1. Working in Groups Working in Teams

2. Characteristics of Groups  Size  Interaction  Interdependence  Duration  Identity

3. What Makes a Group a Team?  Clear and Inspiring Shared Goals  A Results-driven Structure  Competent Team Members  Unified Commitment  More...

4. What Makes a Group a Team? continued...  Collaborative Climate  Standards of Excellence  External Support and Recognition  Principled Leadership

5. Types of Groups  Closed Groups >Brainstorming >Quality circles volunteer group / problem solving / leader emerges >Focus groups >Support groups

6. Self-directed Work Teams  Characteristics of Self-directed Teams  Technical or Functional Expertise  Problem-solving or Decision-making Skills  Interpersonal Skills

7. Open Groups  Symposium  A meeting or conference for discussion of a topic, especially one in which the participants form an audience and make presentations  Panel discussion  Forum  A public meeting place for open discussion

8. Groups and Teams options  Face-to-face Teams  Virtual Teams  www.gotomeeting.com www.gotomeeting.com

9. Systematic Problem Solving 1. Define the Problem 2. Analyze the Problem 3. Establish Criteria for a Solution 4. Consider Possible Solutions to the Problem 5. Decide on a Solution 6. Implement the Solution 7. Follow-up on the Solution

10. Centralized Leadership  Trait Approach  The leader exercises leadership controls based on individual characteristics  Style Approach  attempts to analyze how leaders act in certain situations and what they do to attain and maintain their leadership  Contingency Approaches or Situational Approaches -- adapt to situation  Functional Approach focus on HOW leadership occurs rather than on WHO  Leadership Emergence --Leadership emerges in three phases. First, those who are unsuitable are eliminated. Then one potential leader is selected. Finally, there is a probationary period during which the leader must continue to demonstrate his/her skills.

11. Shared Power in Groups  Position Power  Coercive Power  Reward Power  Expert Power  Referent Power -- Influence over others, acquired from being well liked or respected by them (more)

12. Shared Power in Groups continued…  Information Power  Connection Power  Functional Perspective -- views society as an organism in which each part serves a function

13. Stages in Group Problem Solving  Orientation Phase  Conflict Phase  Emergence Phase  Reinforcement Phase

14. Decision-making Methods  Consensus  Majority Vote  Minority Decision  Expert Opinion  Authority Rule

15. Choosing a Decision- making Method  What Type of Decision Is Being Made?  How Important Is the Decision?  How Much Time Is Available?  What Are the Personal Relationships Among Members?

16. Recognize Both Group and Personal Goals  Athletic Team Wants to Win Team Championship  Sales Department Wants to Meet Annual Sales Target  Retailer Wants to Expand Hours to Attract New Business  Company Wants Employee to Attend Seminar in Minneapolis Group Goal

17. Recognize Both Group and Personal Goals  Athlete wants to be star for social awards  Sales representative wants to earn bonus and receive promotions  Employees want to avoid working nights and weekends  Employee wants to visit family in Minneapolis Personal Goal

18. Typical Constructive (and Destructive) Norms for Working Groups  Handle(ignore) business for co-workers who are away from their desks  Be willing (refuse) to admit your mistakes  Occasional time off from work for personal reasons is (isn’t) okay, as long as the absence won’t harm the company

19. Typical Constructive (and Destructive) Norms for Working Groups continued...  Do (don’t) be willing to work overtime without complaining when big, important deadlines approach  Say so (keep quiet) if you disagree. Don’t (do) hint or go behind others’ backs.

20. Factors that Promote Optimal Level of Cohesiveness  Shared or Compatible Goals  Progress Toward Goals  Shared Norms or Values  Minimal Feelings of Threat Among Members  Interdependence Among Members  Competition Form Outside the Group  Shared Group Experiences

21. Avoid Excess Conformity Groupthink * Risky Shift  Illusion That the Group Is Invulnerable  Tendency to Rationalize or Discount Negative Information  Willingness to Ignore Ethical or Moral Consequences of the Group’s Decision  Stereotyped Views of Other Groups  Group Pressure to Conform

22. Avoid Excess Conformity Groupthink * Risky Shift continued…  Self-censorship  Illusion of Unanimity  “Mindguards” Against Threatening Information -- a member of the group who, in an attempt to preserve the central group idea, omits any information which may cause doubts to arise within the group  Groupthink is defined as “A strong concurrence- seeking tendency that interferes with effective group decision making” (Forsyth)

23. Encourage Creativity  Conduct a Warm-up Session  Generate Possible Solutions  Eliminate Duplicate Ideas  Evaluate Ideas

24. Task function in groups  Information giver  Offers facts, relevant evidence  Information seeker  Asks others for information  Opinion Giver  Opinion Seeker (more)

25. Task function in groups  Starter ‘let’s get moving’  Summarizer  Diagnoser assesses group behavior “We spend a lot of time...”  Energizer invigorates, enthuses  Gatekeeper  Reality tester “could we really plan a carnival in 3 weeks?”

26. Social / relational functions  Participation encourager  Harmonizer -- mediates conflicts  Tension reliever  Praise giver  Empathic listener -- listen w/o evaluating  All functional roles

27. Dysfunctional roles  Blocker  Attacker  Recognition-seeker  Joker  Withdrawer

28. Group decision making 1...  Recommend how to spend $50,000 for TAMU-Commerce to improve its recruiting efforts to area high schools  Must come up with specific budget  Must show how it will be effective use of money  Must show how it will be received

29. Other group decision making...  Group makes recommendations for how to improve communication between administration and students  Group makes recommendations for how to improve student life