Leading Effective Teams Dr Catherine Hannaway Senior Fellow, Durham University

Why Teams? “There is a significant and negative relationship between the percentage of staff working in teams in acute hospitals and the mortality rate in those hospitals, taking account of local health care needs and hospital size. Where more employees work in teams the death rate among patients is significantly lower.” Borrill & West, Aston University, 1999

Why Teams? They bring together complementary skills and experiences that exceed those of any individual enables a better response to multifaceted challenges In jointly developing clear goals and approaches, teams establish communications that support real-time problem solving and initiative as a result teams can adjust their approach to new information and challenges with greater speed, accuracy and effectiveness They provide a unique social dimension that enhances the economic and administrative aspects of work overcoming the barriers that stand in the way of collective performance Teams have more fun! fun both sustains and is sustained by team performance

Individual Team Task Prof John Adair Effective Leadership

http://www. nhsleadership. org http://www.nhsleadership.org.uk/workstreams-clinical-theleadershipframework.asp

Focusing on team basics Performance results Problem solving Technical/function Interpersonal Mutual Small number of people Individual Accountability Skills Specific goals Common approach Meaningful purpose Commitment Personal growth Collective work products Katzenbach and Smith (1993)

Characteristics of High Performing Teams Leadership Membership Ownership memory of high performing teams Accountability Good philosophy Shared purpose Shared understanding Clarity of individual and team roles Shared values Trust Timeliness of actions Celebration of success positive feedback, team feeing valued Empowered Support from within the team Laughter Desire for all to succeed Common vision Working for the greater good Everyone thinks you are a high performing team Committed to task/completion of objective Valuing of each member of the team Feeling safe to take risks External positive affirmation that you are doing a good job Successful team accepts feedback and acts on this feedback/seeks feedback Reflective Reflect on own team performance Self evaluation Trust other people to cross cover Self support themselves and the team Task significant to themselves and others Like each other Respect everybody’s strengths Build on things that work well Share goals - fun, clear Same mind set Organised - Commitment Think differently, happy with the mix Want to support each other – fair Honest about performance Not blamed – getting rid of fear Brave enough to stop things that aren’t working Finish job!! Celebrate Reflect – and be positive

The Team Performance Curve High-performing team Real team Performance impact Working group Potential team Katzenbach and Smith Team effectiveness Pseudo-team

How Work Groups Form into Effective Units or Teams (Bruce Tuckman) 1 Forming 2 Storming 3 Norming 4 Performing Important that: Group Members recognise they belong to the group Have effective working relationships based on agreed goals Understand one another and are prepared to share ideas and feelings

Some Thoughts on Leading Teams Genuine concern for others Ability to communicate and inspire Decency Humanity Humility Sensitivity Respect for others Prof Beverley Alimo-Metcalfe summarises the 7 qualities as the leader being a servant not a hero

Model-400

The nine Team Roles The first Team Role to be identified was the “Plant”. The role was so-called because one such individual was “planted” in each team. They tended to be highly creative and good at solving problems in unconventional ways. One by one, the other Team Roles began to emerge. The Monitor Evaluator was needed to provide a logical eye, make impartial judgements where required and to weigh up the team’s options in a dispassionate way. Co-ordinators were needed to focus on the team’s objectives, draw out team members and delegate work appropriately. When the team was at risk of becoming isolated and inwardly-focused, Resource Investigators provided inside knowledge on the opposition and made sure that the team’s idea would carry to the world outside the team. Implementers were needed to plan a practical, workable strategy and carry it out as efficiently as possible. Completer Finishers were most effectively used at the end of a task, to “polish” and scrutinise the work for errors, subjecting it to the highest standards of quality control. Teamworkers helped the team to gel, using their versatility to identify the work required and complete it on behalf of the team. Challenging individuals, known as Shapers, provided the necessary drive to ensure that the team kept moving and did not lose focus or momentum. It was only after the initial research had been completed that the ninth Team Role, “Specialist” emerged. The simulated management exercises had been deliberately set up to require no previous knowledge. In the real world, however, the value of an individual with in-depth knowledge of a key area came to be recognised as yet another essential team contribution or Team Role. Just like the other Team Roles, the Specialist also had a weakness: a tendency to focus narrowly on their own subject of choice, and to prioritise this over the team’s progress.

Belbin – Team Roles Categories Action-orientated roles shaper implementer completer/finisher People-orientated roles co-ordinator team worker resource investigator Cerebral roles plant monitor evaluator specialist Model-400 Belbin (1993)

Approaches to building team performance Establish urgency and direction Select members based on skills and skill potential, not personalities Pay particular attention to first meetings and actions Set some clear rules of behaviour Set and seize upon a few immediate performance-oriented tasks and goals Challenge the group regularly with fresh facts and information Spend time together Exploit the power of positive feedback, recognition and reward

Further Reading Belbin, R Meredith (1998) Team Roles at Work. BH Borrill, C.A., West, M. (2000c), Team-working and Effectiveness in Health Care, Aston Centre of Health Service Organisation Research (ACHSOR), University of Aston, Birmingham Borrill, C.A., West, M. (2000a), How Good is Your Team? A Guide for Team Members, Aston Centre of Health Service Organisation Research (ACHSOR), University of Aston, Birmingham Katzenbach J.R. and Smith D.K. The Wisdom of Teams – Creating the high performance organisation – Harvard Business School Press