WEBS2002 Interdisciplinary Project Group skills & team working an introduction Su White

Team Working

Explore team work theory and perspectives Understand how knowledge of individual Character Strengths can give insight into Group Culture Use knowledge of Character Strengths to develop group roles in preparation for preparing & delivering the group presentation Objectives of this session

Spend time exploring There are a range of different ways of depicting teams and how they might operate Rather than holding that one system is the absolute truth, you are advised to learn more about the underpinning theories and explore different evaluation systems to provide you with food for thought

What exactly is a Team Role? "Our tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way." Dr Meredith Belbin The original research and most people's understanding the Team Role model relates to teams But….strong evidence these “natural tendencies” exist in workplace activities outside the formal team

‘Team-work is a group of individuals working together towards some common purpose and, in so doing, achieving more than they could alone’ (Bell, L 1992) The nature of teamwork

Different perspectives There are many different possible perspectives We will discuss two, mention others in passing These slides Belbin – team roles VIA strengths - characteristics

Developing and evidencing effective team working skills will: Think pair share What do you think?? – Help you to create a professional profile / CV valued by prospective employers – Help you to learn through discussion and collaboration – Contribute in a wide range of ‘ real life ’ situations Activity: Team working skills

The development of a team Teams can be thought to go through a ‘life cycle’ The stages: Forming - getting to know Storming- different opinions Norming- finding common ground Reforming- sorting out best ways Performing- working together effectively Forming Storming Norming Performing Tuckman, B.W. "Developmental Sequence in Small Groups," Psychological Bulletin, vol. 63, 1965, pp

Basis of teamwork Shared perceptions A common purpose Agreed procedures Commitment Co-operation Resolving disagreements openly by discussion

Factors that affect groups Size Roles Norms Goals GROUP Structure Cohesiveness Payne, E and Whittaker, L (2006) Developing Essential Study Skills

Belbin’s proposed roles for effective teamwork Look at the hand out If you complete a Belbin survey you will receive and evaluation of your preferred roles Using the next slide how would you classify your role preferences in a general sense (without doing the survey!!)

Alternative way of representing Belbin’s categorisations how would you classify your role preferences in a general sense (without doing the survey!!)

1.Ideas 2.Information gathering 3.Decision making 4.Implementation 5.Influencing 6.Energy management 7.Relationship management 7 Key Teamwork functions

Advice for effective teamwork Come to a common understanding of the nature of the task or goal Adopt complementary roles Agree targets, and strategies for meeting them Review progress Communicate openly Lead when appropriate Respect everyone ’ s contribution and give constructive feedback Accept that groups go through phases Celebrate achievement

Positive contributions initiating - suggesting new ideas or a changed way of looking at a task info. seeking - asking for relevant facts info. giving - providing relevant facts or relating personal experience pertinent to the task opinion giving - stating a relevant belief/opinion clarifying - probing for meaning and understanding

continued….. elaborating – building on previous comment co-ordinating – showing or clarifying the relationships between various ideas, pulling ideas and suggestions together orientating – defining progress testing – checking with the team to see if it is ready to take action summarising – reviewing progress

Communicating effectively Language you use Tone of voice Turn-taking Expressing yourself clearly in speech and in writing Listening carefully Aspects of body language such as: – facial expression – where you sit or stand in relation to others – engaged posture to show that you are interested When working as a team, think about:

Hindering teamwork blocking– interfering with team progress aggressing– criticising or blaming others seeking recognition – attempting to call attention to oneself withdrawing– being indifferent or passive, resorting to excessive formality, whispering dominating– trying to assert authority in manipulating the group, interrupting

Suggested ground rules Turn up to meetings Agree on agenda for meetings Nobody to speak for longer than 3 minutes at a time No interrupting No putting others down: criticise the idea not the process Encourage everyone to speak Start and end meetings on time Set deadlines and stick to them Everyone to do what they agree

Dealing with difficulties

Group goals

At different times, everybody will exhibit all 24 Character Strengths to a greater or lesser degree Some Strengths are easier and more natural for an individual to express ( Signature Strengths ) Other strengths arise in particular situations where they are needed i.e. you can call upon them but they don’t necessarily come naturally ( Phasic Strengths) And other strengths are expressed to a lesser degree or with lesser frequency ( Lesser Strengths) Re-cap on Character Strengths What are your top five ‘signature’ Character Strengths?

Group / team culture Use the Excel spreadsheet each group member add in your top 5 ‘signature’ strengths Review the chart to gain insight into your Group Culture Questions to reflect on in your Group – Which Character Strengths best define the group’s culture? – Which Character Strengths are under-represented? – How might this have a potentially negative impact on the group task

7 key team functions 1.Ideas 2.Information gathering 3.Decision making 4.Implementation 5.Influencing 6.Energy management 7.Relationship management Useful Character Strengths Creativity; teamwork; bravery; appreciation of beauty & excellence; curiosity Love of learning; perseverance; curiosity ++ Aligning Character Strengths with Team Functions Full mapping of VIA Character Strengths available from Edshare Full mapping of VIA Character Strengths available from Edshare

Mapping Your team skills

Suggested Activity 1)Each group member complete the survey then work with the spreadsheet evaluate your group profile 2) Complete a VIA skills survey Use this, and other surveys to explore: different evaluations relevant to group and teamwork This can highlight possible strengths or relevant characteristics You can tackle this in two ways

Acknowledgements Thanks to Kate Dickens of ILIaD and Hugh Davis for the source of some of the materials in these slides and the accompanying resources

STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT FORMING STORMING NORMING PERFORMING Scholtes, Peter., (1998) The Team Handbook. © 2000 Oriel Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Used here with permission.

