Healthcare Administration Leadership & Management Journal
How to Manage Employee Teams by Type
Effectively managing work teams requires recognition of different team types and their unique characteristics, advantages, and challenges. This article highlights 12 common team types, suggests effective management strategies, and introduces 9 behavioral team types.
January/February 2025 Vol. 3, No. 1 pp. 3–11 DOI: 10.55834/halmj.4834982863
Abstract
Managing any work team effectively will depend upon the type of team it is. That is why healthcare administrators, leaders, and managers need to understand and recognize the different work team types possible for their organizations and the characteristics, advantages, and challenges of each one. This article urges readers to choose their team types strategically, rather than because of tradition, common practice, inertia, emotion, or personal preference. It describes the 12 team types most cited in the literature and suggests management strategies that will be most effective with each one. This article then provides readers with 12 questions to help them determine the best team type for their needs and goals. Finally, this article explores an unusual way of typing teams according to their behavior. It describes nine distinct behavioral team types and their strengths, blind spots, and best management practices.
