Management Report: Building a True Team Within Google's HR Group

This report examines Google's HR group and its efforts to build a high-performing, cross-functional team. It explores key aspects such as building a strong team, fostering teamwork competencies, establishing trust among team members, and the specific requirements of cross-functional teams. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding, accountability, and leadership within the HR group. It also provides advice to Google's Laszio Bock on managing these teams effectively, including strategies for clear goal setting, fostering strong relationships, delegating responsibilities, hiring the right employees, and encouraging collaboration. The analysis highlights the significance of communication, trust, and cohesiveness in achieving team success, referencing relevant literature to support its findings. The report serves as a guide for improving team performance and cohesion within Google's HR department.

Running Head: Management
0
Google
Organizational Behavior
8/5/2019

Running Head: Management
1
Contents
1 Google's HR Group into a true team.........................................................................................................2
2 Teamwork competencies..........................................................................................................................2
3 Trust with this sort of cross-functional team.............................................................................................3
4 Which is for cross-functional team?.........................................................................................................4
5 Advice to Google's Laszio Bock...............................................................................................................4
References...................................................................................................................................................6

Running Head: Management
2
1 Google's HR Group into a true team
They have to build a great understanding, accountability and create the leadership spirit
in their group so that it can turn into the true team. For making the team more effective they have
to work together as a team and they also have to share the work so that it can become relatable.
Google’s HR group has to share the responsibilities of every team member so that they can work
deliberately in the team (Simsarian Webber, 2012). HR has to monitor the work of day to
operation so that if any changes required it can be done on time. For the team to be successful the
managers of the team have to be realistic expectations and they have to be proactive so that the
team can become more effective. The members of the team have to share their work with each
other so that the cohesion can be created in the team.
Team always work together so if one person in the team is not working effectively than
the whole team work declines. A true team is the one which works hand to hand as in the team
work no longer individual activity sustain. The quality of the leadership is shared among the
team so that every can guide each other. Google's HR Group turns into a true team when
everyone will dive the competition. Each member should have the competitive spirit which also
helps in tackling the problems (Duhigg, 2016). The communication between the team members
should be effective and there should be trust among the members so that they can build as the
good team. If there is any barrier in the group than it has to be broken so that it can turn into the
effective team and the progress can be seen by considering the opinion of everyone in the team.
2 Teamwork competencies
Yes, Google's HR team members have been instructed. Teamwork will get success when
there is the trust among the team members and everyone work together to ac hive some outputs
or goals. It is important for the team to teach the competencies skill to their members which can
be done by showing the example. When any new member joins the team, they are not aware
about the skills which are needed in the team so the leader has to ensure that the new member
should taught all the skills and he posses with that in the team. The team of the organization is
effective when the members of the team are promoted and nurtured (Mohamed, et al., 2014).

Running Head: Management
3
When the team member is aware about the expectation of the team they work likely to
meet those expectations. In the same way the members of the team know about their desire so
they do not anticipate carrying out the actions. When the leader of the team informs the team
members about their expectations and goals then it is expected by the team members to work
accordingly and meet their expectations (Duhigg, 2016). At the time of the joining only the
Google's HR team members have to make aware to the team members of the team about the
teamwork competencies. At the time of the employment also the teamwork lesson has been
throughout by the Google's HR team members during the period of the onboarding. Teamwork
competencies are very helpful for the organization as it instructs the HR team manager about the
problem solving skills, solving the team conflicts, establish the positive environment and also
helpful in achieving the common goals.
3 Trust with this sort of cross-functional team
If there is the trust among the employees then they will work with full of commitment
and energy. For the cross functional team, trust is very essential as it helps in maintain the
relationship with other members of the team. If there is the trust and then the person can rely on
the other and his actions will be impactful to the team and their work. For the success of the tea,
trust is very essential (Tekleab, et al., 2016). Trust has to be earned by the employees by
communicating properly with each other, showing the respect and support, by predictability,
fairness and competence. For making the team work effective the trust is needed among the
employees for the cross functional team. Trust is built up when the intimacy and self-orientation
is build up in the team.
The trust can be build among the cross functional team members if they interact with
each other and communicate properly with each other (Bamber, et al., 2013). The trust can be
build up by the manager if he arrange the face to face meeting of the team members then they
will get the opportunity to interact with each other. The trust can be built in the cross functional
team by the cohesive strategy in which people work together towards the common goals. The
trust can be build quickly speaking and communicating with the members openly. If people
communicate with consistency and they show interest in the communication than the trust is
build up (Keller, 2011). In the team, the trust is also build up by sharing your vision as it helps in

