Successful Teams 1

Successful Team Dynamics

Team B

Neil James, David Knight, Kenneth Milton Jr., Chenista Straubel

GEN 300

Mr. Davis

February 23, 2004

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Abstract

Successful teams are the product of concentrated efforts, diverse selection, and

applied leadership. Teams and team members who are able to provide focus, creativity, and

demonstrate critical thinking, ethical reasoning, as well as conflict management skills are

able to accomplish great goals.

In the following review of teamwork, we demonstrate how great wars have been

fought and won – with the blessings and lives of successful teams. We share with you the

diversity of nature’s teamwork that creates balance and unity necessary for all living-kind.

Creating the foundation of successful teams and their leadership requires informed

and involved management as well as diverse and educated team members. Facilitating the

creativity of team members is the goal of leadership.

Management’s role remains with empowering the teams which enables the company

to enjoy the success of team effort while allowing individual team members to experience the

success of their united efforts. This demonstration of team effort provides the foundation for

unity and continued synergy required for the success of future team-based projects.
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Successful Team Dynamics

Notable Team Efforts

Gateway Arch

When considering teamwork, civilization, and construction, I would think of St.

Louis, Missouri and the “Gateway Arch”. The Arch and surrounding park built on the banks

of the Mississippi River commemorate westward growth of the United States between 1803

and 1890. The architect Eero Saarinen designed the famous “Gateway Arch” which cost

thirty million dollars to construct and took over thirty years to complete. The arch is the

tallest memorial in the United States rising 630 feet from a sixty-foot foundation and

spanning 630 feet at ground level. Its catenary’s curve sways one-half to one inch in 20 mph

winds. Total weight is approximately 43,000 tons and it is constructed of concrete and 5,199

tons of stainless steel. It was named one of the seven greatest wonders of the world by

“National Geographic” and there are 1076 steps to the top.

What is truly amazing is that the team effort began with each construction team

building a separate base and continuing until all the teams and construction met at the top.

There was only one fatality during the entire construction.

War Time Teams

There are great accounts of team efforts recorded throughout U.S. history. The two

great illustrations discussed are not meant to lessen the team efforts expended by any person

who has served our country. The first example offered is General George S. Patton and the

United States third Army. During the winter of 1944 the Germans launched what we know

as the “Battle of the Bulge”. During this time Patton’s warriors made a spectacular battle

march to relieve the “101st Airborne’s, Screaming Eagles.” They had been surrounded and
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were being besieged at the town of Bastogne. In the following months Patton’s army drove

relentlessly into Germany, crossing the Rhine and entering Austria. By the end of World War

II, Patton’s Third army had gone farther, faster, conquered more territory, and killed,

wounded and captured more enemy soldiers than any other army in the recorded history of

war. Patton summed it up best in his now famous speech made the summer of 1944, “An

army is a team. It lives, sleeps, eats, and fights as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure

horse shit.” World War II is a significant part of our heritage.

It is true that over 400,000 service men and women gave their lives from 1941

through 1945. But we would be remiss not to mention the war-time efforts of those back

home. These men and women were the unseen link in a very important supply chain. It was

the efforts of these hard working folks that kept our troops around the world supplied. The

efforts of the women in this country are often overlooked. Women made enormous

contributions to the war effort, both on the battlefield and the home front. On the home front,

women took jobs previously held by men – making them their own and women in leadership

roles formed fund-raising events.

Becoming more independent, women adapted their lifestyles to the conditions of the

war by taking advantage of technological advances and struggling to maintain households

using goods rationed to them. Though women are not the heroes in some bloody battle,

without their strength behind the scenes, the war effort would have been much different.

Anyone who has listened to their parents or grandparents, talk about “life during the war,”

can tell you, that the war effort took the complete devotion and teamwork of everyone.

Eco Systems
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Have you ever wondered just what it is that bears do in the woods? Well as it turns

out they are a great example of symbiosis in nature. Research has shown that bears play a

much more important role in the northwestern forest than we may have realized. Studies have

demonstrated that the large quantities of salmon that the bears drag into the forest may be

responsible for a huge transfer of needed nutrients from the streams into the forest.

According to some scientist, this could be the main reason of the diversity and productivity in

the forest surrounding salmon streams in the northwestern part of the United States.

As a person walks through the forest surrounding the salmon streams, they find the

areas covered with the carcasses of salmon. These carcasses are not just from the bears.

