FIREART, INC.

intervention
team review
PREPARED BY
DEANNA KAFER
JESSICA STELTER

JULY 2020
table of
contents
executive summary |  3
Team effectiveness  |  4
team leader's role |  8
recommendations | 11
references | 14

FIREART
PAGE 2
executive summary
Eric and his team were given the task to save the company in 6
months, but first, they must save their own team. On an individual
level, Eric's team members seem mainly focused on their own
agendas and do not understand how to work together to accomplish
a singular goal. On a group level, the team is not cohesive and is
prone to disruptions from a team member who consistently
undermines the leader while expressing his aversion to group work.
On an organizational level, there is not enough information about
the needs of the business, nor support from the CEO for the team to
create effective solutions. In this report, we analyze the productivity
of the team and the value of the team leader. We will offer solutions
and recommendations to define the structure and goals of the team,
alleviate conflict through creative solutions, and encourage strong
leadership.

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 FIREART

team
effectiveness
A team’s effectiveness can be measured
multiple ways, the most common of
which is based on their outputs or
based on how well they interact with
each other. Evaluation of the team’s
outputs refers to the quality of their
end product and their ability to meet
their assigned objectives. The quality of
group interaction is used to determine
whether the team members are able to
work cohesively and support each
other, or whether they are a divided
group of individuals who are working
towards a joint goal, but competing
over resources and recognition. This
team appears to be ineffective from
both perspectives.

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FIREART

This team is not effective because they are

lack of direction missing clear objectives, expectations, roles,

and ground rules for how to interact with
each other. There is no clear objective for
the team to work towards. The CEO asked
for “strategic realignment in 6 months”, but
"HAVING A SPECIFIC this is not enough information to proceed.
They need to have clear, measurable
OBJECTIVE WILL MAKE IT
objectives, such as "increase the profit
EASIER FOR THE TEAM TO margin by 8%". In this case there is no clear
WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE objective or end product to be produced,
which means that the team cannot be
THEY WILL ALL BE effective as it is now. All the team can do
WORKING TOWARDS A now is work to identify the root cause of the
COMMON GOAL, THEY WILL company’s issue and come up with a
proposed solution on how to correct it. If
HAVE A BETTER we make this the team’s objective, we can
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT see that they are still not effective as they
IS EXPECTED OF THEM, AND are unable to work together to analyze the
problem and come up with a solution.
THEY CAN CREATE AN Having a specific objective will make it
ACTION PLAN WITH easier for the team to work together
because they will all be working towards a
SPECIFIC STEPS THAT CAN
common goal, they will have a better
BE ASSIGNED TO TEAM understanding of what is expected of them,
MEMBERS." and they can create an action plan with
specific steps that can be assigned to team
members.

