Text: Better Business s2

Video Title: Work Teams – CH2MHill Run Time: 2:53

Classroom Application: Assess student’s understanding of the types of work teams, and ability to differentiate work teams and work groups.

Synopsis Teamwork is very important at CH2M Hill. Kurt Workman, a digital communications manager at the organization, discusses the two approaches the company takes in regard to teams. The first is their “communities of practice,” in which employees with similar roles or functions throughout the global enterprise come together to share insights and discuss problems. These communities are collaborative initiatives to share knowledge. CH2M Hill’s other significant approach to work teams is their project teams. Their large-scale engineering projects require a huge amount of teamwork and wide range of skills.

Discussion Questions In recent years, the use of work teams has increased dramatically in the workplace. Companies like CH2MHill enjoy the benefits of collaboration and creative problem solving that come from teamwork.

1) What types of teams are utilized by CH2MHill? Describe the structure and purpose of each type of team. 2) How do these teams differ from work groups?

Quiz Question 1

Communities of practice refer to ______.

1. groups that promote and fuel organizational anarchy 2. professional societies, where people formally present their innovations and inventions 3. formal groups that bring together workers’ unions 4. peak organizations that lobby with governments for political gains 5. work groups, where people get together to share information and insights Answer: Choice 5

Explanation:

Choice 5: In the words of Kurt Workman: “Communities of practice refer to work groups, where people who all kind of have a similar role, similar function within the company spread around the globe, get together periodically and share information, share

Choice 1: In the words of Kurt Workman: “Communities of practice refer to work groups, where people who all kind of have a similar role, similar function within the company spread around the globe, get together periodically and share information, share insight, maybe have a specific sort of problem that they all want to kind of work out together.”

Question 2

Communities of practice are ______.

1. collaborative groups 2. primary groups 3. formal groups 4. peak organizations 5. hierarchical organizations Answer: Choice 1

Explanation:

Choice 1: In the words of Kurt Workman: “Communities of practice refer to work groups, where people who all kind of have a similar role, similar function within the company spread around the globe, get together periodically and share information, share

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc publishing as Prentice Hall insight, maybe have a specific sort of problem that they all want to kind of work out together.” Communities of practice function through collaborative efforts.

Choice 2: In the words of Kurt Workman: “Communities of practice refer to work groups, where people who all kind of have a similar role, similar function within the company spread around the globe, get together periodically and share information, share insight, maybe have a specific sort of problem that they all want to kind of work out together.” Communities of practice function through collaborative efforts.

Question 3

Robert Clifford is a successful project manager in a software technology firm. He places strong emphasis on the importance of teamwork for large-scale engineering projects. Which of the following is most likely to be a reason for this?

1. It is difficult to motivate people when they are not part of a big team. 2. Large-scale engineering projects are generously funded and stakeholders tend to be sensitive about the outcome of such projects. 3. A mix of different types of skills and an effective coordination of team members’ efforts are required for the successful completion of such projects. 4. Large-scale engineering projects require niche skills. 5. The success of large-scale engineering projects is overly dependent on the number of people working on them. Answer: Choice 3

Explanation:

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc publishing as Prentice Hall Choice 3: A mix of different types of skills and an effective coordination of team members’ efforts are required for the successful completion of large-scale engineering projects.

Choice 1: The video does not mention this.

Choice 4: A mix of different types of skills and an effective coordination of team members’ efforts are required for the successful completion of large-scale engineering projects.