Studies show that eagles and seals also contribute to the number of carcasses. Bears don’t eat

the lower jawbone of salmon this makes it easy to determine how many salmon are left it the

forest. Taking them sometimes as much as 100 meters into the forest, studies have found that

as much as 80% of the salmon that attempt to swim up river end up on the forest floor. After

careful study it has been determined that a single black bear can take as much as 1,600

kilograms into the forest, and only eats about half. The remnants go to scavengers, including

a large number of insects. As the fish decay certain nutrients such as nitrogen go into the soil.

Rotting carcasses and bear droppings account for nitrogen going back into the soil with an

amount equivalent to that of commercial tree growers in their forest.

Team Member Selection

Formation and Leadership

Appropriate selection of team members is a crucial part of assembling and forming a

group able of obtaining goals. This process is the foundation and base of the team’s strength.

Careful and diplomatic blending of personalities, competencies and expertise is significant to

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the development and quality of the team as a whole with particular attention sought in

beneficially individual balancing strengths. For example, a team should consist of a variety

of contributors and include a few leader-oriented personalities, as well as a number of

support-oriented personalities. Often it is a good idea to place a person on the team who

opposes (within reason) what the team is inspired to achieve. The team member who is

inclined to express an opposing point of view may stimulate the rest of the team to work

harder. Through coordinated and planned actions, teamwork, and diverse views, the

greatest accomplishments of man have occurred.

Once a balanced group of individuals has been selected, a team leader needs to be

chosen based on leadership qualities and qualifications. This person should have a solid

knowledge base, insight and foresight for the impending project. If team members need

help, the leader can assist. Additional major roles includes ensuring that the team members

remain focused on assigned tasks as well as the responsibility of scheduling meetings and

coordinating team activities.

The team leader might choose to appoint task leaders. Task leaders can direct sub-

workgroups that will take care of smaller tasks to complete the larger task (goal).

Team Unity

Just as important as the formation of a team is the unity of the entire team dynamics.

All team members must possess and apply interpersonal skills in communication with one

another. Creating interpersonal skills that promote cohesion helps team members relate to

and to trust each other. The team environment will thus be less threatening resulting and

enabling the free-flow dialogue and sharing of ideas. By establishing unified relationships

and being able to trust one another, the team will develop its own chain of communication.
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Getting Things Done

Project Scope

As the most important element in the success of any project, individual or team-

based, the project scope serves to identify and define the deliverables and objectives by

providing the foundation of understanding among all stakeholders (Riordan, Jeb. 2001). The

basis of the project scope becomes the determining factor as to when the project is actually

finished and the expected goals to be accomplished. The scope is reviewed by the

stakeholders and decision makers and is approved by the customer, the project sponsor, and

team members.

Writing a successful project scope requires thorough understanding and

documentation of the issue(s), contract, assignment, expectations, and responsibilities,

Identifying exclusions, limitations, and/or constraints within the project outline, and

meetings, discussions, and negotiations between team members and the project stakeholders.

The project scope defines the project strategy: how the objective(s) will be met; an overview

of needs with regards to the project; and how the solution will resolve the needs; the product:

a summary of the solution including all deliverables; objectives: written quantifiable goals

including time commitments (deadlines), funding requirements, resources anticipated; and

technical specifications, etc; supporting documentation: descriptions of assumptions,

constraints, limitations, concerns, specifications, graphs, outlines, design prototypes, etc.

Generating Ideas

Creative thinking skills move the project from what is logically developed during the

planning phase and into the “idea” or solution phase. Begin the idea generation process with

the problem list generated during the planning phase (project scope). Brainstorming sessions
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“work best when there is an experienced leader or organizer, who knows how to facilitate a

session” (Berkun, Scott. May 2001). “Think tank” creative idea generation begins with the

application of various problem-solving models.

During brainstorming sessions, team members have a chance to consider and review

the primary goals as well as discuss ideas and steps that can be followed to implement the

specific solution selected. Team dynamics plays an important role as the members introduce

differing views and concepts depending upon their given area of expertise, the level of

contribution they feel they can award the project, and also strengths and weaknesses.

Setting Goals and Timelines

Drawing upon this synergy, the note taker begins to lists the steps noting who would

be responsible. Team member’s offer based upon their workload, a time frame commitment.

A formal timeline is drawn by the Project Manager or Team Leader and accompanies the

notes, goals, tasks, and assigned duties to each team member. This “working document”

becomes the foundation for the “problem solving” aspect of the team.

Use time management skills to work backwards through the project time line and

always hold team members accountable and responsible for their commitment to the time

line. As soon as you notice or even think there may be a delay, notify other team members

who may be able to offer assistance in completing the assigned task and help bring the

project back on target.

Remember that completion of your assigned tasks may affect the time commitment of

other team member as well as the project as a whole. Be considerate and concerned and be

prepared to follow through with whatever it may take for successful completion of the task

and the project.

