1. Team Norms Definition What Norms Describe
Norms are the rules of the game that govern group member behavior. Norms are consensual, those standards that are “agreed upon” by members of the team. They can be implicit or explicit.
What Norms Describe
The acceptable way that team members should respond in a situation
The types of behaviors that should be avoided by team members
The types of rewards and punishments that team provide when standards are violated.

2. Development of Norms
Explicit statements by members of the group (e.g., co-worker, supervisor)
Setting the norm can be backed by legitimate power (supervisor), individual who is powerful member of the group (expertise, respect), or people with the resources

3. Development of Norms, cont’d
Major Events in Team’s History
A specific “good” or “bad” experience-project success or failure, ethical violations
Awkward interpersonal events that should avoided in the future
Critical events that occur such as arguments among team members, Milestones: half-way through a project deadline

4. Development of Norms, cont’d
Primacy
Behaviors that occur early in the teams interaction set expectations for how things may be done/unfold in the future)
Early meetings held in formal manner
Seating positions in team

5. Development of Norms, cont’d
Carry-Over from Past
Expectations from other (similar) work groups or situations. Many of these norms may be implicit, people expected to know them so they do not have to be relearned each time.
Can be part of the tradition of the organization-the way things are done here for the last 40 yrs (socialization, rituals, stories)

6. Why Norms Develop and are Enforced
To Ensure the Group’s Survival
Protect itself from interference or harassment form members of other groups
What kind of interactions are permitted with other groups and what information to reveal to other groups about own group
Setting groups norms about performance to ensure jobs for team members
How to deal with admitting new members into the group to endure that the group can continue.

7. Why Norms Develop, cont’d
To Simplify What is Expected and to Make Group Members’ Behavior Predictable
Aim is to reduce uncertainty
Aim is to reduce cognitive effort
Aim is to make certain behaviors routine
Specify functions for each team member and how things are done (roles)
Setting an agenda for each meeting
The dealer calls the game
How to deal with a check at lunch
Group consensus to reach a decision

8. Why Norms Develop, cont’d
To Avoid Embarrassing Interpersonal Situations
To protect the self-image of team members
Norms about interpersonal conflict (name-calling)
Cards call themselves
Speaking badly about team members to other teams
Who provides specific resources so the group can work together (snacks for the team)

9. Why Norms Develop, cont’d
To Represent the Central Values, Mission or Purpose of the Team
Shut up and deal
Let’s review where we are in three weeks, since the proposal is due on the 24th
Each of us is responsible for getting an A on our part of the project

10. Factors Contributing To Individual Acceptance Of Group Norms
Attractiveness of group
Desire to achieve the group goals (identify)
Attractiveness of the team’s members (friends in the group)
Person feels valued and included by the group, cohesiveness of the group
Desire to remain a member of the group (motivation)

11. Factors, cont’d
Ability of the group to reward members that conform and sanction members that deviate
Personality Characteristics
Agreeableness: social approval, high self-monitors

12. Factors, cont’d
To avoid a self-conception as being deviant, different.

13. Habitual Routines
A Special Case of Behavior That Comes Under Normative Control
Previously: Norms develop to simplify what is expected and to make group members behavior predictable
Aim is to reduce uncertainty
Aim is to reduce cognitive effort
Aim is to make certain behaviors routine

14. Habitual Routine Characteristics
Group does something in the same way each time without explicitly selecting it over an alternative course of action
Flight crew take off procedures
Top management team in terms of always using majority vote
Always having the host provide the food
Always use joking to smooth over conflict in the group

15. Habitual Routine Characteristics, cont’d
There is a pattern of behavior that expresses the way the group responds to a given situation, issue or problem it faces.
When the stimulus appears, the behavior follows.

16. Positive Aspects of Habitual Routines
No need to invest effort to decide a strategy to deal with situation-habitual routine used once the situation is classified.
Fosters collaboration among team members to get things done.

17. Positive Aspects, cont’d
Creates a comfort level to deal with this situation-know what my role is and not likely to do the wrong thing.
Minimize disagreement in group that would arise if had to decide how to respond to this situation each time.

18. Dysfunctional Aspects of Habitual Routines
Miscoding of situation
Likely to see situation as one to which they know how to respond
Invoke the wrong routine, e.g., same takeoff plan used even when context different (weather, airport)
Suboptimal Performance
Same routine used for problem solving even if a better strategy could be used, especially when successful in the past

19. Dysfunctional Aspects, cont’d
Stagnated Learning
If everything done the same way, members may be less likely to learn new behaviors if routines were changed
Things could be more enjoyable if new routine was used

20. What Maintains Habitual Routines
Mindless behavior
The more often it is used to less people think about it, the less conscious it becomes
Cost of change
Not have to just decide what to give up but what to change to
Normative control
The way we do things here
Non-compliance punishment

21. Forces That May Compel A Change In Habitual Behavior
A clear change in the situation
A situation that is clearly different
Take off routine is changed because there is an armed hijacker in the plan (Big change)
Group experiences failure
We do not always respond to failure with change
Sunk cost: Continue the same strategy because we do not want to admit that we are wrong, become defensive

22. Forces for Change, cont’d
Reaching a Milestone
Midpoint of the group task
Recognition that we need to get something done
End of project when a formal review of what we did (evaluation norm)
Change in the group’s structure and task
Membership changes in the team
Redesign of team task
Change in the authority structure of the team-new leadership

23. Motto of the Story
Don’t let your habitual routines become your downfall
Examine the functionality of your routines
Develop a team norm to periodically review the way you are doing things at some milestone in the group – middle or completion of the project or at regular intervals