Teams are usually selected or authorized by the quality council. A team will consist of a team leader, facilitator, recorder, time keeper and members. All team members have clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
The team leader, who is selected by the quality council, sponsor or the team itself, has following roles.
- Ensure the smooth and effective operation of the team, handling and assigning record keeping, orchestrating activities, and how overseeing preparation of reports and presentation.
- Facilitate the team process, ensures that all members participate during the meetings, prevents other members from dominating, actively participates when appropriate, guides without domineering, and uses positive interpersonal behavior.
- Serves as a contact point between the team and the sponsor or quality council.
- Orchestrates the implementation of the changes recommended by the team within organizational constrains and team boundaries.
- Monitor the statues and accomplishments of members, assuring timely completion of assignments.
- Prepare the meeting agenda, including time, date, and location; and ensures the necessary resources are available for the meeting.
- Ensures that team decisions are made by consensus where appropriate, rather than by unilateral decision, handclasp decision, majority-rule decision, or minority-rule decision.
The facilitator is not a member of the team; him/her neutral assistant and may not be needed with a mature team. This person does not get involved in the meeting content or evaluations of the team’s idea. Roles are as follows.
- Support the leader in the facilitating the team during the initial stages of the team.
- Focuses on the team process; is concerned more with how decisions are made rather than the decision itself.
- Acts as resources to the team by intervening when necessary to keep the team on track.
- Does not perform activities that the team can do.
- Provides feed back to the team concerning the effectiveness of the team process.
The team recorder, who is selected by the leader or by the team and may be rotated on a periodic basis, has the following roles.
- Documents the main ideas of the main team’s discussion, the issues raised, decisions made, action item and future agenda items.
- Present the documents for the team to review during the meeting and distribute them as minutes after the meeting in a timely manner.
- Participate as a team member
The timekeeper, who is selected by the leader or by the team and may be rotated on a periodic basic, has the following roles.
- Monitor the time to ensure that the team maintains the schedule as determined by the agenda.
- Participate as a team member
The team member, who is selected by the team leader, sponsor, or quality council or is a member of a natural work team, has the following responsibilities
- Contributes best, without reservation, by actively participating in meetings and sharing knowledge, expertise, ideas, and information.
- Respects other people’s contribution, does not criticize, complain, or condemn.
- Listens carefully and asks questions.
- Is enthusiastic-it’s contagious and helps galvanize the entire team.
- Works for consensus on decision and is prepared to negotiate important points.
- Supports the decision of the team-badmouthing a decision or a member reduces the effectiveness of the team.
- Trusts, supports and has genuine concern for other team members.
- Understands and is committed to team objectives.
- Respect and is tolerant of individual differences.
- Encourage feedback on own behavior.
- Acknowledges and works through conflict openly.
- Carries out assignments between meetings such as collecting data, observing processes, charting data, and writing reports.
- Gives honest, sincere appreciation.