Teams
Transactional Analysis
Dr Ger Craddock
Team
• "A team is a small number of people with
complementary skills who are committed to a
common purpose, performance goals, and
approach for which they hold themselves
mutually accountable”.
• Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K. (1993).
New Considerations
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Email vs face-to-face or phone
communication
Teleworking
Working remotely; working from home
Mobile phones
Data sharing
Security and privacy
Virtual teams
Globalisation
Video/audio conferencing; Chat; Remote
desktop
sharing; Security.
Group Dynamics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The group has a trusting, supportive
atmosphere
All group members are allowed to
participate
Group goals are understood and accepted
Group members listen to each other and
share information
Conflict is managed—not brushed aside
or ignored
Group members have the opportunity to
influence group decisions
Group Dynamics
Group members receive frank,
objective feedback on their
performance
8. Group members feel free to express
their feelings
9. Group members understand their
assignments and how their work
contributes to the group as a whole
10. Leadership is shared and effective
11. The group is aware of its own
processes
7.
Team Building: Forming
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Not clear on individual roles
The mission is not owned by the
group
Wondering where we are going
No trust yet
High learning
No group history, unfamiliar with
members
Team Building: Forming
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Norms of the team are not
established
People check one another out
People are not committed to the
team
Attendance generally good
Key Solutions
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Provide structure to the team by
assigning and
clarifying task/role
Encourage participation
Share all relevant information
Encourage open, honest
communication among team
members
Team Building: Forming
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Roles and responsibilities are
articulated
Agendas are displayed
Problem solving does not work well
People want to modify the team’s
mission
Trying new ideas
Splinter groups form
Team Building: Storming
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People set boundaries
Anxiety abounds
People push for position and power
Competition is high
Cliques drive the team
Little team spirit
Lots of personal attacks
Key Solutions
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Assist the team members to establish
methods that support the communication
of their different points of view.
Determine within the team how the team
will make decisions
Encourage members to share their ideas
about issues
Facilitate methods to resolve conflicts
Team Building: Norming
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Success occurs
Team has all the resources for doing the job
Appreciation and trust build
Purpose is well defined
Feedback is high, well received and objective
Leader reinforces team behaviour
Members beginning to reinforce team behaviour
Conflict resolving effectively through group
procedures
Attendance and participation high
Equal level of influence
Okay to risk confrontations
Key Solutions
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Talk openly and honestly about
team issues and the members’
concerns
Encourage feedback
Assign tasks for consensus decision
making
Team Building: Performing
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Team members feel motivated
Individuals defer to team needs
Good planning and contingency
needs
Ability to modify and evolve
practices and procedures
High pride in the team
We versus I orientation
Team Building: Performing
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High openness, support, empathy and
trust
Superior team performance
Conflict and confrontation happen but the
other’s point of view considered
Roles rotated for leverage and
development and there is capacity for
flexibility
Innovation at its highest
Key Tasks
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Jointly set goals that are challenging and
accepted to all
members
Continue to look for ways to promote the
team’s chances to excel
Keep an ongoing assessment of the team
Acknowledge each member’s contribution
Develop members to their fullest potential
Team ideal and reality over time
References
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Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental
sequence in small groups. Psychological
Bulletin, 63, 384-399
Katzenbach, J. R., & Smith, D. K.
(1993). The wisdom of teams: Creating
the high performance organization.
Boston: Harvard Business School
Belbin’s Team Roles
In Meredith Belbin's 1981 book Management Teams, nine types of person in a team
When Teams Work Best
Background on the research
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600 teams and 6000 team members were
interviewed.
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Over 35,000 assessments were completed.
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Both qualitative and quantitative data was gathered.
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Types of teams interviewed were very diverse.
When Teams Work Best by Frank LaFasto and Carl Larson
When Teams Work Best
LaFasto & Larson Research uncovered 5 Key Dynamics:
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Attributes, Behavior, Skill of Team Members.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Dynamics of Team
Relationships.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Effectiveness of Team
Decision Making & Problem Solving.
Attributes, behaviors and Skills of the Team Leader.
Impact and Influence of Organizational
Environment on team success.
Team Members
What makes a good Team Member?
1. Core Competency: experience, problemsolving ability, decision-making ability,
interpersonal awareness and skill.
2. Personal Attributes: openness,
supportiveness, action orientation, positive
personal style.
When Teams Work Best:
Team Relationships
What makes positive Team Relationships?
1.
Constructive for all team members.
2.
Productive: brings out the best thinking in all team
members.
