TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS, ANYWAY
 “IN
A CIVILIZED
SOCIETY, WE
ALL DEPEND
ON EACH
OTHER”
– SAMUEL JOHNSON
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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
LESSON OBJECTIVES
 KNOW
THE ELEMENTS OF
EFFECTIVE TEAM PEFORMANCE
 KNOW HOW TO EFFECTIVELY
WORK IN TEAM ENVIRONMENTS
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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
OVERVIEW
TYPES OF TEAMS
 ELEMENTS OF TEAM PERFORMANCE
 TEAM ALIGNMENT
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
 STAGES: TEAM OR GROUP?
 EFFECTIVE BEHAVIORS
 CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK

3
TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
OVERVIEW
TEAM UNDERCURRENTS
 BEHAVIOR AND INTERVENTIONS

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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
TYPES OF TEAMS

PROJECT TEAMS
– TEMPORARY w/ SPECIAL FOCUS

ONGOING/FUNCTIONAL TEAMS
–
–
–
–

NATURAL WORK TEAM – “BIG BROTHER”
SELF-DIRECTED WORK TEAM – NO “BOSS”
PROCESS MANAGEMENT TEAM – PART-TIME
MANAGEMENT TEAM – PLAN/REPORT
VIRTUAL TEAM
– GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED
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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
EFFECTIVE ELEMENTS
CLEAR PURPOSE AND GOALS
 DEFINED PARAMETERS
 INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
 REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
 PLAN OF ACTION


KEY LINK: Increasing specificity as tasks
narrow
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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS
Note Well!
Improve
Quality
Decrease
Costs
7
*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
TEAM DEVELOPMENT - STAGES

FORMING - EXCITEMENT, OPTIMISM,
ANTICIPATION, SKEPTICISM, “HOUSEKEEPING”
- “POLITE PHASE”
 STORMING - TENSION, ARGUMENTS,
DEFENSIVENESS, COMPETITION, JEALOUSY,
PERSONAL AGENDAS CONFLICT, RESISTANCE
TO TASK
 NORMING - RESISTANCE CHANGES TO
COOPERATION, CONSTRUCTIVE
CRITICISMS,GROUNDRULES, IDEA SHARING
8
*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
TEAM DEVELOPMENT - STAGES

PERFORMING - ATTACHMENT TO TEAM
MBRS, INSIGHT, SATISFACTION, SELF-CHANGE
- “PROBLEM SOLVING”

TRANSFORMING - SYNERGY, NEW
PERSPECTIVES, TRANSFER OF SKILLS OUTSIDE
TEAM
- MISSION/PERSONAL/TEAM SUCCESS
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*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
GROUP ATTRIBUTES
GROUP OF PEOPLE COLLECTED BY
ENVIRONMENT
 GOAL(s) AND/OR TASK(s) USUALLY
VAGUE
 PERSONAL IDENTITY IS HIGH
 PERSONAL GOALS TAKE PRECEDENCE
 SIMILARITY OF SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

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*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
TEAM ATTRIBUTES
GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING AN ISSUE
 STRONG SENSE OF GROUP IDENTITY
 COMMON GOAL(s) AND/OR TASK(s)
 HIGH LEVEL OF INTERDEPENDENCE
 MEMBERS HAVE VARIETY OF SPECIAL
SKILLS - SYNERGY POTENTIAL

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*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
GROUP OR TEAM?
 NORMING
CONSISTENCY = TEAM
 STRONG LEADERSHIP AND
PROCESS OWNERSHIP = TEAM
 STEADY STAGE PROGRESS = TEAM
 “STAGE CHAOS” = GROUP
– LACK OF ABOVE STRUCTURES
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*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
CLEAR TEAM GOALS/OBJECTIVES
 PLAN FOR GOALS/OBJECTIVES
 ROLE CLARITY
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

- PARTICIPATE, LISTEN, FEEDBACK
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL BEHAVIOR
 DECISION MAKING PROCEDURES

-CONSENSUS v. COMPROMISE
13
TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
MANAGING NORMS
 TEAMS
HAVE A CULTURE - NORMS
- REINFORCED BY MANAGERs
 POSITIVE
ROLE MODEL
 INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING
 STIMULATE CONSENSUS
 REINFORCE/REWARD BEHAVIOR
 FEEDBACK AGAINST STANDARDS
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*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
TASK MANAGEMENT
 INITIATE: NEW IDEAS OR SOLUTIONS
 SEEKING: SEARCH FOR FACTS
 GIVING: RELEVANT INFO/FACTS
 CLARIFY: SUGGEST OR COORDINATE
 SUMMARIZE: ASSESS & QUESTION
LOGIC
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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
TEAM CONTRACT
CONSENSED RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
(ROEs) FOR ALL TEAM MEMBERS
 ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONS OF
ACCEPTABLE GROUP BEHAVIORS
 ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR
INDIVIDUAL CONDUCT w/in TEAM
 PROVIDE CONSEQUENCES OF
INDIVIDUALS NOT FOLLOWING ROEs

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*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
ACTION PLAN
 SINGLE
DOCUMENT TO CAPTURE
KEY ACTIVITIES
 AREAS COVERED:
- WHAT - METHOD OF ACTION
- HOW - SPECIFIC TASKS
- WHO - ACCOUNTABLE TEAM MEMBERS
- WHEN - START & COMPLETION DATES
- RESOURCES - $, PEOPLE, “STUFF”
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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
 DECISION
MAKING PROCEDURES
 BALANCED PARTICIPATION
 GROUNDRULES (ROEs)
 FUNCTIONAL TEAM PROCESS
 MANAGEMENT BY FACT
- SYSTEMATIC/SCIENTIFIC
APPROACH TO DECISION MAKING
18
*TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION*
CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
ACKNOWLEDGE NEED
 GIVE POSITIVE/NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
 CONTEXTUAL FEEDBACK
 TIMING
 GIVE FEEDBACK

- DESCRIPTIVE, UNLABELED, REALISTIC,
NONJUDGMENTAL, FACTUAL, NONANECDOTAL

RECEIVE FEEDBACK
- BREATHE, LISTEN, QUESTION, PROCESS
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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
SUMMARY
ELEMENTS OF TEAM PERFORMANCE
 TEAM ALIGNMENT
 EFFECTIVE BEHAVIORS

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TEAM CHALLENGES & FORMATION
PLAYING WELL IN THE SANDBOX

“VOTING HAS NO PLACE
IN THE CONSENSUSBUILDING PROCESS.
VOTING IS A
CONVENIENT WAY OF
DISPOSING OF AN ISSUE
WITH DISPATCH, BUT IT
COMMONLY SUPPRESSES
CONFLICT RATHER THAN
RESOLVES IT.”
- WYNN AND GUDITIS
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