How to organize the work of the team. Teamwork

In order to solve problems effectively and quickly, people unite in groups. But not every team is more useful and productive than disparate individuals. In order for teamwork to give the desired result, it is necessary to know the features of its organization, the rules of regulation and the principles of functioning. Such knowledge is useful for managers and ordinary employees, regardless of the field of activity.

General characteristics of collective activity

To develop effective rules for organizing teamwork, you need to understand the features of the functioning of groups. To do this, it is worth defining the team, identifying the principles, specific factors, pluses and minuses of collective activity.

concept

Not every group of people working in the same room, organization or on the same project can be called the word “team”. A team is a group of people united by common ideas or motives. Based on this concept, we can define what teamwork is. The term under consideration implies a coordinated, controlled and purposeful activity of the team to solve a common problem, according to the rules developed jointly.

The difference between teamwork and simple human interaction:

  • continuous discussion, open dialogue, free communication, discussion and criticism;
  • activities aimed at improving cooperation;
  • participants feel involvement, usefulness, involvement in the activities of the team;
  • all work processes are distributed among members of the community;
  • participants are aware of the abilities of other members of the group, their responsibilities, successes and failures;
  • mutual interest and respect;
  • interaction allows to quickly and effectively ensure the exchange of information between the participants.

The specifics of the team organization

The term "team" in the sphere of organizing various work processes was transferred from sports. Here the specificity of this concept is most clearly manifested:

  • the whole team, including players, coaches, staff, is aimed at achieving common goals - winning the game, the championship;
  • specialists are selected into the team, each of which is sharpened to solve specific problems (defenders, attackers, massage therapists, coaches, medical personnel);
  • solving small subtasks, the team is aimed at achieving a common goal;
  • the key role in the team is played by the coach, who is responsible for the selection of players, controls their activities, prepares a common strategy, sets tasks, resolves conflicts, monitors motivation and the microclimate;
  • among the players, the leader is important.

Any group of people to form a productive team must go through several stages of organization:

  1. Adaptation. At this stage, the group members establish contact with each other, form a favorable atmosphere and a positive communicative climate. In the process of communication in a group, pairs, triplets are formed, mutually acceptable behavior patterns are established. Participants evaluate each other. The stage of adaptation is characterized by: mutual information, assessment of the tasks set, low labor efficiency.
  2. Grouping. Association of people according to interests and sympathies. Individual team members openly oppose team demands. Thus, they test the permitted boundaries of emotional behavior. A characteristic feature of the grouping stage is the divergence of individual and group interests.
  3. Cooperation. The emergence of a desire among all members of the group to solve the assigned team task. Identification of the group by its members as "we".
  4. Regulation of work. Stable mechanisms, orders and rules of interaction in the group are formed. Group members, in order to increase efficiency, specialize in solving individual subtasks. At this stage, the members of the group are characterized by open and active communication with each other.
  5. Functional. The task is assessed and analyzed to develop useful roles for each person. Group clarification of relations and repayment of hidden or open conflicts. Group members create a positive atmosphere. The real work in the team begins - everyone is aware of the role of everyone in moving towards a single goal, everyone understands the vector and the end point of the movement.

The structure of processes in teamwork implies three phases: transition, action and interpersonal interaction. Each of them includes several processes.

The transition phase is relevant in the periods between the phases of the collective action. The transition includes the following processes:

  • mission analysis;
  • specification of goals;
  • strategy formation.

The action phase is the basis of the functioning of the group during the period of active implementation of tasks. It includes the following processes:

  • tracking the process of moving towards the goal by sequentially solving small subtasks;
  • checking the operation of systems in the group;
  • command monitoring and backup behavior;
  • coordination of activities.

The phase of interpersonal communication is characteristic of the entire period of the existence of the team. It includes three processes:

  • Conflict Management;
  • motivation and trust;
  • influence on management.

Fundamental Provisions

Not every group of people can be a team, just as not every team is efficient and productive. It all depends on the characteristics of the team, its fundamental provisions.

Teamwork principles:

  1. The presence of a common plan, ideas.
  2. Understanding common goals.
  3. Collective interests prevail over individual ones.
  4. Complementary skills.
  5. Responsibility for the result.

Commands can differ significantly from each other. The team may include employees of the same company, representatives of different organizations, people of the same profession or specialists of various profiles. All teams are united in activities by the presence of a common goal. Features of the formation, functioning of the group determine their individual characteristics, qualities and properties.

The main types of commands:

  1. Initiative groups, operational launch teams are created to quickly solve a specific, urgent task. In life, these are more often emergency situations - an accident, a catastrophe, a collapse in the economy, a political crisis, a sharp increase in the disease, etc. The effectiveness of such groups depends on the level of professionalism of the participants, their motivation and the experience of people performing the function of coordination and communication. The peculiarities of such groups are that there is no long period of formation, the participants do not always know each other.
  2. The top management teams are made up of several key figures of some kind. Such groups function to solve problems of a strategic nature. They are distinguished by a high level of responsibility of members for decision-making and wide autonomy.
  3. Virtual teams are relevant in modern conditions, when modern technologies and the Internet provide ample opportunities for work and communication. The existence of the group and its functioning directly depends on technology - this is the main difference between such working communities. Today, convenient and effective relationship management systems (CRM) have been created for virtual workgroups. These programs allow participants, regardless of location and time, to set tasks in a single space, exchange information, and control the progress of processes.

phenomena

Numerous studies have revealed the following patterns:

  • the number of participants affects the results of the group;
  • an important characteristic of the team that increases efficiency is the proximity of the social status of the participants;
  • the diversity of group members by gender and age improves the results of its activities;
  • the rules of behavior in the group, jointly developed by its members, are of high importance and deserve respect;
  • when working in a group, the level of self-awareness of its members gradually decreases;
  • group decisions are more extreme - either less risky or more risky decisions are made;
  • a compromise solution is chosen that will “strive” to satisfy the opinions of all group members;
  • division of responsibility in group work leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of individual participants;
  • the cohesion and effectiveness of the team increases significantly after the first success.

Pros and cons of teamwork

Teamwork has its advantages and disadvantages.

