Effective Teamwork Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.

What do you like about teams? What needs improvement? Takes too much time Rewards popularity not good ideas Many make no effort but get the credit Get to meet new people Listen to new ideas Check on my thinking Help from others Commitment from others to follow up with the team’s decision

Objectives Describe the advantages of structured group processes. Describe key structured group processes. Describe what makes teams more effective and why. Describe steps in Integrative Group Process.

How do you meet? What is your process of meeting? Make an appointment People get together The issues are raised and discussed A consensus is arrived (how?)

Possible Ways to Improve Agenda Timekeeper Evaluation

More ways to improve: Tell Members to Behave Avoid arguing, Avoid win-lose statements, Avoid changing opinions in order to reduce conflict, Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority votes and bargaining. View differences of opinion as natural and initial agreements as suspect.

Improve the Process Not People

Nominal Group Process 1. Silent idea generations 2. Round-robin sharing of ideas 3. Voting and feedback to the group 4. Explanatory group discussion 5. Individual re-assessment 6. Mathematical aggregation of revised judgments

Why it succeeds? Postponing evaluation increases creative solutions Thinking again improves Separating ideas from people helps judging ideas based on their merit

Problems With Nominal Group Technique Awkward restrictions on interactions Not fun, participants do not have large commitment to decisions

Delphi - Inter-related surveys 1.List the options and give the reason for them 2.Review the reasons, add comment and vote 3.Review votes and comments and vote again

Why it succeeds Separates evaluation from generation of ideas Separates ideas from people and lets the group decide on the merit of ideas not who said it Can involves hundreds of people

Why it fails? Awkward People like to talk Takes time

Summary of Lessons Postpone evaluation Do it again Meet before the meeting Instruct the group about meeting process

Integrative Group Process Have agenda and timekeeper Select the best, even if they disagree Meet before the meeting Do it again Vote before discussion Talk through differences Document group’s decision

Take Home Lesson Post pone evaluation –What else is bothering you –Would someone else volunteer