3.
Mutual Understanding: seeking to understand
others’ perspectives.
4.
Self Corrective. in 4,500 interviews, people rated
themselves far more favorably at relationships than
they were rated by others
When Teams Work Best:
Team Problem Solving & Decision Making
What makes effective Team Problem Solving &
Decision Making?
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FOCUS: “Effective teams are very clear about what
they are doing at each phase of the problem solving
and collaborative process.”
CLIMATE: Positive, inclusive, focus on the issue (not
the person).
COMMUNICATION: Open communications – issues
and sub-issues are identified, discussed, prioritized
and acted on.
When Teams Work Best:
Team Leader
What makes a good Team Leader?
1. Focus: Focuses on the team purpose and goals.
2. Collaboration: Ensures a collaborative climate.
3. Confidence: Builds confidence in team members.
4. Technical Knowledge: Demonstrates technical
‘know-how’.
5. Priorities: Sets priorities effectively.
6. Performance: Manages performance of the team.
When Teams Work Best:
Organizational Environment
What makes a positive Organisational
Environment?
1. Management Practices that:
Set direction.
Align efforts.
Deliver results.
2. Structure & Processes that ensure the best
decisions are made, as quickly as possible, by
the right people.
3. Systems that provide Useful information.
Accurate data for decision making.
Difficulties facing teams
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No role models
Poor examples of teams
Managers or leaders will talk about
teams, without understanding
what is involved
Managers unable to promote the
conditions for team working within
the organisation
Difficulties facing teams
Recognise that:
 Teams at the top of organisations are the most
difficult to create
 People at this level often spend their time on long
term issues and challenges, as well as on
activities outside the organisation
 Getting to the top often involves single-minded
dedication - a behaviour at odds with the skills
required for teams
 People may work by themselves, setting up deals
and operating within their own network
 Certainly top teams do not always set the best
examples of how to work together – “do as I say
and not as I do!”
Difficulties facing teams
What can you do?
 Teambuilding is not an easy
process, but it is possible once you
recognise what is happening
 A team leader needs to be aware
that skilful use of political skills – to
get people at the top to open doors,
to support initiatives – can bring
rewards and progress
Difficulties facing teams
1. No Performance Measurement
 To be effective teams need a
demanding performance challenge
that is meaningful to all those
involved
 Teams need to deliver results
 Important for organisation and
teams that performance is
measured
Difficulties facing teams
2. Too many teams
 Teams are not the solution to all
situations
 Over expectation that the team will
solve all – leads to disillusionment
 Loss of credibility if teams are used
wrongly
Difficulties facing teams
4. Emphasis on individuals
 Organisation recognises individuals and not teams
 Teams set up as a unit of performance but the
appraisal scheme is geared to individual
performance and rewards/salary increases are
linked to individual contributions
 Individuals fear their input will not be recognised
or acknowledged and may be reluctant to take
part or share ideas
 Individuals can be responsible to a manager but
work as part of a team, which can cause problems
Difficulties facing teams
What can you do in the absence of a
reward system for teams, a leader
can
 Actively work to see that individuals
are recognised by promoting their
contributions
 Have a team leader’s input to
individuals’ appraisals and ensure
your views are heard by those that
do the appraisals
Difficulties facing teams
5. Culture of competition
 Team working is about encouraging co-operation
and harmony but this will be impossible to
achieve if the
Structure and systems encourage internal
competition and conflict
 Organisation is not built on trust
 Culture is risk averse: in effective teams, people
are encouraged to challenge and extend both their
thoughts and actions
 If culture is one where taking risks is not promoted
( and making mistakes is remembered) people will
play safe
What can you do?
Very little!, hard for individuals to change culture
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Difficulties facing teams
6. Too many people
 Teams 15 – 20 people are too big to
manage
 The most effective are between 5 and 10
 If a team is too small, there can be issues
in regard to problem solving (less people
to think of a solution) productivity (too
few people to produce)
 If there are too many, consensus and
speed of judgements become a issue,
What Are the Symptoms of Team
Conflict?
• Not completing work
on-time or to quality
goals
• Not returning phone
calls or e-mails
• Not responding to
requests for
information
• Verbal abuse
• Not attending required
meetings
• Absenteeism
Gossip
 Passive/aggressive
behaviour
• Hostility
• Complaining
• Finger pointing
• Filing grievances or
lawsuits
• Physical violence
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Effectively Managing team Conflict
Barbara Bulleit, BS/BA, MBA, PMP
What Causes Team Conflict?