Positive aspects of teamwork:

  1. It allows you to solve complex, large-scale problems that capture various areas of knowledge.
  2. The distribution of responsibilities can save a lot of time.
  3. When making a decision, the ideas of all members of the community are taken into account. This approach can significantly reduce the likelihood of errors, increase the objective usefulness and correctness of the choice.
  4. Allows you to fully unlock the potential of employees through open interaction with colleagues.
  5. The professional development of people is accelerating, the process of exchanging experience, transferring useful and important data is accelerating.

Negative aspects of teamwork:

  1. Time costs and additional resources for organizing the work of the team.
  2. As the number of participants increases, the solution of problems becomes more complicated and slows down.
  3. There is an increased likelihood of conflicts, many of which may be covert.

Eight Rules for Successful Teamwork

Now, having dealt with the basics of collective activity, we can outline the rules that will help to work effectively in a team.

Leader and leader

An effective team must have a leader and leader. It is important to clearly distinguish between these two concepts. A leader is an employee endowed with key decision-making and management powers. It's more of a "technical" feature.

Leader functions:

  • control;
  • delegation of tasks;
  • distribution of duties;
  • planning;
  • motivation;
  • work organization;
  • representation of the group in interaction with external entities;
  • resolving internal conflicts.

To achieve goals, it is important for the team to see movement towards the goal. To do this, the manager must break the task into intermediate stages and record the achievement of each.

A leader is a person who has social influence, authority in the team. Thanks to his qualities, he has the support of members of the community, is the center of influence, forms an opinion, can manipulate the mood and atmosphere. It is more of an emotional, psychological and personal characteristic.

Depending on the nature of the tasks and characteristics of the team, the roles of the manager and leader can differ significantly. In some situations, it is good when the roles of leader and manager are combined by one person. In other situations, it is of great benefit to "contrast" the leader, who is somewhat removed from the team, and the leader, "his 100%". The model of the "leader-manager" ratio depends on the specific features of the community.

An important aspect of leadership and leadership is authority. Its use in the process of forming a team and solving work tasks plays a significant role. Authority must be applied judiciously. Strong pressure on participants often has a negative result.

Control

The key function of a leader is the ability to manage a team. Lack of control will lead to chaos and inefficiency.

  1. Permanent fixation of ideas of employees on the organization of the process. Analysis of recommendations and implementation of useful solutions.
  2. Proper delegation of authority.
  3. Planning, strict adherence to the chosen plan.
  4. A clear statement of tasks, broken down into subtasks. Discussion and explanation of goals and objectives. Participants must understand global challenges and their role in addressing them.
  5. Individual work with each participant.
  6. Attention not only to the working problems of a group member, but also to his personal experiences, problems and joys.

Reducing the number of conflicts

The interaction of people can lead to the development of conflict situations. In collective work, the nature of the interaction between the participants cannot be ignored. Any conflict destroys the atmosphere in the community, distracts and takes time, makes it difficult to focus on solving important tasks.

Ways to resolve conflict situations in a team:

  1. Determination of clear rules of conduct. Their formation together with the members of the group.
  2. Loyal and flexible attitude of the head to all participants. It is impossible to single out “special”, favorites, outcasts, “extremes”.
  3. Group trainings, creative tasks and games.
  4. Uniform rules in the team for everyone, taking into account functional features. A clear and equivalent scale of responsibility for violation of the rules.
  5. Suppression of intrigues, tracking the formation of subgroups, revealing the nature of the relationship between all participants.
  6. Control of the emotional atmosphere in the team.
  7. Adjustment of the character, style of relationships in the team.
  8. The right mix of exercise and relaxation. Community members should not be constantly in a state of fatigue.

Distribution of roles

An important aspect of a successful team is the competent distribution of participants. Each person should play the role that corresponds to his abilities.

When assigning roles to a team, consider:

  1. The specifics of the field of activity, features of goals and objectives.
  2. The professional level of a person, the correspondence of skills to duties in a particular position.
  3. Emotional and psychological level.
  4. Prospects for future changes.

On the topic of building a competent strategy for the distribution of roles, today there are a large number of tests and tasks. They help to make an accurate portrait of the participants, to determine the degree of their compliance with the tasks in the group.

Clear statement of responsibilities

The team must act according to the same rules. The procedure for remuneration and responsibility must be clearly defined, equally applicable to all participants.

The order of actions of the team members and the general rules for the actions of the team must be spelled out in detail. Each employee should be familiar with their duties in detail.

Maintaining Natural Relationships

Productive teamwork is the result of the activities of a group of people, and it is important for a person that relationships are natural. How to achieve this position in the team:

  1. Carefully select participants not only according to professional skills, but also taking into account the psychological aspects of mutual compatibility.
  2. Encourage the creation of "interest-based" subgroups within the group. It is important for people to communicate with similar, congenial people.
  3. During the solution of work tasks, set aside time for joint rest. Informal atmosphere, acquaintance of participants with each other in new conditions makes the atmosphere in the team more comfortable.

Making decisions

There are several decision-making models in the team when performing tasks. The optimal scheme is joint, collective decision-making, when all participants actively express their opinion and discuss the situation.

The opposite option is decision-making by the leader. Such a system depends on the authority of the leader. If the team accepts and trusts him, efficiency will not suffer. Otherwise, the effectiveness of collective action will suffer.

In large teams, where employees of various fields of activity and qualifications are involved, a mixed system looks like the best option. Some decisions are made collectively. Usually these are tactical questions. Problems of a strategic nature are solved by the manager, taking into account the views of all employees.

Motivation

The effectiveness of human activity depends on the stimulating psycho-physiological aspects. Efficiency defines three groups of motivational factors:

  • remuneration for the result;
  • natural interest from activity;
  • social significance.

When solving certain problems, various motivations can be used. The task of the manager is to correctly select the optimal incentive mechanisms for each employee. Moreover, when encouraging one employee, it is important to take into account the opinion of other participants on this event.

Disproportionate, unbalanced motivation can destroy the atmosphere in the team. In general, you need to carefully work out a single system of motivation rules, check and test the results before implementation.

