Team Building

We will discuss

Lecture notes by Prabbal Frank for students of Lingayas University

(Course Code 293: Intra & Inter Personal Skills)

The TEAM Concept Elements of Teamwork Stages of Team Formation Basic Building Blocks of a Team Effective Team Team Players Style

The team concept

Whats in a name? Not every team is really a team, and some groups that are called by other names occasionally do phenomenal teamwork. A group of people who are united in working towards a common goal. A common goal is a statement that is agreed upon by the team. It provides direction and should offer a challenge that is achievable by the team. Benefits of a team For employees Tasks are completed more quickly Greater job satisfaction Work is often more enjoyable happier workplace Ability to draw on other peoples experiences and ideas getting support in the workplace For employer Improved production and higher staff morale Reduced staff turnover Increased profits and product quality For customers Better products and customer service

Elements of teamwork
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Tolerance Honesty Commitment Dedication Flexibility

Stages of team formation

Stage 1: Forming
Formation of team happens & the team comes together

Lecture notes by Prabbal Frank for students of Lingayas University Members feel anxious and spend their time finding out about each other Individual roles and responsibilities are unclear Highly depending on the manager/leader

Stage 2: Storming
Team members come up with ideas through debates on how to proceed with the task about task priorities; clarity on purpose of the task; roles & responsibilities and processes to follow Influence of ideas and power struggles may arise Compromises may be required to enable progress Team members may challenge the leader & leader coaches

Stage 3: Norming
Work as a team starts Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted Team begin to exhibit participative behavior & decision making happens by group agreement Commitment, trust and unity increases

Stage 4: Performing
This stage is characterized by high levels of: goal orientation; interpersonal relations; independence, motivation,- knowledge; competence in team members Team know what, why & how of the task they are executing High level of respect in the communication between team members Team expects delegation of task instead of instruction/assistance

Bruce Tuckman: Though he came up with four stages(forming-storming-norming-performing) in his initial publication in 1965, he added Adjourning(some refers this as Mourning) , to include team breaks after project completion, in later 1970s.

Basic building blocks of a team

1. Identify team roles a. Team leader (shapes) b. Team advisor c. Facilitator d. Process observers or team members e. Scribe or recorder 2. Select right kind of team members a. Contribute a complementary mix of skill sets (project management skills, financial skills) b. Specific problem-solving and decision-making talents c. Ask for recommendations from your manager and your colleagues d. Look for individuals who have had team experience e. The real important thing become attitude 3. Make team goals clear 4. Establish ground rules a. All meetings will start and stop on time;

Lecture notes by Prabbal Frank for students of Lingayas University b. each meeting will have an agenda; c. all team members will attend and participate in team meetings; d. all criticism must be constructive; differences of opinion will be recognized and explored; e. all members will keep others informed on a need-to-know basis, using the Team Contact Information Form. f. Decision Making processes: Leader decides with team input, majority decides, small group of experts decide, decision by consensus. 5. Improve communication in the team a. Make sure that the roles and responsibilities are clear b. Listen to your team c. Review the format for team discussion during meetings d. Encourage all members to contribute by asking their opinions e. Deliberately examine opposing points of view f. Encourage the team to talk often about its goals

Effective team
Focus on collective performance Build collaboration out of conflict: direct the teams process to stay focused on its goals, encourage sharing of diverse ideas and opinions, use reward systems that make team performance more valuable than individual performance (hotels waiters have common fund of tips). Keep the team focused and informed on its goals Create a positive culture: everyone feels recognized and comfortable making contributions Empower the team: participative decisions making (consensus), positive reinforcement for participation, Take a periodic time-out: all work and no play makes Jonny a dull boy.

Team players style

An effective team needs diversity in its membership, a combination of work and personality styles. The following four team player styles are not intended to be absolutes but rather preferences that people have towards how they work with others. Each style has a brief description of its strengths and weaknesses. 1. The Doer is very task-oriented and action-focused. Give him a job and hes happy. The Doer is good at research, reliable, meets deadlines, and produces good quality work. He operates by priorities and pushes the team towards higher performance. He can be effective at teaching technical skills. The Doer dislikes uncertainty and ambiguity; is impatient; wants results immediately; can be too focused on data; is impulsive; strives for perfection; and tends to avoid risk. If the Doer is the leader, he must be must be especially careful of these weaknesses. One major problem can be a lack of trust in the teams members. Moreover, he must be aware of others feelings and work at interpersonal and communication skills. 2. The Visionary sees the big picture and likes ideas and concepts. She lets the teams vision and mission be the driver. She doesnt like getting bogged down in details, leaving these to the Doer. She

Lecture notes by Prabbal Frank for students of Lingayas University believes strongly in teamwork and is good at helping others understand where they fit in to the larger picture. The Visionary is a creative thinker and stimulates others in thinking about the future. She takes a cooperative and flexible approach to working with others. However, she must pay attention to her weaknesses. She has a tendency to ignore work in favour of conceptualizing and dreaming about the future. She can get hung up on process instead of results. And she may over-commit the team to setting too many objectives If shes the leader, the Visionary has a lot to offer the team, especially in the area of long-term strategic thinking. But she must be aware of her weaknesses. 3. The Feeler is a very strong context person, making sure that everyone is on board before proceeding with a task or project. Hes very aware of how others feel and is an excellent listener and facilitator. Hes skilled at resolving conflicts and wont let stronger members dominate team discussions. The Feeler must be careful not to push the soft stuff too hard (i.e., listening and feedback skills) if the team gets bogged down. He believes that interpersonal skills will solve all problems. And he can become a process fanatic, driving the others to distraction. If he is the leader, the Feeler creates a participative atmosphere. But his people approach can be over- bearing and he must not lose sight that disputes are normal and healthy for teams. 4. The Boat Rocker is open and direct with the other members of the team. She regularly challenges the team on such issues as methods used, goals, and team values. She wont hesitate to disagree with the teams leader or with management. She likes to take calculated risks. However, the Boat Rocker must be careful not to use her style for non-productive use. Its necessary at times to let an issue drop. Moreover, she shouldnt push the team to take unnecessary risks. As the teams leader, shes good at promoting an atmosphere of trust and openness; innovation; and continuous learning. However, she needs to watch out for being too argumentative. The Challenge Each of us has a personality preference to how we approach work, establish relationships with coworkers, and engage in collaborative learning. In the context of team players, the challenge is for each of us to understand our preferred style and to use it effectively. This means being constantly aware of the shadow (weak) aspects of our preferred style. Moreover, we must strive for balance by using all four styles in the appropriate settings.