Unit 2 - Leadership Teams and Teamwork

Teams and Teamwork Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. - Henry Ford Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. - Vince Lombardi Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. - Andrew Carnegie

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Team & Teamwork Team A small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for performance results. Teamwork The process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Team and teamwork roles for managers: Supervisor — serving as the appointed head of a formal work unit. Network facilitator — serving as a peer leader an network hub for a special task force. Participant — serving as a helpful contributing member of a project team. External coach — serving as the external convienor or sponsor of a problem-solving team staffed by others. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Social loafing: The tendency of some people to avoid responsibility by “free-riding” in groups. To prevent social loafing all group members must recognize the importance of project and be assigned a specific & meaningful task. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Figure 16.1 Team and teamwork roles for managers. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Common problems in teams: Personality conflicts. Individual differences in work styles. Ambiguous agendas. Ill-defined problems. Poor readiness to work. Lack of motivation. Conflicts with other deadlines or priorities. Lack of team organization or progress. Meetings that lack purpose or structure. Members coming to meetings unprepared. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Seven sins of deadly meetings (page 413): People arrive late, leave early, and don’t take things seriously. The meeting is too long. People don’t stay on topic. The discussion lacks candor. The right information isn’t available, so decisions are postponed. No one puts decisions into action. The same mistakes are made meeting after meeting. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Synergy The creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. A team uses its membership resources to the fullest and thereby achieves through collective action far more than could be achieved otherwise. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Usefulness of teams: More resources for problem solving. Improved creativity and innovation. Improved quality of decision making. Greater commitments to tasks. Higher motivation through collective action. Better control and work discipline. More individual need satisfaction. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Resource input factors that influence group process in the pursuit of team effectiveness: Nature of the task. Organizational setting. Team size. Membership characteristics. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Group process: The way the members of any team work together as they transform inputs into outputs: Also known as group dynamics. Includes communications, decision making, norms, cohesion, and conflict, among others. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Team effectiveness may be summarized as … Quality of Inputs + (Process Gains - Process Losses) Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Figure 16.3 An open-systems model of work team effectiveness. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Stages of team development: Forming — initial orientation and interpersonal testing. Storming — conflict over tasks and ways of working as a team. Norming — consolidation around task and operating agendas. Performing — teamwork and focused task performance. Adjourning — task accomplishment and eventual disengagement. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Norms Behavior expected of team members. Rules or standards that guide behavior. May result in team sanctions. Performance norms Define the level of work effort and performance that team members are expected to contribute to the team task. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Guidelines for building positive norms: Act as a positive role model. Reinforce the desired behaviors with rewards. Control results by performance reviews and regular feedback. Orient and train new members to adopt desired behaviors. Recruit and select new members who exhibit desired behaviors. Hold regular meetings to discuss progress and ways of improving. Use team decision-making methods to reach agreement. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Cohesiveness The degree to which members are attracted to and motivated to remain part of a team. Can be beneficial if paired with positive performance norms. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Effects of team cohesiveness and norms: Positive norms + high cohesiveness  high performance and strong commitments to positive norms. Positive norms + low cohesiveness  moderate performance and weak commitments to positive norms. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Effects of team cohesiveness and norms (cont.): Negative norms + low cohesiveness  low to moderate performance and weak commitments to negative norms. Negative norms + high cohesiveness  low performance and strong commitments to negative norms. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Figure 16.5 How cohesiveness and norms influence team performance. Positive norms + high cohesiveness  high performance and strong commitments to positive norms. Positive norms + low cohesiveness  moderate performance and weak commitments to positive norms. Negative norms + low cohesiveness  low to moderate performance and weak commitments to negative norms. Negative norms + high cohesiveness  low performance and strong commitments to negative norms. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16 Guidelines for increasing team cohesion: Induce agreement on team goals. Increase membership homogeneity. Increase interaction among members. Decrease team size. Introduce competition with other teams. Reward team rather than individual results. Provide physical isolation from other teams. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Lost at Sea Exercise...continued (Leading OE 2, SE 2.4) Homework: Read Text:  Chapter 16:  Teams & Teamwork - How Teams Work Complete Chapter 16 Review Questions:  How Teams Work #6 - 9

Teams and Teamwork Groups are frequently used in school, business, and volunteer organizations to accomplish tasks that are too large or complex for an individual. The role of the manager is to provide leadership to a team and ensure that it functions effectively.