Common mistakes in teamwork

Teamwork can be ineffective for the following reasons:

  1. Insufficient period of existence of the group - in general, communicative ties did not have time to improve, the participants "did not get used" to each other.
  2. Inconsistency between the task, the leader and the team.
  3. Errors in the selection of group members.
  4. Problems with planning, setting goals, goal setting.
  5. Unfavorable external conditions for work.

To identify a specific reason that slows down the work of the team is a primary task. It is often quite difficult to do this. The algorithm of actions to normalize the functioning of the group depends on the specific reason. If the group does not work well, you just need to wait. If its composition does not correspond to the tasks, the participants are updated.

To manage the project, you need to use the strengths of each team member. But in order to achieve the best result, the leader must be sure that all his subordinates are working together to achieve a common goal. With the right strategies, processes, and tools in place, you can count on your people and be confident in the end result.

1. Creation of the concept of effective teamwork

Team building starts with a clear idea of ​​what you want to achieve and what it will take to get there. To form effective teams and establish teamwork, it is necessary to clearly understand the strategic goals of the organization. Every employee should know that all his daily tasks are part of the overall plan.

By thinking through the structure of each project and drawing up detailed plans and schedules, the leader demonstrates the contribution of his team to the overall mission of the organization. All goals that he sets for employees must be clearly defined, measurable and achievable within a given time frame. It is up to the project manager whether a reasonable program of action is drawn up and conditions are prepared that will allow the group to succeed.

2. Taking into account the interests of the team when hiring employees

If the leadership of the organization is serious about the development of cooperation, this should be manifested from the very beginning - from the hiring. All companies strive to attract specialists with experience and a good education. And yet, when making a decision on employment, managers should also think about whether the new employee will be a successful addition to the already existing team.

Choosing the questions you ask in an interview more carefully can help you make successful hiring decisions. At every interview, be sure to ask candidates if they have had experience working effectively in a team. So you can understand if the employee has a chance to "fit" into your team and share your values.

3. Clear distribution of roles and responsibilities

One of the biggest obstacles to effective teamwork is a vague idea of ​​what the responsibilities of individual team members are. Each of your employees must understand what is expected of him, what tasks he must complete and in what time frame. Everyone should be responsible for a certain part of the project and understand how important their area of ​​work is to achieve the overall goal.

4. Encourage interaction and cooperation

Even if all team members know exactly what their responsibilities are, they still have to work together and exchange ideas during the course of the project. There are several opportunities for managers to improve communication between employees and increase the effectiveness of collaboration:

  • Each employee must understand how the various functions performed in the implementation of the project are combined and how they depend on each other.
  • Employees should have enough opportunities to ask questions, offer advice or seek help if needed.
  • Use to share information, provide feedback, and update data.
  • Effective teamwork implies trust in each other and a willingness to put effort into solving common problems.

5. Universal accountability

Open and honest communication is very important when evaluating the contribution of each team member. Feedback needs to be constructive, and leaders need to address areas where the team is performing poorly. And such a “development” should not be reduced to criticism of individual employees. Instead, team members should be more attentive to each other and notice if one of them is not doing well.

For teamwork to be truly effective, the manager must carefully monitor the results of each participant. And if one of the employees cannot complete the task assigned to him, the project manager must be able to solve this problem in real time. Knowing the progress of each employee and the progress towards the overall goal, he will be able to make the necessary adjustments to the workflow.

Teamwork belongs to the category of special cases of delegation of authority and responsibility. Under the traditional structure, the task and related powers are assigned to the owner of the workplace. The combined competence of the members of the group should ensure the solution of problems and the achievement of goals, which are determined by the range of powers assigned to the team.

The team may consist of employees of the same or different levels and divisions of the company. During the period of work as part of a team, all its members have equal rights and perform duties arising from the goals and objectives of the team. For teamwork, it does not matter what position the employee holds in the enterprise. Within a team, all employees have equal positions.

The rights and obligations of team members serve, on the one hand, as the basis for organizing work within the team, and on the other hand, as the basis for assessing the abilities of participants for this form of work.

Team Member Responsibilities

* Each member of the team is obliged to direct their efforts, knowledge and capabilities to achieve the goals set for the team. At the same time, he should not, following selfish considerations, hide the ideas and solutions needed by the team for their subsequent use at the main place of work.
* Each member of the team is obliged to freely express his thoughts on the problems that have arisen, without regard to the obligations that bind him to the head of the main place of work.
* None of the team members should make their activity dependent on the attitude of the group to its recommendations. Moreover, each member of the team must be ready to submit to the decision of the majority, even if this decision is contrary to his own ideas.
* The exception is the case when, in the opinion of one of its members, a special situation has arisen in the team for which he does not want to be responsible. In this case, the "dissenting opinion" should be reflected in the protocol.
* Each team member should be loyal to colleagues. He must not inform outsiders about the content of discussions and decisions of the team or use these decisions for personal gain.
* Each team member must treat other team members as equal partners. He must objectively analyze their ideas and express his point of view on them.
* Tolerance and mutual respect are the most important conditions for successful teamwork.
* Each member of the team is obliged to inform the others about everything they need to know in order to complete the tasks assigned to the team.
* None of the team members can interfere with the cooperation of its members because of their own likes and dislikes.
* In order to increase the effectiveness of cooperation, each team member should try to establish good business relations with the rest of the team members.

From the listed duties follow the rights of a team member.

Team member rights

* Freely express your opinion and demand its verification.
* Require the establishment of confidential, non-public, trusting relationships. The thoughts that he expressed while working in a team should not become known to third parties. An employee cannot be endangered because of the ideas expressed by him in the process of working in a team.
* Receive objective and complete information from other team members.
* Require that his thoughts be used by other team members on the side only if this does not harm the fulfillment of the tasks assigned to the team or if special permission has been obtained for this.
* Require that the principles of correct behavior are observed in the process of working in a team.

Responsibility for team work

The team as a whole is responsible for everything it does and does not do.

The team agrees that all team members share responsibility, even if they initially expressed doubt. They cannot distance themselves from the decision made by the team by referring to their objections.

