Possible actions to address the challenges that may arise from characteristics of temporary teams
| Characteristic | Potential challenges | Possible actions to address challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Temporariness | Focus on producing outputs quickly makes outputs less robust | Training members to explore more information Providing a structured course of action |
| Hampers development of positive relations such as trust and commitment and of shared values/norms | Formal debriefings/reflection on team processes and performance Leader attends to relationships, providing coaching and support Thorough recruitment and training processes etc. to support “swift” trust Facilitate organisational citizenship behaviour | |
| Heterogeneity of members | Coordination and communication across “out-” and “in-” group or status boundaries (e.g. professions) may be difficult | Training and discussion to establish shared mental models and norms Training to develop emotional intelligence/members to reflect on their behaviour and interpersonal relations Transformational leadership Acknowledge and value a common superordinate identity and distinct sub-group identities |
| Changing membership or affiliation | Frequent changes allow less time for development of positive relations such as trust and commitment (see above) Temporary employees are less committed and do not aid organisational learning | Recruitment and induction processes align individual and organisational goals and values Manage deployment of team members from project to project to promote network development and cross-departmental knowledge circulation |
| Missing or ambiguous hierarchies | Project leader “authority gap” as participants are mainly obliged to their line manager Inter-divisional and hierarchical collaboration hampers team-building processes | Transformational leadership style that articulates higher goals Induction and coaching to facilitate shared leadership |
| Unique project outcome | Individual knowledge not sufficient, limited recourse on experiences and routines Higher uncertainty and risk involved, creativity and autonomous decision making required | Recruit members with problem-solving and decision-making abilities |
| Characteristic | Potential challenges | Possible actions to address challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Temporariness | Focus on producing outputs quickly makes outputs less robust | Training members to explore more information |
| Hampers development of positive relations such as trust and commitment and of shared values/norms | Formal debriefings/reflection on team processes and performance | |
| Heterogeneity of members | Coordination and communication across “out-” and “in-” group or status boundaries (e.g. professions) may be difficult | Training and discussion to establish shared mental models and norms |
| Changing membership or affiliation | Frequent changes allow less time for development of positive relations such as trust and commitment (see above) | Recruitment and induction processes align individual and organisational goals and values |
| Missing or ambiguous hierarchies | Project leader “authority gap” as participants are mainly obliged to their line manager | Transformational leadership style that articulates higher goals |
| Unique project outcome | Individual knowledge not sufficient, limited recourse on experiences and routines | Recruit members with problem-solving and decision-making abilities |
Source: Adapts and extends Table I in Tyssen et al. (2013)
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