Managing Team Performance to Support Strategy

This document discusses the importance of managing team performance to support organizational strategy. It explores various tools and techniques for setting performance targets, theories of motivation, and the need for individual commitment to team performance. The document also includes a case study of CafePod, a medium-sized company in the coffee industry.

Manage Team
Performance to Support
Strategy
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Executive Summary
The performance of teams within an organisation are linked with its strategic objectives.
This helps in making sure that organizational goals and objectives are achieved in an effective
manner. Various tools and techniques can be used in order to set performance targets for teams.
Like KPIs, Performance Appraisal etc. Motivational theories and techniques can be implemented
by the managers within the company to make sure that goals and targets are achieved.
Delegation, coaching as well as mentoring can also help an organisation in aataininjg its goals
and objectives effectively. The tools and methods can be used to assess the performance of teams
within the company and the extent to which organisational goals and objectives are achieved.
Lastly, various influencing mythologies like Greek mythology, Egyptian Mythology and Roman
Mythology can also influence the overall performance of teams within the company and can be
effective in gaining commitment of employees within the workplace.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................4
Critical assessment of the links between the performance of team in CafePod and its strategic
objectives....................................................................................................................................4
Identify different tools and techniques for setting performance targets for teams and compare
them along with advantages and disadvantages..........................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
How team performance targets are achieved, taking into account factors that influence team
performance levels......................................................................................................................8
Explain different theories of motivation and relate different motivational techniques to
encouraging team members to commit to shared goals..............................................................8
Need for individual commitment to team performance in achieving strategic objectives..........9
Critical evaluation of the contribution effects and impact of delegation, coaching and
mentoring in contributing to attaining strategic objectives within the organisation.................10
Working team performance plan...............................................................................................10
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................11
Tools and methodologies to assess the monitoring of team performance and implementing
changes where necessary...........................................................................................................11
Evaluation of team performance against agreed objectives of the plan....................................11
Critical evaluation of the impact of team performance on meeting strategy............................11
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
Influencing mythologies and their potential in attracting as well as gaining commitment of
employees to align with strategic direction of the organization...............................................12
Impact of individual dynamics, interests and organisational politics on securing commitment
of employees to the strategy......................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
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INTRODUCTION
Team performance within an organisation can significantly impact the overall
productivity as well as performance of an organization within the market. This makes it an
important task for an organisation to manage different teams within the company. This helps in
ensuring that all teams within the company are encouraged towards performing in an effective
manner (Bailey and et. al., 2017). Organisation chosen for this report is CafePod, a medium sized
company that manufactures and supplies coffee beans. The company was established in the year
2011 by two friends. The company aims to offer coffee products that are crafted from the finest
coffee beans. The report critically assesses the links between the performance of teams with the
objectives of the company. It also explains the various tools and techniques that can be used for
setting team performance goals. Lastly, a critical evaluation of a team performance plan to meet
objectives is also included in the report.
TASK 1
Critical assessment of the links between the performance of team in CafePod and its strategic
objectives
As per the viewpoint of George N. Root III, the congruence model can be referred to as a
process for change management that evaluates the overall performance of an organisation based
on the way it operates as a system. In this model, the company is broken down into various
elements that are separate from each other and they are then examined in order to identify ways
in which the organization can be improved on the whole (What Is the Congruence Model for a
Business?, 2020). The strategic objective of CafePod is to enhance the experience of at-home
coffee market by offering a wide range of coffee variants that will include Decaf, Livewire,
Supercharger etc. The company now wants to improve its overall distribution system in order to
enhance overall performance of the team. The teams of employees at CafPod are highly focussed
with team members engaged in their respective jobs in order to help the company attain its goals
and objectives (Bakotić, 2016). The team leaders within the workplace make sure that their
subordinates are motivated and engaged in their respective jobs. Apart from this, the team
members make sure that all the tasks that are assigned to them are completed within the given
time frame. This means that the employees at CafePod are aware of expectations from them. In
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this case, congruence model can be implemented that will help in evaluating the overall
performance of the employees and the organization on the whole.
Identify different tools and techniques for setting performance targets for teams and
compare them along with advantages and disadvantages
Tools Description Advantages Disadvantages
Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs)
and Metrics
This tool allows an
organisation to measure
how its employees or
projects are performing.
