What is a TEAM?

What is a Team? Teams differ from groups because they include the following basic elements of cooperative learning: Goals are shared Information is circulated Roles are assigned Materials are managed Teammates depend on each other to complete tasks successfully Students gain respect for each other’s contributions to the team

Why are Teams important?

Expectations in the Workplace: How have things Changed? Organizational EffectivenessReading Problem Solving Teamwork Interpersonal SkillsWriting ComputationListening Creative ThinkingLeadership Oral Communication Career Development/Motivation

Bruce Tuckman

Tuckman's stages of Team Development Forming When team members first come together as a team Storming Team discover teamwork is more difficult than they expected Norming Team moves beyond the storming stage and begins to function as a team Performing Team is now functioning as a high performance team.

Stage 1: FORMING Team Building –Define team –Determine individual roles –Develop trust and communication –Develop norms Task –Define problem and strategy –Identify information needed Forming

The Dimensions of Style (Jungian Model) Introversion/Extraversion— What energizes you? Sensing/Intuiting— What is the focus of your attention? Thinking/Feeling— How do you make decisions? Judging/Perceiving— How do you structure your behavior? Forming

Team Charter An agreement between the team and its sponsor A communication tool between the project and the organization A high-level guide for the project Forming

Objectives:Goals of the team. Scope:Fundamental aspects of the project that will not change: objectives, limits, initial assumptions, timeframes. Roles/Responsibilities:Duties & assignments for each member of the team. Key Activities:Defined by the workplan to foster accomplishment of the project. Key Deliverables:Tangible outcomes of the project, usually in the form of documents. These should be tied directly to Key Activities. Timeline/Schedule:Target dates for completion of the project and its various phase, activities, etc. Milestones:Dates of key accomplishments of the team. Critical Success Factors:Any factors that must occur to ensure success of the project. Metrics:Information looked at regularly and systematically to monitor, control, and improve our work. Risks:Anything that prevents the team from completing the key activities. Boundaries:Factors that limit the scope of work (e.g. timeframes). Components of a Team Charter Forming

Team Charter Validation Objective - Does it accurately described the project? Scope -Is the project well defined? Roles & Responsibilities - Have they been determined for all team members? Key Activities - Will they allow team to meet its objectives? Key Deliverables - Are they tangible, and do they demonstrate results? Timeline/Schedule-Is the schedule sufficient to finish the project on a timely basis? Milestones-Do they support accomplishment of the project? Critical Success Factors - Do they ensure team’s success? Metrics - Do they accurately measure results, and support critical success factors? Risks - Are they full documented, and do they significantly impede success? Boundaries - What elements are in, and out, of the project? Sponsor -Is the sponsor at a high enough level in the organization to clear barriers, provide resources, etc? Forming

Stage 2: STORMING During the Storming stage team members: –realize that the task is more difficult than they imagined; –have fluctuations in attitude about chances of success; –may be resistant to the task; and, –have poor collaboration. Storming

Storming Diagnosis Do we have common goals and objectives? Do we agree on roles and responsibilities? Do our task, communication, and decision systems work? Do we have adequate interpersonal skills? Storming

Negotiating Conflict Separate problem issues from people issues. Be soft on people, hard on problem. Look for underlying needs, goals of each party rather than specific solutions. Storming

Addressing the Problem State your views in clear non-judgmental language. Clarify the core issues. Listen carefully to each person’s point of view. Check understanding by restating the core issues. Storming

Avoid Team “Toxicity” A frenzied work atmosphere in which team members waste energy and lose focus on the objectives of the work to be performed. High frustration caused by personal, business, or technological factors that cause friction among team members. “Fragmented or poorly coordinated procedures” or a poorly defined or improperly chosen process model that becomes a roadblock to accomplishment. Unclear definition of roles resulting in a lack of accountability and resultant finger-pointing. “Continuous and repeated exposure to failure” that leads to a loss of confidence and a lowering of morale. Storming

To Communicate Well... Listen well Observe carefully Give feedback constructively Storming

Communication Behaviors to Observe Who participates Who doesn’t How do people take turns? Who talks to whom? Who responds to whom? How are interruptions handled? Is silence O.K.? Is anyone dominating the conversation? How are decisions made? –By consensus? –By voting? –By one person? Storming

And be sure to observe your own feelings, reactions, and behaviors Storming

Four Principles of Communication All communication takes place on the content and relationship level We cannot not communicate Often the problem with communication is the assumption of it Metacommunication is very useful Storming

Common Problems in Teams Hogging Talking too much Flogging Beating a dead horse Frogging Jumping from topic to topic Bogging Getting stuck on an issue Storming

Common Problems in Teams And one more… Tip toeing around a contentious issue Dead buffaloes Storming

Stage 3: Norming During this stage members accept: –their team; –team rules and procedures; –their roles in the team; and, –the individuality of fellow members. Team members realize that they are not going to crash-and-burn and start helping each other. Norming

Behaviors Competitive relationships become more cooperative. There is a willingness to confront issues and solve problems. Teams develop the ability to express criticism constructively. There is a sense of team spirit. Norming

Giving Constructive Feedback Be descriptive. Don't use labels. Don’t exaggerate. Don’t be judgmental. Speak for yourself. Norming

Use “I” messages. Restrict your feedback to things you know for certain. Help people hear and accept your compliments when giving positive feedback. Norming Giving Constructive Feedback

Receiving Feedback Listen carefully. Ask questions for clarity. Acknowledge the feedback. Acknowledge the valid points. Take time to sort out what you heard. Norming

Stage 4: PERFORMING Team members have: –gained insight into personal and team processes; –a better understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses; –gained the ability to prevent or work through group conflict and resolve differences; and, –developed a close attachment to the team. Performing

Recipe for Successful Team Commitment to shared goals and objectives Clearly define roles and responsibilities –Use best skills of each –Allows each to develop in all areas Performing

Recipe for Successful Team Effective systems and processes –Clear communication –Beneficial team behaviors; well-defined decision procedures and ground rules –Balanced participation –Awareness of the group process –Good personal relationships Performing