IV.

DEFINE - TEAMS & CUSTOMERS

TEAM PERFORMANCE/TEAM STAGES AND DYNAMICS

Team Objectives
The team process can be a highly effective, people-building, potential-releasing,
goal-achieving social system that is characterized by:

. I climate of high support . Greative problem solving

. An open communication process . lndividual achievement
. Organizational goal achievement . Commitment

The fundamental purpose of establishing teams is to improve the internal and

external efficiencies of the company. This is done through the efforts of the team
members to improve quality, methods, and/or productivity. lf teams are properly
functioning, they will:

. lmprove employee morale

. Remove areas of conflict
. Develop creative skills of members
. lmprove communication and leadership skills of members
. Develop problem solving techniques
. lmprove attitudes of both management and team members
. lndicate to team members that management will listen
. Demonstrate that employees have good ideas
. lmprove managemenUemployee relationships

Listed below are some of the reasons that teams have been successful in many
companies:

. lf management has sanctioned teams in the company, this means that

management will be more apt to listen to employees and believe they have
ideas worthy of implementation.

. The team procedure allows all team members to communicate and exercise
creative expression.

. The concept of teams is supported by modern motivational theory:

. Maslow's higher level of human needs

. McGregor's Theory Y, which recognizes the worth of an individual
. Herzberg's theory that true motivation is found in the work itself

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Team Empowerment
Most power is derived from the organization's management authority. A team is
empowered by virtue of that power that is granted to it by management. A team
charter is a very useful tool for helping a team and management understand just
exactly what the team is empowered to do.

Team members have control over the team's performance and behavior. Control is
one source of power. lnformation is another source of power. To be effective, teams
need information. Teams should be told everything that could possibly help them
to achieve their objectives. They should be aware of financial conditions,
organizational changes, market conditions, etc. Access to resources is a third
source of power. A team's ability to succeed will depend in part on how free it is to
use organizational resources.

Management Support
Management must give more than passive team support. This means that
management, especially mid-management, must be educated to the degree that they
are enthusiastic about the team concept. The implementation of project schedules
and solutions originating from teams should be given precedence. ln order for
teams to be successful, management must recognize that there will be additional
work created by their efforts. Leaders, facilitators and team members should be
thoroughly trained in six sigma and other improvement techniques, as required.

ln spite of the potential benefits, some people are skepticalof the long-term success
of teams. These people point out that the traditional style of management in the
typical American industry carries with it such momentum that the team approach will
have little appreciable long-term effect.

There are reasonable arguments that can be expressed either for or against teams.
The important questions that need answers are: (1) Does the company have the
proper environment in which teams can survive and thrive? and (21 Does
management fully comprehend the value of teamsn to make them work?

Management supports the team process by:

. Ensuring a constancy of purpose . Giving people a sense of mission

. Reinforcing positive results . Providing direction and support
. Sharing business results . Developing an integrated plan

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Types of Teams
The following types of teams are used by industries throughout the world today:

Six Sigma Teams

The structure and functional roles of six sigma teams were presented earlier in
Section ll of this Primer. They closely follow the description of project and ad hoc
teams that follow, with the addition of black and master black belt support.

It should be noted that not all companies, lauded to have effective six sigma
programs, follow the same structure as presented in eitherASQ's CSSBB or CSSGB
BOKs. Many companies use a variety of team arrangements and provide black belt
and master black belt support as necessary.

lmprovement Teams
A group belonging to any department chooses to solve a quality/productivity
problem. lt will continue until a reasonable solution is found and implemented. The
problem may be management selected, but the solution is team directed.

Process lmprovement Team

For a process improvement team, employees may be drawn from more than one
department to look into the flow of material and semi-finished goods required to
streamline the process.

Project Teams/Task Forces/Ad Hoc Teams

Members are selected based on their experience and directed by management to
look into specific areas such as the modernization of a piece of equipment or
solution to a customer complaint. These teams are generally ad hoc and disband
upon the completion of their assignments.

Team membership can be all management, all work area, or a composite of the two.
Usually, the boundaries of the assignment are tightly drawn for project teams or ad
hoc teams. Some task forces may have broader mandates.