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FIREART
team effectiveness
conflicting personalities and beliefs
Many of the team members are willing to
contribute ideas and be supportive of
others, but one member, Randy, is choosing
to disengage and respond aggressively to
the other members. This is leading to an
inability for the group to work cohesively
and come to any conclusions about how to
proceed. Randy believes that teams are not
an effective way to address issues and the
action plans should be determined by a
single leader to be carried out by others. In
fact, he stated that “a brilliant idea never
came out of a team. Brilliant ideas come
from brilliant individuals, who then inspire
others in the organization to implement
them”. He is opposed to the idea of working
with others to share ideas and reach a
consensus about the best course of action,
PAGE 6
as such, he is reacting negatively to having
to participate on this team. These negative
behaviors have resulted in conflict within
the team and three team members
removing themselves from the team
meeting. Although there is some truth to
the sentiment that brilliant ideas come
from brilliant people, there is also a lot to
be gained from allowing others to
contribute their viewpoints. No single
person can know everything, so utilizing the
experience and knowledge of others can
help to make up for any areas that you may
be lacking. Working in a team setting can
be difficult because you have to deal with
conflicting views and personalities, but
with proper leadership and ground rules,
these conflicts can be overcome or at least
significantly mediated.
team
effectiveness
lack of structure
In order for a team to function, the members need
to know who is responsible for what aspects of the
group project and what are acceptable ways for
members to interact. As department heads, it is
likely that the members of this team have had to
fight for limited resources and have been focused
on doing what is best for their departments, but
now they are being asked to work with other people
who may have previously been their direct
competition. This company has never had a team
culture, but now it is expecting seven individuals
with very different backgrounds to work together
when they may not have experience with the
process or importance of teamwork. As a result, the
group is working to present ideas that are based on
individual department interventions instead of
looking to solve the problem on an organizational
level. This implies that the group is not working
together to create a singular cohesive solution, but
instead remaining as individuals staying focused on
issues that relate to them. In order for this team to
be successful, it needs to work towards creating
something that is bigger than some of its parts,
otherwise this problem might as well be addressed
through single departmental changes. This group
should be looking for interdepartmental solutions
and not relying on each department proposing their
own interventions. Manufacturing could be working
with design to figure out ways to reduce the amount
of materials required or creating an easier design
that can be produced faster. Marketing could work
with design to create new marketing ideas because
the design team is made up of creative artists that
could bring a new perspective to ad campaigns.
Manufacturing, design, and distribution could all
work together to create new products with
improved dimensions that are easier to store and
ship which could improve delivery times and bolster
the supply chain. Individual departmental changes
are unlikely to overcome the current issues the
company is facing, so looking for organization-level "INDIVIDUAL
solutions may be necessary. It is important to
establish ground rules and expectations, assign DEPARTMENTAL CHANGES
roles to group members, and flesh out any concerns
that each person has so that the team can have the
ARE UNLIKELY TO
best chance of working well together. Creating OVERCOME THE CURRENT
ground rules for how the team will approach its
goals can help draw attention to potential issues ISSUES THE COMPANY IS
with team members behavior. Ground rules that
clarify expectations for timelines for responding, FACING, SO LOOKING FOR
methods of communication, and how to resolve
disputes are all important ways to help strangers ORGANIZATION LEVEL
learn how to work together.
SOLUTIONS MAY BE
NECESSARY."
PAGE 7
 team leader's role
Team leaders’ can contribute to the
success of their team in two key ways:
“(1) the development and
shaping of team processes,
and (2) the monitoring and
management of ongoing
team performance”
(Kozlowski & Bell, 2001).
Eric did not meet either of these
responsibilities. There were no
processes or ground rules established
for how the team would operate, what
the goal of the team is, or how the
performance of the team would be
evaluated.
In order for the team to be effective, and
for Eric to be an effective leader, there
needs to be clear goals and specific
directives based on what the company’s
greatest issues are. The first major problem
was that Eric did not get clarification from
Jack about the actual issue at hand and
what can be done to fix it. The extent of
the team’s awareness is that the company
is struggling and they need to “create a
comprehensive plan for strategic
realignment” in 6 months. These are very
vague instructions and Eric should have
clarified what measurable outcomes Jack
was expecting to see from the creation of
this team.
To ensure the team was off to a good start,
during the first meeting Eric should have
had a more extensive orientation with the
team, expressing what success looks like
for the team, designating individual
responsibilities, and laying ground rules
about the team processes, as well as a
timeline of milestones since they are on a
tight schedule. He needed to take the time
to find out what team members
expectations were for working as part of a
team and get an understanding of how
much experience they have had working in
this type of environment. This would have
allowed him to address any concerns and
provide clarification on what was to
happen in the next few weeks. This also
would have brought to light the fact that
Randy was having reservations about being
on a team and the problem could have
been addressed before the team dynamic
was damaged by Randy’s poor behavior.
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FIREART
team leader's role
"YOU CAN’T ALWAYS CONTROL THE
ACTIONS OF CHALLENGING PEOPLE, BUT
YOU CAN CHOOSE HOW TO REACT TO
THE CHALLENGE."
creative solutions for conflict
It is the team leader’s responsibility to
provide regular feedback about how
well the team is performing and
address any issues that arise. When
Randy first started having outbursts
that were affecting the team’s ability
to perform, Eric should have addressed
it either in the meeting or with Randy
in private. As the leader, Eric is
responsible for maintaining order and
creating a safe working environment
for all members. It is also his duty to
ensure shared commitment to the
team and its objectives from all team
members. This means that he needed
to address Randy’s opposition when he
first displayed signs of not wanting to
participate. He needed to clarify why
Randy was upset and work to establish
a solution by trying to help Randy
understand the purpose and benefits
of a team, or working with Randy to
determine if he should be removed
from the team.
PAGE 9
Eric knows Randy is intelligent,
experienced, and valued by the CEO,
and fears Randy will leave the
organization (or worse, join a
competitor’s team) if Eric addresses
his behavior.  After all, Randy "was
offered at least two dozen other jobs”
so he knows his worth and knows he
has other opportunities should he
leave FireArt. Consequently, Eric did
not confront Randy until the fourth
meeting, reminding Randy that he is
part of a team. Rather than putting
effort into forcing Randy to be a team
player, Eric should give him an
individual role, such as researching
more about the obstacles the company
is facing. This will increase team
morale, make Eric a more respected
leader, and keep Randy as part of the
team, while making him feel like he is
using his intellect, experience, and
providing value. You can’t always
control the actions of challenging
people, but you can choose how to
react to the challenge.
FIREART

