Communicating in Teams
Guffey text Ch 2, Thill/Bovee text Ch 2, Robbins text Ch 8-9
Why Use Teams?
“Two together can accomplish
more than two separately”
When is this statement true?
 When is this statement not true?

Why Use Teams?
Better decisions
 Faster response
 Increased productivity
 Greater “buy-in”
 Less resistance to change
 Improved employee morale
 Reduced risks

Beware: Teams Aren’t
Always the Answer
Three tests:
1)
2)
3)
Is the work complex, requiring
different perspectives?
Does the work create a common
purpose/set of goals?
Is purpose as strong a motivator
as existing individual goals?
Are group members involved in
interdependent tasks?
Characteristics of
Successful Teams

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Small size, diverse makeup
Agreement on purpose
Agreement on procedures
Ability to deal with conflict
Use of good communication
techniques
Ability to collaborate rather
than compete
Shared leadership
4 Stages of Team
Development

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FORMING
STORMING
NORMING
PERFORMING
Teams can get
stuck, or repeat
stages.
Roles Played by
Team Members
Task Roles
•
Initiator
•
Information seeker/giver
•
Opinion seeker/giver
•
Direction giver
•
Summarizer
•
Diagnoser
Roles Played by
Team Members
o
Energizer
o
Gatekeeper
o
Reality tester
What kinds of statements might be made
by these role players?
Roles Played by
Team Members
Relationship Roles
•
•
•
•
•
Participation encourager
Harmonizer/
tension reliever
Emotional climate
evaluator
Praise giver
Empathic listener
What kinds of statements might be
made by these role players?
Roles Played by Team
Members
Dysfunctional Roles
•
•
•
•
•
Blocker
Attacker
Recognition-seeker
Joker
Withdrawer
What kinds of statements
might be made by these
role players?
Skills for Team
Leaders/Facilitators
Task Relationships
•
Goal setting
•
Agenda making
•
Clarifying
•
Summarizing
•
Verbalizing consensus
•
Establishing work patterns
•
Following procedures
Skills for Team
Leaders/Facilitators
Interpersonal Relationships
•
Regulating participation
•
Maintaining positive climate
•
Maintaining mutual respect
•
Instigating group self-analysis
•
Resolving conflict
•
Instigating conflict
Conflict:
Functional vs. Dysfunctional
Types of Conflict
Task Conflict
Low to moderate levels =
functional
 Positive effect on group
performance when stimulates
discussion

Relationship Conflict
Almost always dysfunctional
 Increases personality clashes
 Decreases understanding

Process Conflict
At low levels = functional
 Becomes dysfunctional when

Creates uncertainty
about task roles
 Increases time to
complete tasks
 Leads to members
working at cross-purposes

Conflict: When to Call the Boss


Conflict source is external
to team
Dysfunctional task or process
conflict remains unresolved



team applies conflict
management process
no immediate and sustained
improvement
Relationship conflict remains
unresolved or creates hostile
workplace environment
Discussion:
Communication Matters

Workplace Communication
Managing Conflict
Conflict management
styles
 Six-step procedure for
managing conflict
 Dealing with avoidance
 Group decision-making
methods

Conflict Management Styles
Conflict Style: Avoiding

Behaviors
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Avoiding people you find
troublesome
Avoiding issues that are
unimportant, complex, or
dangerous
Postponing discussion until
later
Conflict Style: Avoiding

Benefits

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Reducing stress
Saving time
Steering clear of
danger
Setting up more
favorable
conditions

Costs




Declining
working
relationships
Resentment
Delays
Degraded
communication
and decision
making
Conflict Style: Competing

Behaviors



Imposing of dictating a
decision
Arguing for a conclusion that
fits your data
Hard bargaining (making no
concessions)
Conflict Style: Competing

Benefits



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Asserting your
position
Quick victory
potential
Self-defense
Testing
assumptions

Costs



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Strained work
relationships
Suboptimal
decisions
Decreased
initiative and
motivation
Possible
escalation of 4
horsemen
Conflict Style Accommodating

Behaviors


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Doing a favor to help
someone
Being persuaded
Obeying an authority
Deferring to another’s
expertise
Appeasing someone who is
dangerous
Conflict Style: Accommodating

Benefits

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Helping someone
out
Restoring
harmony
Building
relationships
Choosing a quick
ending

Costs



Sacrificed
concerns
Loss of respect
Loss of
motivation
Conflict Style: Compromising

Behaviors



Soft bargaining
(exchanging concessions)
Taking turns
Moderating your
conclusions
Conflict Style: Compromising

Benefits




Pragmatism
Speed and
expediency
Fairness
Maintaining
relationships

Costs



Partially
sacrificed
concerns
Suboptimal
solutions
Superficial
understandings
Conflict Style: Collaborating

Behaviors


Reconciling interests
through a win-win solution
Combining insights into a
richer understanding
Conflict Style: Collaborating

Benefits

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High-quality
decisions
Learning and
communication
Resolution and
commitment
Strengthening
relationships

Costs

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Time and energy
required
Psychological
demands
Possibility of
offending
Vulnerability risk
Six-Step Procedure for
Managing Conflict
Goal: Collaborate or Compromise
1. Listen
2. Understand the other
point of view
3. Show concern for the
relationship
4. Look for common ground
5. Invent new problemsolving options
6. Reach a fair agreement
Dealing with Avoidance
Clear the air
If you’re on a team with someone
who seems consistently irritated, a
martyr, or passive-aggressive:
 Ask for a private meeting
 Solicit feedback
 Listen without interrupting and
with an open mind
 Request permission to respond
with equal openness
Group Decision-Making
Methods
Majority (vote)
 Consensus (buy-in)
 Minority (subgroup recommendation)
 Averaging (compromise)
 Authority rule with input

What are the advantages and
disadvantages of each method?
Productive Meetings
Is a Meeting Necessary?
Topic is important
 Need for input/decision is urgent
 Requires an exchange of ideas

A meeting is not necessary when:
Objective=distribute information
 No immediate feedback required

Productive Meetings
Before the meeting
•
Invite the right people
those who have information
• those who make decisions
• those who implement decisions
•
•
Distribute an agenda
essential for introverts
• include required pre-meeting
preparation
•
Productive Meetings
During the Meeting
Establish ground rules
 Assign facilitator role
 Start on time (watch socializing)
 Introduce agenda, add items if
needed or put on “parking lot”
 Appoint a recorder
 Encourage balanced participation
 Confront conflict frankly
 Summarize points of consensus

Productive Meetings
Ending the meeting
•
•
•
End on time
Review meeting decisions
Remind people of action items
(identify who will do what by when)
Following up
• Distribute minutes of meeting
•
•
•
Absentees (for record)
list of decisions
action items
Organizing Team-Based
Written and Oral Presentations
See text (p. 53-55)
 See consulting project
on web site
 See boss (Loescher)

Goal: Successful, meaningful,
and FUN project