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 IV. DEFINE . TEAMS & CUSTOMERS
TEAM PERFORMANCEffEAM STAGES AND DYNAMICS

Types of Teams (Continued)

Self-Directed Teams
After a team understands its charter and has worked through its norms, it is ready
to get down to the business of solution building and improvement. ldeally, the team
should select its own leader to interface with other teams and coordinate team
activities. As the team meets and works together, the team leader should assume
an equal position with the other team members. Some teams find it helpful to rotate
team leadership to give everyone experience. At the pinnacle of performance,
anyone on the team should be able to lead the team.

This type of team operates with minimal day-to-day direction from management.
Self-directed teams are asked to accomplish objectives within time frames that are
truly stretch objectives. Management must give the team the maximum latitude
possible to achieve their objectives.

Cross Functional Teams

Cross functional teams are made up of individuals who represent different
departments or functional areas in the organization. lndividuals who represent a
department orfunctional area should be subject matter experts. That is, they should
be very knowledgeable about the policies, practices, and operations of their
department or functional area. The thoughtful selection of the members is an
important aspect of building an effective team. This becomes even more critical if
the team is to work only on a single project for several months or more.

Team involvement promotes sharing of the problem and minimizes "fingerpointing."

Representation from various departments also promotes the acceptance and
implementationofchangethroughouttheorganization. Solutionsdesignedwiththe
active participation of affected departments tend to be technically superior and
accepted more readily by those who must implement them.

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Types of Teams (Continued)

Quality Circles
The concept of circles originated in Japan after WW ll. They were so successful in
Japan that many managers in the United States tried to duplicate them. The circle
is a means of allowing and encouraging people on the production floorto participate
in decisions that will improve quality and/or reduce manufacturing costs.

Quality, while it is a major consideration of the circle, is only a part of circle

involvement. Most ideas worthy of implementation must beiustified on the basis of
cost savings in some way. Department members voluntarily participate to improve
departmental performance. Quality circles are effective forums to exchange
suggestions and find solutions. Since membership is voluntary, people are highly
motivated to continue the improvement process.

Quality Teams
The quality circle approach has been on the decline in the USA for some time. A
variety of quality team nomenclatures have replaced the term "quality circle." The
major reasons forthe shift appearto be two-fold. First, the term "quality circle" has
a strong Japanese connotation. And secondly, most circle projects tend to be
employee selected, while most team efforts are management selected, but team
directed.

The fundamental purpose of establishing quality teams is to improve the internal

efficiencies of the company and both internal and external products and service
quality. This is done through the efforts of the team members to improve quality,
methods, and/or productivity.

Natural Work Team Organization

ln natural work teams, leadership is usually given to the area superyisor. Members
of teams come from the supervisor's work force. Outside members from specialist
organizations can be included in the membership, either as active members or as
contributing guests. Often, a facilitator is another important person in this team
organizational structure. He or she is specifically trained to coordinate multiple
team activities, oversee team progress, document results, and train team members
in their assorted duties.

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Synopsis of Team Applications

Team Types Structures Best Applications

lmprovement May be 8 to 10 Gan work on quality or productivity
Teams members from a issues. A process improvement team can
single department consist of multi-department membership
and focus on process flow and product
issues.
Quality May be 8 to 10 May initially work on quality topics or
Teams members from a overall department performance. Can
single department evolve into self-directed teams.
Project Can have broad or Works on specific projects such as the
Teams specific member installation of a conveyor system. Gan
selection and may also focus on material related items like
consist of all or part an improved inventory control system.
management Usually disbands upon the completion of
a project.
Six Generally 8 to 12 Works on specific process or customer
Sigma members with black based projects of importance. Usually
Teams belt or master black disbands upon project completion.
belt support
Cross 8 to 12 members Members are carefully selected.
Functional from different areas, Knowledgeable people are required. Very
Teams departments, or similar to project teams. Tends to deal
disciplines more with policies, practices and
operations.
Self-Directed 6 to 15 members. Requires considerable training and
Teams Generally a natural exposure. Gan be given objectives or
work area team and develop their own. Some companies
may need staff select people with co-operative skills to
support help with success.