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Donald Wetmore offers the following tips for avoiding delays in his online article

Defeating Delays (October 2001. PROJECTMagazine):

1. Don’t let things get crazy and “don’t get frazzled”.

2. Carry important projects with you.

3. Take along reading materials.

4. Always have your contact list with you.

5. Use entertainment or humor to break tedious moments.

6. “Sit and think.”

Leadership

Definition

According to Webster’s Universal College Dictionary (2001), one definition of

leadership is “an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction”. This gives some insight to

what leadership is, but I believe an even better definition comes from a military manual, FM

22-100, entitled “Leadership”.

Three Principles of Leadership

Leadership is the ability to influence others to accomplish a task by providing three

principles: purpose, direction, and motivation. These three elements: purpose, direction, and

motivation, are a leaders tools to accomplish what he/she knows, needs to be done.

• Purpose, represents the end goal and reasons as to why this goal must be

accomplished.

• Direction gives the team supervision and guidance towards a method to accomplish

their purpose.
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• Motivation influences the group to “want to do”, what the leader know has to be

done, or a responsibility toward task accomplishment. This can be accomplishes as

easily as giving team members credit for excellent work.

By correctly applying these principles a leader can make a critical difference within

the team by communicating the purpose properly, the team knows what they are working for,

the goal(s) that need to be accomplished, and the desire to achieve team success.

Leadership in the Project Management Position

Leadership is a trait, not a position. To avoid possible conflicts, project managers

must possess leadership ability and questions to consider include: Can he/she communicate

effectively with their team members? Are they technically knowledgeable on the task at

hand? Can they motivate their people? Why style of leadership does the candidate exercise?

Leadership Styles

The leadership style chosen depends on experience and leadership abilities of team members.

• Directive: the manager makes all decisions and choices for the group. This style is

used when there is little experience in the group and leadership ability among other

group members.

• Participative uses the input of all members of the group to come up with viable

options to accomplishing tasks. This style is used with teams that possess some

experience and leadership among group members.

• In a delegative style of leadership, the project manager assigns tasks to members of a

team. With accomplishing the assigned task in mind, team members decide how to

accomplish their job. In order for this style of leadership to be successful, team

members must exhibit some leadership characteristics and possess the ability to
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manage the tasks and sub-tasks required acting as the project manager. The team

leader is then responsibility for facilitating the development of leadership and project

management skills for team members.

Leadership Responsibility

Leaders have a responsibility towards his/her team members. There is no “I” in team

but there is a “me”. Every leader must support the growth and ideas of his/her team to

encourage leader habits forming.

So how does a leader know if he/she is doing a good job? By watching the team, or

supervising. Supervision is another task of a leader and this means ensuring each member is

contributing towards the accomplishment of the final goal safely and timely. This is also a

good time for a leader to note his/her team member’s strengths and weaknesses and to assist

the members in self improvement.

Leadership is a very important factor when it comes to team dynamics and a proper

leader makes the difference in project success or failure.

Discussion

Through coordinated and planned actions, teamwork, and diverse views, the greatest

accomplishments of man have occurred. By implementing the ideas discussed in these

pages, creation of a successful team is well on the way.

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References

Berkun, Scott. May 2001. #15 – Critical thinking in web/interface design part2: idea

generation. http://www.uiweb.com/issues/issue15.htm (Retrieved 02/16/2004).

Covey, Stephen R. Covey. (August 1990) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.

Idea Generation: Creativity is often regarded as a special ability.

http://www.flaxmere.school.nz/TTidea.htm (Retrieved 02/16/2004)

Leadership, Military. (2002). Department of the Army.

Problem Solving. http://www.flaxmere.school.nz/TTprobsolv.htm (Retrieved 02/16/2004).

Province, Charles M. (1983, 1992, 1998) The Unknown Patton. Hippocrene Books, 1983

Bonanza Books, 1984, 1992 CMP Publications, 1998 (Electronic version).

http://www.pattonhq.com/unknowntext.html

Riordan, Jeb. 2001. Scope Management. PROJECTMagazine. October 2001.

http://www.projectmagazine.com/oct01/scope2.html (Retrieved 02/14/2004).

Shore, Valerie. (January 22, 1999) Other Wildlife and Plants Benefit: Bears are the key

recyclers in forest ecosystems, researcher finds. The Ring. University of Victoria.

http://communications.uvic.ca/ring/99jan22/bears.html

Wetmore, Donald E. (October 2001) Defeating Delays. PROJECTMagazine.

http://www.projectmagazine.com/oct01/delays2.html (Retrieved 02/16/2004).