Performance and Teamwork
Motor racing seems to be the epitome of glamour and daring. Yet behind the scenes
a lot more is required to be a winner. Professor Mark Jenkins in his book on F1,
Performance at the Limit, says “Successful Formula 1 organisations are true teams”.
He observes:
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they understand each others’ capabilities and take on complementary roles
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they work together to a common purpose
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they hold themselves to be mutually accountable
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sharing, supporting and learning together
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open and honest communication, with respect but without blame.
Well away from the racing circuit, in many organisations working together in teams
has proved to be a powerful way to harness the potential of everyone in the
organisation, the so-called 2+2=5 effect. Whilst trying to build a team where none
exists or is needed is fruitless, in many cases teams can be developed and their
effectiveness speeded up using a variety of planned interventions. This article
describes some of the ways Cranfield works to strengthen teams.
What can a team expect as an outcome?
Building a team is never successfully done to a team, without involvement from
participants. To work effectively, a team will be actively engaged in the process
which will carry on long after the facilitator has left. When it works well, team
building can:
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Achieve a stronger, agreed sense of purpose
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Clarify roles and improve ways of effectively working together
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Encourage open, free-flowing communication
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Accelerate the performance of new teams
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Revitalise mature teams
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Instil an on-going process of review of team effectiveness, which help the
team to continue to be effective in changing conditions
Skilled set-up, facilitation and coaching can help to lessen the real possibility of
resistance and failure: for example, by choosing methods of team development
which fit the culture and style of that team, or by sensitively handling
reservations and doubts that individuals and whole teams may have.
1. Teamwork and Personality
An insightful way to consider the way a team operates is to look at the effect of
personalities, making an assessment from the composition of the team of the
personalities of its team members which together often form a predominant team
personality. An understanding of a team's personalities, often gained through
personality questionnaires, will help discover
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The degree of difference or similarity in approach
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The way individuals and the team go about solving problems
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How conflict is dealt with
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How change affects the team and how it is managed
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What needs to be done to improve team effectiveness
2. Team Roles
The roles that people play in a team have a significant impact on what the team
achieves. Here roles are defined, not in a task sense, but as "A tendency to
behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way." (Meredith
Belbin). Belbin defined nine roles, ranging from creatives, dominant drivers,
maintainers of standards, even handed coordinators, implementers, deliverers,
outgoing types, team spirit maintainers and narrow specialists. Too many of the
team in just a few team roles will cause imbalance – too many ideas, too few
practical implementers, for example.
Completion of a questionnaire will help decide the roles played in any team, and
provide the means to discuss the gaps, weaknesses and strengths in a team.
3. Behaviour Analysis
Watching what people say, and the way others react in a team can bring out some
important learning lessons. This approach can be formalised by categorising
observed behaviour. It can be used to help improve individual and team performance
– for example, criticising can often lead to attacking retaliations and little consensus.
A way of using behaviour analysis is
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Assess face-to-face behaviours through observation into categories
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Correlate behaviours with outcomes, good and bad
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Put forward a success model: which behaviours work best and worst?
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Discuss possible results of changing
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Target changing behaviours and observe and review success
4. Group dynamics
This is a general term for understanding the underlying processes which go on in
teams and groups. When there is understanding within a particular team, the
insights can bring about significant shifts. One approach is to study group dynamics
from a psychoanalytic perspective, identifying basic assumptions behind the team.
For example, is the group on a high state of alert, as if sparing for a fight? Is it
heavily dependent on a great, protective leader?
Family Constellations is a therapeutic method which is useful in offering insights into
team relationships. The person presenting an issue asks people from the group to be
representatives in his or her constellation of relationships. The aim is to guide
participants to bring out the feelings of the real team members whom they
represent. Resolution is achieved when every representative feels right in his or her
place and the other representatives agree.
5. Change and Evolution of Teams
It can be helpful for teams to recognise that there are typical patterns in the
life of a group, with expected consequences in terms of conflict,
relationships.
Forming
At this stage everyone is getting together and treating each other
tentatively and behaving as individuals
Storming
Next, there is a stormy phase of team development, where individuals
and ideas clash as the team works out who is doing what? What formal and informal
rules should be followed? How do we resolve differences?
Norming
After this, there follows broad agreement on the ways of behaving and
agreement on rules of conduct. This is the start of a ‘business as usual’ phase.
Performing
effective.
This is the time when the team starts to perform and become fully
6. Skills and Process Development
A common method of developing teams is through team building by developing
individuals’ insights and skills in relation to one another, so that team members can
maximise their performance and achieve better results. To do this, a facilitator sets
up a number of team exercises which enable participants to actively take part in a
task, and then review their experience. By putting forward ideas, exploring options,
thinking through situations and looking ahead at their implications individuals and
teams can learn from their successes and failures. This facilitating decision-making
and review process speeds up team learning on what will work and not work.
Participants are given transferable skills to use in their daily team situations at work.
7. Choice of Context and Setting
The choice of where and when to hold team building is important. In some cases
working on-the-spot pays dividends, observing actual team meetings, giving
feedback and agreeing improvements. In many cases, however, it pays to get away
from familiar settings and routines. This may mean a quiet meeting room, or the
outdoors where a complete change, sometimes combined with physical and mental
challenges, can be an ideal way to break down barriers and establish new, more
effective ways of working together.
Is Your Team like a Pit Stop Crew?
A pit stop team is a classic example of people working together in harmony – one
slip and the car lose valuable time or risks breaking down and losing the race. How
able is your working team to work hand in glove? Using Mark Jenkins’ observations,
how much does your team
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understand each others’ capabilities and take on complementary roles
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work together to a common purpose
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be mutually accountable
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share, support and learn together
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display open and honest communication, with respect but without blame?
Steve Macaulay is a Learning Development Executive for Cranfield’s Centre for
Customised Executive Development.
Contact:
Centre for Customised Executive Development, Cranfield School of Management,
Tel: +44 (0)1234 754426
Email: s.macaulay@cranfield.ac.uk