Table 4.10 Synopsis of Team Types, Structures and Applications

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Typical Team Operating Guidelines

Topic ldeas
Team agenda Who sets? When published? lnput invited? etc. Rolling
agenda with priorities. Recorder to publish.
Attendance Excused absences only. How are latecomers handled?
Minimum members to conduct business? An obligation to
be present; excused attendance permitted through team
leader; latecomers to be updated on critical issues only.
Meetings Time, frequency, place? Which meeting room? The time
and frequency must be determined.
Decision process Consensus, collaborative, majority? Can one person
remove an item from the agenda?
Minutes and Select a recorder. How are minutes approved? Where
reports posted? Who types? How distributed? Use a flip chart
for minutes? ls the recorder a volunteer or appointed by
chairperson? Timekeeper to maintain agenda timing?
Recorder to transcribe, type, and distribute minutes.
Leader role How defined? How selected? Expectations? Leader
keeps things on track and moving, makes housekeeping
decisions, monitors participation, attendance and
timeliness, helps manage conflict.
Behavioral norms Listening; interruptions; radios, cell phones and pagers
off; no smoking; breaks called at members discretion;
limited cheap shots; empathetic listening; common
courtesy is expected; feedback should be constructive,
specific and timely.
Confidentiality What goes outside the group?
Guests How invited? How excused?
Meeting audits How frequent? Who is responsible?
Facilitator How selected? Expectations? How will this role differ
from the leader?
Conflict Expected? How managed?
Recommendations How initiated? How routed? Who is informed?
Gommitments Follow through on commitments, analysis, word
processing, etc.

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 IV. DEFINE . TEAMS & CUSTOMERS
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Team Stages
Most teams go through four development stages before they become productive:
forming, storming, norming, and performing. These stages can also be cyclical.
lndividuals may be storming with one teammate and performing with another. Bruce
W. Tuckman (1965)38 first identified the four development stages.

Forming
Forming is the beginning of team life. Expectations are unclear. Members test the
water. lnteractions are superficial. This is the honeymoon stage. When a team
forms, its members typically start out by exploring the boundaries of acceptable
group behavior. As each member makes the transition from individual to team
member, each looks to the team leader (or facilitator) for guidance as to his or her
role and responsibilities.

Storming
The second phase consists of conflict and resistance to the group's task and
structure. There are healthy and unhealthy types of storming. Conflict often occurs
in the following major areas: authority issues, vision and values dissonance, and
personality and cultural differences. However, if dealt with appropriately, these
stumbling blocks can be turned into performance later.

This is the most difficult stage for any team to work through. Teams realize how
much work lies ahead and feel overwhelmed. They want the project to move forward
but are not yet expert at team improvement skills. They often cling to their own
opinions, based on personal experience, and resist seeking the opinions of others.
This can lead to hurt feelings and unnecessary disputes. A disciplined use of the
quality improvement process and the proper tools and communication skills can
assist teams members to express their various theories, lower their anxiety levels,
and reduce the urge to assign blame.

Norming
During the third phase, a sense of group cohesion develops. Team members use
more energy on data collection and analysis as they begin to test theories and
identify root causes. Members accept other team members and develop norms for
resolving conflicts, making decisions, and completing assignments. Norming takes
place in three ways. First, as storming is overcome, the team becomes more relaxed
and steady. Conflicts are no longer as frequent and no longer throw the team off
course. Second, norming occurs when the team develops a routine. Scheduled
team meetings give a sense of predictability and orientation. Third, norming is
cultivated through team-building events and activities. Norming is a necessary
transition stage. A team can't perform if it doesn't norm.

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Team Stages (Gontinued)

Performing

This is the payoff stage. The group has developed its relationships, structure, and
purpose. The team begins to tackle the tasks at hand. The team begins to work
effectively and cohesivety. During this stage, the team may still have its ups and
downs. Occasionally, feelings that surfaced during the storming stage may recur.
Refer to Figure 4.12lor a graphical display of the performance of teams as they
advance through the team evolutionary stages.
Performinq
Members:
show maturity
focus on the process
achieve goals
operate smoothly
Norminq
Members:
cooPerate
talk things out
o focus on obiectives
(, have fewer conflicts
E
G
E Storminq
o
L Members:
o have confrontation
0. think individually
are learning roles
have divided loyalties

Forming
Members are:
inexperienced
excited
anxious
proud
Time

Figure 4.12 Schematic of Team Development Phases

Adjourning
At the end of most six sigma projects the team disbands. This step is called
adjourning to rhyme with four other team stages (forming, storming, norming and
performing). Adjourning is also a very common practice for non six sigma
companies in regard to project teams, task forces and ad hoc teams.

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TEAM PERFORMANCE/ROLES

Six Sigma Roles

While some organizations choose to use different names and definitions, most
successful organizations have implemented the following roles in their black belt
program.