The Five Stage Model: Team Cooperation & Synergy Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning High Low NegativePositive Neutral Synergy Team Cooperation

Building the Dispersed Team Forming The team gets together and gets to know each other. It clarifies roles, figures out the tasks and the objectives Storming Conflicts breaks out over roles, objectives, and task allocations. Different leaders, official or otherwise, are pursuing different goals Norming The team begins to form norms, roles, and protocols for working together. Some team cohesion may begin. Performing The team begins to perform well, working together towards a common goal. Conflicts are handled constructively. Tuckman Model

The team performance model Drexler, A.B., Sibbet, D. and Forrester, R.H. The team performance model, in Team building, W.B. Reddy and K. Jamison (eds.), NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, Alexandria, VA 1988

Drexler Sibbet

The stages expanded 1.Orientation "Why Am I Here?" Purpose, Personal Fit and Membership? 2.Trust Building "Who Are You? Mutual Regard, Forthrightness and Spontaneous Interaction? 3.Goal/Role Clarification "What Are We Doing?" Shared Assumptions, Clear and Integrated Goals and Identified Roles? 4.Commitment "How Will We Do It?" Shared Vision, Allocated Resources and Organizational Decisions? 5.Implementation : "Who Does What, When and Where?" Clear Processes, Alignment and Disciplined Execution? 6.High Performance "Wow!" Flexibility, Intuitive Communication and Synergy? 7.Renewal : "Why Continue?" Recognition, Change Mastery and Staying Power?

Activities 1.What skills do you have? 2.Quick review of your group’s preferred skills Via Skills characteristics 3.Via team profile

Activity 1 What skills do you have? (5 mins) Like Skill  Doing/acting People/feelings Thinking Problem Solving

Activity 2 Reviewing Team Roles Review the preferred roles of the people in your team How would you allocate theoretical roles? If you have gaps, who is prepared to take the missing role(s)? Where do you have duplications?

references Developing Essential Study Skills, Payne, E and Whittaker, L (2006) Whittaker2006

Related resources Learn Higher web site - videos about group working and roles Listed on the module web site under resources Remember this for later

TIME MANAGEMENT Related topic

Time Management Hugh Davis/Su White

What does planning buy you? If you articulate the objectives you have then you are more likely to achieve them Helps you differentiate the important from the urgent Helps to stop procrastination A plan gives you just one thing you should be doing – rather than trying to decide which of many things to tackle. Leaves you in control which reduces anxiety

How Good a Planner are you? 1.Do you have a diary with important deadlines? 2.Do you put daily plans on paper, to allocate time for your deadlines? 3.Do you allow flexibility in your plans? 4.How often do you accomplish all you plan for a given day? 5.How often do you plan time for what matters most to you? 6.How often is your daily plan destroyed by interruptions? Score 1= never 2=seldom 3 = sometimes 4 = often 5 = always Adapted from Quiz written for USA WEEKEND by time management expert Hyrum Smith, chairman of the Franklin Covey Co.

Results 6-10: Terrible Life just happens to you. And it often goes wrong : Below average planner. More effective planning will help to reduce the stress and lack of control you feel in your life : Average planner. Not bad. But may need help focusing on priorities and dealing with urgent interruptions : Good planner. You are in control of your life 26-30: Excellent planner--or obsessive compulsive? Make sure you’re in control of your planning rather than letting it control you.

Time Management Technique Articulate your aims in life – Work, play, financial, esteem, family etc. Set Goals to achieve these aims – for this year, three years, ten years? Identify things you can do to achieve these goals Identify deadlines and other time constraints – E.g. coursework deadlines, time to start revising for exams, time to apply for the summer holiday job, deadline for the entry form for the sailing regatta etc. Allocate time in a daily planner to meet the deadlines – Prioritise the important – Allow time for the things that matter – Know yourself; only allocate the time you will actually spend.

Time Management Technique - example Articulate your aims in life – I want to have a professional job and salary Set Goals to achieve these aims – I want to get a degree in computing Identify things you can do to achieve these goals – Make sure I pass the modules/years Identify deadlines and other time constraints – For COMP1205I have coursework3 deadline… Allocate time in a daily planner to meet the deadlines

Get Things Done commonly abbreviated as GTD action management method created by David Allen a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them externally – To free them from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done – To concentrate on actually performing those tasks.

GTD See ne ne 5 phases 1.Collect 2.Process 3.Organize 4.Review 5.Do 6 levels of focus 1. Current actions 2. Current projects 3. Areas of responsibility 4. Yearly goals 5. 5 year vision 6. Life goals Unless you are a very tidy person this is probably overkill for a student: Probably all you need is A diary An ordered ToDo list

Software Support Can use Outlook – gives sync to mobile devices Can use any number of RIAs e.g.

Some things in student life that need scheduling Lectures, tutorials etc. Time to do courseworks understand lecture notes (pre and post reading) and do examples revise for exams Time for Exercise recreational activities Plan for employment/future Develop longer term goals (write CV’s, job applications, attend meetings etc.) And don’t forget time to reflect on progress and to re-schedule things!