They help the
management in setting
performance targets for
teams within the
company (Balwant,
2018). CafePod makes
use of Key Performance
Indicators in order to set
performance targets for
its employee.
Key Performance
Indicators can help an
organisation in
establishing
performance targets
that are appropriate.
This can help in
identifying areas that
need improvement and
further increase the
overall performance of
teams within the
company.
If the company fails
to follow up on the
progress of the
performance of teams,
the tool will not prove
to be effective. Also,
through KPIs
employees focus on
attaining results for
short-term. This can
affect the overall
quality of their work.
Balanced Scorecard This is one of the most
popular tools that are
used for setting
performance targets for
teams within a
company. The main aim
of this metric is to
improve the various
internal processes that
take place within the
company.
This tool helps an
organisation to clarify
its existing strategy and
effectively
communicate the
priorities and business
objectives to the teams
(Burrell and Morgan,
2017). The Balanced
Scorecard also helps in
monitoring the
One of the
disadvantages of a
balanced scorecard is
that it should be
tailored according to
the needs of the
organisation. Also,
there are chances that
it may get
complicated
sometimes to set and
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progress regarding how
effectively and to what
extent the objectives
are achieved.
measure performance
targets for the teams.
Techniques Description Advantages Disadvantages
Performance
Appraisals
Performance appraisals
is another commonly
used technique by
organisations to set
performance targets for
their teams (Chumg and
et. al., 2016). It can be
defined as a process of
regularly reviewing the
job performance of
employees and their
overall contribution to
the business. They are
are also known as
performance reviews
and basically evaluate
the skills, achievements
and growth of
employees within the
company.
A performance
appraisal provides a
document regarding
the performance of
employees over a
particular period of
time. Apart from this,
they create a structure
wherein managers
within the company
can discuss the
performance of their
team members in an
effective way
(Advantages and
Disadvantages of
Performance
Appraisals, 2020).
Also, this technique
enables the managers
to provide constructive
feedback to their team
members.
If performance
appraisals are not
done accurately, they
can create a negative
experience for the
employees as well as
the managers. Also,
they can sometimes
consume a lot of time
and can sometimes be
biased. Also, if the
evaluators are not
experienced, the
process will not
generate effective
results.
Reward and
Recognition
This is another
technique of motivating
Reward and
Recognition
Sometimes, reward
and recognition
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Programmes the employees and
making sure that the
ones who put in extra
efforts into getting a
task done are rewarded
and recognized. The
technique also helps in
setting performance
targets for teams
(Dunphy, 2016).
programmes help in
boosting the overall
performance as well as
productivity of the
team members.
Employees seek to be
recognized for their
respective
contributions and
achievements in order
to stay motivated. The
managers at CafePod
recognize the team
members who
contribute more
efficiently to a
particular task. They
are provided
compensatory benefits
or rewards.
programmes can lead
to conflicts among the
employees. This can
be because some of
them might feel left
behind and that they
are not being
recognized.
There is an ongoing measuring as well as monitoring of the team performance during a
year by the managers. This gives them an idea about the how well the employees are performing
and the extent to which organisational goals and objectives are achieved. For example, the
company conducted performance appraisal for its employees, The technique worked well as it
helped the management to understand areas wherein there was a lack of performance. The needs
as well as business environment of an organization keeps on changing (Gkorezis and Petridou,
2017). Thus, CafePod keeps a record of the same and if there is a change, performance targets
are set accordingly. This helps in enhancing the overall performance as well as productivity of
the employees within the organisation. Taking the changes in business environment into
consideration can help in reducing any kind of negative impact on the company as well as its
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performance. For example, once CafePod conducted a reward and recognition programme for the
employees. But since it was not conducted with integrity, it led to conflicts among the employees
as they felt the process was biased. Due to this, their overall productivity declined.
TASK 2
How team performance targets are achieved, taking into account factors that influence team
performance levels
Team performance targets can be achieved in an effective manner by making sure that
clear goals are formulated and the team members are focused towards achieving them.
Objectives should be set on the basis of strengths of the team members so that the targets are
achieved more effectively. CafePod promotes a culture of collaboration at its workplace which
makes it easier for the employees to perform efficiently (Kitchin, 2017). This leads to the overall
achievement of performance targets. There are various factors that can influence the performance
levels of teams within an organization. Communication is one of the major factors which can
influence the performance levels of a team.