Running Head: Management
4
acknowledging the life of the other people. Trust is built by encouraging the team members to
take the actions if they face any problem.
4 Which is for cross-functional team?
For the type of the cross functional team, cohesiveness is more important as it ensures
that the team member should work together so that goals and the objectives can be achieved. The
supervisor and the leader of the cross functional team should be reachable and adaptable by the
team members so that working in the team can be done more effectively. The leader has to
handle the different personalities in the team so they should have the quality of the emotional
quotient (Rapisarda, 2012). So to tackle the cross a functional team, the major aspect which is
needed is the socio emotional quotient. Cross functional team needs more cohesiveness as they
have both the bonds to link the members of their group which is emotional as well as social
bonds. The leader of the team should be the cohesion which should know how to work with the
unity sop the emotional needs of the member can also be fulfill.
Cross functional team have different expertise which work for the common goal so their
bond and trust between the members is high. The team of the cross functional required more
interpersonal communication so if the leader have the quality of the cohesion than he can handle
various aspects such as dynamic nature, instrumental basis, emotional dimension,
multidimensionality, etc. (ZOLTAN and Vancea, 2016). The effective communication across the
team can be seen can be seen so cohesiveness contributes to the group ability and work as the
functioning unit. All the team members are working for the common goal so it makes the team
more cohesive and efficient and also encourage the employees of the team to collaborate.
5 Advice to Google's Laszio Bock
My advice to the Google's Laszio Bock is that to manage the cross functional team they
have to clearly mention their goals to the team members so that everyone will stick towards the
common goals (Bamber, et al., 2013). It is important in the team to build the strong relationship
so they have to arrange the meetings and communicate them regularly so that the good
relationship and trust among the team members can be build up. He has to delegate the proper
authority and responsibility to each member of the team as it helps in achieving the goals easily.

Running Head: Management
5
To make the team more effective, the advice is that HR Google's Laszio Bock has to hire the
right employees which can work on the team mission (Sarin and McDermott, 2013).
Every group in the organization has the team leader so it is the advice that the leader
prepares the team for the new projects. The leader should not only train the employees regarding
the work but he should also tries to resolve the conflicts among the employees, review the team
goals timely and encourage the collaboration of the member so that it can turn into the effective
team building. The group meetings have to be arranged and the discussion has to be done
regarding the issues and the matters so that employees get satisfied with the team work. The
team leader has to interact with the “thirds” so that the understanding among the team members
can be built up (Hovmand, 2014).

Running Head: Management
6
References
Bamber, C. J., Castka, P., Sharp, J. M., & Motara, Y. (2013). Cross-functional team working for
overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Journal of Quality in Maintenance
Engineering, 9(3), 223-238.
Daspit, J., Justice Tillman, C., Boyd, N. G., & Mckee, V. (2013). Cross-functional team
effectiveness: An examination of internal team environment, shared leadership, and
cohesion influences. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 19(1/2),
34-56.
De Jong, B. A., Dirks, K. T., & Gillespie, N. (2016). Trust and team performance: A meta-
analysis of main effects, moderators, and covariates. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 101(8), 1134.
Duhigg, C. (2016). What Google learned from its quest to build the perfect team. The New York
Times Magazine, 26, 2016.
Hovmand, P. S. (2014). Group model building and community-based system dynamics process.
In Community Based System Dynamics (pp. 17-30). Springer, New York, NY.
Keller, R. T. (2011). Cross-functional project groups in research and new product development:
Diversity, communications, job stress, and outcomes. Academy of management
journal, 44(3), 547-555.
Mohamed, M., Stankosky, M., & Murray, A. (2014). Applying knowledge management
principles to enhance cross-functional team performance. Journal of knowledge
management, 8(3), 127-142.
Rapisarda, B. A. (2012). The impact of emotional intelligence on work team cohesiveness and
performance. The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 10(4), 363-379.
Sarin, S., & McDermott, C. (2013). The effect of team leader characteristics on learning,
knowledge application, and performance of cross‐functional new product development
teams. Decision sciences, 34(4), 707-739.

Running Head: Management
7
Simsarian Webber, S. (2012). Leadership and trust facilitating cross-functional team
success. Journal of management development, 21(3), 201-214.
Tekleab, A. G., Karaca, A., Quigley, N. R., & Tsang, E. W. (2016). Re-examining the functional
diversity–performance relationship: The roles of behavioral integration, team cohesion,
and team learning. Journal of Business Research, 69(9), 3500-3507.
ZOLTAN, R., & Vancea, R. (2016). WORK GROUP DEVELOPMENT MODELS–THE
EVOLUTION FROM SIMPLE GROUP TO EFFECTIVE TEAM. Ecoforum
Journal, 5(1).