Teamwork

Team Success Factors PURPOSE Direction Identity Focus Basic component of any team or team mission Without purpose, team members do not know what they are suppose to do Purpose gives the team:

PROCESS Refers to the way a team identifies a problem, develops a solution, analyzes data, or reaches agreement With process, a team can: Meet goals Make decisions Plan and organize its work Solve problems

COMMUNICATION The exchange of ideas and feelings in a way that respects everyone’s contributions When team members communicate effectively, they: Encourage cooperation among themselves Promote continuous improvement Help to prevent and resolve conflicts

COMMITMENT Willingness to give 100% of yourself Commitment can: Build belief in the team and its goals

INVOLVEMENT Everyone should be encouraged to participate Ensuring involvement means the team: Benefits from the skills and talents of all members Values individual differences Encourages input that may help it meet goals or solve problems

TRUST Team members have expectations and assumptions about each other It is your belief that the team members will live up to their promises. Trust allows a team to: Take risks Try new ideas Take greater initiative

Synergy Synergy is achieved when two or more people work together to create a better solution than either could alone. Although there are many, three of the largest roadblocks to synergy are: ignorance cliques prejudice

Synergy is: Celebrating differences Teamwork Open- mindedness Finding new and better ways - continuous improvement Synergy is not: Tolerating differences Working independently Thinking you are always right Compromise

Comic Negativist/Protester Dominator Opinion Giver/Seeker Elaborator Recognition Seeker Harmonizer Reviewer/Clarifier Information Giver/ Storyteller/Gossiper Seeker Supporter/Encourager Initiator Task-Minder Investigator Withdrawer

Constructive/Destructive Team Roles Information Giver/Seeker - Provides and/or seeks data, evidence, and experiences necessary to solve the problem or complete the task Opinion Giver/Seeker - States his/her beliefs, attitudes, and judgments or seeks those of others Initiator - Often proposes new ideas Constructive Roles

Elaborator - Uses examples, illustrations, analogies, and explanations to build on and/or clarify others’ ideas Reviewer/Clarifier - Interprets and summarizes what has been said and done Supporter/Encourager - Praises and agrees with others when appropriate. Promotes a comfortable interpersonal climate. Helps build group solidarity.

Task-Minder - Orients the group to the task at hand. When member loose focus, helps get them back on target. Investigator - Asks questions to seek information and opinions from others. May encourage everyone to participate and be a part of the decision. Sometimes spends too long asking questions and keeps the team from moving on to the next step in the process.

Harmonizer - Helps resolve disagreements to seeking common ground. Destructive Roles Storyteller/Gossiper - Tells irrelevant stories or anecdotes that distract the team

Recognition Seeker - Calls attention to his/her achievements. Steals attention from other members and from the task. However, sometimes his/her behavior reminds others that individuals need to be recognized. If each member gets attention from time to time, motivation may be increased. Dominator - Monopolizes team interaction. Asserts authority or superiority through manipulation techniques.

Withdrawer - Backs down when anyone challenges his/her views. Submits ideas tentatively, regardless of quality. Negativist/Protester - Takes pride in pointing out the weakness of any idea. Consistently disagrees and opposes. Sometimes his/her arguments block the group’s harmony and its ability to complete its task. Comic - Acts to relieve tension. However, often gets the team off-task, and detracts from its focus.

How To Inhibit Destructive Roles Avoid Encouragement of the Role Focus on the Task Ask Yourself, “What am I doing to support the destructive role?” Use Humor Adopt a Constructive Role

Conflict Several approaches/styles to conflict resolution are: Avoiding/Withdrawal/Denial Smoothing over Forcing/Power Compromise/Bargaining Problem Solving

The first two approaches/styles, denial and smoothing over, are very similar. The third method is power. An approach many people consider effective is compromise. The final and suggested approach to conflict resolution in teamwork is problem solving.

Problem Solving Ground Rules Stay focused on the problem Contribute ideas and information Encourage others to contribute Agree on follow-up plan Understand assignments Train new members/retrain if needed

Dealing With Team Conflict Conflict is natural Resolved through openness Issues not personalities Search for alternatives Present oriented/Group issue

8 Conditions Which Can Lead to Conflict Confusing, undefined roles – members do not know what is expected of them Conflicting interests – members have different values, beliefs, resources, etc. Communication barriers – lack of information leads to misinformation Dependence on one person Differentiation of the team – larger the team, the more likely to have conflicts

Lack of consensus – people are on opposite ends Lack of behavior regulations or rules – sometimes rules may be vague and confusing or they may not have been established Unresolved prior conflict – people hold grudges and may bring in negative feelings from prior situations

When You Can’t Avoid Conflict, Handle It! 1.Chill out 2.Step back 3.Start talking – use “I” messages 4.Listen 5.Empathize 6.Suggest 7.Try 8.Evaluate

Don’t dwell on negative past conflicts – try to understand what happened in the past and avoid repeating the same mistake. Let others know “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at what you did.”