If the team members communicate with each other efficiently and clearly, the
performance of the team will automatically increase. Whereas if there is a lack of effective
communication, the performance levels will be affected negatively. Apart from this, size of the
team is also an important factor that can influence the performance level. Other factors include
stability, group thinking, positive environment etc. The current team performance at CafePod is
high because the size of teams within the workplace is not too big (Mitonga-Monga and Cilliers,
2016). Thus, the employees are able to effectively communicate with each other. Due to this,
they perform in the desired manner and ensure a high level of performance.
Explain different theories of motivation and relate different motivational techniques to
encouraging team members to commit to shared goals
McClelland's Theory of Needs
McClelland stated that individuals have three drivers of motivation which are explained
below - Achievement – It can be defined as the need of an individual to accomplish and
demonstrate their competence. People who have a high need for achievement prefer
opting for tasks that are challenging.
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 Affiliation – This is the need for belonging and being accepted by people. People who
have a high need for affiliation are motivated when they are liked by others.
 Power – People who have a high need for power desire for situations wherein they can
either influence others or exercise power on them.
McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y Theory X – According to this theory, it is likely that the managers will believe that the
employees are lazy and in a constant need for direction.
 Theory Y – This theory favours a much more collaborative approach wherein their
leadership is centred upon trust, problem solving and providing employees with effective
tools.
Vroom's theory of expectancy
This theory states that people will be highly motivated as well as productive if they
believe that the efforts they put in will lead to successful results and they will be rewarded for the
same.
There are various motivational techniques that help in encouraging the team members so
that they are committed to shared goals (Ruck, Welch and Menara, 2017). For example, the
working environment at CafePod is positive and the employees are provided incentives based on
their performances. This way they are committed to their jobs and work towards achieving
shared goals and objectives.
Need for individual commitment to team performance in achieving strategic objectives
It is important for all the team members to be individually committed to the overall
performance of the team. This is because if each of the team members will be committed towards
performing well, the performance of the team on the whole will increase. The team members
should be supportive of each other and cooperate towards the completion of a task. Each of the
individuals should be motivated to collaborate any time the team leader asks them to do so. They
should be autonomous, which means that they should possess the capacity to make informed
decisions individually.
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Critical evaluation of the contribution effects and impact of delegation, coaching and mentoring
in contributing to attaining strategic objectives within the organisation
Contribution effect can be defined as a dimension that identifies the contribution of
various stakeholders that play different roles in an organisation. Delegation can be defined as the
process of assigning authority to a person in order to carry out certain activities. It empowers an
employee within a company to make decisions. Delegation provides an opportunity to the
employees to acquire new skills so that objectives that are outlined by the management of the
company can be achieved effectively (Salehzadeh and et. al., 2017). If appropriate employee
within the organisation is provided delegation, he/she will help in an effective achievement of
strategic objectives. As per the view point of Shelley Frost, coaching and mentoring include
setting goals for the employees (How Does Coaching & Mentoring Work to Empower
Employees?, 2020).
A mentor within an organisation helps employees in setting specific goals and working
towards achieving them. Coaching an mentoring can help an organisation in retaining its
employees for a longer period of time and also encourage loyalty among them (Srivastava,
2017). Therefore, they will be committed to their jobs and help the organisation in achieving
strategic goals and objectives. But if the organisation fails to provide effective mentoring and
coaching to the employees, their performance will be affected due to which their performance
levels will decline.
Working team performance plan
A team performance plan can be defined as a plan that is used to identify the desired
levels of performance of the team within an organisation and the way in which they will be
achieved. The plan is also used to provide guidance as well as direct members of the team. The
team structure in CafePod is flat structure wherein there are no middle levels of management.
The different areas of logical sequencing are sourcing, blending and roasting. The coffee beans
for manufacturing product at the respective company are sourced from lower altitude growing
regions because the company thinks that these regions produce beans that are more robust. The
second sequence in blending wherein all of the coffee blends within the company are developed
through experts within the coffee industry. Lastly, the coffee beans are roasted darker using drum
roasters. The company wants to enhance its overall distribution system so that overall
performance of the team members can be enhanced.
