PowerPoint Presentation to Accompany Management Canadian Edition Chapter 16 - Teams and Teamwork

Study Question 1: How do teams contribute to organizations? 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 - Chapter 16

Study Question 1: How do teams contribute to organizations? 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 convenor or sponsor of a problem-solving team staffed by others. Management - Chapter 16

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

Study Question 1: How do teams contribute to organizations? 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 - Chapter 16

Study Question 1: How do teams contribute to organizations? 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 - Chapter 16

Study Question 1: How do teams contribute to organizations? 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 - Chapter 16

Study Question 2: What are the current trends in the use of teams? Self-managing work teams Also called Self-directed work teams Teams of workers whose jobs have been redesigned to create a high degree of task interdependence and who have been given authority to make many decisions about how to do the required work. Also known as autonomous work groups. Management - Chapter 16

Study Question 2: What are the current trends in the use of teams? Typical self-management responsibilities: Planning and scheduling work. Training members in various tasks. Sharing tasks. Meeting performance goals. Ensuring high quality. Solving day-to-day operating problems. In some cases, hiring and firing team members. Management - Chapter 16

Study Question 2: What are the current trends in the use of teams? In self-managing work teams, members … Are held collectively accountable for performance results. Participate in distributing tasks within the team. Participate in scheduling work within the team. Are able to perform more than one job on the team. Evaluate one another’s performance contributions. Are responsible for the total quality of team products. Management - Chapter 16

Study Question 3: How do teams work? Effective teams … Achieve and maintain high levels of task performance. Achieve and maintain high levels of member satisfaction. Retain viability for the future. Management - Chapter 16

Study Question 4: How do teams make decisions? Symptoms of groupthink: Illusions of group invulnerability. Rationalizing unpleasant and disconfirming data. Belief in inherent group morality. Negative stereotypes of competitors. Pressure to conform. Self-censorship of members. Illusions of unanimity. Mind guarding. Management - Chapter 16

Study Question 4: How do teams make decisions? Methods for dealing with groupthink: Have each group member be a critical evaluator. Don’t appear to favor one course of action. Create subteams to work on the same problems. Have team members discuss issues with outsiders. Have outside experts observe and provide feedback on team activities. Assign a member to the devil’s advocate role. Hold a second-chance meeting. Management - Chapter 16

Study Question 4: How do teams make decisions? Creativity in team decision making — guidelines for brainstorming: All criticism is ruled out. Freewheeling is welcomed. Quantity is important. Building on one another’s ideas is encouraged. Management - Chapter 16

Characteristics of high-performing teams: Study Question 5: What are the challenges of leading high-performance teams? Characteristics of high-performing teams: A clear and elevating goal. A task-driven, results-oriented structure. Competent and committed members who work hard. A collaborative climate. High standards of excellence. External support and recognition. Strong and principled leadership. Management - Chapter 16