If the team fails to reach unity on a certain issue, then the decision is made by a majority vote. In this case, the minority may enter a “dissenting opinion” into the minutes. In the future, it obeys the majority and works on the basis of the decision. In this case, these persons, although not responsible for the decision, are responsible for the further general results of the work obtained on the basis of this decision. Disagreement of individual members with a common decision does not relieve them of responsibility for possible consequences.

If a team makes a majority decision that individual members consider to be an unacceptable error for which they do not want to be held accountable, then they must clearly state this to the team team. In this case, the "head" of the team is informed, who decides on the possible exclusion of the corresponding person from the team or on the recruitment of a new team.

In practice, it often comes to the so-called "crossroads" - a situation where it is necessary to decide in which of the two directions it is necessary to move on. If the team itself is unable to find a way out, then the “boss” must either decide which of the two paths to take, or form two teams to work in each of the directions.

The team leader is responsible for the results of the work to the same extent as any ordinary team member. For the correct organization of the work that he does as part of his activities in the team, he is responsible to her team. The dual responsibility of the leader to the team and the customer would be contrary to the essence of his position within the team.

To solve problems that go beyond the usual process of collegial cooperation within the existing organizational structure, a higher manager or company management must create an appropriate team and document this. Such a team, established on a permanent basis, should be considered as a new unit. It cannot be formed by one of the leaders. The adoption of an appropriate decision is within the competence of the management of the company or a body subordinate to it.

A specially created team is disbanded as soon as it completes the assigned tasks. If we are talking about a team organized by the management of the company or other competent authority, then they should disband it.

Benefits of Teamwork

* The team makes it possible to solve problems that are beyond the power of one person.
* The creation of a team is a guarantee that the interests of all parties will be taken into account when developing a solution.
* As a result of cooperation in a team of specialists from several departments, one-sided influence of one of the higher authorities becomes impossible.
* When the team works, the risk of making an erroneous decision is reduced and the risk that some important facts will not fall into the field of view. The well-known proverb is quite applicable to the work of the team: "One head is good, but two are better."
* The team helps to fight "industrial blindness". What one employee does not notice out of habit, another sees, who, in turn, does not notice certain problems in his own area of ​​\u200b\u200bwork.
* Teamwork enhances the willingness and ability of executives at all levels to cooperate.
* An employee who has worked in a team will have fewer difficulties in the future when interacting with colleagues or other departments of the company.
* The team has a positive influence on the development of qualities that are important for collegial cooperation. It encourages tolerance, order, recognition of other people's opinions and correct discussion, overcoming selfish views. These factors go beyond teamwork and affect the overall success of the firm.
* An employee who has proven himself while working as part of a team receives additional qualifications that are valuable both for him and for the company.
* The enterprise implements ideas that would not have arisen within the framework of a conventional organization of work. This is due to the fact that an individual employee does not have the opportunity to find starting points in his workplace in solving a problem that goes beyond his immediate activities.
* The team provides both an individual employee and the whole team with the opportunity to maximize their creative potential and its practical implementation.
* For large firms, the team allows more rational use of the capabilities of their specialists who are working on solving problems that go beyond their job responsibilities.
* For medium and small companies, teamwork allows you to fully use the abilities, knowledge and skills of employees. The team can replace the work of specialists whom the firm cannot invite to work for financial reasons.

Disadvantages of Teamwork

Along with positive features, teamwork also has negative aspects.

* Team work, unlike regular work, may require additional time. The initial period, when team members get used to each other, can be quite long. Some time is also required to find an appropriate form of joint work.
* Team work is often slow. This is especially noticeable with a large team size and when working part-time in a team. Difficulties encountered in gathering team members at the appointed time have a negative impact on the progress of work.
* Discussions that arise when working as part of a team take a lot of time, especially if individual employees do not know the technique of conducting them. Serious disagreements are possible.
* Teamwork can lead to a delay in decision-making, as the different views of the participants are summarized only after lengthy discussions.
* The anonymity of the results of the work of individual team members may adversely affect the desire to work. Any team member who has shown insufficient performance can “hide” behind an active member of team work. When working as a team, there is no incentive to feel ambitious, since the individual worker does not receive personal rewards for the results.
* If an employee performs work as part of a team as an additional to the main activity, then it may be too much work for him. Therefore, in each specific case, it is necessary to take into account whether this load is feasible, which tasks and to what extent should be abandoned for the duration of work in a team.
* The expression is known: "A camel is a horse drawn by a team." However, to argue that team work leads to an inefficient waste of time is just as unjust as it is to demand that all decisions be made collectively.

Key success factors for effective teamwork

* a clear setting of goals and objectives;
* the correct selection of the team;
* the presence of a well-thought-out system for team members;
* the ability of team members to work collegially.


Read also

  • stress management

    It has long been noted that modern man has heard about many important things that affect the quality of his life, but continues to build and organize his life out of habit, without having learned to use his richest stock of knowledge. This remark fits perfectly with our knowledge of stress management. This article is devoted to practical recommendations on the development of stress management technology in organizations.

Articles in this section

  • How bosses accelerate employee burnout

    Five reasons why you lose interest in your job because of your boss's behavior.

  • What to do if in a crisis happiness rolled

    The business literature is full of advice on how to survive a crisis. Especially often commemorate the Eastern wisdom about the fact that a crisis is a new opportunity. Indeed, hundreds of Russian companies, precisely because of the reduction in imports, the depreciation of the ruble and other charms, suddenly received an impetus to development. But new opportunities also create new challenges. This article is about how to deal with them.
    The publication is based on the personal observations of the author.

  • When Subordinates Powder Your Brains: A Practical Guide

    If you are a leader with at least 3 years of experience, be sure that your subordinates have been brainwashing you dozens of times. And if - the director of a Large Holding - so in general every day. Although you may not have noticed it. I offer instructions: how to smell it and what to do with it.

  • How to keep timesheets as efficient as possible?

    The time sheet is an indispensable tool in the work of any organization. Its maintenance is prescribed in the legislation, and underestimation can negatively affect the work of the company. The time sheet allows the manager to see the overall picture of the attendance of employees at work.