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The company makes sure that all standards are met and the manufacturing involved good
practices (Tamta and Rao, 2017). This has helped the company in making sure that high quality
products are manufactured and the customers get a seamless experience. But there can be some
areas of biases and possible errors. This can affect the overall process of achieving goals and
objectives or can lead to a misalignment with the strategic objectives of the company.
TASK 3
Tools and methodologies to assess the monitoring of team performance and implementing
changes where necessary
Tools as well as methods that are used for monitoring the team performance within the
company are Key Performance Indicators, Balance Scorecard, Performance Appraisals and
Rewards and Recognition Programmes. KPIs are basically indicators of the performance and can
be used by the management within a company to measure the overall performance of the
employees. A balanced scorecard is another metric that is used to manage performance of the
employees. Performance appraisals make sure that employees are committed to their respective
jobs and perform in the desired manner. Lastly, reward and recognition programmes help in
increasing the overall motivation levels of the employees. These tools and methods are flexible
and can help the respective company in identifying areas that require change and implementing
the same.
Evaluation of team performance against agreed objectives of the plan
The performance of team in the distribution system earlier was satisfactory and this was
the reason why management of the respective company wanted to enhance the performance of
the team members (Taylor, 2018). One of the problematic areas was that there was a lack of
effective communication among team members. Due to this, sometimes there was a problem
regarding communication between the team members. In order to resolve this issue, the company
has taken measures like encouraging effective communication and training the staff members
effectively.
Critical evaluation of the impact of team performance on meeting strategy
Team performance can significantly contribute top meeting strategy because if meetings
will be conducted regularly and in a detailed manner, members of the team will remain informed
about what is expected from them. This will lead to an improvement in their overall
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performance. Therefore, any strategy that is formulated during a meeting can be influenced by
the performance level of the team members (Zaraket and Halawi, 2017). If the team is
performing effectively, the strategy that is formulated can be implemented in an efficient
manner.
TASK 4
Influencing mythologies and their potential in attracting as well as gaining commitment of
employees to align with strategic direction of the organization
Methodologies
There are various methodologies that can help in gaining the commitment of individuals
towards the strategy of the organisation. Some of the methodologies are explained below - The objectives that are developed and assigned to the employees should be clearly
defined. They should specify the goals or results that the company wants to achieve. If
CafePod will assign clear and measurable goals to its employees, they will be committed
to their respective jobs.
 Managers within an organisation possess retribution power, which they can exercise in
order to gain commitment from the employees. They can reward employees who have
performed well as well as take actions against the ones who are not performing at desired
level.
 Managers can even implement a bargaining method, wherein they focus on negotiating
on agreements that are beneficial for both the employees as well as themselves. The
negotiation is based on both of their interests. The main focus of this method is on
collaborating to find a solution that matches both their interests.
Impact of individual dynamics, interests and organisational politics on securing commitment of
employees to the strategy
Individual dynamics includes an individual having a positive approach as well as attitude
to their work. Employees who have a dynamic personality are creative thinkers, possess the
ability to complete an assigned target as well as a positive attitude. Such individuals are highly
committed to and engaged in their jobs. This means that they will be committed to the strategy
that is set by their managers or team leaders for a particular project. Organisational politics can
be defined as the behaviours of different employees interacting with each other based on their
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authority and power (Kitchin, 2017). If a workplace will have negative organisational politics,
the individuals won't be committed to their jobs and this will impact their overall performance
levels. Besides this, it is also important for the individuals to have interest in the tasks that they
are assigned because then only they will be committed to it and put in efforts to complete it in an
effective way.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that different organisations have their own
strategic objectives and teams within the workplace align themselves in such a way that these
goals and objectives can be achieved. There are various tools and techniques that can be used in
order to set targets for team performance. Various tools can include balanced scorecard and key
performance indicators while techniques include performance appraisals and reward and
recognition programmes. Also, different theories of motivation like McClelland's theory of needs
etc. can be used in order to motivate team members so that they perform in a way that
organisational goals and objectives are achieved. A team performance plan can be used in order
to identify the desired levels of performance of the team. Lastly, there are certain mythologies
that can be related to team performance in order to make sure that employees within are team are
aligned with the strategic objectives of the organisation.
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REFERENCES
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