Do Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth? The All Star Sports Team Case Key Learnings

Characteristics Of Group Decisions l Greater Complexity –Information processing demands; –Interpersonal processes; l Need for Decision Rules –Consultation/ Authority Rule –Silence is golden –Railroading –Majority Rule –Consensus –Unanimity –Consultation

Assets of Group Decisions l More Knowledge and expertise l Pooling of resources l More alternatives examined l Better Understanding l Potentially Greater Acceptance l Greater Commitment

Liabilities of Group Decisions l Social pressure to conform l Minority domination l Tendency to Waste Time l Potential for group conflict l Unmet expectations l Possibility of intimidation from group leader l Group Think l Choice Shift Effects l Abilene Paradox

Key Learning: The Nature of Teamwork Three common types of teams: l teams that recommend things l teams that make or do things. l teams that run things.

Groups Make Decisions By: decision by lack of response decision by authority rule decision by minority rule decision by majority rule decision by consensus decision by unanimity

Approach to Decision Making Depends On: l Importance of decision quality l Availability of information l Extent to which problem is structured l Need for stakeholder buy-in l Probability that autocratic decision would be accepted l Congruence of objectives by stakeholders l Potential for stakeholder conflict

Participation Options In Group Decisions l Manager makes decision independently l Manager collects information from stakeholders and makes decision independently l Stakeholders individually consulted and then manager makes decision l Manager conveys problem simultaneously to all stakeholders and then manager makes decision l Group makes decision by consensus

Key Learnings High-Performance Teams l Strong core values that help guide their attitudes and behaviors in directions consistent with the team’s purpose l Turn a general sense of purpose into specific performance objectives l Have the right mix of skills possess creativity l Focus on task as well as maintenance functions

Group Task Activities l Initiating— offering new ideas or ways of defining problems; l Seeking information— attempting to clarify suggestions; asking for the ideas of others. l Giving information— offering authoritative and relevant information and facts l Clarifying— clarifying relations among various suggestions or ideas; l Coordinating -- attempting to coordinate member activities l Summarizing—raising questions about the logic and practicality of member suggestions..

Group Maintenance Activities l Encouraging— praising, accepting, or agreeing with members’ ideas; indicating solidarity. l Harmonizing— mediating squabbles within the group; reconciling differences; seeking opportunities l Setting standards— expressing standards for the group to achieve or use in evaluating process. l Gatekeeping— encouraging participation; trying to keep some members from dominating.

Tactics to Acquire Buy-In l Allowing Voice -- Letting anyone who has something to say, say it. l Obtaining added resources - Increasing benefits and/or reducing costs increases bargaining zone, l Trading Issues - Concede low priority issues for concession on higher priority issues l Bridging - Looking outside the surface level definition for the problem for a new approach that meets the needs of all parties l Packaging -- Grouping several unrelated and differentially valued items together.

Nominal Group Highest ranking idea is taken as the group’s decision Participants privately rank the ideas in order of their preference Each participants ideas are presented, one at a time and are written on a chart until all ideas are expressed Participants privately write down ideas about problem solving Each idea is discussed, clarified and evaluated by group members Small group gathers around a table ad receives instructions, problem is identified.

Stepladder Technique Individual Decision By Person A Individual Decision By Person B Tentative group decision made by Person A and Person B Individual Decision By Person D Individual Decision By Person C Tentative group decision made by Person A, Person B and Person C Tentative group decision made by Person A, Person B, Person C and Person D