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Poor or no
communication
Lack of problem solving
skills or getting to “root
cause”
Lack of clarity in
purpose, goals,
objectives, team and
individual roles
Uncertainty about or
lack of resources and
sources for help and
support
Poor time management
Lack of leadership and
management
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Team members bored,
not challenged, not
really interested
Lack of skills and
abilities in team
members
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Personality conflicts
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Personal problems
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Turnover
How to Address Team Conflict?
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Define the problem
Gather data
Analyse the data
Choose the best solution
Implement the solution and
continue to refine it
Define the problem?
Einstein said you cannot solve a problem
until you define it.
Defining a problem is frequently the
hardest part of the solution, and most of
us jump into solving the problem rather
than defining the problem.
Gather/Analyze Data
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Poor or no communications:
Lack of problem-solving skills, or getting to the “root
cause”:
Lack of clarity in purpose, goals, objectives, team and
individual roles:
Uncertainty about or lack of resources and sources for
help and support:
Poor time management:
Lack of leadership and management:
Team members bored, not challenged, not really
interested:
Lack of skills and abilities of team members to meet
goals:
Personality conflicts:
Personal problems:
Turnover:
Tools for choosing the Solution
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Clearly articulate thoughts
and ideas
Active listening
Paraphrasing
Clarify and question
effectively
Give effective feedback
Think and analyze in a
methodical and
systematic way
Set clear, reasonable,
achievable objectives
Identify risks and
assumptions
Time management
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Build contingencies to
counter risks and
assumptions
Stick to facts and issues,
not personalities or
personal issues
Take turns
Develop the ability to work
effectively as a team
member
Cross training
Use of ‘rules of
engagement’ where helpful
or necessary
Delegating and mentoring
for senior employees
Conflict resolution
Tools To Help the Team Deal with
Conflict Quickly and Effectively
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Attack the problem, not the person
Focus on what can be done, not on what can't be
done
Encourage different points of view and honest
dialogue
Express feelings in a way that does not blame
Accept ownership appropriately for all or part of
the problem
Listen to understand the other person's point of
view before giving your own
Show respect for the other person's point of view
Solve the problem while building the relationship
http://www.leadership-andmotivation-training.com/how-tohandle-difficult-people.html
Exercise
The Moon landing
Understanding the individual
Transactional Analysis (T.A.)
A psychoanalytic theory of psychology
developed by psychiatrist Eric
Berne in the late 1950’s
Very useful for
 Analysing interactions with others
 Improving communication with
others
Transactional Analysis:
~Essential Principles
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People’s interactions are
made up of transactions
These involve a stimulus
and response
Transactional Analysis:
Essential Principles
Earliest transactions include
Stimulus: I cry
Response: I get fed
Stimulus: I wet my nappy
Response: My nappy is
changed
Transactional Analysis:
Essential Principles
3 Ego States:
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Parent
Adult
Child
P
A
C
(T.A.) The Parent
Unconsciously
acting in similar
ways to our
parents
Can be:
 Nurturing:
permission,
security, guidance
 Critical: controlling
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(T.A.) The Adult
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Living in the present
and responding to
situations through
rational thought.
(T.A.) The Child
Unconsciously reverting to childhood
behaviours
 Primitive
 Impulsive
 Demanding
 Creative
Transactional Analysis
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Three Basic Concepts: Parent, Adult
and Child
Transactions: Among P, A and C
P < -- > P
A < -- > A
C < -- > C
There are 9 possible transactions
Transactional Basis
 Id
– Pleasure Principle
 Ego- Realistic Principle
 Super-Ego- Ethical Principle
We Can be:
Child
 Adult
 Parent in our Transactions.
 We shift from one ego state to
another in transactions.
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THE MIND
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Id, ego, and superego
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Id: pleasure seeker
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first division of the mind to develop
contains two biological drives: sex and
aggression
id’s goal is to pursue pleasure and satisfy
the biological drives
Pleasure principle
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id operates according to the pleasure
principle
satisfy drives and avoid pain, without
concern for moral restrictions or society’s
regulations
THE MIND (CONT.)
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Id, ego, and superego
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Ego: executive negotiator between id and
superego
 second division of the mind, develops from the id
during infancy
 ego’s goal is to find safe and socially acceptable
ways of satisfying the id’s desires and to
negotiate between the id’s wants and the
superego’s prohibitions
 large part of ego is conscious
 smaller part is unconscious
Reality principle
 satisfying a wish or desire only if there is a
socially acceptable outlet available
THE MIND (CONT.)