team leader's role

Overall, Eric should be performing a regular analysis of the team, how
it is operating, if it is creating what needs to be created, what is and
isn’t working, and what next steps need to be taken for future
progress. Eric should include Jack on progress update
communications so he can make suggestions and so the team knows
they have the CEO’s support. While reviewing the team processes, Eric
should also review the effectiveness of his own leadership. Because
this team was hastily thrown together and most of the department
heads do not have experience working with each other, this team
needs an effective leader who can manage the team to create the
desired results while also being resilient and confident enough to
confront team members who may create pushback.

Do
To

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recommendations
alleviate conflict
Eric should meet with Randy privately to
discuss ways to have him contribute to the
team without making him uncomfortable or
upsetting the rest of the team. The most
viable option seems to be letting Randy serve
as a consultant or an advisor where he
contributes necessary content knowledge and
provides input on ideas, but doesn’t have to
be in the team meetings. This would allow the
team to benefit from Randy’s expertise
without having to lose time trying to reform
Randy’s behavior or rebuild the relationships
that were damaged during the first few
meetings. Randy could also be assigned the
task of figuring out why the company is losing
customers so that he can work individually
while still contributing to the team. He is in
the best position to solve this problem
because he is the director of sales and
marketing which means he has the most
insight into consumer needs and buying
trends. He also understands the market and
the company’s competitors.

DEFINE THE COMMON GOAL

We recommend that the team do some
research to figure out why the company is
losing customers and not just believe the
CEO’s hunch that it is larger companies
moving into their market. By identifying the
source of the problem, the team can focus on
finding an appropriate and effective solution.
This is beneficial to the team for a few
reasons. First, having a specific objective will
make it easier for the team to work together
because each member will have a better
understanding of how their skills and
experience can contribute to the project.
Next, it will ensure that all the time, energy,
and resources of the team are being utilized
to reach a common goal which will help the
team to be more efficient. Finally, having a
clear, measurable objective will allow the
team to evaluate its progress and make
corrections along the way to produce the best
solution possible.

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FIREART

recommendations
INVOLVE THe ceo
Jack noticed that the company
was in trouble and hired an
outside consultant to come in and
fix the problem, then promptly
removed himself from the
situation. This sends a lot of
mixed signals about the need and
support available for this project.
Jack needs to be involved with
the project because it will
demonstrate the importance of
the team’s task, show that the
organization is supporting their
efforts, and ensure that Jack is
aware of what is happening
within his organization.
Additionally, if Jack were to
participate in some of the
meetings, or at least be present
for the intervention proposals, he
would be showing that the
company is invested in this
change and that leadership is
here to support the team in its
efforts. Jack’s presence could also
help to curb Randy’s outbursts
because Randy respects Jack and
recognizes that Jack is the
company leader, so Randy will
want to behave in a more
professional manner. Randy may
even begin to make constructive
contributions because he needs
to maintain his image as the
company golden boy.

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FIREART

recommendations
organizing
organizing
work
work

pooling controlling
knowledge activities
teamwork

decision generating
making ideas

demonstrate STRONG LEADERSHIP

Due to the lack of a team culture, the design of the group, and the ambiguous
objectives, the team would benefit from a strong leader. These employees are used to
working in a company with a hierarchical structure meaning that there is someone
above them in rank (such as the CEO or board of directors) who makes the final
decisions and provides approval for everything that takes place within the organization.
Providing a similar structure within the team can help eliminate a lot of uncertainties
that the team members may be experiencing and it could help to explain why Randy
was acting out of line. Without having a defined hierarchy or at least a named leader,
Randy was attempting to commandeer the conversation. Eric needs to lead and not just
facilitate. He is responsible for maintaining order and making executive decisions on
the actions of the group; as such he needs to contribute instead of simply planning the
agendas and posing questions. Eric needs to command the room, correct negative
behaviors, ensure that all tasks are being completed, and make the final decisions when
a consensus cannot be reached among the team members. Considering the novelty of
the team and the team’s potential for disruptions, a proactive and agile leader would
bring the team success (Kozlowski & Bell, 2001).

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FIREART

references

Kozlowski, S. W. J. & Bell, B. F. (2001). Work groups and teams in organizations.

Cornell University, ILR School. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/389/

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