Team building is a planned effort made in order to improve communications and working relationships by way of any planned and

managed change involving a group of people. *Team Building is a process and not an event. * Team Building is about both willingness and ability. Sometimes teams problems occur because team members lack important skills. Sometimes there are trust issues. As the team matures, members gradually learn to cope with each other and the pressures that they face. As a result, the team goes through the fairly predictable stages noted on the slide. Stages in Team Building

Giving Constructive Feedback Be descriptive -- relate what you saw or heard the other person do. Give specific recent examples Dont use labels -- Be specific and unambiguous. Dont use words like immature, unprofessional, irresponsible which are labels attached to behavior. For example, say You missed the deadline we had agreed to meet rather than, Youre being irresponsible and I want to know what you are going to do about it. Dont exaggerate. Be exact. To say, Youre always late for deadlines is probably untrue and unfair. It invites the receiver to argue with exaggeration rather than respond to real issue Dont be judgmental. Dont use words like good, better, bad, worst or should which place you in the role of controlling parent. This invites the receiver to respond as a child. Speak for yourself. Dont refer to absent, anonymous people. Avoid references like A lot of people here dont like it when you Encourage others to speak for themselves Use I messages. Talk first about yourself, not about the other person. Use a statement with I as the subject not you. People are more likely to remain open to your message when an I statement is used. Phrase the issue as a statement, not a question. I statements allows the receiver to see what effect the behavior had on you. Restrict your feedback to things you know for certain. Restrict your feedback. Dont present your opinions as facts. Help people hear and accept your compliments when giving positive feedback. Help people hear and receive positive feedback. Many people fell awkward when told good things about themselves. It may be important to reinforce the positive feedback and help the person hear it, acknowledge it and accept it. Receiving Feedback Listen carefully. Dont interrupt. Dont discourage the feedback-giver.

Ask questions for clarity. You have the right to receive clear feedback. Ask for specific examples. Acknowledge the feedback. Paraphrase the message in your own words to let the person know what you have heard and understood what was said. Acknowledge the valid points. Agree with what is true. Agree with what is possible. Acknowledge the other persons point of view and try to understand their reaction. Agreeing with whats true or possible doesnt mean you agree to change your behavior or mean agreeing with any value judgment about you. You can agree that your reports are late without thereby agreeing that you are irresponsible Take time to sort out what you heard. You may need time for sorting out or checking with others before responding to feedback. It is reasonable to ask the feedback-giver for time to think about what was said and how you feel about it. Dont use this time as an excuse to avoid the issue.

Stage 4: PERFORMING During the performing stage, the team is now an effective and cohesive unit. As a team, the emphasize quality work; utilize each members talents; meet deadlines; and continue to work on team commitment. Examples of the results of good team work can be seen on the Video tapes and CDs from the National Expos. The presentation itself is an example of team work. The duration and intensity of these stages vary from team to team. Sometimes Stage 4 is achieved in a meeting or two; other times it takes months. Understanding the stages of growth will keep you from overreacting to normal problems and setting unrealistic expectations. Dont panic. With patience and effort the assembly of independent individuals will grow into a team. Team members have: gained insight into personal and team processes; a better understanding of each others strengths and weaknesses; gained the ability to prevent or work through group conflict and resolve differences; and, developed a close attachment to the team. Recipe for Successful Team To summarize, even though these points are addressing teams in the workplace, they are applicable in the classroom setting. They can also form part of the rubric to evaluate the teams performance. Clarity in team goals: has a clear vision and can progress steadily toward its goals. A work plan: helps team determine what advice, assistance, and other resources they need from teachers, mentors or research Clearly defined role: Uses each members talents and involves everyone in team activities so no one feels left out. Commitment to shared goals and objectives Clearly define roles and responsibilities Use best skills of each

 Allows each to develop in all areas Effective systems and processes Clear communication Beneficial team behaviors; well-defined decision procedures and ground rules Balanced participation Awareness of the group process Good personal relationships Clear communication: Speak with clarity and be succinct. Listen actively; explore rather than debate each speakers ideas. Avoid interrupting. Beneficial team behaviors: Should encourage all members to use the skills and practices that make discussions and meetings more effective; suggest procedures for meeting goals, clarify or elaborate on ideas; keep the discussion from digressing Well-defined decision procedures: discuss how decisions will be made; use data as a basis of decisions; explore important issues by polling Balanced participation: Everyone should participate in discussions and decisions, share commitment to the projects success and contribute their talents Established ground rules: Establish ground rules for what will and will not be tolerated in the team Awareness of group process: Be sensitive to nonverbal communication; be aware of the group process and how the team works together Use the scientific approach: Of course this is the underlying assumption in a project development, but in team building it helps members avoid team problems and disagreements. Opinions must be supported by data