Team Dynamics Chapter 16

What is a team? Team Teamwork 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

Stages of Team Development

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

Advantages 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.

Types of Teams Formal groups Informal groups Teams that are officially recognized and supported by the organization for specific purposes. Informal groups Not recognized on organization charts. Include interest, friendship, and support groups.

Types of Teams Committees People outside their daily job assignments work together in a small team for a specific purpose. Task agenda is narrow, focused, and ongoing. Projects teams or task forces People from various parts of an organization work together on common problems, but on a temporary basis. Official tasks are very specific and time defined. Disbands after task is completed.

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

Disadvantages of Teams Conformity with the majority - “groupthink” Domination by individual or minority Pursuit of secondary goals Diffused responsibility, low accountability Counter-cultural - We live in a “me society” Time, time and more time…

Behavioural Norms Norms are standards of behaviour that the group accepts and expects for its members Norm Generalization What works in one group may not work in another Norm Variation –may be allowed as long as it is not taken to an extreme Norm Conformity – those who accept and conform are welcomed, while those who ignore the norm may be ostracized

Cohesiveness Is the extent to which members are loyal and committed to the group Factors that Increase Cohesiveness – intergroup competition, (different groups) personal attraction to the group, favourable evaluations of the group members agreeing on group goals frequent interaction between members

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

Cohesiveness Factors that Reduce Cohesiveness – large group size, disagreement on goals, intragroup competition, (within a community) domination by one or two group members unpleasant experiences that the group shared Consequences of Cohesiveness – include more group interaction, more norm conformity, and increased group performance

Cohesiveness and Performance Norms High Performance Norms Moderate Performance High Performance Low Performance Lowest Performance Low Cohesiveness Low High

Groupthink Groupthink is a tendency for high cohesive teams to lose their evaluative capabilities Symptoms: Illusions of Invulnerability –team assumes it is too good for criticism Rationalizing unpleasant data – members refuse to accept contradictory data or to consider alternatives Belief on inherent group mortality – members act as though it is inherently right

Groupthink Symptoms: Stereotyping competitors as weak, evil, and stupid Applying direct pressure to deviants to conform to group wishes Self-censorship by members – members refuse to communicate personal concerns to team Illusions of unanimity – members accept consensus prematurely Mind Guarding – members protect the team from hearing outside viewpoints

How to Avoid Groupthink Don’t seem partial to one course of action Invite outside experts to observe team activities and react to decisions Assign one member to play a “devil’s advocate” role Hold a “second-chance” meeting after consensus is achieved to review the decision