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How teams work

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Table 2 description

The table has two columns. The first column has a heading of ‘The team leadership roles in a hierarchical team and the second column, a heading of ‘The team leadership role in a self-managed team.

Under these headings there are six rows.

The first row states that the team leadership role is vested in one individual in a hierarchical team and the role may be shared in a self-managed team.

The second row states that the team leader’s role is to manage the team in a hierarchical team, whereas it is to support the team by providing (or arranging others to provide) coaching and advice in a self-managed team.

The third row states that the team leader’s role in a hierarchical team is to plan and allocate the work done by the team and in a self-managed team, it is to agree, in discussion with the team, the standard of work and the aims, objectives and targets of the team.

The fourth row states that in a hierarchical team the team leaders should monitor and appraise the performance of team members in carrying out the tasks allocated to them. In contrast, in a self-managed team the team leader’s role is to monitor the achievement of the team as a unit and to appraise individual performance.

The fifth row states that the team leader’s role in a hierarchical team is to motivate the team members, whereas in a self-managed team it is to provide the conditions for high motivation.

Finally, the sixth row states that the role of a team leader in a hierarchical team is to act as the main contact point for communication between the team and the rest of the organisation and in a self-directed team it is to facilitate the creation of channels of communication with the rest of the organisation.

 1.3.1 Leading a self-managed team