© Mujtaba, 2007 Workforce Diversity Management Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba

© Mujtaba, 2007 Workforce Diversity Management (Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, 2007) Chapter 1 – Diversity: What is it? Chapter 2 – Diversity Management in Academia Chapter 3 – Socialization and Stereotypes Chapter 4 – Discrimination in Practice Chapter 5 – Technology, Gender and Appreciative Inquiry Chapter 6 – Affirmative Action Chapter 7 – Culture and Management Chapter 8 – Generational and Spiritual Diversity Chapter 9 – Managing for Diversity in Public Agencies Chapter 10 – Organizational Learning and Knowledge Chapter 11 – Power and Leadership Chapter 12 – Gender and Management Hierarchy Chapter 13 – Teamwork and Synergy Chapter 14 – Listening and Conflict Management Skills Chapter 15 – Training Programs: Preparation and Evaluation Chapter 16 – Diversity: The Engine for Success

© Mujtaba, 2007 Teams and Teamwork Teams and teamwork are essential realities of developing a competitive advantage through a diverse workforce in the twenty- first century work environment. Teamwork and the synergy in each organization can bring about more efficiency and productivity in solving complex problems and being responsive to the needs of customers.

© Mujtaba, 2007 High Performing Teams While all functions of management are critical for productivity and efficiency, one indirect yet important function of managers is the building and organization of effective teams. High performing teams are made up of diverse members that make work fun and show camaraderie, and they can greatly enhance the long-term value of any department, organization, industry, and country. According to experts, high performing teams bring “talent,” “difference,” and “variety” to the mix, which, when managed effectively, can set the ground for creating a unique competitive advantage for an organization.

© Mujtaba, 2007 Team and Teamwork A team is a group of people who are mutually dependent on one another to achieve a common goal. Advantages of working in a team can include the results, how the job gets done, improved communication, organizational learning, and personal satisfaction. Disadvantages of being on a team can include time, individual performance, and conflict, to name but a few. Teamwork is the coordinated efforts of a team working toward a common goal because Together Everyone Achieves More! Of course, it is the performance of each individual that makes or breaks a team.

© Mujtaba, 2007 General Findings/Assumptions Team performance opportunities exist in all parts of the organization. A demanding performance challenge tends to create a team. Organizations with strong performance standards seem to spawn more “real teams” than companies that promote teams per se. Teams naturally integrate performance and learning. Teams are the primary unit of performance for an increasing number of organizations. Most organizations intrinsically prefer individual over group (team) accountability.

© Mujtaba, 2007 What is Team? A team is a group of people who are mutually dependent on one another to achieve a common goal. –Advantages of working in a team can include the results, how the job gets done, improved communication, more learning, and personal satisfaction. –Disadvantages of being on team can include time, individual performance, and conflict to name but a few. Biech, Elaine, The Pfeiffer Book of Successful Team Building Tools. Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer. San Francisco.

© Mujtaba, 2007 Teamwork Teamwork is the coordinated efforts of a team working toward a common goal. Because, T ogether Everyone Achieves More!

© Mujtaba, 2007 Elements of a “Team” Limited Members Work Interdependently Complementary Skills Common Commitments Mutual Accountability

© Mujtaba, 2007 Team Defined A team is a limited number of individuals, working interdependently, with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Key elements are: –Limited number of individuals with complementary skills, –Commitment to a common purpose and performance goals, –Commitment to an agreed upon strategy, and –Mutual accountability.

© Mujtaba, 2007 Getting Significant Results What will it take to achieve significant performance results in today’s complex and competitive world of business? –Become an effective working group, or –Become a team that is focused on a specific performance challenge. Katzenbach, Jon R. & Smith, Douglas K., (1993). The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press.

© Mujtaba, 2007 Working Groups vs. Teams A working group relies primarily on the individual contributions of its members for group performance. Working groups thrive in hierarchical structures where individual accountability counts the most. A team strives for “synergy,” a magnified impact that is incremental to what its members could achieve in their individual roles. Teams require both individual and mutual accountability. The choice, of remaining a working group or forming a team, depends largely on whether individual achievements can deliver the group’s performance aspirations, or whether collective work-products, skills, and mutual accountability are needed. Katzenbach, Jon R. & Smith, Douglas K., (1993). The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press.

© Mujtaba, 2007 The Team Performance Curve The “team performance curve” illustrates how well a group of people perform based on their approach and implementation plans. –Working group –Pseudo-team –Potential team –Real team –High-performing team Katzenbach, Jon R. & Smith, Douglas K., (1993). The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press.

© Mujtaba, 2007 THE TEAM PERFORMANCE CURVE Working group Potential team Real team High-performance team Pseudo-team Performance Impact Team Effectiveness

© Mujtaba, 2007 Moving up the Curve A potential team needs a unique blend of actions, events, and decisions in order to move up the curve and achieve high performance as a real team. –Real teams do not emerge unless the individuals on them take risks involving conflict, trust, interdependence, and hard work. –Real teams learn how to deal with such concerns through frank and open communication. Katzenbach & Smith, (1993). The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press.

© Mujtaba, 2007 A potential team needs a unique blend of actions, events, and decisions in order to move up the curve and achieve high performance as a real team. Real teams do not emerge unless the individuals on them take risks involving conflict, trust, interdependence, and hard work. Real teams learn how to deal with such concerns through frank and open communication. Building the team’s performance requires each leader (and team member) to: –Establish urgency and direction. –Select members based on skills and skill potential, not personalities. –Pay particular attention to first meetings and actions. –Set clear rules of behavior. –Set and seize upon a few immediate performance-oriented tasks and goals. –Challenge the group regularly with fresh facts and information. –Spend lots of time together. –Exploit the power of positive feedback, recognition, and reward.

© Mujtaba, 2007 High Performance Teams Commitment is the key behind high performing teams. What distinguishes high performing teams, from regular teams, is their level of commitment to the performance challenge and to each other. –A high performance team should have a limited number of members with the required skills or the potential for the required skills, purpose, goals, approach, and accountability as stated in the definition of a working team. Katzenbach, Jon R. & Smith, Douglas K., (1993). The Wisdom of Teams. Harvard Business School Press.

© Mujtaba, 2007 It’s what is inside that makes a difference! Learn well, take chances, and remember that together we can move the world!

© Mujtaba, 2007 Reference Mujtaba, B. G. (2007). Workpalce Diversity Management: Challenges, Competencies and Strategies. ISBN: Llumina Press; website; (phone: or: ).

© Mujtaba, 2007