MODULE-5 Inter-Growth Interventions

Team Building

With good team-building skills, you can unite employees around a common goal and generate greater productivity. Without them, you limit yourself and the staff to the effort each individual can make alone. Team building is an ongoing process that helps a work group evolve into a cohesive unit. The team members not only share expectations for accomplishing group tasks, but trust and support one another and respect one another's individual differences. Your role as a team builder is to lead your team toward cohesiveness and productivity. team takes on a life of its own and you have to regularly nurture and maintain it, !ust as you do for individual employees. Your "evelopment # Training $rgani%ation "evelopment &onsultant can advise and help you. 'anaging diversity well can enhance team-building( 'anaging "iversity in the Workplace, offers information and resources in this important area.

Guiding Princi les Other !esources "te s to Building an E##ective Team "$m toms that "ignal a %eed #or Team Building

Guiding Princi les

Team building can lead to)

*ood communications with participants as team members and individuals +ncreased department productivity and creativity Team members motivated to achieve goals climate of cooperation and collaborative problem-solving ,igher levels of !ob satisfaction and commitment ,igher levels of trust and support "iverse co-workers working well together &lear work ob!ectives
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-etter operating policies and procedures

Other !esources $rgani%ation "evelopment .pecialists in "evelopment # Training "on "iettinger - /-0102 3oseph "os 4amos - /-0561

"te s to Building an E##ective Team The first rule of team building is an obvious one) to lead a team effectively, you must first establish your leadership with each team member. 4emember that the most effective team leaders build their relationships of trust and loyalty, rather than fear or the power of their positions.

&onsider each em lo$ee's ideas as valua(le. 4emember that there is no such thing as a stupid idea.

Be aware o# em lo$ees' uns o)en #eelings. .et an example to team members by being open with employees and sensitive to their moods and feelings.

*ct as a harmoni+ing in#luence. 7ook for chances to mediate and resolve minor disputes( point continually toward the team's higher goals.

Be clear when communicating. -e careful to clarify directives. Encourage trust and coo eration among em lo$ees on $our team. 4emember that the relationships team members establish among themselves are every bit as important as those you establish with them. s the team begins to take shape, pay close attention to the ways in which team members work together and take steps to improve communication, cooperation, trust, and respect in those relationships.

Encourage team mem(ers to share in#ormation. 8mphasi%e the importance of each team member's contribution and demonstrate how all of their !obs operate together to move the entire team closer to its goal.

Delegate ro(lem-solving tas)s to the team. 7et the team work on creative solutions together.

,acilitate communication. 4emember that communication is the single most important factor in successful teamwork. 9acilitating communication does not mean holding meetings all the time. +nstead it means setting an example by remaining open to
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suggestions and concerns, by asking :uestions and offering help, and by doing everything you can to avoid confusion in your own communication.

Esta(lish team values and goals- evaluate team er#ormance. -e sure to talk with members about the progress they are making toward established goals so that employees get a sense both of their success and of the challenges that lie ahead. ddress teamwork in performance standards. "iscuss with your team)
o o o

What do we really care about in performing our !ob; What does the word success mean to this team; What actions can we take to live up to our stated values;

Ma)e sure that $ou have a clear idea o# what $ou need to accom lish ( that you know what your standards for success are going to be( that you have established clear time frames( and that team members understand their responsibilities.

Use consensus. .et ob!ectives, solve problems, and plan for action. While it takes much longer to establish consensus, this method ultimately provides better decisions and greater productivity because it secures every employee's commitment to all phases of the work.

"et ground rules #or the team. These are the norms that you and the team establish to ensure efficiency and success. They can be simple directives <Team members are to be punctual for meetings= or general guidelines <8very team member has the right to offer ideas and suggestions=, but you should make sure that the team creates these ground rules by consensus and commits to them, both as a group and as individuals.

Esta(lish a method #or arriving at a consensus. You may want to conduct open debate about the pros and cons of proposals, or establish research committees to investigate issues and deliver reports.

Encourage listening and (rainstorming. s supervisor, your first priority in creating consensus is to stimulate debate. 4emember that employees are often afraid to disagree with one another and that this fear can lead your team to make mediocre decisions. When you encourage debate you inspire creativity and that's how you'll spur your team on to better results.

Esta(lish the arameters o# consensus-(uilding sessions. -e sensitive to the frustration that can mount when the team is not achieving consensus. t the outset of your meeting, establish time limits, and work with the team to achieve consensus within those parameters. Watch out for false consensus( if an agreement is struck too :uickly, be
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careful to probe individual team members to discover their real feelings about the proposed solution.