  • How to choose the right HR model for you

    Many managers, deciding for themselves the question of how to "keep in check" subordinates, hardly think about what control strategy they will follow. As a result, elements of completely different strategies are often mixed up, which leads to the futility of all efforts. For most leaders, two strategies are most useful: external control and internal stimulation.

  • Cruel leader. Who to blame?

    In Russia, the future manager who is not satisfied with his team is formed while still at an educational institution. Here students are taught how to build team work, how to increase the efficiency of the team, but no one teaches personal effectiveness. Working with personal effectiveness, personal…

  • TOP 6 management mistakes that can hinder the development of the company

    In one of his latest articles for Forbes, Glenn Llopis, an American entrepreneur and business consultant, talked about top management's mistakes, which, ultimately, negatively affect the success of their businesses.

  • How small companies can solve project problems

    How should small and medium-sized businesses build project management processes - “according to science” or “as usual”? Better, as common sense suggests, says Alexander Krymov. Read about the specifics of project management in small companies.

  • The problem of Russian business in its superficial attitude towards personnel

    The crisis once again forces managers to optimize their business and identify reserves that can be used in a new situation. Experts from the Unity recruitment agency compared Russian principles of work in recruitment with German ones and concluded that the main point of growth is the company's personnel.

  • "Sergeants of Business": the problem of line managers

    Lower-level managers are the "sergeants" or "ensigns" of the company. They can become the most influential cell in the business hierarchy if their career development is taken care of. Alexander Krymov about finding and training line managers.

  • Commonly Used Staffing Strategies During Times of Financial Uncertainty

    In recent years, Russian companies that have overcome the crisis of 2008 have consistently expanded their business and, accordingly, adjusted the number of employees in such a way as to have a slightly larger number of employees than was absolutely and minimally necessary. However, in recent…

  • Advice for employers in times of crisis

    In recent years, Russian companies that survived and overcame the 2008 crisis have steadily expanded their business and, accordingly, adjusted the number of personnel in order to provide a certain talent pool that covered their actual staffing needs. However, in the last few months...

  • Empathy in business - plus or minus?

    The human resource is not an impersonal concept, and, whatever one may say, an HR specialist has to work with specific people, interact with them, try to understand their motives, the reasons for certain actions, and find a common language. At the same time, “penetrating into the inner world” of colleagues, it is important not to become a victim of manipulation yourself.

  • How to increase employee productivity

    Increasing employee productivity can be a challenge for even the most competent manager. Fortunately, many managers have a significant set of motivation tools at their disposal. So, one of the most common ways to increase motivation is to…

  • Labor productivity in the company: challenges of the crisis

    Labor productivity in Russia has always been lame in comparison with abroad, it is lame now and, most likely, it will continue to lame. In a crisis, it is worth returning to this issue.

  • Evaluation of the effectiveness of the HR Department

    How is the role of HR changing in a modern company? What are the expectations of top managers from the work of the HR department? How is the effectiveness of the HR department measured in your company?

  • Gamify it: how to inspire a team to exploits with the help of game mechanics

    Increasingly, at HR conferences and pages of industry publications, one can come across the term "gamification" - in the context of working with staff motivation, increasing sales, strengthening corporate culture and other tasks of improving efficiency. What is gamification and why exactly now the HR community is so actively talking about this tool - in fact, it has been used for a long time.

  • Exit Interview: Understand Reasons for Leaving and Take Action

    The exit interview can be safely called the "gold standard" in the relationship between the company and the departing employee. It is very important for an employer to say goodbye to a valuable employee and at the same time get useful information from him on how to keep other employees.

  • "Own" people in the company. The nuances of relationships

    In practice, there is often a situation when top management arranges their relatives or acquaintances in the staff of the company. Such actions may carry risks both for the operation of individual departments and for the business as a whole.

  • What is management?

    Anyone, even a recent MBA graduate, knows that you can argue all day about the most truthful, best definition of the word manager. But it makes me tired. So let's think together about the main thing, about the essence of what we expect from a professional leader (we do not yet consider the rest of your work: increasing profits or releasing better widgets). What is management?

  • Corporate trainings: are managers born or made?

    Millions of dollars and thousands of hours of work time are spent each year trying to train leaders and managers to lead and communicate effectively with their employees. Nevertheless, a significant part of these trainings does not give the desired results. Many managers remain poor mentors. Maybe the reason is that it cannot be taught?

  • How to find a common language with subordinates? Two Examples That Definitely Shouldn't Be Repeated

    Tatiana was an amazing, highly motivated manager at an international organization headquartered in Washington DC. After being promoted to a leadership position, she inherited a small team of employees. Her immediate subordinates were very categorical, cynical, straightforward ...

  • Compilation of management reporting in-house and outsourced

    In addition to financial reporting for shareholders and counterparties, consisting of a balance sheet, profit and loss statements and cash flow, more and more companies regularly prepare management reports that are necessary for top management to make decisions.

  • 6 Rules for Successful Accounting Outsourcing

    The key to the effectiveness of accounting outsourcing is competent preparation for the transfer of the process, which begins immediately after the decision to switch to outsourcing and ends with the signing of an agreement with the service provider. You can prepare for the transfer yourself, with the help of external consultants or specialists from the selected provider. In any case, there are several universal recommendations that will make the transition to outsourcing as clear and fast as possible, and its further use - effective for the company.

  • Building a dream team!

    If you really want to take the leap forward in your personal or professional development, then you will need to expand your circle of close ties. When you find three people who will help change your life, your goal will be to attract them into your inner circle and create reliable relationships based on trust and respect. It's great, but where to find such people?

  • How to draw up an outsourcing contract
  • How to retain a valuable employee? Inoculation against tough management
  • Solving Problems in a Team Using Situational Analysis

    Any person carries out situational analysis (or analysis of actual situations) on a daily basis, consciously or unconsciously. You can't take a step without it. We need an analysis of current events in order to decide how to behave in the future. Situational analysis is the process of evaluating external and internal circumstances in order to determine a rational course of action. Technologically, it consists of three successive autonomous stages (procedures). Situational analysis is also used most effectively to help the team identify applied problems and find effective solutions.

