, in my opinion, the main weakness that as an organization and perhaps as a society, we have becomes evident. I am referring to the knowledge and especially the experience that this type of process requires. It is important to know what to expect at each moment and what to do to facilitate change, which, although it cannot be imposed, it can be directed.

In a similar sense and with regard to the reception and incorporation of these new practices at the different levels of the company, a faster adherence is observed at the middle levels of the organization, where it acquires meaning and immediate application.

Something similar, although slower, occurs at operational levels who can begin to apply what they have experienced in work teams with relative ease. However, it is at the higher level where the greatest difficulties are found and they have to do with the historical scheme that we have as leadership, basically in terms of the areas of influence and control, as well as the issue of decisions and participation.

As a direct impact of the Improvement Teams, I can highlight the practices in terms of work organization, where today the formation of multidisciplinary teams is common, who are devoted to the study of a limited process, are based on objective antecedents and propose solutions or proposals feasible to apply.

I think that any work scheme other than the one we have applied until today requires assuming that from where we are today, we need new concepts and practices, that is, a learning process.

MAURICIO GONZALEZ WINKOTH

Head of Department Human Resources Development

A WORKER

Why did I participate in the Continuous Improvement Teams?

I was appointed by the Company, due to my direct relationship with the subject to be discussed by our team and as a personal challenge, since for the first time I was working in direct relationship with professionals of the Company.

What benefits did it mean for me as a person?

- I have overcome the fear of expressing myself in front of people.

- I learned to know, understand and appreciate people who deep down have the same challenges and problems as me.

How do I think the company has benefited?

Currently, the company has a faster and more secure macro-measurement information system.

What Problems Did We Have to Work?

1. The first and greatest problem was overcoming mistrust at the time of beginning the work, since there was ignorance of the work itself. It was difficult for us to function as a team, since there were personal problems between some members. The existence of hierarchical differences between members was difficult to determine. overcome, in the relationship of peers within the Team.

What advice would you give to those who start working in teams?

• Faith and confidence in what is being done Patience because the work is long Integrate fully into the Team And above all, believe in the work that is being done (commitment).

GERARDO CANCINO ESPINOZA Plant Operator

A MINING PROFESSIONAL

How do I benefit from working as a team?

Undoubtedly, teamwork is an opportunity for growth, both for personal and professional development.

In a good team, not perfect, but aware of its strengths and weaknesses, and with a good dose of balance, bonds of friendship are established, problems are overcome, and successes and failures are shared.

The existence of this type of equipment is not incidental, nor instantaneous and there are no magic formulas. It is the result of the will of its own members.

The members of a team coexist, so that respect, solidarity, recognition, opportunity, communication, motivation and individuality are some of the essential ingredients for their training and fundamental to achieve the mystique necessary to maintain their cohesion.

Who has the opportunity to feel part of a good team, grows.

How Does the Organization Benefit from Teamwork?

For all the above, organizations should not miss the opportunity to encourage teamwork.

While it is true that there are times when individual work is an unavoidable option, we cannot help but be infected by the business that we notice in the members of a well established team, when they achieve their goal.

JUAN ANDRES MOREL

Mining Civil Engineer - South-South Operations

CODELCO ANDINA

A LESSON FROM THE GEESE:

When a bird flaps its wings, it creates an "upward force" for the bird that follows it. Flying in a "V" formation, the entire flock adds 71% speed compared to each bird flying alone.

Lesson: People who share a common path and a sense of community can achieve their goal more quickly and easily, because they are pushing each other.

1. Every time a goose leaves the formation, it suddenly feels resistance to advance as it tries to fly alone, and quickly returns to the formation to take advantage of the "lifting power" of the bird immediately ahead.

Lesson: If we have as much judgment as a goose, we will remain in formation with those who are directing where we want to go.

1. When the goose in command becomes fatigued, it turns back into formation and another goose heads to fly at the head of the flock.

Lesson: It is very helpful to take turns in tough and difficult tasks, sharing leadership with people, and like geese, interdependently with each other.

1. Geese in formation squawk from behind to encourage those ahead to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure that our shouting from behind is stimulating and not something of little use.

1. When a goose is sick or injured or exhausted, two other geese remove it from the flock and follow it down to help and protect it. They remain with him until he is able to fly again or he dies. They then set off on their own, to fly with another formation or to catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much judgment as geese, we will help each other. From a presentation by Joe Doolittle, Executive Vice President, Public Health Project, to a group of Project Managers and Supervisors, graduates of an AWL / OER Executive Development Program, Graduate School of Management, Kellog Northrvestern University.

SUMMARY

The contemporary world requires that people learn to work together in order to process information, generate knowledge, and give and deliver affection.

To work in a team it is necessary to learn techniques and develop skills. It is not enough to have the intention or the will to do so.

Managers and leaders of organizations must learn to discern when and why to form teams (remember that they are like very powerful drugs), generating the conditions and providing the resources that facilitate their success before, during and after completing their mission.

Teams must have a leader capable of modeling the behaviors expected of their collaborators with their own performance.

Teamwork responds to a new paradigm and concept of work, which is why it is only effective to the extent that one is willing to embark on the path of change, which begins with the personal change of each one of us, analyzing and reflecting regarding our values ​​and actions.

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