"$m toms that "ignal a %eed #or Team Building > "ecreased productivity > &onflicts or hostility among staff members > &onfusion about assignments, missed signals, and unclear relationships > "ecisions misunderstood or not carried through properly > pathy and lack of involvement complex > 7ack of initiation, imagination, innovation( routine actions taken for solving problems > &omplaints of discrimination or favoritism > +neffective staff meetings, low participation, minimally effective decisions > ?egative reactions to the manager > &omplaints about :uality of service

Li)ert.s Management "$stems These are management styles developed by 4ensis 7ikert in the 2@/As. ,e outlined four systems of management to describe the relationship, involvement, and roles of managers and subordinates in industrial settings. ,e based the systems on studies of highly productive supervisors and their team members of an merican +nsurance &ompany. 7ater, he and 3ane *. 7ikert revised the systems to apply to educational settings. They initially intended to spell out the roles of principals, students, and teachers( eventually others such as superintendents, administrators, and parents were included.B5C

4ensis 7ikert and his associates studied the patterns and styles of managers for three decades at the Dniversity of 'ichigan, D. , and identified a four-fold model of management systems. The model was developed on the basis of a :uestionnaire administered to managers in over 5AA organi%ations and research into the performance characteristics of different types of organi%ations. The four systems of management system or the four leadership styles identified by 7ikert are)
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"$stem / - E0 loitative *uthoritative1 4esponsibility lies in the hands of the people at the upper echelons of the hierarchy. The superior has no trust and confidence in subordinates. The decisions are imposed on subordinates and they do not feel free at all to discuss things about the !ob with their superior. The teamwork or communication is very little and the motivation is based on threats.

"$stem 2 - Benevolent *uthoritative1 The responsibility lies at the managerial levels but not at the lower levels of the organi%ational hierarchy. The superior has condescending confidence and trust in subordinates <master-servant relationship=. ,ere again, the subordinates do not feel free to discuss things about the !ob with their superior. The teamwork or communication is very little and motivation is based on a system of rewards. "$stem 3 - &onsultative1 4esponsibility is spread widely through the organi%ational hierarchy. The superior has substantial but not complete confidence in subordinates. .ome amount of discussion about !ob related things takes place between the superior and subordinates. There is a fair amount of teamwork, and communication takes place vertically and hori%ontally. The motivation is based on rewards and involvement in the !ob.

"$stem 4 - Partici ative1 4esponsibility for achieving the organi%ational goals is widespread throughout the organi%ational hierarchy. There is a high level of confidence that the superior has in his subordinates. There is a high level of teamwork, communication, and participation.

The nature of these four management systems has been described by 7ikert through a profile of organi%ational characteristics. +n this profile, the four management systems have been compared with one another on the basis of certain organi%ational variables which are)

7eadership processes 'otivational forces &ommunication process +nteraction-influence process "ecision-making process *oal-setting or ordering &ontrol processes

$n the basis of this profile, 7ikert administered a :uestionnaire to several employees belonging to different organi%ations and from different managerial positions <both line and staff=. ,is studies confirmed that the departments or units employing management practices within .ystems 2 and 5 were the lease productive, and the departments or units employing management practices within .ystems E and 0 were the most productive.
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*dvantages With the help of the profile developed by 7ikert, it became possible to :uantify the results of the work done in the field of group dynamics. 7ikert theory also facilitated the measurement of the FsoftG areas of management, such as trust and communication. &onclusion ccording to 4ensis 7ikert, the nearer the behavioral characteristics of an organi%ation approach .ystem 0 <Harticipative=, the more likely this will lead to long-term improvementin staff turnover and high productivity, low scrap, low costs, and high earnings.if an organi%ation wants to achieve optimum effectiveness, then the ideal system

G!ID OD *rid training is an outgrowth of the managerial grid approach to leadership <-lacke and 'outon, 2@61=. +t is an instrumental approach to laboratory training. .ensitivity training is supplemented with self-administered instruments <-enny, -radford and 7ippitt, 2@/0=. The analysis of these instruments helps in group development and in the learning of group members. This techni:ue is widely used and has proved effective. *rid training for $" is completed in six phases. They are) I laboratory-seminar training, which aims at ac:uainting participants with concepts and material used in grid training( I a team development phase, involving the coming together of members from the same department to chart out as to how they will attain a @ x @ position on the grid( I inter-group development aims at overall $". "uring this phase, conflict situations between groups are identified and analysed( I organi%ation goal setting is based on participative management, where participants contribute to and agree upon important goals for the organi%ation( I goal attainment aims at achieving goals which were set during the phase of organi%ational goal setting( and I stabili%ation involves the evaluation of the overall programme and making suggestions for changes if appropriate.
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Understanding the Model The 'anagerial *rid is based on two behavioral dimensions)

&oncern #or Peo le J This is the degree to which a leader considers the needs of team members, their interests, and areas of personal development when deciding how best to accomplish a task. &oncern #or Production J This is the degree to which a leader emphasi%es concrete ob!ectives, organi%ational efficiency and high productivity when deciding how best to accomplish a task.

