The real work of teams

Abstract

Facilitators, leaders and trainers could use a framework to help employees comprehend the full range of responsibilities of being a member of a self-directed work team. This article describes a framework of five key team processes – plan, share, learn, administer, and produce – and defines the requirements for making each process successful. During the initial stages of a team's formation, it is critical that more time and attention be paid to the first four processes. As the members develop their team capabilities, they can devote more time to production. The article concludes with suggestions for implementing the five team processes.