Team Building
presented by:
Scott Watson, MA, LCAC, SAP, BRI
Supportive Systems, LLC
317/788-4111
Objectives





Understand what makes a team
Identify the differences between a group and a team
Critical team member dimensions
Ideal team members
Team development
 Stages of development
 Key factors in team development
 Team building
 Commitment, trust, purpose and involvement, process
orientation and communication
 Conflict resolution
What Is a Team?
 “A team is a small number of people with
complementary skills and personalities who are
committed to a common goal for which they hold
themselves mutually accountable.”
- Arthur Bell and Dayle Smith
 “A group of people working together toward specific
objectives within a defined operational space.”
- Lawrence Holpp
 “Any group of people who need each other to
accomplish a result.” - Peter Senge
Key Differences
Between Groups and Teams
Groups
Teams
Think they are placed together for
administrative purposes
only…series of individuals.
Have been coached to think of
themselves as an interdependent
unit
Work independently and
sometimes at cross-purposes;
members attempt personal gain at
expense of team; turf wars
common
Are held accountable for team
morale; perceived behaviors which
promote and constitute an attitude
of team welfare are a priority
Approach their jobs as hired
hands; little buy in.
Feel ownership because they are
allowed to help establish and
achieve goals
Key Differences
Between Groups and Teams
Groups
Teams
Are asked to apply their unique
Are told what to do and how to do
talents and knowledge to team
it; suggestions are not encouraged
objectives
Distrust each other’s motives;
roles have never been clarified;
disagreements seen as personal
attacks
Working in a climate of trust and
open, lively communication;
accept that different roles enable
different perspectives and
enhance problem-solving
May play “gotcha” and set traps to
harm other’s credibility; real
understanding not possible
Are open and honest because
leader is open and honest;
information not hoarded;
explanations freely given
Key Differences
Between Groups and Teams
Groups
Teams
Find themselves in conflict
situations they don’t know how to
resolve; supervisor puts off
intervention until serious damage
is done
Have been trained to turn conflict
into an opportunity to generate
new ideas and deepen
relationships
Do not participate in decisions
affecting the team; conformity, not
results, the desired outcome
Make good decisions on their own
because coach has gradually
increased team authority as their
competence and experience has
grown
Critical Team
Member Dimensions
Dimension
Importance to Teams
Ability to learn (applied learning)
Multiple skills/job rotation
Cross-training
Analysis (problem identification)
Teams solves its own problems
Independence
Attention to detail
Focus on continuous improvement
Influence
Persuades others inside and outside
the organization
Initiative
Emphasis on continual improvement,
Growth and development
Critical Team
Member Dimensions
Dimension
Importance to Teams
Job fit (motivation to work in an
empowered setting)
Job satisfaction, reduced turnover,
team “owns” decisions
Judgment (problem solution)
Quality/productivity/team issues
Verbal communication
Presents ideas to others
Planning and organizing (work
management)
Team determines work/production
scheduling
Teamwork (cooperation)
Team members work with others on
their own team and on other teams
Critical Team
Member Dimensions
Dimension
Importance to Teams
Technical/professional proficiency
Job rotation/multiple skills
Tolerance for stress
Handles ambiguity and stress related
to new demands and roles
Training and coaching
Team members teach and train each
other
Work standards
Quality/productivity focus
Ideal Team Members
 Think of themselves more as members of
the team than as individuals
 Want the team to be successful
 Attend regularly scheduled team meetings
 Help each other when necessary
 Live up to their responsibilities
 Remain positive when things don’t go well
for the team
 Have good boundaries
Stages of Team Development
 Forming – transition stage
 Movement from individual to team member
 Storming – conflict stage
 Infighting, defensiveness and competition
 Norming/warming – cohesion stage
 Acceptance of team norms and roles
 Performing – work stage
 Maximum work accomplishment, high-level
problem solving and decision making
Key Factors
in Team Development






Commitment
Trust
Purpose
Communication
Involvement
Process Orientation
Stage One Indicators:
FORMING
 Commitment – Team isn’t really a team
 Trust – “Wait and see”
 Purpose – Understood, but doesn’t yet
serve to motivate
 Communication – Mostly tentative
 Involvement – Mixed
 Process orientation – New and
unfamiliar
Stage Two Indicators:
STORMING
 Commitment – Subgroups, not team as a
whole
 Trust – Sorting out by members of who they
trust, don’t trust and aren’t sure of
 Purpose – Developing greater sense of
purpose
 Involvement – Some members still dominate
 Process orientation – “Standard” processes
just beginning to emerge
Stage Three Indicators:
NORMING/WARMING
 Commitment – Members committed to getting
job done
 Trust – Developing based on experience of
working together
 Purpose – Performance and achieving team
goals
 Communication – Task-oriented
 Involvement – Comfortable with roles
 Process orientation – More fluid and more
natural
Stage Four Indicators:
PERFORMING
Commitment – Both to organization and itself
Trust – Extended openly
Purpose – Clear vision and sense of vision
Communication – Complex; self-initiated on asneeded basis
 Involvement – Constant within the team
 Process orientation – Processes a regular part
of work; no longer seen as add-ons




Team Building: Commitment
 Leading and participating in meetings
 Supporting others in doing their jobs
 Exercising influence to get information and
support
 Valuing diversity/valuing conflice
 Presenting ideas
 Gathering and organizing information
Team Building: Trust
 Take responsibility for what you have
control of
 Be trustworthy
 Be direct
 Give trust a bit at a time – check it out
 Clarify expectations when unclear
 Work and act within role expectations
Team Building:
An Autopsy…
 Review business organization and team
mission statement (goal/objective)
 Discuss team performance compared to
goals
 What did we learn together?
 Decide what action should be taken
 Plan how to operative more effectively as
a team
 Use team language
Team Building:
Process Orientation
 Provide structure and guidance with attention to the task
itself and the team’s:
 Experience with the task
 Investment in the task
 Skill level
 Assign roles according to team member dimensions
 Assign roles according to other individual strengths:




Ideator
Information gatekeeper
Inventor
Sponsor
Team Building: Communication
 Basic interpersonal skills that will help
the group:
 Communicating one-on-one
 Coping with interpersonal conflict
 Participating in group problem-solving or
planning meetings
 Listening, questioning and providing feedback
Conflict Resolution
Rules/Process
Specific issue
 Define the problem
 Stay with one issue at a time
Here and now
 Stay with the present situation
 Don’t bring up the past
Listening
Show the person you really hear their point of view before
responding
Feelings
Take ownership for your own feelings instead of blaming
others
Consequences
Focus on the business consequences
Clear message
Frame your message
Solutions
As soon as you both know what the problem is, begin
working on what you can do about it
Putting it All Together
Remember…
“Ask not what your teammates can do for
you. Ask what you can do for your
teammates.”
•Source: Magic Johnson from “The Winner Within” by Pat Riley
Team Building
presented by:
Scott Watson, MA, LCAC, SAP, BRI
Supportive Systems, LLC
317/788-4111