1. Building Teams and Work Groups
Chapter 10
Building Teams and Work Groups
“We are a pack animal. From earliest times we have used the strength of the group to overcome the weakness of the individual. And that applies as much to business as to sport.”
~ Tracy Edwards (Skippered the 1st women’s crew to
circumnavigate the globe)
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

2. Chapter Objectives
Form a team and help it progress through developmental stages.
Form or join a high-performance work team.
Ensure that all members of a team contribute equally.
Handle differences in values and work styles in a team setting.
Allocate team roles and responsibilities.
Motivate a team to achieve its objectives.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

3. What is Teamwork?
A group is a collection of people working together who aren’t necessarily working collectively toward the same goal.
A team is three or more independent individuals consciously working together to achieve a common objective.
A group becomes a team when members demonstrate a commitment to each other and to the end goal toward which they are working.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

4. Why Teams?
Teams exist because few individuals possess all the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to accomplish all tasks.
Teamwork skills are one of the most commonly required skills in the work environment.
When a team structure is employed, and those teams work effectively, many benefits accrue to the organisation and to the team members themselves.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

5. Benefits of Teams Increased creativity, problem solving and innovation
Higher-quality decisions
Improved processes
Global competitiveness
Increased quality
Improved communication
Reduced turnover and absenteeism
Increased employee morale
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

6. Examples of Successes by Self-Managed Teams
Organisation
Reported Successes
Harley-Davidson
Returned to profitability in 6 years.
Hallmark
200% reduction in design time; 23,000 new card lines each year.
Liberty Mutual
50% reduction in contract process time; $50 million+ savings per year.
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Patient volume increased by 21%. Turnover reduced, absenteeism reduced by 20%.
Monsanto
Quality and productivity improved by 47% in 4 years.
Saab and Volvo
4% increase in production output. Inventory turnover increased from 9 to 21 times a year.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

7. Potential Limitations of Teams
Groupthink
Social loafing
Quality concerns
Timeliness
Diversity
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

8. Types of Teams Cross-functional teams Self-managed teams
Usually charged with developing new products or investigating and improving a companywide problem
Self-managed teams
Groups of employees responsible for a complete, self-contained package of responsibilities that relate either to a final product or an ongoing process
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

9. Types of Teams (cont) Task forces Process improvement teams
Ad hoc, temporary project teams assembled to develop a product, service or system to solve a specific problem or set of problems
Process improvement teams
Focus on specific methods, operations or procedures; are assembled with the specific goal of enhancing the particular component being studied
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

10. Team Developmental Stages
Stage One: Forming
A team is established to accomplish a particular task
Stage Two: Storming
The team experiences differences over factors such as direction, leadership, work style and approach, and perceptions about the expected quality and state of the end product or deliverable.
Stage Three: Norming
The group faces its issues, conflicts, and power and leadership struggles, openly and directly.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

11. Team Developmental Stages (cont)
Stage Four: Performing
The team has worked through its differences, and is highly motivated to accomplish its task.
Stage Five: Adjourning
The team disbands permanently or temporarily after successfully completing the task or objective.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

12. Characteristics of High-Performance Teams
Common purpose and goals
Intention
Clear roles
Communication processes
Accepting and supportive leadership
Small size
High levels of technical and interpersonal skills
Open relationships and trust
Accountability
Reward structures
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

13. Tips for Effective Teams
Be focused
Handle conflict directly
Focus on both process and content
Actively participate
Keep sensitive issues private
Communicate openly and positively
Take time to establish operating guidelines
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

14. Tips for Effective Teams (cont)
Monitor what’s going on with the team
Practise giving (and receiving) effective feedback
Work with underperformers
Energise the team
Be reliable and conscientious
When needed, give direction to the team’s work
Be supportive of your team members
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

15. Why Teams Fail Not enough time to complete an assignment.
Lack of adequate resources to achieve the stated objectives.
Limited management support of the team’s effort.
Unsuitable situation not warranting or conducive to teams.
Mission not clearly defined at the outset.
No allowances for team members to work on day-to-day tasks.
Disregard for early problems.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

16. Dealing with Problem Team Members
Absentee Member
Be direct immediately.
Discuss the situation with the team member in a way in which the person does not feel he or she is being put on the defensive.
Explain the problem and find out the team member’s perception of the situation.
Ask specifically if the team member still has the time necessary for the team.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

17. Dealing with Problem Team Members (cont)
Social Loafer
Raise the issue of work standards at the onset of the project.
Divide the responsibilities and set up checkpoints to ensure each team member is contributing equally.
If a discrepancy appears, try to quantify it and reallocate the workload so all members are contributing equally.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

18. Dealing with Problem Team Members (cont)
Procrastinator
Set up interim checkpoints to ensure work progresses at a reasonable pace.
Set reasonable work schedules and deadlines.
Ask all team members to check personal and work calendars to pre-empt problems.
Frequently appraise the commitments that might affect a person’s ability to adhere to a deadline.
Build in some slack.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

19. Tips for Managing for Outstanding Results
Care about the people you work with
Don’t worry about who gets the credit
Respect individual differences
Subordinate yourself to a higher purpose
Know yourself
Don’t be afraid to follow
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak

20. Summary Workplaces worldwide have embraced teaming.
Organisations that implement work teams as a way to improve products, services and processes have witnessed tremendous measurable benefits.
Not all teams produce phenomenal outcomes.
You can help your teams reach their full potential by understanding:
Normal phases of group development.
Ways to gain and maintain group productivity and motivation.
Copyright  2006 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs t/a Interpersonal Skills in Organisations
Slides by Caroline Juszczak