Teamwork Business Management

Why work as a team? 1. Efficiency 2. Morale 3. Information Preservation 4. Innovation 5. Reduced Waste 6. Usability 7. Unity

Why work as a team? 1. Efficiency - With teamwork comes improved efficiency. ◦The last thing you want is to have two employees reproducing the same project or doing the same work when the task can be handled by one employee.

Why work as a team? 2. Morale - Employees who work well together are happier, which boosts morale. ◦This makes your office a more pleasant place in which to work, and that may lead to better employee retention.

Why work as a team? 3. Information Preservation - If employees work together, valuable information is shared, protecting the company from injury or loss when someone leaves the company. When an employee works on a project by himself/herself and other employees don't know exactly what she does or how to run the project this lone employee handles, a problem can arise when that employee quits or is let go. Sharing information can cut down on time spent learning valuable information a former employee understood well.

Why work as a team? 4. Innovation - It's true that two heads can be better than one

Why work as a team? 5. Reduced Waste - While teamwork building meetings can feel like a waste of time, the resulting cooperation and reduction of redundancy can more than compensate for the time invested in collaborating with one another.

Why work as a team? 6. Usability - The employees who will actually use the product or process in question will have valuable input for those on the design end of the product or process. If you give employees a chance to work together as a team, you'll reduce the need to rework projects, products and procedures.

Why work as a team? 7. Unity - One of the most valuable benefits of teamwork is the sense of unity that accompanies a positive work environment. By fostering this sense of unity, you also promote a sense of "all for one and one for all," which is good for the whole company.

Disadvantages 1. Time consuming 2. Disagreements may delay decisions and cause hard feelings 3. One or two group members may dominate discussion 4. Many ideas may be forgotten if no note taking

Five-Stage Model of Group Development 1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing 5. Adjourning *used for much more complex decisions*

Forming During the forming stage, team members not only get to know each other but also familiarize themselves with their task and with other individuals interested in the project, such as supervisors. At the end of the forming stage, team members should know the following: ◦The project's overall mission ◦The main phases of the mission ◦The resources at their disposal ◦A rough project schedule ◦Each member's project responsibilities ◦A basic set of team rules *People don’t know what to do yet

Storming Storming is characterized by competition and conflict within the team. Although conflicts may or may not surface as group issues, they do exist ◦who is responsible for what? ◦what are the rules? ◦what is the reward system? ◦what is the evaluation criteria? *These questions reflect conflicts over leadership, structure, power, and authority. Because of the discomfort generated during this stage, some members may remain completely silent, while others attempt to dominate. Mission statement and goals are established

Norming Team members actively acknowledge all members' contributions, build community, maintain team focus and mission, and work to solve team issues. ◦Members are willing to change their preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by other members, and they actively ask questions of one another. ◦Leadership is shared, and cliques dissolve. As members begin to know and identify with one another, the trust that individuals place in their colleagues fosters cohesion within the team. Team members begin to experience a sense of group belonging and a feeling of relief as a result of resolving interpersonal conflicts. They share feelings and ideas, solicit and give feedback to one another, and explore actions related to the task. Creativity is high. They feel good about being part of an effective group. *Jobs begin

Performing Team members are both highly task-oriented and highly people-oriented during this stage. ◦The team is unified:  Team identity is complete, team morale is high, and team loyalty is intense.  The task function becomes genuine problem solving, leading to optimal solutions and optimum team development.  There is support for experimentation in solving problems, and an emphasis on achievement.  The overall goal is productivity through problem solving and work. The performing stage is not reached by all teams. Those teams that do reach this stage not only enjoy team members who work independently but also support those who can come back together and work interdependently to solve problems. A team is at its most productive during this stage.

Adjourning Teams assembled for specific project or for a finite length of time go through a fifth stage, called adjourning, when the team breaks up. A planned conclusion usually includes recognition for participation and achievement and an opportunity for members to say personal goodbyes. Disbanding a team can create some apprehension, and not all team members handle this well. This last stage focuses on wrapping up activities rather than on task performance.

Lost

Lost on a Deserted Island The situation is dire: following a shipwreck, everyone has been stranded on a deserted island! Each person is allowed to bring one object to the island What would you bring and why?