High-Performance Team
Abstract
This paper will explain how a group within an organization becomes a high-performance team. It will also examine the impact of demographic characteristics and cultural diversity on group behavior. The paper will try to describe how demographic characteristics and cultural diversity contribute to, or detract from high-performance teams.
Introduction
There are a number of elements that are necessary for the creation of any team. These include: two or more individuals, a common team goal, and the necessary resources of time, materials, space, and perhaps money needed to accomplish and then sustain the goal. High Performance teams learn and demonstrate behaviors that are not exhibited by most teams. In most organizations teams are formed to either make decisions or implement decisions. High Performance Teams are expected to both decide how change is to occur, and implementing the change. High Performance Teams need to take this dual role into consideration and choose both individuals who are thought to be leaders and influencers in the organization and individuals who have varied backgrounds and experience. While High Performance Teams can be implemented to achieve any significant business purpose, they are most often formed to achieve dramatic improvements within the processes. However, High Performance Teams need to take into consideration the effects demographics, and cultural diversity will have on the overall success of the team.
From Group to High Performance Team
Three key characteristics of High Performance Team building involve trust, respect, and support. Support involves actively keeping an eye on the other team members and demonstrating a willingness to help each other out when help is needed. High Performance teams are always conscious of quality and strive to improve the quality of their teamwork as well as the quality of their output. A common practice for High Performance Teams is to have a leader or manager. The team leader is responsible for teaching team building behavior. Leaders are also helpful in making certain that the team receives guidance and training as needs arise.
Organizations decide to assemble High Performance Teams for different reasons. There are times when organizations are strong in some areas, but very weak in others. A successful organization, who strives to be strong in ev...
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...ement in the Army is 42 years old. High Performance Teams in the Army do not suffer from changes in the country?s demographic landscape because of the turnover rate and promotions.
Conclusion
High Performance Teams are a very important part of an organization. The person in charge of putting together this high performance team has to take several things into account for it to be successful. Cultural diversity and demographics hold a big stake in this process. The make up of this team relies heavily on the team member?s ages, gender, position, number of years in position, and cultural diversity. Managers have to find the perfect combination of all these factors then teach and implement team building behavior amongst the members. Training and guidance is also vital to achieve the desired effect of a highly productive, problem solving team that sets them apart from the rest of the organization.
References
Special Forces, (2005) Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2005)
L?Allier, James J. Ph.D. & Kolosh, Kenneth (June, 2005)
Cox, Taylor (1994) University of Michigan
Bruhn, John (1996) Pennsylvania State University
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Realizing that a group can become a high performance team is important. Accomplishing this goal is invaluable, advantageous and profitable. Once able to operate from a group to the high performing team is a great step into preparation into the big business world. Leaders and members must also realize not only how to accomplish this but that some problems will and can arise from different demographic characteristics and cultural diversity. That is if one is in such a group, which the probability would be quite high.