Solving the Workforce Puzzle #4: Temporary Teams

The creation of temporary teams in an enterprise is not a new notion. Whether you call them tiger teams, task forces, or some other name, forming a group of professionals focused on a particular and often short-term project or task is not unusual. The permanent team model, though, has been the mainstay of workforce management for the last 40 years.

Times have changed. The workplace and industries no longer resemble the 1980s or the markets they serve. Where the permanent team model was that era’s “future of work,” the temporary team model is now ascendant, a key component of the agile, flexible workforce of this era’s future. Instead of one-off tiger teams and task forces, the winning enterprise will embrace and foster a culture of temporary teams in all parts of the company.

Why Not Permanent Teams?

The idea that long-term teams produce the best results is embedded in the business psyche. But as the quest continues for high-performing teams, some experts assert that the cost-to-benefit ratio of maintaining a long-term team is too high—excessive expense for insufficient results. And even with all trappings in place—like a shared mission, clear roles, and stable membership—most permanent teams fall far short of high performance.

The downsides of permanent teams are becoming more apparent in our quickly evolving marketplace. A permanent team of only employees is not likely to demonstrate the ability to quickly pivot to keep up with fast-moving change. In fact, given the retooling and retraining that can be called for to respond to market shifts, a permanent team can hamper progress.

The Case for Temporary Teams

Teams are still the way to achieve “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” benefits. The change is shifting to temporary teams comprising blended groups of full-time workers and high-value independent labor.

Members of temporary teams connect, collaborate to achieve a specific result, and then disband. The process repeats as members move to other temporary teams. This fluid model supports the agility and flexibility that are imperative in the future of work. And the model does not preclude high performance. Many characteristics of high-performing teams are organizational culture characteristics—think diversity, respect, trust, and innovation, among others—so high-performing teams can still be a goal for leadership. The key is to have the right culture in which the teams operate.

How to Make Temporary Teams Work

The company that sees the value of making this shift can’t just take the old team model and plop it onto a temporary team model. A temporary team culture is skills-focused, values diversity, and thrives through change. An enterprise may need to shift policies and leadership approaches to create an environment that supports temporary teams.

Strategies that make temporary teams work include:

• Making sure that your onboarding processes are aligned with the model so that new employees and contractors understand what to expect
• Emphasizing soft skills that are essential to the temporary team model
• Maintaining an ongoing relationship with independent professionals who have high-value skills so that you can engage them as needed can save costs and ensure knowledge retention
• Striving for the optimal member mix of veterans and new workers in each team
• Encouraging collaboration over competition so that workers cultivate cooperative habits that work from team to team

The temporary team model is the next phase in ensuring future enterprise success, and savvy companies are implementing the right culture, processes, and leadership to make it a reality.