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Id, ego, and superego
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Superego: regulator
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third division of the mind develops from the
ego during early childhood
superego’s goal is to apply the moral values
and standards of one’s parents or caregivers
and society in satisfying one’s wishes
moral standards of which we are conscious
or aware and moral standards that are
unconscious or outside our awareness
The Three Ego States
 Parent-
“Do as I do”
 Child- “What shall I do?”
 Adult- “I will be frank with
you”
THE MIND (CONT.)
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Anxiety
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uncomfortable feeling that results from inner
conflicts between the primitive desires of the id
and the moral goals of the superego
id, superego conflict
ego caught in the middle
ego’s continuous negotiations to resolve conflict
causes anxious feelings
ego uses defense mechanisms to reduce the
anxious feelings
THE MIND (CONT.)
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Defense mechanisms
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Processes that operate at unconscious levels and
that use self-deception or untrue explanations to
protect the ego from being overwhelmed by
anxiety
Two ways to reduce anxiety:
 can take realistic steps for reducing anxiety
 use defense mechanisms to reduce anxiety
THE MIND (CONT.)
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Defense mechanisms
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Rationalization
 involves covering up the true reasons for actions,
thoughts, or feelings by making up excuses and
incorrect explanations
Denial
 refusing to recognize some anxiety-provoking
event or piece of information that is clear to
others
Repression
 involves blocking and pushing unacceptable or
threatening feelings, wishes, or experiences into
the unconscious
THE MIND (CONT.)
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Defense mechanisms
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Projection
 falsely and unconsciously attributes your own
unacceptable feelings, traits, or thoughts to
individuals or objects
Reaction formation
 involves substituting behaviors, thoughts, or
feelings that are the direct opposite of
unacceptable ones
Displacement
 involves transferring feelings about, or response
to, an object that causes anxiety to another
person or object that is less threatening
THE MIND (CONT.)
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Defense mechanisms
 Sublimation
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Type of displacement, involves
redirecting a threatening or forbidden
desire, usually sexual, into a socially
acceptable one
Exercise:
Have you ever been a ‘difficult’ client?
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Think of a time when you were very
unhappy with a service you were
receiving e.g. retail, hospitality,
medical, etc.
How did you respond to this?
How were you treated?
How was the situation resolved?
What is a ‘difficult’ client?
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The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
non-stop talker
do-nothing client
self-sabotaging client
victim
angry client
boundary pusher
chaos merchant
aggressive client
What makes a ‘difficult’ client?
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When your needs and the client’s do not
coincide
When the client is unclear about
expectations
When client has problems with managing
socially acceptable behaviour
When client is stressed
When client is unwell
Four life positions
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1.
2.
3.
4.
The phase "I'm OK, You're OK" is
one of four life positions that each
of us may take. The four positions
are:
I'm Not OK, You're OK
I'm Not OK, You're Not OK
I'm OK, You're Not OK
I'm OK, You're OK
TA Life Positions
 I’m
not
OK, you’re
not OK
‘This is terrible, we’ll
never succeed’
TA Life Positions
I’m
not OK,
you’re OK
‘I wish I could do it
as well as you do’
TA Life Positions
 I’m
OK,
you’re not
OK
‘You’re not
doing it right,
let me show
you’
TA Life Positions
 I’m
OK,
you’re OK
‘
We’re making
good progress
here’
Shift in Ego States
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Parent- “Why don’t you prepare a
time-table?”
Child- “What is the point when one
cannot follow it?” – Becomes an
Adult.
(T.A.) Transactions
3 Kinds of Transaction:
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Complementary
Crossed
Ulterior
(T.A.) Transactions
Complementary:
‘What time is it?’
‘Three o’clock.’
Types of Transactions
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Complementary Transactions:
Appropriate and Expected
Transactions indicating healthy
human relationships.
Communication takes place when
transactions are complementary. A
stimulus invites a response; this
response becomes a stimulus
inviting further response and so on.
(T.A.) Transactions
Crossed:
‘What time is it?’
‘Forget about what time it
is, get that report
finished.’
Types of Transactions (Con..)
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Crossed Transaction: This causes
most difficulties in social situations.
“May be, you should improve your
teaching”.
“You always find fault with me
whatever I do” Parent-Child
interaction.
(T.A.) Transactions
Ulterior
‘What time is it?’
‘What time do you think it
is?’
‘Beer o’clock?’
‘Exactly!’
