Team Building
Philip L. Carpentier
Carpentierp@asme.org
Session Objectives
• Team building is considered an essential skill for
leaders and managers within organizations.
• During this session, participants will learn and
practice the techniques for building effective teams
and engage in some simple but effective team
building activities.
• Advanced team building concepts for building
highly effective teams and managing performance
will be included.
2
Activity 1
• What is a “team”?
3
Definition of TEAM
• team noun \ˈtēm\
1
a : two or more draft animals harnessed to the same vehicle or
implement; also : these with their harness and attached vehicle
b : a draft animal often with harness and vehicle
2 obsolete : LINEAGE, RACE
3 : a group of animals: as
a : a brood especially of young pigs or ducks
b : a matched group of animals for exhibition
4 : a number of persons associated together in work or activity:
as
a : a group on one side (as in football or a debate)
b : CREW, GANG
4
Examples of TEAM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
5
a doubles team in tennis
He is the best player on his team.
They are the worst team in baseball.
To get the job done more quickly, we split up into teams.
We worked as a team to put out the fire.
The company hired a team of lawyers to advise them.
a search and rescue team
A dog team pulled the sled
Origin of TEAM
Middle English teme, from Old English tēam offspring,
lineage, group of draft animals; akin to Old High German
zoum rein, Old English tēon to draw, pull — more at TOW
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to TEAM
Synonyms: ARMY, BAND, BRIGADE, COMPANY, CREW,
OUTFIT, PARTY, PLATOON, SQUAD, GANG
6
Activity 2
• What is “team building”?
• Why is it important?
7
Definition of TEAM BUILDING
Barron’s Dictionary of Business Terms
Team building –
organization development technique for improving a work
group’s performance and attitudes by clarifying its goals
and its members’ expectations of each other.
BusinessDictionary.com
Team building –
1. Philosophy of job design in which employees are viewed
as members of interdependent teams instead of as
individual workers.
2. Ability to identify and motivate individual employees to
form a team that stays together, works together, and
achieves together.
8
Reasons for TEAM BUILDING
Reasons for team building include
1. Getting to know each other
2. Boosting morale
3. Improving communication and relationships
4. Making the workplace more enjoyable
5. Motivating a team
6. Getting everyone "onto the same page", including goal setting
7. Teaching the team self-regulation strategies
8. Helping participants to learn more about themselves (strengths and
weaknesses)
9. Identifying and utilizing the strengths of team members
10. Improving team productivity
11. Identifying and developing leadership skills
12. Practicing effective collaboration with team members
9
Activity 3 –
Getting to know you!
Instructions:
1. Pair up with another member of your
team.
2. Taking turns, ask each other about
family, hobbies, and work. 5 minutes
each.
3. Be prepared to introduce your teammate
to the group, sharing what you have
learned.
10
TEAM BUILDING 101
• A team is a group of people working towards a
common goal
• 'Team Building' is the process of enabling that
group of people to reach their goal.
• The stages involved in team building are:
1. Clarify the team goals
2. Identify those issues and obstacles that are barriers
that inhibit the team from reaching their goals
3. Address those issues, remove the barriers and
enable the goals to be achieved
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Source: Team Technology,
http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/
Activity 4 –
Understanding the obstacles
Instructions:
1. Within your team, identify common
obstacles and barriers that keep teams
from accomplishing their goals. Total
time 8 minutes.
2. Be prepared to share your list of
obstacles with the rest of the group.
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Understanding the obstacles
•
•
•
•
Lack of Money or funding
Skills, knowledge, expertise
Poor communications
Unwillingness to share knowledge,
collaborate
• Poorly defined or misunderstood roles
and responsibilities
• Lack of direction
• Absence of trust
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Framework for Teams
• Teams will perform most effectively if
they have the framework in place.
–
–
–
–
a vision for your future,
a mission that defines what you are doing,
values that shape your actions,
strategies that zero in on your key success
approaches, and
– goals and action plans to guide your daily, weekly and
monthly actions.
• Positive Work Relationships Contribute
to Effective Teams
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Twelve Cs for Team Building
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
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Clear Expectations
Context
Commitment
Competence
Charter
Control
Collaboration
Communication
Creative Innovation
Consequences
Coordination
Cultural Change
Source: Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide
Activity 5 –
Personal Secrets
Instructions:
1. Write down three secrets about
yourself that you are willing to share
with the group – things that are true but
that most people do not know about
you. Total time 5 minutes.
2. Be prepared to share your personal
secrets with the rest of the group.