Dsing the axis to plot leadership Kconcerns for productionL versus Kconcerns for peopleL, -lake and 'outon defined the following five leadership styles)

&ountr$ &lu( Leadershi 5 6igh Peo le7Low Production This style of leader is most concerned about the needs and feelings of members of hisMher team. These people operate under the assumption that as long as team members are happy and secure then they will work hard. What tends to result is a work environment that is very relaxed and fun but where production suffers due to lack of direction and control. Produce or Perish Leadershi 5 6igh Production7Low Peo le lso known as uthoritarian or &ompliance 7eaders, people in this category believe that employees are simply a means to an end. 8mployee needs are always secondary to the need for efficient and productive workplaces. This type of leader is very autocratic, has strict work rules,
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policies, and procedures, and views punishment as the most effective means to motivate employees.

Im overished Leadershi 5 Low Production7Low Peo leThis leader is mostly ineffective. ,eMshe has neither a high regard for creating systems for getting the !ob done, nor for creating a work environment that is satisfying and motivating. The result is a place of disorgani%ation, dissatisfaction and disharmony. Middle-o#-the-!oad Leadershi 5 Medium Production7Medium Peo leThis style seems to be a balance of the two competing concerns. +t may at first appear to be an ideal compromise. Therein lies the problem, though) When you compromise, you necessarily give away a bit of each concern so that neither production nor people needs are fully met. 7eaders who use this style settle for average performance and often believe that this is the most anyone can expect.

Team Leadershi 5 6igh Production76igh Peo leccording to the -lake 'outon model, this is the pinnacle of managerial style. These leaders stress production needs and the needs of the people e:ually highly. The premise here is that employees are involved in understanding organi%ational purpose and determining production needs. When employees are committed to, and have a stake in the organi%ationLs success, their needs and production needs coincide. This creates a team environment based on trust and respect, which leads to high satisfaction and motivation and, as a result, high production. * l$ing the Bla)e Mouton Managerial Grid

-eing aware of the various approaches is the first step in understanding and improving how well you perform as a manager. +t is important to understand how you currently operate, so that you can then identify ways of becoming competent in both realms. "te One1 Identi#$ $our leadershi st$le

Think of some recent situations where you were the leader. 9or each of these situations, place yourself in the grid according to where you believe you fit.

"te Two1 Identi#$ areas o# im rovement and develo $our leadershi s)ills

7ook at your current leadership method and critically analy%e its effectiveness. 7ook at ways you can improve. re you settling for Kmiddle of the roadL because it is easier than reaching for more;
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+dentify ways to get the skills you need to reach the Team 7eadership position. These may include involving others in ro(lem solving or improving how you communicate with them, if you feel you are too task-oriented. $r it may mean becoming clearer about scheduling or monitoring ro8ect rogress if you tend to focus too much on people. &ontinually monitor your performance and watch for situations when you slip back into bad old habits.

"te Three1 Put the Grid in &onte0t +t is important to recogni%e that the Team 7eadership style isnLt always the most effective approach in every situation. While the benefits of democratic and participative management are universally accepted, there are times that call for more attention in one area than another. +f your company is in the midst of a merger or some other significant change, it is often acceptable to place a higher emphasis on people than on production. 7ikewise, when faced with an economic hardship or physical risk, people concerns may be placed on the back burner, for the short-term at least, to achieve high productivity and efficiency.

%ote1 Theories of leadership have moved on a certain amount since the -lake 'outon *rid was originally proposed. +n particular, the context in which leadership occurs is now seen as an important driver of the leadership style used. nd in many situations, the NTeam 7eaderN as an ideal has moved to the ideal of the NTransformational 7eaderN) .omeone who, according to leadership researcher -ernard -ass)

+s a model of integrity and fairness. .ets clear goals. ,as high expectations. 8ncourages. Hrovides support and recognition. .tirs people's emotions. *ets people to look beyond their self-interest. +nspires people to reach for the improbable.

.o use -lake 'outon as a helpful model, but don't treat it as an Neternal truthN.

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