(T.A.) Strokes
Strokes are the recognition one
person gives another
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These begin in infancy as hugs
Later in life become more
verbal/abstract
(T.A.) Positive strokes
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Praise
Positive feedback
Compliments
Expressions of appreciation
Good reports
(T.A.) Negative strokes
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Non-constructive criticism
Negative judgements
Insults
Expressions of disapproval
Bad reports
(T.A.) Games
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Crooked or covert exchanges of
strokes
Regularly repeated interactions with
ulterior motives
Often the players of these games
are not conscious they are doing
this
But sometimes they are!
(T.A.) Games
An example of games
some Employment
Consultants play:
“I’m only trying
to help you!”
“What would you
do without
me?”
(T.A.) Games
A good example of a game that we
are all familiar with is:
‘Why don’t you/Yes
but…’
‘Why don’t you/Yes but…’
How to stop the game
 Stop making suggestions!
 Review how your sessions with
client progress. Need to change
format?
 Remember, within reason, some
approaches are worth giving a
second – or third - go
TA: How to use it
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Be aware of your own ego state as
well as the client’s
Try and stay in the Adult state
Be aware of any Games being
played
If a Game is being played, find a
fresh approach that seeks to
engage the Adult in the client
T.A. Final Thoughts
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Be aware of your own language/posture
Keep discussions result focussed
Beware going into Parent mode
Some attempts at rapport building may
become parent-child interactions if you
are being unconsciously patronising
Stick to the agreed Plan as much as you
can
Typical Games
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Between A shop keeper and a house
wife:“ This one is better, but you
cannot afford it”
Between A Teacher and a Student:
“This is a good topic, but you cannot
handle it.”
Between an Expert and a Candidate:
“What you just said is totally wrong”
Drama triangle
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The drama triangle is a psychological
.
and social model of human interaction in
transactional analysis (TA) first described
by Stephen Karpman,
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The person who is treated as, or accepts the
role of, a victim
The person who pressures, coerces or
persecutes the victim, and
The rescuer, who intervenes out of an
ostensible wish to help the situation of the
underdog
Drama triangle
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An example would be a welfare caseworker whose official
function is to get clients off welfare and to support
themselves with jobs. If the caseworker does anything to
prolong the dependency relationship, she is not really helping
but "Rescuing."
There may be subtle or overt pressure from her agency not
to have too many successful clients.
For the drama triangle to come into full flower, one of the
players must shift positions. For example, a Victim may
become a Persecutor complaining of getting too much help,
not enough help, or the wrong kind of help. A Rescuer may
become a Persecutor, complaining that the clients don't
appreciate her enough.
Officials at the welfare agency may take a role in the game,
Rescuing staff and clients as long as they play along quietly
but Persecuting any staff who start showing good results.
Transactional Analyst

Claude Steiner says:
... the Victim is not really as helpless as
he feels, the Rescuer is not really
helping, and the Persecutor does not
really have a valid complaint.
Transactional Analysis in the Information Age
http://www.emotional-literacy.com/tainfo.htm
Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT)

Moving beyond the Dreaded Drama
”
Triangle (DDT) and the roles of
Victim, Persecutor and Rescuer and
to cultivating the skills and abilities
associated with the roles of Creator,
Challenger and Coach that make up
The Empowerment Dynamic.
David Emerald “The Empowerment Dynamic
TED framework
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Victim = Creator.
Persecutor = Challenger,
Rescuer = Coach.
A Creator thinks what is long-term goal or
vision is. Creators are outcome-oriented as
opposed to problem-oriented.
Persecutor = Challenger is a person or
situation that forces you to clarify your goal.
Challengers encourage us to get clearer about
what it is we do want, then focus our efforts
towards moving closer to that goal.
The Empowerment Dynamic
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Instead of Rescuing someone, a Coach asks questions that
are intended to help the individual to make informed choices.
A Rescuer, by definition solves a Victim's problems, which
keeps the Victim powerless and dependent upon the aid of
others.
A Coach asks questions that enable the individual
 to see the possibilities for positive action,
 to focus on what they do want instead of what they
don't want.
A Coach uses compassion and questions to help a Creator
develop a vision and action plan.
A Coach provides encouragement and support, in place of
“rescuing” actions.
The Empowerment Dynamic
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Coaches see victims as Creators in
their own right and meet them as
equals.
This process interrupts the drama
cycle and puts the former victim in
the powerful position of Creator
where they make informed choices
and focus on outcomes instead of
problems.