The kind of team that an organization can set up among employees depends on that team’s assigned tasks and the aimed goal. By team in the organization we mean a group of employees who are working together on either a temporary or a permanent basis to achieve a common objective that will ultimately link to the business unit specific targets. The most common kinds of workplace teams can be identified as follows:
Project team: A project team is a group of people selected to work together to accomplish a particular project. Very often, when the project ends, the team has no longer reason to be. Not every task or assignment requires senior managers to create a dedicated team. For a project team to succeed, leaders need to ensure that the task is appropriate for that group of team members to work on together and the right tools and the information are provided, and the end desired result is clear.
Cross-functional team: A cross-functional team is made up of employees from different departments or areas of the business, in order to bring different approach and experience background to the project, or merely because the project might involves different business areas and requires different specific skills or expertise.
Self-directed work team: is identified in most cases as a team that determines how it will get the tasks done and has the authority and expertise, and often the budget accountability, to make decisions that will impact the project in the short term and the business goal in the short-term. Being a self-managed team does not mean that the group doesn’t need a senior leader or manager, It simply implies that the team is responsible and accountable for its decisions, as opposed to proposing action that will be approved or denied by someone in charge that manage the project from above.
Have you been involved in a project or been involved in one of the above groups? Share your experience and feedback