Teams
Rationale for using teams
Group dynamics
Agenda
Questions on course outline?
 Why teams?
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– Your team
Group dynamics
 Ethical guideposts
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Teams
What is a team?
 What makes a team effective?
 What makes a team defective?
 Why teams?
 Stages of team/group development
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What groups/teams do you
belong to?
What is a team?
Groups of two or more individuals with
complementary skills who work together
toward a common objective for which
they hold themselves mutually
accountable.
 Coordinated efforts result in more than
the sum of individual efforts

Objective?
The objective of the team determines
how the group will function
 Problem solving teams: discuss issues;
make recommendations
 Special purpose teams: assignment
driven; power to implement changes
 Self managing teams: all facets
Why do we use teams?

Produce a greater number of ideas and
pieces of information
– Complex problems can be solved more effectively.

Creative ideas usually are stimulated in the
presence of other individuals who have the
same focus, passion, and excitement.
 Improve understanding and acceptance
among those involved in the decisions
 Higher motivation and performance levels
 Offset personal biases and blind spots that
limit problem analysis and implementation

More likely to take risks
 More usually more fun

Support arises among team members.
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Teams infuse knowledge.
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Teams promote organizational learning in
work settings.
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Teams promote individual self-disclosure and
examination.
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Teams both appreciate and take advantage of
diversity.
What makes a team effective
Great Groups
vs “Not Great” Groups
How do we
define
effective?
The Importance of Creating
High Performance Teams

Characteristics of High
Performing Teams
– Small Size
– Complimentary Skills
– Common Purpose
– Specific Goals
– Common Approach
– Mutual Accountability
Good groups also have…
– Interdependent members
– Greater efficiency than individuals
– The desire to affiliate
– Shared responsibility
– Nurturance
– Mutual encouragement
– Trust and interest in success of others
And… share leadership responsibilities
Trust?

To be effective, members must trust
that…
Why we don’t use teams?

Didn’t I see
this already?
Produce a greater number of ideas and pieces
of information?
– Complex problems can be solved more effectively?

Creative ideas usually are stimulated in the
presence of other individuals who have the
same focus, passion, and excitement?
 Improve understanding and acceptance among
those involved in the decisions?
 Higher motivation and performance levels?
 Offset personal biases and blind spots that limit
problem analysis and implementation?
Why don’t we use teams?

More likely to take risks
 More usually more fun

Support arises among team members.

Teams infuse knowledge.

Teams promote organizational learning in
work settings.

Teams promote individual self-disclosure and
examination.

Teams both appreciate and take advantage of
diversity.
When not to use teams

Task not appropriate to using teams
– Routine, simple, highly formalized
Too many members
 Rewards are for individual achievement
not team

– Lack of interdependence
No autonomy
 Lack of resources or structure

Groupthink
Some ideas for group discussion

Background and personal history
– Name; where you are from; major; work
experience; family
Most memorable success
 What you want to become or achieve in
the future– “Freedom 55”
 Past team experiences

Designing High
Performance Teams

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Who Are We?
Where Are We Now?
Where Are We Going?
How Will We Get There?
What Is Expected from Us?
– Role Analysis Technique
– Responsibility Charting

What Support Do We
Get/Need?
 How Effective Are We?
 What Recognition Do We Get?
High Energy Team Development Model
Speaking of group dynamics
Stages of teams/group development
 Different “roles” people play
 Interpersonal “challenges”

Stages
Forming
 Conforming
 Storming
 Performing
 Adjourning

Exhibit 12- 3: Variations in Productivity and Morale during
Team Development
So what?
Adapting Leadership Style to
Facilitate Team Development
Provide Direction
 Provide Support

Exhibit 12- 5a: Leadership Style and Team Development
Adapting Leadership Style to
Facilitate Team Development
Structuring
 Resolving
 Collaborating
 Validating
 Terminating

Transforming Existing Work Groups
into High Performing Teams

Assessing and Solving Problems
to Team Effectiveness
 Problem Awareness: Determining
Symptoms of Ineffective Teams
–
–
–
–
–
–
Communicating outside the Group
Over Dependency on the Leader
Unrealized Decisions
Hidden Conflicts
Fighting without Resolution
Subgroups
Breakdown, breakup, rebuild:
Issues that develop in groups
Equality of effort
 Loss of accountability
 Sharing of rewards
 Coordination loss

Dealing with “challenging”
people
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Hostile
Know it all
Loudmouth
Interrupter
Interpreter
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Gossiper
Whisperer
Silent distracter
Busy-body
Latecomer
Early leaver
Transforming Existing Work Groups
into High Performing Teams
Data Analysis
 Problem Identification

– Weak Sense of Direction
– Infighting
– Shirking of Responsibilities
– Lack of Trust
– Critical Skills Gaps
– Lack of External Support
Transforming Existing Work Groups into
High Performing Teams

Make Action Plans to Solve Problems
–
–
–
–
Clarify Goals
Encourage Teams to Go for Small Wins
Build Mutual Trust
Appraise Both Group and Individual
Performance
– Provide the Necessary
External Support
– Offer Team-building Training
– Role Negotiation Technique
Group contract

Group name
 Contact person
 Expectations
– Performance expectations of all team members
including participation in activities, attendance at
meetings out of class time, preparation for quizzes
– Missed quizzes?
– Tentative meeting schedule and protocol for
subsequent scheduling
Protocol for addressing “breach of contract”
 Peer evaluation (how much of presentation
grade do you get?)

