Type A and Type B teams
Whilst there are many different sorts of teams there are
some key team types that we can focus on which will make a
difference to the teams that we are a part of and the teams
that we lead.
Type A and Type B.
Type A is the sort of team that people generally regard as
a team. In this team everyone knows the goal, everyone is
thinking how to solve it. Typically you will see this type
of team when a group of mates is deciding on where to go for
a night out. It would be normal for the whole team to be in
one place, able to see each other and talk to one another.
It would be unusual for this type of team to have more than
10 people in it.
Type B is the sort of team that most of us are in when we
are at work. Here some one has decided upon a goal and then
when they know what needs doing they find people to occupy
those roles. Those people may or may not know what the overall
goal of the team is or what their colleagues are doing and
they may have little choice or input on the role that they
are filling. Often people in the sub roles may need people
to help them and that can cascade down through many levels.
An organisation of 100,000 people may be a team of predominantly
this type.
Each team type works most effectively when the team members
behave in the way best suited to that team. Each team has
a different set of behaviours that are most suited to it.
For example a team worker in a Team A situation should know
the overall goal and the big picture and should invest whatever
time is needed to gain this. In a Team B situation they may
need to know a relatively small amount of the big picture
and would invest less time in getting there.
A Team A situation could be the members of the senior management
team in an organisation. A Team B type situation could be
the serving team at a wedding function.
If a person is in one team type but acts like they are in
the other - disaster!
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To confuse things further: during the course of a working
day we may be in many different teams and team types, we aren't
just in one all the time. Teams may not work in one team type
of the other exclusively.
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So what. Well it is that word disaster that leads on. I reckon
there are a lot of teams suffer because one or more of their
team members has got it wrong. They are acting like they are
in Team A when they are in a Team B or vice versa. So act
type B, just know your job, wait for instructions. But you
are in Type A so your colleagues are expecting you to know
the big picture and contribute without waiting to be asked.
They don't like what you are doing. Motivation dips, results
fall away, motivation dips further, results fall away further...........
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