Northouse (2019) states the two critical functions of team effectiveness are performance (task accomplishment) and development (team maintenance) (p. 375). “Performance”, shows how much the team can get the job done and “development” shows how the team keep their cohesiveness. For demonstrating these functions of team excellent effectiveness, Hackman (2012) suggested the team should have compelling purpose, right people, real team, clear norms of conduct, supportive organizational context, and team-focused coaching. Larson and LaFasto (1989) demonstrate there are eight universal characteristics related to team excellence. 1. Clear, elevating goal, 2. Results-driven structure, 3. Competent team members 4. Unified commitment, 5. Collaborative climate, 6. Standards of excellence 7. External support and recognition 8. Principal Leadership.
This theory reminds me of the story when I had to build a new medical team in my hospital. When I was work as a chief plastic surgeon, I needed to build a new medical team for limb salvage, which is the new concept of helping diabetic people who face on the situation of risk of amputation to preserve their own feet. For limb salvage, we need to organize a medical team which consist of a lot of medical members from many backgrounds who will help diagnosis, examination, nutrition control, take care of patient’s condition, rehabilitation and so on. This concept and treatment were quite new and unfamiliar for most of the people working in the hospital. First what I did was giving a big meeting whose target was all the people working in the hospital. I found some sponsors and prepared some free food and beverage which attracted people. At the meeting, I gave a lecture about limb salvage followed by a presentation about the importance to do limb salvage, the advantage for the hospital with doing limb salvage, what kind of and how many people will I need to make a new medical team. The reason which I did this meeting with everybody was that I knew a new medical team would need support in many ways from outside of the team. (External support and recognition) Also, this meeting was very efficient to build a new team in many ways. As I stated what kinds of members I needed for the team, what is the goal for the team in the presentation, some of the medical staffs who were willing to help me with passion came to me to offer to be in the team (Competent team members), also we could share the same clear goal at the same time from the beginning. (Clear, Elevating goal).
As Larson and LaFasto defined principled leadership as the eighth component of characteristics of team excellence, team effectiveness is influenced by a leader positively and negatively. Zaccaro et al. state “leadership is the central driver of team effectiveness” and influence the team through four steps: cognitive, motivational, affective, and coordination (Northouse, 2019). Among these four processes, I always carefully worked for coordination of my medical team. In the medical team, each team members has different backgrounds such as a nurse, a physical therapy, a cardiologist, a radiologist, a dietitian and so on. Each member works for the same patient, the same goal which is getting the patient better, but the small goal for each of the members according to their profession is totally different. So, it is easy to cause conflict between members. I tried to facilitate and connect each paramedical staff knowledge and roles towards the same goal and made the team work more efficiently.
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your blog. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme? Fantastic work!