LEADING TEAMS
Damon Burton
University of Idaho
5 DISFUNCTIONS
OF TEAMS
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Absence of Trust – great teams trust each
other deeply and share their hopes, fears
and ideas.
Fear of Conflict – trust promotes
passionate dialogue, but it also prompts
disagreement, questioning and challenging.
Lack of Commitment – great teams
promote genuine commitment for
important decisions.
5 DISFUNCTIONS
OF TEAMS -2


Avoidance of Accountability – great teams
hold each other accountable and don’t have
to rely on the leader to enforce
accountability.
Inattention to Results – members of great
teams set aside their own needs and
agendas to focus on goals of the team.
Team results define success.
ORGANIZATIONAL
TEAMS



Organizational Teams – represents a
fundamental change in how work is
organized.
Work Teams – function both with and
without leaders and they handle all issues
and problems that may arise within their
job description.
Typical Duties – include hiring and firing,
scheduling, quality control, budget
management and disciplinary actions.
What is a
team?
WHAT IS A TEAM?



Team – is a unit of 2 or more people
who interact and coordinate their
work to accomplish a shared goal or
purpose.
Team Interaction – people in a team
work together regularly.
Team Focus – team members share a
goal but roles and responsibilities
often have to be worked out within
the team.
LEADERSHIP LESSONS
FROM GEESE
What is the difference
between groups and
teams?
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
GROUPS AND TEAMS
Group


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has a designated, strong
leader
individual accountability
identical purpose for
group and organization
performance goals set by
others
works within
organizational
boundaries
individual work products
organized meetings;
delegation
Team





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shares or rotates
leadership roles
mutual/ind. accountability
specific team vision or
purpose
performance goals set by
team
not inhibited by
organizational boundaries
collective work products
mutual feedback, openended discussion, active
problem-solving
9
What are the
challenges of
joining a new
team?
STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT
Forming:
• orientation & break the ice
• Leader - facilitate social
interchanges
Storming:
• conflict & disagreement
• Leader - encourage
participation, surface differences
Norming:
• establish order and cohesion
• Leader - help clarify team roles,
norms, & values
Performing:
• cooperation & problem solving
• Leader - facilitate task
accomplishment
11
What is the
difference between
functional and selfdirected teams?
EVOLUTION OF TEAMS AND
TEAM LEADERSHIP
Cross-Functional
Team
Functional Team
• grouping
individuals by
activity
• leader centered
• vertical or
command team
• coordinates
across
organization
boundaries for
change projects
• leader gives up
some power
• special purpose
team, problemsolving team
Need for traditional leadership
Self-Directed Team
• autonomous,
defines own
boundaries
• member-centered
• self-managed
team
Need for team leadership
13
VERTICAL VERSUS
HORIZONTAL STRUCTURE
HPERD
Dean
Associate
Dean
C&I
ACTE
Center 1 – Ethics
Team 1 –
Motivation
Center 2 – CDHD
Team 2 –
Leadership
Team 3 –
Grad Programs
SELF-DIRECTED TEAMS

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Nature of Work – team members work
together without direction from
managers, supervisors or assigned
team leaders.
Leadership – is member- rather than
leader-centered.
Teams – typically consist of 5 to 20
members who rotate jobs to produce
an entire product or service.
Life Span – typically long-term
ELEMENTS OF SD TEAMS

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Composition - team have members with
varied skills and functions that allow them
to complete a total task.
Resources – team is given access to all
resources needed to perform the task (e.g.,
info, budget, equipment, machinery and
supplies).
Decision-Making – empowered to have
decision-making authority such as selecting
members, solving problems, spending
money, monitoring results and future
planning.
What are the 3 most
important
characteristics of a
team?
TEAM CHARACTERISTICS


