Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are critical to the growth and development of our economy in South Africa. The sector provides long-term job opportunities for the unemployed. These businesses have grown in a cooperative manner. Siyabulela Sophi, MD of Sophi Strategies Inc, spent some time researching team management in the SME sector. Here are some of the insights he gained from the literature he read.
There are some similarities between team management and team leadership, but there are also significant differences. Both approaches work toward a common goal; team management manages and directs the team to achieve the goal, whereas team leadership motivates and influences the team to achieve goals. Team management is procedural and bureaucratic in nature.
Team leaders might not be assigned the title of manager, but they are concerned with the company vision and how to motivate team members to create and implement that vision. Objectives are still essential to team leadership, but in a more “big picture” sense. Team management can be more granular, with an emphasis on finishing tasks and collaboration that is both efficient and productive.
Actions, strategies, or methods that bring a group of people together to work effectively as a team and achieve a common goal are referred to as team management. Because many tasks necessitate the participation of multiple people, teams are an essential component of productivity. Companies rely on teams and effective team management to keep their operations running.
Obstacles such as inadequate interaction or a team member’s lack of effort can stymie a team’s progress. Team management aids in integrating of milestones for teams to begin successfully. It also contributes to the team’s ability to maintain an atmosphere of cooperation and momentum until the goal is achieved.
Bruce W Tuckman coined the five stages of team development in the 1960s: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. Modern authors continue to improve, integrate, and develop new team development strategies.
1. The forming stage
The forming stage includes a period of introductions as well as getting to know one another. During this stage, there is a lot of uncertainty, and people are looking for leadership and authority. A member who asserts authority or is knowledgeable may be considered for command. Team members are wondering, “What does the team offer me?” “What exactly is expected of me?” “Will I be able to fit in?” The majority of interactions are social as members get to know one another.
2. Storming stage
The storming stage is the most challenging and hazardous to get through. Individual personalities emerge during this period of conflict and competition. Team performance may actually suffer during this stage as energy is diverted to unproductive activities. Members may disagree on team objectives, and subgroups and cliques may form around strong personalities or points of agreement. To progress through this stage, people must work together to overcome obstacles, accept individual differences, and work through competing ideas on team tasks and goals. At this stage, teams can become bogged down. Failure to address conflicts may lead to long-term issues.
3. Norming Stage
When teams successfully navigate the storming stage, conflict is resolved and some degree of unity emerges. During the norming stage, agreement develops on who the leader or leaders are, as well as the roles of individual members. Interpersonal conflicts start to fade, and a sense of cohesion and unity emerges. During this stage, team performance improves as members learn to cooperate and focus on team goals. However, the peace is precarious, and if disagreements resurface, the team may revert to storming.
4. Performing Stage
Consensus and cooperation are well-established in the performing stage, and the team is mature, organized, and well-functioning. There is a clear and stable structure in place, and everyone is dedicated to the team’s mission. Problems and conflicts continue to arise, but they are addressed constructively. (We will discuss the role of conflict and conflict resolution in the next section). The team is focused on problem solving and achieving team objectives.
5. Adjourning Stage
Most of the team’s objectives have been met as the meeting comes to a close. The emphasis is on completing final tasks and documenting effort and outcomes. Individual team members may be reassigned to other teams as the workload decreases, and the team may disband. As the team comes to an end, there may be feelings of regret, so a ceremonial acknowledgement of the team’s work and success can be beneficial. If the team is a standing committee with ongoing responsibilities, members can be replaced, and the team can return to the forming or storming stage and repeat the development process.
Effective team management goes beyond simply assembling the necessary skills. Understanding the uniqueness of your people, their strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions, is critical to team success. We can effectively manage teams if we can create a culture that encourages human capital growth and development.
Team managers are central to team participant training and development. Managers must ensure that all team members understand their roles and responsibilities, and support structures must be in place for team members who may require interventions to complete their tasks successfully.
As a supervisor, you must avoid being a micromanager; when you micromanage others, they are likely to micromanage you without your knowledge. This environment fosters an insalubrious working environment that contradicts peace, freedom, self-initiative, and collaboration. Management is bureaucratic in nature, and team members have long accepted processes and paper trails, as well as doing things by the book. They simply want the freedom to express themselves, develop new optimized approaches to task completion, and so on.
Teams thrive in a positive, people-centered environment. Managers must continue developing themselves to become people-oriented leaders. Team members follow leaders rather than managers.
Source :
1. Adelson, J. Feedback and group development. Small Group Behavior, 1975 6(4), 389-401.
2. Kur, E. (1996), “The faces model of high performing team development”, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 32-41.
3. Sophi, S. 2022. Modelling a project-based entrepreneur training and development programme for unemployed Khayelitsha youth (Masters Dissertation, Cape Peninsula University of Technology).