Stages of Group Development There are five stages in the development of groups. (1) The Forming Stage which involves introductions and the initial orientation. (2) The Storming Stage is working things out, conflict over tasks, and working as a team. (3) The Norming Stage refers to the hierarchy established and consolidated around tasks and agendas. (4) The Performing Stage is teamwork and focused task performance. (5) The Adjourning Stage occurs with task completion and disengagement.

Roles of Individuals within a Group Structure Professors Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats wrote an article titled, “Functional Roles of Group Members” published in 1948 in the Journal of Social Issues. They defined twenty-six different group roles that can be played by one or more people within a group. They grouped these roles into three categories: task roles, personal/social roles, and dysfunctional or individualistic roles.

Reading Benne and Sheats' Group Roles

Types of Groups within an Organization (1) Formal Groups are officially recognized and supported by an organization for a specific purpose. They are part of the organization’s structure and may be referred to as committees, departments, units, team, or divisions.

Types of Groups within an Organization (2) Informal Groups arise if an opportunity exists. They emerge naturally or spontaneously to fill emotional, social, or psychological needs. Here are some examples: Friendship groups form based on shared interests outside of work. Interest groups form when people work together for a common cause.  Support groups form when workers help one another with their jobs. When individuals’ needs are not met by the formal organization, informal groups will form to fill the gap. Informal groups can have a significant effect either negative or positive, on an organization. It is very important for managers to understand the dynamics of informal groups that exist in their organizations.

Types of Groups within an Organization (3) Virtual Teams or electronic work groups are increasingly common in the 21st century. These individuals do not meet face-to-face; rather, they work together and solve problems using computer technology.

Groups versus Teams What makes a group function as a team? What are the differences between groups and teams? **Groups vs Teams Handout

Team Effectiveness A team which is effective is made up of members with complementary skills, who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Effective teams pull together in the same direction to achieve the team’s goals.

Team Effectiveness Factors that contribute to the success of a team include shared norms and cohesiveness. A norm is an attitude, belief, or behaviour that is expected of team members. Norms define how a group member is expected to think or act.

Team effectiveness may be summarized as … Quality of Inputs + (Process Gains - Process Losses) Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Figure 16.3 An open-systems model of work team effectiveness. Management Fundamentals - Chapter 16

Team Effectiveness Examples of positive norms include: expected level of contribution, timeliness, attendance, quality of work, effective communication, and guidelines for conflict resolution. If a group member violates a norm, there are usually consequences; in the worst case, the consequence is expulsion from the team.

Group norms tend to develop from: explicit statements by supervisors or co-workers about expected behaviour; critical events in the group’s history which help to establish precedents about expected behaviour; primacy,  i.e., the first behaviour pattern that emerges in a group often becomes a group norm about expected behaviour; and carry-over behaviours from past situations, i.e., individuals bring norms with them from their other work groups, organizations, or cultures.

Cohesiveness is… the degree to which individuals are motivated to become and remain members of a team.  Cohesive teams stick together to pursue their goals and objectives.

Roles of a Manager with respect to Teams A manager has four important roles when it comes to working with a team. (1) A supervisor is the official leader of the team. (2) A facilitator acts as catalyst or mediator as needed. (3) A participant contributes as a member of the team. (4) A coach is a mentor to help develop team members’ skills.

Problems The role of the manager is critical since teamwork does not always work out as intended. One common problem managers frequently deal with is called “social loafing.”

Social loafing describes the tendency of individuals to put forth less effort when they are part of a group. Because all members of the group are pooling their effort to achieve a common goal, each member of the group contributes less than they would if individually responsible.

The Team at Atom Communication Agency – Case Study Anthony Tremblay and Owen Morgan are the co-founders of ATOM Communications Agency. Anthony and Owen chose to start a business together because their skills complemented each other. Anthony’s skills are related to business management and finance. He manages day-to-day operations of the agency. His job title is Chief Executive Officer (CEO).  Anthony is an initiator, information, opinion seeker, and co-ordinator for the team.

The Team at Atom Communication Agency Owen’s skills are primarily creative. His job title is Chief Creative Officer. He is responsible for the creative development of clients’ projects. Owen often functions as an elaborator and an evaluator. Two years ago, they decided to hire two employees for their team. Dylan Torres is a graphic artist and web designer. In terms of team roles, Dylan is a very reliable contributor and procedural technician. Simone Greene is an account representative. She is an energizer and harmonizer for the team. Kate Delgado is new to the team. Kate is working closely with Simone and learning how to be an account representative.