SQUAD: What is it and its primary benefits

Despite being a “new” team configuration for companies, this concept has been around since the 1970s. Initially, some companies like Fuji and Toyota used this model. In current scenarios, many organizations and startups are implementing multidisciplinary teams in their business models, such as Spotify.

By separating your employees into small teams, you can count on agile management of the entire project process. The main objective is to have better performance and more agility, which is why this model has been drawing the attention of the major players in the market.

What is SQUAD, and how does it work?

The SQUAD concept is based on ​​dividing company groups into small multidisciplinary teams. Thus, it is possible to gain considerable autonomy and set priorities in business projects.

In this model, teams do not have a formal leadership figure. This definition occurs naturally, mainly because these teams are self-managed. The leader’s role is not a position in itself, but one of the functions performed within the teams. Another essential point about SQUADS is that there is no type of division based on the companies’ traditional roles.

In this team configuration, there are no departments specializing in certain areas. The teams are determined in a multidisciplinary way and act according to the needs that arise in the projects.

All the members involved carry out collaborative work, strengthening the co-creation of creative solutions for the projects. SQUADS are typically shaped with teams from 3 to 10 members. Autonomy allows each team to decide which problems must be solved and how this process will occur, according to the company’s goals.

What are the benefits of SQUAD?

Productivity increase

In the traditional business organization model, several factors reduce productivity during the execution of a project. Among them, we have bureaucratic issues, which can harm the entire progress of these processes. Other elements can also arise, such as time conflicts and tight deadlines.

In a SQUAD, this scenario changes completely. The autonomy of the members, combined with the ease of communication within the teams, are factors that significantly enhance the results for the company.

The reduced number of members also contributes to productivity gains, as this means fewer meetings and fewer people involved in decision-making.

More autonomy for teams

Autonomy allows team members to be genuinely part of the operations in the organization. Thus, it is possible to add value to employees, which conveys the feeling that the opinions of these professionals are relevant to the projects.

The feeling of co-creation makes the team more participative throughout the process, reflecting directly on the final work and the results achieved.

More agile deliveries

Once again, we will emphasize the importance of autonomy in this team configuration: it is vital to speed up project deliveries. Besides turning the whole process faster, it is possible to notice gains in the relationship between the company and the public.

This type of closer relationship is essential to favor a broader view of the current scenario of your business in the market. It leverages your efforts, allowing you to build solutions that are more aligned with your audience’s expectations.

Another highlight for SQUADS is that you can also optimize the service of your business. Instead of a generic service, you provide specialized support. In addition, it is possible to reduce the onboarding time of your consumers, improving the user experience.

Better alignment

Having a team aligned to the execution processes in a project is very important to achieving success. To make this possible, your company’s sectors, such as IT and finance, must be integrated to have exemplary performance. SQUADS act precisely at this point by eliminating any problems related to conflicts between teams.

In this model, all members share the same objective. With this, it is possible to reduce disagreements and have the goals aligned according to the organization’s needs.

Contribution beyond the assigned role

Even though each team member has a defined specialty, this does not mean that he cannot contribute to the process’s overall performance. The great advantage of this team configuration is that everyone can collaborate to achieve a common goal.

The motivation to go beyond their primary function is noticeable in SQUADS and generates excellent results. Thus, if a member has already finished his work at a particular stage, he can help his colleague.

This action directly impacts the team’s performance, enhancing results and making the most of the capabilities of each professional. More than only gaining from this process, employees also have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and learn in practice with other co-workers.

Now you know what SQUAD is and what its benefits are. Having multidisciplinary teams is the perfect solution for making notable gains in your projects’ performance and standing out in the market.