High Performance Teamsxxxxx xxxxMGT331/Organizational Behaviorxxxx xxxxxxxxxApril 12, 2005High Performance TeamsWhat is a High Performance Team?"High performance teams are a special class of team that has the ability to easily adapt in a rapidly changing world" (Bodwell, 2002, p. 3). They are composed of highly driven individuals who have the desire to succeed and make anything happen. The individuals are willing to work extra hours if need be and put forth the effort to exceed expectations. Most important, they possess the enthusiasm from within to do whatever it takes to get the job done before the deadline clock runs out."To a casual observer, a team may appear to be cultura ...view middle of the document...
The individuals that make up a high performance team can come from one organization's department or can come from various departments. Depending on the assignment, there are times when diverse individuals within the organization temporarily set aside his or her normal daily activities to work on a special assignment. These individuals may possess different educational backgrounds, work in separate departments, be of various ages, hold diverse ranking positions within the organization, and come from various ethnic backgrounds.What makes a Team a Success or a Failure?Diversity plays an enormous part in any team. The attributes and wealth of information that each person brings to the table compose a well-rounded, knowledgeable group of individuals. The younger team members bring forth a fresh and innovative outlook and perspective, while the older generation brings forth years of experience and background information. In addition, employees of different ethnicities and nationalities lean on what works in their native land. Individuals of various socio-economic statuses experience different lifestyles, so their ideas and personalities can bring forth numerous methods of moving forward and accomplishing tasks. Through trial and error, most individuals can place their fingers on what works and what does not work in any team setting.Communication is a key element to the overall success of any high performance team. Everyone should always be aware about each step of the process. The team will collectively decide on what method of communication is most effective for each team member, whether it be broadcast emails, conference calls or team status meetings.Diversity can also pose a hindrance on any team setting. What kills the motivation of any team is lack of open-mindedness. The older generation may not adapt to change well, while the younger generation always wants to see what works better. Certain domestic employees may not take the international individuals seriously enough. They feel they know what works best in this country, so why bother to listen to someone who does not possess the knowledge from the homeland. The higher-class citizens can snub the ideas of the lower class, with the mentality that they do not possess any knowledge whatsoever.As effective communication can strengthen a team, lack of interaction can cripple a high performance team. Should each team member not participate in imperative team communications, the team "runs the risk of losing momentum, enthusiasm and successful project completi...