  • Assessment of the economic efficiency of the personnel management service

    The article is published within the framework of cooperation between HRMaximum and Candidate of Economic Sciences, Director of the Zelenodolsk branch of the Institute of Economics, Management and Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Marketing and Economics of the Institute of Economics, Management and Law (Kazan) - Ruslan Evgenievich Mansurov. Latest…

  • It is necessary to determine the required number of specialists in the company

    The issues of determining the optimal number of personnel of the company have always been relevant and, to a certain extent, controversial. Moreover, if we consider the issues of determining the required number of workers, then these issues have been worked out quite well. Ever since Soviet times (especially for industrial enterprises), various standards for the number of personnel, equipment maintenance standards, time standards for various work, etc. new technologies.
    The issues of determining the number of personnel of specialists in management departments, such as accounting, planning and economic department, financial department, etc., remain poorly developed. If we turn to the regulatory framework of the Soviet era, then these methods and norms are hopelessly outdated in view of the sharply increasing requirements imposed in a market economy.

  • Principles of adaptability in the structure of the organization

    In a dynamic and increasingly volatile world, traditional management methods based on rigid plans and programmable decisions no longer work. Change forces a shift in focus from anticipating change to methods of building organizations that can embrace change and turn instability to their advantage. As in nature, in order to survive in a rapidly changing environment, you need to adapt to it. To create an adaptive organization, it is necessary to understand the laws and features of its functioning.

  • How to deal with consumer defaults?

    This problem is less common in retail and more common in the service sector.
    At the initial stage, you should try to contact such counterparties and first verbally, and then in writing, declare your claims. Practice shows that in 10-15% of cases it works. And in our book we present several variants of such letters.

  • It is necessary to assess the economic damage from high staff turnover

    The article is published within the framework of cooperation between HRMaximum and Candidate of Economic Sciences, Director of the Zelenodolsk branch of the Institute of Economics, Management and Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Marketing and Economics of the Institute of Economics, Management and Law (Kazan) - Ruslan Evgenievich Mansurov. Latest…

  • Working with freelancers: who is right, who is wrong

    Freelancers are employees who are hired for one-time jobs when there is no need for an employee in the state or their employees are busy on other projects. Opinions about working with freelancers are usually divided 50/50: some have had terrible experiences, some have had very positive ones. As a rule, clients continue to contact those freelancers with whom there were no problems in the terms and quality of the work performed. In the article we will consider the pros and cons of a freelancer, as well as the features of the process of working with him.

  • The bear and the secretaries (a tale about secretaries and leaders)

    Once upon a time there was a Bear named Mikhal Potapych. He was the owner of a medium-sized buying and selling business, and at the same time he was a director, because he rightly believed that without the supervision of the Owner, the office servants would pull the whole business into burrows and hollows. …

  • Three dragons for a novice manager

    Attention, colleagues! Read this article carefully. Perhaps it will save you from a terrible danger and help you not only survive the first managerial problems, but also take place as a successful leader in the future.

  • Features of personnel management of a small enterprise

    A feature of a small business is the close interaction of management with staff. Small enterprises often do not have documents on the regulation of personnel work, and there is a system of informal installations. This encourages an individual approach to each situation and the employee, however, it leads to conflicts, the expression of personal likes and dislikes of the manager towards employees. Let's consider what methods of effective personnel management of a small enterprise will increase labor productivity and ensure the success of the business.

  • How to ask for a pay raise

    Often, the heads of structural divisions turn to the personnel service with a request to assist in raising the wages of their subordinates. HR professionals, as a rule, willingly agree to help and intercede with the CEO, acting as a kind of "parliamentary". But how often do employees of the HR department increase their rewards? And what if the salary of HR in the company has long been in need of an addition, and the management does not think about it at all? This article does not claim to be a mandatory guide to action, but the techniques described in it have been tested in practice and may be useful.

  • Machiavelli Syndrome. On resistance to change in an organization

    Change has always met with resistance. For the first time, this topic was outlined by the founder of European political science, Nicolo Machiavelli, in his treatise The Sovereign (1513): “There is nothing more difficult than undertaking something new, nothing more risky ... or more uncertain than leading ...

  • Express assessment of the state of the HR brand
  • Exactly the opposite: "bad advice" on management

    Of course, the following "recommendations" on management are more like Grigory Oster's well-known "bad advice" than a guide to action. Ironically, with the help of these reverse tips, we aimed to illustrate the “forbidden tricks” of leadership that should not be used in the workforce if you want to achieve effective management and performance of your employees. Knowing these tricks can also be helpful in diagnosing malevolent leadership.

  • How to create an internal bureaucracy

    “Without a piece of paper, you are a bug,” says a Russian proverb. By the way, insects, i.e. insects are the most prosperous class. Small firms feel quite comfortable without unnecessary paperwork. But if your "bug" is growing rapidly, you will have to think about them too!

  • If the subordinate "stars"

    Often in the team you manage, there are employees who are smarter, stronger, more educated than you. This is a natural process, psychologists say, ordinary intelligence, the one that allows us to add up huge numbers in our minds or develop the design of the most high-tech liner, fades with age. The peak of intelligence is 25 years, then it steadily decreases due to physiological reasons. But ethical intelligence, which gives us the opportunity to successfully interact with people, grows with age. Therefore, it is quite natural that young ambitious talents are managed by mature and experienced people. It is believed that in modern business it is ethical intelligence that is more in demand and brings more dividends than ordinary intelligence, oddly enough. But is it strange?

  • Leader manipulation

    There are no unmanipulable leaders. If the leader believes that this does not happen to him, then this means only one thing: he is being manipulated especially skillfully. The one-sided dependence of one person on another encourages the dependent to develop different ways of influencing his boss, both defensive and offensive. Review the proposed collection of manipulation methods and evaluate the likelihood of their occurrence in your environment.

