Empowerment Leadership Model for Small Groups, Teams, & Families
Course 5, Lesson 23
________________
Developing Teams That Add Enough to the Job
to Make it Rewarding for Each and Every Team Member
Copyright 2001 Dick Wulf
________________________________________________
Teams need to know that every member needs to feel good about the team experience. This means that a successful team must make sure that there is enough variety in the work of the team to meet the needs of all team members. Teams will rarely realize this without the team leader’s help.
For example, there may be more exciting job descriptions and less stimulating job descriptions on a team. Yet, the success of the team depends on all team members, those excited members as well as those who are bored with their assignments. Those whose tasks are less stimulating are more likely to quit, come to meetings late, and complain and bring down team morale. This negatively affects the team’s success. To be successful, the team must deal with this dilemma.
The answer to this dilemma is simply that everyone needs to get enough enjoyment out of their assignment on the church team or committee. This is the same as saying that it is the task of a successful team to see that there is enough variety of activities to meet the needs of all members. The team that struggles with this team task will discover that there are many ways to add excitement to the more boring tasks. For example, friendship can’t be beat. Likewise, a team might be able to switch job duties around a bit to add something interesting to an otherwise boring job.
Let’s illustrate this principle by looking at the family. When Mom, Dad and the kids go on a vacation, for that trip to be truly successful every family member must be able to do some fun things. Those not having fun will inevitably complain or behave poorly, thus taking some of the fun out of the vacation. If the family operates like a well-oiled team, it will plan enough different activities so that every family member will find enjoyment. Thus, the happiest families on vacation are those where every individual gets to do some fun things, and, in return, helps the others to enjoy their chosen activities.
Just as the family will not plan activities for everyone if the parents do not think of it, the team will not consider seeing that everyone enjoys his or her part on the team. It is the team leader’s task to get the team to work on making sure that everyone enjoys their assignment. Pointing this out to the team during team meetings or actually having the team discuss the need to see that everyone has adequate variety to enjoy their job is a leadership task.
But, note that it really is best if the team take on this task. Certainly, a team leader could add variety to a job description. And, parents could do all of the thinking for the family vacation. But, in robbing the team or family of its right to work on this task will only create other problems. And the "buy-in" for everyone to help everyone else enjoy the team and its duties is necessary for true success.
Next: Developing Teams That Can Distinguish Team
and Team Member Actions That Will Enhance Success
from Those That Will Be Detrimental to the Team’s Purpose
click here
Copyright 2012 Dick Wulf, Colorado, USA