Page 31 - DMGT304_EVENT_MANAGEMENT

Event Management

Notes 1.7 Events Team

Teams are made up of individuals who have different outlooks and abilities, and are at different
stages of their careers. Some may find that the tasks you’ve allocated to them are challenging,
and they may need support. Others may be “old hands” at what they’re doing, and may be
looking for opportunities to stretch their skills. Either way, your responsibility as a manager is
to develop all of your people.
Your skills in this aspect of management will define your long-term success as a manager. If you
can help team members to become better at what they do, you will soon become known as a
manager who other people want to work for, and you’ll be making a great contribution to your
organization too.
The most effective way of developing your people is ensuring that you give regular feedback to
members of your team on their work. Many of us are nervous of giving feedback, especially
when it has to be negative. However, if you give and receive feedback regularly, everyone will
come to benefit from improved performance.

1.7.1 Team Management

Team management refers to techniques, processes and tools for organizing and coordinating a
group of individuals working towards a common goal i.e. a team.
Several well-known approaches to team management have come out of academic work. Examples
include the Belbin Team Inventory by Meredith Belbin, a method to identify the different types
of personalities within teams, and Ken Blanchard’s description of “High Performing Teams”.

The ‘Team Development Model’, identified by Bruce Tuckman, offers a foundational definition
of the stages teams go through during their lifecycle. Those stages are labeled Forming, Storming,
Norming and Performing.
While the activities of team management are not new, many of the tools used by team managers
are. The more Organizational Development-oriented practitioners often use interview-based
analysis and provide reportage and insights that team leaders and their management may use to
adapt team practices for higher performance. Teams can also be developed through team building
activities - which can also be used simply to build relationships where team members lack
cohesion due to organizational structure or physical distance. Project managers may approach
team management with a focus on structure, communications and standardized practices.
With the growing need to integrate the efforts of teams composed of members from different
companies and geographies, organizations are increasingly turning to a new class of Internet software
for team management. These tools combine planning and collaboration with features that provide
a structure for team relationships and behaviors. In addition, there are tools that facilitate the
forming of highly productive teams through analysis of personality and skills profiles.

1.7.2 Team Management Skills

Different people have different needs when it comes to motivation. Some individuals are highly
self-motivated, while others will under-perform without managerial input.
Communicating and Working with Your Team and with Others: Communication skills
are essential for success in almost any role, but there are particular skills and techniques
that you’ll use more as a manager than you did as a regular worker. These fall under two
headings: communicating with team members, and communicating with people outside
your team. We’ll look at each in turn.

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