. Black belts . Executive sponsors

. Master black belts . Champions
. Green belts . Process owners

The definitions in this portion of the Primer are a combination of the author's
experience and references at the end of this Section.

Black Belts
Six sigma black belts are most effective in full-time process improvement positions.
The term black belt is borrowed from the martial arts, where the black belt is the
expert who coaches and trains others as well as demonstrates a mastery of the art.
ln a similar way, six sigma black belts are individuals who have studied and
demonstrated skill in implementation of the principles, practices, and techniques of
six sigma for maximum cost reduction and profit improvement.

Six sigma black belts typically demonstrate their skill through significant positive
financial impact and customer benefits on multiple projects. Black belts may be
utilized as team leaders responsible for measuring, analyzing, improving and
controlling key processes that influence customer satisfaction and/or productivity
growth. Black belts may also operate as internal consultants, working with a
number of teams at once. They may also be utilized as instructors for problem
solving and statistics classes. Black belts are encouraged to mentor green belt and
black belt candidates.

Master Black Belts

Six sigma master black belts are typically in full-time process improvement
positions. They are, first and foremost, teachers who mentor black belts and review
their projects. Selection criteria for master black belts includes both quantitative
skills and the ability to teach and mentor. For master black belt recognition, an
individual must be an active black belt who continues to demonstrate skill through
significant, positive, financial impact and customer benefits on projects. The ability
to teach and mentor is evaluated by reviewing the number and caliber of people they
have developed. Teaching may also be demonstrated in classroom environments.

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Six Sigma Roles (Gontinued)

Green Belts
Six sigma green belts are not usually in full-time process improvement positions.
The term green belt is also borrowed from the martial arts. Green belt refers to an
individual who has mastered the basic skills. Green belts may be black belts in
training, having less experience than full black belts. Green belts must demonstrate
proficiency with the core statistical tools by using them for positive financial impact
and customer benefits on a few projects. ln some organizations, individuals may
remain a green belt for several years. Green belts operate under the supervision and
guidance of a black belt or master black belt.

Executive Sponsors
Executive sponsorship is a key element in an effective black belt program.
Executive leadership sets the direction and priorities for the organization. The
Executive Team is comprised of the leaders that will communicate, lead and direct
the company's overall objectives towards successful and profitable six sigma
deployment. Executives typically receive training that includes a six sigma program
overview, examples of successful deployment and strategies, and tools and methods
for definition, measurement, analysis, improvement, and control.

Champions
Six sigma champions are typically upper level managers that control and allocate
resources to promote process improvements and black belt development.
Champions are trained in the core concepts of six sigma and deployment strategies
used by their organizations. With this training, six sigma champions lead the
implementation of the six sigma program. Ghampions also workwith black belts to
ensure that senior management is aware of the status of six sigma deployment.
Champions ensure that resources are available for training and project completion.
They are involved in all project reviews in their area of influence.

Process Owners
Key processes should have a process owner. A process ownercoordinates process
improvement activities and monitors progress on a regular basis. Process owners
work with black belts to improve the processes for which they are responsible.
Process owners should have basic training in the core statistical tools but will
typically only gain proficiency with those techniques used to improve their individual
processes. ln some organizations, process owners may be six sigma champions or
sponsors.

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Six Sigma Roles (Gontinued)

Process Owners (Continued)
The process owner should:

. Be comfortable with the team's capabilities

. Believe in the team's objectives
. Suppoft team members with resources and information
. Share information with the team
. Understand the team's mission
. Participate in project reviews
. Believe that personal goals are aligned with the team's goals
. Be knowledgeable of six sigma core elements

Six Sigma Structure

Gompanies have differing duties and terminologies for organizational roles that
support six sigma improvement. Some of the common functions and optional
structures are listed in Table 4.14 below. (Adapted from Pande, 2000)28

Functions Structure Options

Executive direction . Six sigma steering committee
. Quality council
. Executive steering council
Six sigma management a Six sigma manager
a Six sigma director
a Master black belt
Process owner . Champion
. Sponsor
Sponsor a Process owner
a Champion
Goach a Master black belt
a Black belt
Team leader . Trained supervisor/facilitator
. Black belt
. Green belt
Team member . Associate with team training
. Associate with process knowledge
. Green belt
Table 4.14 Functions in a Six Sigma Organization

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