Size - team performance peaks at 5 members (i.e.,
range 3 to 6).
• Tradeoff – team need to be large enough to take
advantage of diverse skills and small enough to
build cohesion and teamwork.
• Advantages – Small teams are more satisfied,
have greater agreement, ask more questions,
exchange more opinions, are more cohesive and
have greater sense of belonging.
Diversity – heterogeneous teams are more effective
because they provide a greater range of abilities.
• Benefits – healthy level of conflict that promotes
better decision-making.
TEAM CHARACTERISTICS

Interdependence – extent to which members
depend on each other for information, resources
and ideas to accomplish tasks or goals.
• Pooled interdependence – members are fairly
independent in completing work and
participating on the team.
• Sequential interdependence – output of one
member becomes the input for another,
prompting exchange of info and resources.
• Reciprocal interdependence – members
influence and affect each other in a reciprocal
fashion so that any product goes through a
number of iterations.
LEADING EFFECTIVE TEAMS
Team effectiveness: the extent
to which a team achieves four
performance outcomes:
innovation/adaptation,
efficiency, quality, and
employee satisfaction
Team cohesiveness: the
extent to which members
stick together and remain
united in the pursuit of a
common goal
21
What factors
influence team
cohesion?
COHESION
DETERMINANTS

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Interaction - team members must
spend time together and interact
frequently.
Shared Mission & Goals – agree on
purpose and direction.
Personal Attraction – members like
and respect one another because they
find common ground and enjoy being
together.
TWO TYPES OF TEAM
LEADERSHIP ROLES
Task-Specialist Behavior
Socio-Emotional Behavior
Propose solutions and initiate new
ideas
Encourage contributions by others;
draw out others’ ideas by showing
warmth and acceptance
Evaluate effectiveness of task
solutions; offer feedback on others’
suggestions
Smooth over conflicts between
members; reduce tension and help
resolve differences
Seek information to clarify tasks,
responsibilities, and suggestions
Be friendly and supportive of
others; show concern for members’
needs and feelings
Summarize ideas and facts related
to the problem at hand
Maintain standards of behavior and
remind others of agreed-upon
norms and standards for interaction
Energize others and stimulate the
team to action
Seek to identify problems with team
interactions or dysfunctional
member behavior; ask for others’
perceptions
24
What are the 3 most
important
contributions needed
from a team leader?
TEAM LEADER’S ROLE
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Recognize Importance of Shared Purpose &
Values – articulate a clear and compelling
vision.
Admit Mistakes – serve as a fallibility
model by admitting ignorance and mistakes
and asking for help.
Provide Support & Coaching to Team
Members – make sure your people get
training, development opportunities and
resources they need and are rewarded for
their contributions.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
CONVENTIONAL, VIRTUAL &
GLOBAL TEAMS
Type of Team
Spatial
Distance
Communications
Member
Cultures
Leader
Challenge
Conventional
Colocated
Face to face
Same
High
Virtual
Scattered
Mediated
Same
Higher
Global
Widely
scattered
Mediated
Different
Very high
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VIRTUAL TEAM BASICS
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Select the right members – get the right
people on the busy that are competent
and have diverse skills.
Build Trust by Building Connections –
build trust with several face-to-face
meetings.
Agree on Ground Rules – goals, deadlines
and expectations must be formalized.
Use Technology Effectively – make use of
a variety of technology for exchanging
ideas and work.
What are the 5 most
common conflict
management styles?
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT MODEL
Assertive
.
Assertiveness
Compromising
(Attempting to
satisfy one’s own
concerns)
Unassertive
.
Collaborating
.Competing
.
Avoiding
Accommodating
Uncooperative
.
Cooperative
Cooperativeness
(Attempting to
satisfy the other
party’s concerns)
30
CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT GOALS

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get needs met, and
maintain positive
relationship.
CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT STYLES
 Turtle – doesn’t attempt to either meet
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needs or maintain relationship,
Teddy Bear – sacrifices personal needs in
order to maintain good relationship,
Shark – meets personal needs at expense of
maintaining a good relationship,
Fox – meets both goals to a moderate
degree through effective compromise,
Owl – meets both goals completely through
creative problem-solving.
The End