page 211? pared to share your findings with classmates. CASE PROBLEM: Home Rehab
ID: 449350 • Letter: P
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page 211? pared to share your findings with classmates. CASE PROBLEM: Home Rehab Day at Tymco Fifteen years ago, Maria Cortez was working as a free- freelancer translates software into Japanese. Another lance writer of technical manuals for a variety of com- specializes in preparing user guides for digital cameras panies. The manuals supported a number of products, and digital video cameras. including household appliances, alarm systems, lawn- mowers, and tractors. Soon Cortez's freelance activity and other key personnel in the company were not work- became more than she could handle, so she subcon- ing particularly well as a team. She explained to Tim tracted work to one other freelancer, and then another, Atkins, a training specialist on the staff, "We all work and then another. Two years later, Cortez founded for a company called Tymco, yet we function like in- Tymco, and the firm has grown steadily. The company dependent units and freelancers. I notice that our staff now provides technical manuals, training and develop- members hardly even have lunch together. I've arranged ment, and foreign-language translation and interpreting. a couple of group dinners, but other than having a nice Cortez recently became concerned that the unit heads Tymco now employs 75 full-time employees, as well meal, no team spirit seems to develop as about 45 freelancers who help the company with peak "Ithink that if we had better teamwork, our units could loads as well as specialized services. For example, one help each other. We might even be able to cross-sell 0 Chapter 10 Teams and Teamwork 217Explanation / Answer
1. The evidence that was presented was when they exchanged smiles, high-fives and hugs after completing the repair work on the house over the weekend. The ten key employees of Tymco now knew the names of other members, who worked with them in this project. By working as a team over the last two days, they became acquainted with each other and this was acknowledged by the smiles and hugs that they exchanged after repairing the house.
2. Maria Cortez should make this exercise a regular affair and form teams that should consist of members from different teams of the organization. By involving members from different teams, the employees will get to know each other and the kind of work performed by other teams in the firm. It will help in increasing inter-departmental and inter-teams bonding.
3. Team spirit is the spirit to work as a team and the willingness to cooperate as part of the team to produce synergy and achieve the goals and objectives for which the team was formed. In this case the team was formed for the purpose of home rehab. The ten employees worked with enthusiasm and showed determination to achieve the goal (which was to repair the house). This was an evidence that the project gave a boost to team spirit.
4. This is not a very valid comment. Graham was a part of a team and his comment is possibly because it was the first time that he was involved in such a team project. When employees of an organization are involved in different team building exercises, they gradually get to know each other and start trusting each other. It takes time and cannot happen after a single exercise. Thus, Graham is just showing his initial reluctance and this will wear off if he is involved in more such projects where he has to work as a part of team.
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