Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/592194
3. Definition of Roles The basic roles of a team include a facilitator, a leader, and team members. The facilitator is an integral part of the infrastructure necessary to the attainment of continuous improvement—providing the link between the team and the overall business strategy (Morris and Haigh 1994). In- house facilitators must be chosen with care, as replacing them can be debilitating to group dynamics. Outside facili- tators are good if they are already known and have earned the respect of team members. The advantage of outside fa- cilitators is it is easier and less traumatic to remove them if they prove to be unsuited for the team (Ousnamer 1997). The role of the leader is most critical as the team devel- ops (Wageman 1997). Initially, the leader assists with the design of the team, provides clear direction, and helps the team progress. Later, the leader acts as a coach and moni- tors the team's progress. The roles of each team member must be clearly under- stood. Each member has unique attributes and should rec- ognize why each one was selected for the team. Their roles may or may not be formally defined, but they should at least be communicated to avoid duplication of efforts and conflict. The leader may choose to discuss these roles indi- vidually with each member or lead a discussion with the group to make sure the roles of each member are plainly understood. 4. Real Team Function The basic elements of their work should require mem- bers to work together to complete significant tasks (Wage- man 1997). Spending time together as a whole group is critical. Oftentimes, I observed the primary function of tradi- tional safety committees was to conduct routine safety in- spections (by department, area, or crew). One problem with this approach is simply performing a safety inspection can usually be done by one or two people and doesn't require the work of the entire team. Such tasks can be assigned to other employees or rotated among employees to get more people involved in the safety program. However, a better use of the safety leadership team is for the group to train field employees how to conduct safety inspections. As other employees conduct safety in- spections, the safety leadership team can then review their inspection findings, prioritize their findings by the risk of injury or illness, determine the root causes, and evaluate possible corrective actions. 5. Visible Management Support and Commitment Team members must perceive that management fully supports and is committed to safety and the team's efforts. If not, team members will lose dedication and interest. Management should visibly show interest in the safety team's activities and communicate a sense of urgency for the group's purpose. By doing so, members will be assured their purpose is in line with the company's overall business strategy. Management should not wait until problems within the team develop, but instead show a proactive interest in the group. 6. Mutual Responsibility and Group Accountability One problem when work teams are carelessly formed is that accountability may be lost (Brookes 1993). Therefore, the leader must determine in advance before the team is formed how members will be held accountable as a group if a substandard effort is produced. Will the entire team be replaced? On the other hand, how will the group be recog- nized for performing outstanding work? The important point is the whole group must be held accountable for poor work. Likewise, the whole group should be recognized for solving problems. The leader must clearly express to the team members this responsibil- ity is mutual, along with the potential consequences of poor performance. 7. Authority to Manage Having the authority to manage the team's tasks will most likely lead to a self-managing team. Such authority means the safety leadership team, not the leader, has the authority to make decisions over basic team functions (Wageman 1997). If management or the team leader inter- feres with this authority, the team's sense of ownership will be compromised. Instead, the leader should explicitly address the team's authority and the boundaries around it. The team should understand the leader is available for consultation, but the ultimate decision-making authority for solving safety- related problems belongs to the safety leadership team. 8. Team Size The primary factor in determining the size of any prob- lem-solving team is the number of tasks, the skills needed, and how complex are the functions required. The key for work teams to be successful is for the first person in the workflow to be interdependent with the last person and for all to be mutually accountable to each other for results. Although there have been successful teams comprised of 40 or more people, teams with a large number of mem- bers tend to lose mutual accountability. Ideally, teams should consist of between 5 and 15 members (Barnard 1999). 9. Availability of Resources A safety leadership team needs the necessary tools to perform their work. Safety teams should not be formed from the bottom-up and have to go begging or searching for the appropriate resources. This should be considered when the team is initially formed, and the team leader should negotiate with management what resources are needed. Such resources include reasonable times allocated for regular meetings, meeting spaces, means to attend meet- ings remotely, access to relevant data and reports, time to perform team tasks, and additional training. Some upfront team-building training or workshops may be helpful. 52 November 2015 WWJ waterwelljournal.com SAFETY MATTERS from page 50