  • Management system by goals (results)

    The system of management by objectives has received wide recognition among practitioners, as it provides good results in achieving planned indicators. As a result of the coordination of goals at all levels and in all links, motivation for work and interest in achieving goals and objectives increase. A clear time frame for solving the problems of the organization allows you to move towards the final result in small steps.

  • Unification of organizational structures of the holding's enterprises. The need for changes in the transition to a unified wage system

    The process of forming a holding or an operating company is associated with solving a number of tasks of a legal, managerial and political nature, and, as practice shows, the task of creating a unified organizational structure is not given due attention at this stage. Reminisce about…

  • HR manager work planning

    The effectiveness of the work of the personnel department depends not only on the level of expenses for personnel management, but also on how the HR manager manages his most valuable resource - time. Often, important and urgent tasks are delayed due to low self-discipline, inability to prioritize tasks, a “littered” workspace, phone calls and visitors who have to be distracted. HR-specialists often ask themselves the question: how to organize work during an eight-hour working day?

  • What prevents leaders from effectively managing subordinates

    Using only three resources - experience, intuition and common sense - the leader imperceptibly acquires problems. As a result, he has to constantly struggle with reality, instead of enjoying professional work. We have tried to formulate those problems of the leader, which seem to be the most typical. Not all of them are inherent in all current leaders. However, any of those who are not inclined to burden themselves with regular self-development will find some of the listed obstacles.

  • Golden rules of project management

    Projects are, by definition, unique. Each project is organized to achieve its specific goal. A project can also be a stand-alone enterprise with specific goals, often including requirements for time, cost, and quality of deliverables. However, there are some general principles that guide successful project management. They are called the "golden rules" of project management.

  • Evaluation of effectiveness in the practice of Russian PR specialists

    There is an opinion that the evaluation of the effectiveness of PR is necessary primarily for the customer. However, performance evaluation not only allows the client to evaluate how much the PR campaign has affected sales volumes and brand position in the market, but also makes it possible to convince clients of the need for PR activities, indicate the pros and cons of the activities carried out and make recommendations for the future. We present a study conducted among Russian PR agencies.

  • Negotiation tricks and tricks

    The content side of the negotiations is based on a simple formula: the transfer of information, argumentation and the adoption of a joint decision. However, in the implementation of these stages, the main action unfolds and the art of negotiators is manifested. The negotiator needs to be able to recognize when this or that technique is applied to him. Consider a number of negotiation techniques that are used throughout all three stages of the above formula.

  • How to organize and successfully run a meeting

    One of the most difficult options for business interaction are meetings - especially if they are held in a situation of conflict in the organization. In addition, for a number of organizations meetings are the highest governing body. These recommendations will help you make meetings more manageable, increase the likelihood of successful meetings, reduce the risk of conflict or unforeseen situations, and, ultimately, positively affect the strategic plans of the organization and the psychological climate in the team.

  • The sales department can work like clockwork

    The sales department of any company can be compared to a clock mechanism, consisting of a sleeve, a shaft, a spring, a pendulum, levers and other elements that move according to the laws of mechanics. The sales department is also a mechanism, only instead of "springs" and "pendulums" - sales tools, instead of a watchmaker - the head of the sales department.

  • Key responsibilities of the head of the organization of effective management

    Good work begins with careful organization. If you want the work to be done with the proper quality and in the required time frame, you must pay close attention to the organization of this process. If the desired responsibilities are presented in the form of a list, then it will include the following functions: setting the task and organizing the implementation, distributing responsibilities and ensuring interaction, building relationships, analyzing results, auditing the effectiveness of processes, etc. How to put them into practice?

  • Staff turnover calculation coefficients

    Typically, employee turnover is tracked by registering quitters and assuming that a new employee will be hired to replace the quitter. The half-life ratio always shows that the tendency of employees to leave the company is highest during the first weeks of work; they should be taken into account to show whether the company is really losing a particularly large number of employees at the beginning of their work compared to the previous period. The layoff rate is the most easily calculated and widely used. However, it can be disorienting for two reasons.

  • Latest Resource: Loyalty Chaos

    “Get acquainted. This is Vladimir Leonidovich, a very decent and honest person,” the employee’s client introduces. The consultant pretends to be a "teapot" and asks: "And you, Vladimir Leonidovich, who is in the organization?" And again receives a response from the client: “I told you! It…

    Business conditions in Russia are such that people with very fast thinking turn out to be the most effective. Too often there are failures, changes in the environment - you need to quickly make effective decisions. There is simply no time to sit, evaluate, think. Successful business people with...

  • Features of Russian management ethics

    Each nation has its own customs, traditions, culture, political and state structure. All this has an impact on business relationships. For example, one of the parameters of the national management style is the decision-making mechanism (individual, collective, collegiate). TO…

  • Human weakness must be exploited

    What is negotiation - process, confrontation, battle, just work? Negotiators are too interdependent. As Ilf and Petrov said, consent is the complete non-resistance of the parties. Moreover, in each case you are dealing with different people, different companies.

  • Definition of SWOT analysis

    "SWOT - analysis" is a classic method of risk analysis and development of project strategy options. SWOT is an abbreviation of the English words Strength (strength), Weakness (weakness), Opportunity (opportunity), Threat (threat). As the name suggests, the meaning of the analysis consists of opposing (“weighing”) the opposing qualities of the project:

  • A look from the outside: Hen by grain / Russian businessmen will have the hardest time

    The year of crisis is over. Now it does not matter whether the crisis is over or not. Over the past year, a new reality has emerged. Everyone slowly adapted to the new state of the market: they reduced staff, learned to do without loans, mortgages, corporate holidays and ...

  • No sooner said than done, or a methodology for setting goals

    Each leader in his daily practice does several necessary things: plans, controls, praises or scolds, and, of course, distributes tasks to employees. But not always and not everything turns out as we would like.

  • Personnel migration

    A promotion or a change in the range of functional responsibilities is not only a serious "strength test" of an employee, but also a good way to prevent a number of difficult problems in personnel management. How are intra-organizational transfers going in companies and what problems does personnel rotation solve?

  • Cost optimization or reduction: how to find the right way?