Ethics
Right turns
Wrong turns
U-turns
Learning Objectives

Develop Your Own Ethical
Parameters.
 Analyze Your Organization’s Ethics
Policy.
 Evaluate Business Situations to
Determine Ethical Courses of Action.
 Create a Positive Ethical Environment
for Subordinates.
What Is Ethics?
Why Is It Important?
Not Just an Abstraction, but
Crucial for Managers
 Managerial Behavior
under Increasing
Scrutiny

Why Study Ethics?

Managers Set Standards for
Subordinates and Create a Tone for
the Organization
 Behavior of Managers Is under
Increasing Scrutiny
 Improves the Quality of Work Life
 Ethical Reputations Are Good for
Business
Why Ethics Questions Are Often
Tougher Than They Seem
Often, There Is No
Single “Correct” Answer.
 There Are No Easy
Answers.
 Opinions Differ on Key
Questions to Ask When
Faced With Ethical
Dilemmas.

How will you feel?
In their book, The Power of Ethical Management, clergyman Norman Vincent
Peale and business consultant Ken Blanchard suggest the following ethics
check:
• Is it legal? Will I be violating either civil law or company
policy?
• Is it balanced? Is it fair to all concerned in the short as well as
long term? Does it promote win-win relationships?
• How will it make me feel about myself? Will it make me
proud? Would I feel good if my decision were published in the
newspaper? Would I feel good if my family knew about it?
Factors Affecting
Managerial Ethics
The Individual’s
Characteristics
 The Organization’s Culture
 The Organization’s Structure
 The Intensity of the Issue
 The National Culture

How Can Organizations
Encourage Ethical Behavior?
Make Better Personnel
Selections
 Develop a Code of
Ethics

Exhibit 5-2: Variables Found in 83
Corporate Codes of Business Ethics
Cluster 1. Be a Dependable Organizational Citizen.
1. Comply with safety, health, and security regulations.
2. Demonstrate courtesy, respect, honesty, and fairness.
3. Illegal drugs and alcohol at work are prohibited.
Cluster 2. Do Not Do Anything Unlawful or Improper That Will
Harm the Organization.
1. Conduct business in compliance with all laws.
2. Payments for unlawful purposes are prohibited.
3. Bribes are prohibited.
Cluster 3. Be Good to Customers
1. Convey true claims in product advertisements.
2. Perform assigned duties to the best of your ability.
3. Provide products and services of the highest quality.
See text for full list of Variables . . .
How Can Organizations
Encourage Ethical Behavior?
(continued)
Lead by Example
 Set Realistic Job Goals
 Provide Ethics Training
 Use Comprehensive
Performance Appraisals
 Do Independent Social Audits
 Create Ethics Officers

What You As An
Individual Can Do

Develop Your Own Ethical
Guideposts and Decisionmaking Processes.
Why Do Individuals Make
Poor Choices on Ethical Issues?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Individual and/or organization is immature.
Economic self-interest is overwhelming.
Special circumstances outweigh ethical concerns.
People are uneducated in ethical decision-making.
Possible rewards outweigh possible punishments for
unethical behavior.
6. The prevailing attitude is “All’s fair in love, war, and
business.”
7. There is powerful organizational pressure to commit
unethical acts.
Skill Guidelines for Developing and
Applying Ethical Guideposts:
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Know and Understand Your Organization’s
Policy on Ethics.
Anticipate Unethical Conflict.
Think Before You Act.
Ask Yourself What-if Questions.
Seek Opinions from Others.
Do Not Allow Yourself to Become Isolated.
Do What You Truly Believe Is Right.
Ethical Screening
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Gather the Facts.
Define the Ethical Issues.
Identify the Affected Parties.
Identify the Consequences.
Consider Your Character and Integrity.
Think Creatively about Alternatives.
Check Your Intuition.
Prepare to Defend Your Action.
Ethical tests

Front page test

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Golden rule test

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Would I be willing to be treated the same way?
Dignity and liberty test

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Would I be embarrassed if my decision became
a headline?
Are the dignity and liberty of others preserved by
this decision? Is the basic humanity of others
effected?
Equal treatment test

Are the rights, welfare and betterment of
minorities and lower status people given full
consideration?
Ethical tests continued…

Personal gain test

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Congruence test

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Can the procedures used to make this decision stand-up to
scrutiny by those effected?
Cost-benefit test

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Is this action consistent with my personal principles? The
organizational principles?
Procedural justice test

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Is an opportunity for personal gain clouding my judgment?
Does a benefit for some cause a detriment for others? How
critical are the benefits?
Good night sleep test

Whether or not anyone knows, will I sleep well tonight?