This thought provoking article by Forbes examines the differences that team structures and individual employee performance can have on the overall productivity of a business. It’s an article that’s well worth reading for any business owner as the outcomes of adopting different methodologies for managing teams are dramatic.
All businesses tend to have the same amount of exceptionally high performing employees as a percentage of their overall workforce (irrespective of their size or industry). However, the study found what differentiates the exceptionally productive businesses is how they go about allocating these star employees to teams within their organisation. The article identifies those organisations that group their star employees into teams specifically focused on the activities that are critical to success end up being the most successful and productive.
These teams are formed almost entirely of star employees (95%) can end up being 30 times more productive than the rest, with the same number of employees over a 10 year period. By specifically grouping the best employees into teams focused on the most critical tasks in the early 2000s, Apple was able to significantly outperform Microsoft who adopted more the more traditional approach of spreading the best employees into teams throughout the organisation.
Contact the Maddock’s Accounting & Advisory team here to find out how we can help.
See the original article here
Photo: Flickr user Roger Schultz PHOTO: FLICKR USER ROGER SCHULTZ