    In the current financial and economic situation in the country and in the world, many companies have to look for ways to survive. Someone is frantically rushing to diversify their business, someone is cutting staff en masse, and someone is trying to save themselves by sequestering the budget. How to decide what to do? The answer to this question lies in the plane of the decision-making system. But it’s better to make even the wrong decisions than to do nothing and not make any.

    Eliminate destructive leadership

Any leader strives to create a well-coordinated and well-functioning team. To do this, it is necessary to be able to correctly place accents, smooth out conflicts, and competently plan events. It is believed that teamwork on a project can bring more profit than working alone. Meanwhile, it is the first in practice that causes a lot of concern and a negative reaction. This is mainly due to the inability to properly organize such activities. Let's take a look at the principles of teamwork.

General information

What is team work? It is worth saying that not every group of specialists can become a friendly and highly professional team. A team is a small number of employees with complementary skills, connected by a common idea, striving for common goals and bearing equal responsibility for their implementation. In such a collective, individual interests are relegated to the background. Each member of the group must have a high professional level, the ability to make decisions and interact with the rest of its members. Teamwork implies the dependence of specialists on each other. In this regard, a constant exchange of information is carried out within the group.

Organization specifics

Well-coordinated teamwork is the result of competent management activities. The team must go through several stages:

  1. Adaptation. At this stage, mutual information and assessment of the tasks set is carried out. Group members communicate with each other carefully, threes or pairs are formed. In the process of adaptation, people in some way check each other, determine mutually acceptable behavior patterns. The effectiveness of teamwork at this stage is very low.
  2. Grouping. At this stage, people converge on interests and sympathies. At the same time, discrepancies between individual motivation and the goal of team work are revealed. Group members can oppose the demands. This determines the degree of permitted emotional reaction. For example, the secretary throws papers and evaluates the reaction of the others to this action.
  3. Cooperation. At this stage, the group members realize the desire to work on the task at hand. Constructive and open communication begins, the pronoun "we" appears for the first time.
  4. Regulation of work. At this stage, schemes of interaction in the team are created. At this stage, trust appears, but moves to a higher level.
  5. Functioning. At this stage, constructive decisions are made about the task. Each participant has his own role. The team openly manifests and eliminates conflicts. At this stage, true teamwork begins. A favorable climate is formed within the group. All participants understand the value of planned indicators, take actions aimed at achieving them. Teamwork at this stage is considered the most successful.

phenomena

Psychologists have described some of the effects that arise when working in a team. Among them it is worth noting:

  1. volume phenomenon. The result of teamwork will depend on the number of group members.
  2. The phenomenon of quality composition. The tasks of teamwork will be most successfully implemented if the members of the group are of different ages and genders, but with practically the same social characteristics.
  3. Conformism. The change in participants' beliefs or behavior is driven by imagined or real group pressure. The value of public opinion is high enough for each member. Accordingly, all participants respect the norms developed jointly.
  4. Deindividualization. It involves the loss of self-consciousness and the emergence of a fear of evaluation in conditions of anonymity that do not focus on a specific person.
  5. Risk shift effect. The group makes the least or most risky decisions compared to those that would be developed by the participants individually.
  6. "Rounding" of thinking. The group members are looking for a solution that would suit everyone. At the same time, quite realistic options are discarded.
  7. public laziness. When sharing responsibility equally among all participants, they begin to worsen their performance indicators all together.

signs

Teamwork involves continuous discussion between the participants. It aims to improve cooperation. All specialists feel part of the working community. They feel competent, perform certain actions independently and are responsible for the consequences. Each participant freely proposes the ideas he has and criticizes the others. Members of the group are aware of the tasks of others, they have a certain idea of ​​​​the abilities and talents of each. This means the presence of mutual respect and interest of all participants. At the same time, all members of the group strive for an open dialogue. Information quickly, constantly and purposefully passes from one participant to another.

Common Mistakes

Teamwork skills are developed over time. It is impossible to immediately create a successful and friendly team from a group of specialists. The leader has a special role in this. It is on him that the effectiveness of the team depends to a greater extent. Meanwhile, in practice, leaders make serious mistakes in organizing collective activities. They significantly reduce work efficiency. Among the most common are the following:

  1. Discrepancy between the leader, the team and the type of task assigned to people.
  2. Unsuccessful choice of specialists to create a group.
  3. The absence of a clearly defined goal or criteria for its implementation.
  4. Unfavorable socio-psychological climate.

conclusions

All of these mistakes can be avoided. Almost every person is motivated to work by three components: payment, interest and social significance. The first two components are given quite a lot of attention in practice. At the same time, the social significance of a person is often forgotten. Meanwhile, the team members must be sure that they are implementing an important project that will bring profit to the enterprise.

Team leader

He has a special role. In addition to direct leadership, planning and control, the leader must be able to motivate and organize the team, develop the foundations of self-government in it. Due to the human factor, it is quite difficult to implement these tasks in practice. The key criterion for choosing a leader is his idea of ​​organizing the activities of the team. Positive and negative feedback will act as the main instrument of influence. Effective teamwork will largely depend on personal ones. He will represent the team in interaction with others, and eliminate external obstacles.

Reducing the number of conflicts

As mentioned above, at the initial stages, teamwork is accompanied by a certain tension. Often there are conflicts. The head of the enterprise must take into account their likelihood and treat the group members with a certain degree of loyalty during this period. You can reduce tension by using different trainings, work on creative tasks, during which the group will feel like one organism. In addition, it is important to pay attention to the development of clear rules of conduct. At the same time, they must be formulated and accepted directly by the members of the group. It is also necessary to approve responsibility for their violations.

Nuances

Usually the team feels like a team when they achieve the first success. This must be taken into account by the head of the enterprise. The first task for the team should be difficult, but at the same time quite feasible in a relatively short period. In some cases, it happens that the group becomes overly immersed in its activities and loses touch with the real world. This may have negative consequences. To prevent this phenomenon, the leader should organize the flow of external information to the participants and the outflow of information from them. This helps keep the team on track. It is impossible to learn and apply all the subtleties of the process. Any teamwork involves the presence of weaknesses. In successful teams, they are compensated by the strengths of the participants.