Team Building Through Temporary Teams

Team Building

Today's organizations are characterized by the existence of many kinds of teams with different purposes and structures. Some of these teams evolve naturally with organizations and enable the development of several kinds of participative and empowering management initiatives (Griffin & Moorhead, 2013, p.272). On the other hand, some teams are formally established because of the enlightened and vision of management. In essence, these various teams in organizations have various functions including conducting certain activities or operations, running things, and providing recommendations for operations. An example of some of the different teams in today's organizations is temporary teams. Temporary teams are crucial parts of the success of an organization and have considerable impacts on teamwork.

Major Components of Temporary Teams

Temporary teams, which are commonly known as task forces, project teams or ad hoc committees, have been commonly used across organizations in the modern business environment. In most cases, these teams are established for a seemingly short time that ranges between 6 weeks to a year to develop a work plan, provide recommendations, make decisions, or take certain actions. These teams are usually required to work over time since they have to balance between the normal job responsibilities of each member and the required goals or objectives of the team.

One of the components of a temporary team is the relatively short duration of time for accomplishing their tasks. As previously indicated, the members of this team are usually expected to accomplish their objectives within a short duration though their work must be carefully thought through and thorough. Given the short duration of time for accomplishing their objectives, members of temporary teams are usually under pressure to begin their work and deliver it on time.

The second component of these teams is the establishment of a supportive environment through building relationships. The ability of temporary teams to accomplish desired goals and objectives is dependent on the kind of environment developed within the team. While the nature of their work is characterized by huge pressure, team members must develop relationships and establish a supportive emotional environment in order to achieve desired goals within the stipulated time period (Dyer, Dyer & Dyer, 2010). A supportive emotional environment is crucial for the team to set its goals, make suitable decisions, communicate effectively, and ensure effective completion of tasks.

Third, temporary teams usually consist of cross-functional members i.e. members of the team come from different functional areas in the organization (Griffin & Moorhead, 2013, p.274). This is primarily because some of the tasks and responsibilities carried out by these teams affect nearly every functional area in the organization. The composition of cross-functional members enables the team to provide relevant recommendations that are easily enforceable in the organization. For instance, crisis teams are usually established in organizations to handle organizational crisis and consist members from different functional areas in order for the team to be effective.

How Temporary Teams Impact Teamwork

Even though temporary teams are established for a short duration of time, they have considerable impacts on teamwork in the entire organization. One of the major ways through which temporary teams impact teamwork in the entire organization is through creating a sense of urgency through which team member interact and build relationships towards accomplishing desired goals and objectives. The short duration provides a sense of urgency through which relationships are developed as well as an emotional supportive environment. Consequently, members of the team enhance their interactions, which help in improving teamwork towards the realization of the overall organizational objectives.

Secondly, temporary teams affect teamwork in the entire organization through working in association or collaboration with other teams in the working environment. In most cases, these teams are established because of excess work within an organization. Once formulated, the team works in collaboration with permanent teams towards attaining specific goals and activities within the stipulated time (Management Study Guide, n.d.). The need for temporary teams to work in association with permanent teams in turn creates a platform for enhanced teamwork through improved interactions across the organization.