What is meant by team management?

To complete a specific task or to accomplish organizational goals along with increasing work productivity, individuals need to come together and think along a common path and direction. There are certain tasks in an organization that cannot be done alone and the involvement of more individuals is essential. These groups of individuals who work together for a common goal compose a team and the individual members involved are known as team members.

Individuals having different tastes and mindsets cannot form a successful team, it is the prime responsibility of every team member to give their best utilizing their skills and abilities towards organizational goal accomplishment. Besides goal completion, the unison of team members is essential, as individual task completion is not essential in a team, also every team member should complement each other regarding successful task completion, this brings a healthy team spirit to the team and aids in productivity.

It is not necessary that all the team members can perform at the same pace as other individuals of the team, some of them may be fast and some of them may be slow, which is a natural process, but the relationship among the team members is an important aspect which should be maintained to achieve common goals. It is therefore an important duty of the team managers to undertake a variety of activities that bring and bind together every team member to achieve defined targets. Effective team management is therefore the set of activities that brings a team-building spirit among other team members through effective communication and leadership skills.

Individuals that form an effective team

The following are the individuals who form a part of an effective team:

Managers

A manager is an individual with excellent management skills. He/she is in charge of managing a part of the company or sometimes the whole company and business. A manager is typically in charge of a department. He/she organizes and manages people who are involved in that department. He/she has the power to hire, fire, monitor attendance, sanction leaves, and day-offs. He/she is also involved in managing and mentoring individual team members. There are generally four types of managers, they are:

1. Top managers: They are in charge of the whole company's vision and mission
2. Functional managers: They are in charge of specific areas of an organization, like marketing and sales.
3. Team managers: They are primarily involved in team management and are in charge of a particular team.
4. Line managers: These types of managers are in charge of the management of organizational output such as products and services.

Team leaders

Team leaders are those who manage their team. It is the sole responsibility of a team leader to guide, instruct, direct, and help his/her team members. It is also the prime work of a team leader to determine the hidden strength of his/her team members and to bring the best out of them. Apart from these, a team leader effectively communicates with team managers.

Employees

An employee is a person who gets paid for his/her work, or for a specific service he/she provides to the organization. Individuals are hired by employers or managers, based on their skills and abilities that suit the organizational needs. Once the individual's skill set meets the needs of an organization, the individual is made a job offer and can be termed as an employee. There are various roles played by an employee, some of them are listed below:

• Site engineer
• Design engineer
• Construction engineer
• Team manager
• Accounts manager
• Human resource and development manager
• Workers
• Laborers
• Registrar and assistant registrars
• Structural engineers and so on.

Effective team management techniques

Team management techniques are the set of procedures and methodologies which are implemented for analyzing and solving various problems related to team functioning and involve different team-building activities and efficient team management tips and tricks for quick and effective project execution and completion. Some of the few team management methodologies are discussed below.

Effective and proper communication

Communication is the key to every successful project. Every team member should communicate in a timely manner and pass every vital information to each other. In case of any irregularities and difficulties, the same must be communicated to his/her team leader and senior officials. This ensures taking quick and effective steps to sort out the problem.

Also, the communication channels, internal to the team and other departments must be wide and open. Usage of tools such as Trello, Toggle plan, Gantt charts, and other team management software, keep aware the team members regarding the daily tasks, targets, and timelines. Sometimes different project management software from popular firms is also used as they are well effective for project goal accomplishment during the present pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Time management

Effective time management is one of the important skills every individual should practice. Time management not only aids productivity but also ensures timely project completion. Team managers should avoid excessive meetings, gatherings, and ensure individuals are less active on personal social media use and other activities.

Feedback

Complements and praises boost the level of confidence and motivation of the team members. Feedback also points whether the given task is easy to complete or requires additional assistance or may require a change in methodology. Feedback provides a chance to grow and build leadership qualities among the team members.

Setting achievable goals

Goals are meant to be completed, selecting an unachievable goal leads to excessive pressure among the team members and other individuals involved with the project. It might also impose a work burden and lead to certain health issues.

Qualities of a team member

To ensure healthy and successful team management, there should be certain qualities of the team members which an individual should possess and should also be analyzed by the managers during the hiring of individuals.

Passion towards the work

Apart from the skills, an individual should also possess a passion for work, this quality will ensure to take on new challenges and allow them for brainstorming to arrive at the solution.

Team spirit

If an individual doesn't have the quality to work as a team, the whole department suffers. There will be a problem of miscommunication and work segregation.

Energy and activeness

The individual should have an active vibe and possess an ample amount of energy to tackle work challenges. The individual must possess the qualities to work under pressure. A low-energy individual will ultimately hold back the entire team from meeting the objectives.

Context and Applications

The topic is primarily taught in many undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses of:

• Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering
• Masters in Mechanical Engineering
• Bachelors in Civil Engineering
• Masters in Civil Engineering
• Masters in Management and Team Management

Practice Problems

1. For effective team management, which of the following quality should a team member possess?

1. Leadership skill
2. Team spirit
3. Work passion
4. All of these

Answer: Option d

Explanation: For effective team management, a team member should possess good leadership skills, team spirit, and work passion.

2. How many types of managers are there in an organization?

1. Three
2. Two
3. Four
4. Six

Answer: Option c

Explanation: There are four types of managers in an organization.

3. Which of the following is the role played by an employee?

1. Design engineer
2. Manager
3. Both a and b
4. None of these

Answer: Option c

Explanation: An employee plays a variety of roles in an organization, two of them are design engineers and managers.

4. Which of the following is a technique for effective team management?

1. Management team
2. Time management
3. Feedback
4. Both b and c

Answer: Option d

Explanation: Feedback and time management are two important team management techniques.

5. Which of the following are the tools used for proper communication in an organization?

1. Trello
2. Gantt charts
3. Both a and b
4. Social media sites

Answer: Option c

Explanation: Trello and Gantt charts are two, out of many tools used for proper communication in an organization.