16
Ten Commitments for Building
High Performance Teams
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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Commit to Getting the Right People “on the Bus”
Commit to Getting Everyone “on the Same Page”
Commit to Creating a Learning Environment
Commit to Sharing the Profits and Losses
Commit to Turning Around Poor Performance
Commit to Dancing With “Those Who Brought You”
Commit to Playing to Win
Commit to Growing Through Adversity
Commit to Having Fun
Commit to Playing Large
Source: “Ten Commitments for Building High Performance
Teams” by Tom Massey, Robert D. Reed Publishers,
Copyright © 2005
Activity 6 –
Similarities & Differences
Instructions:
1. On a sheet of paper, make three columns
headed by “Name”, “Similar”, and “Different”.
2. Fill your paper with as many names as
possible.
3. For each name, find something you have in
common with the other person and one way
they are different.
4. Do not duplicate any answers on your paper.
Example: Use “love chocolate” only once.
5. Total time = 8 minutes
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Performance Management
• Individuals will do what they are rewarded or
recognized for.
• Positive feedback, positive reinforcement is
effective in obtaining desired results.
• “Can’t do” versus “won’t do” – plan for skills
development as an essential part of team
building.
• High performers often are not as motivated by
money as they are by responsibility and
recognition. They need to feel that they are part
of your organization’s success.
• Individuals want to participate in setting their
work goals.
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Team Building – Final Thoughts
• Team Building Activities can be quick
and fun.
• Consider having team building activities
tied to holidays. (Chinese New Year,
Thanksgiving, etc.)
• Consider recognizing birthdays and
other personal milestones.
• Choose activities so that all or most will
be willing to participate.
20
Summary
• Teams and Team Building are critical for
success
– A team is a group of people working towards a common
goal
– Team building is a process of enabling the team to
achieve that goal
– The stages involved in team building include (1) clarify
the team goals, (2) identify those issues and obstacles
that are barriers that inhibit the team from reaching their
goals, and (3) address those issues, remove the barriers
and enable the goals to be achieved
• Effective Team Building Activities can be
short, simple, and fun
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Team Building
•
•
•
•
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Questions?
Comments?
Examples to Share?
Are you ready to apply
what you have learned
today?
For more information . . .
• “Building Better Teams”
– Harvard Business Review Press, (Paperback May 10, 2011).
• “Ten Commitments for Building High
Performance Teams”
– by Tom Massey, Robert D. Reed Publishers,
(Paperback – Jan. 1, 2010).
• “Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy
Managers”
– by Brian Cole Miller, AMACOM,
(Paperback – Nov. 7, 2003).
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Team Building
For questions or comments
Philip L. Carpentier, P.E.,
PMP
carpentierp@asme.org
Presentation available at
events.asme.org/LTC12/
home.cfm
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Twelve C’s of Team Building
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1.
Clear Expectations: Has executive leadership clearly communicated its expectations for the team’s performance and
expected outcomes? Do team members understand why the team was created? Is the organization demonstrating
constancy of purpose in supporting the team with resources of people, time and money? Does the work of the team
receive sufficient emphasis as a priority in terms of the time, discussion, attention and interest directed its way by
executive leaders?
2.
Context: Do team members understand why they are participating on the team? Do they understand how the strategy of
using teams will help the organization attain its communicated business goals? Can team members define their team’s
importance to the accomplishment of corporate goals? Does the team understand where its work fits in the total context
of the organization’s goals, principles, vision and values?
3.
Commitment: Do team members want to participate on the team? Do team members feel the team mission is
important? Are members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected outcomes? Do team members
perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers? Do team members anticipate recognition
for their contributions? Do team members expect their skills to grow and develop on the team? Are team members
excited and challenged by the team opportunity?
4.
Competence: Does the team feel that it has the appropriate people participating? (As an example, in a process
improvement, is each step of the process represented on the team?) Does the team feel that its members have the
knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed? If not, does the team have access
to the help it needs? Does the team feel it has the resources, strategies and support needed to accomplish its mission?
Twelve C’s of Team Building
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5.
Charter: Has the team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to
accomplish the mission. Has the team defined and communicated its goals; its anticipated outcomes and contributions;
its timelines; and how it will measure both the outcomes of its work and the process the team followed to accomplish
their task? Does the leadership team or other coordinating group support what the team has designed?
6.
Control: Does the team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its
charter? At the same time, do team members clearly understand their boundaries? How far may members go in pursuit
of solutions? Are limitations (i.e. monetary and time resources) defined at the beginning of the project before the team
experiences barriers and rework? Is the team’s reporting relationship and accountability understood by all members of
the organization? Has the organization defined the team’s authority? To make recommendations? To implement its
plan? Is there a defined review process so both the team and the organization are consistently aligned in direction and
purpose? Do team members hold each other accountable for project timelines, commitments and results? Does the
organization have a plan to increase opportunities for self-management among organization members?
7.
Collaboration: Does the team understand team and group process? Do members understand the stages of group
development? Are team members working together effectively interpersonally? Do all team members understand the
roles and responsibilities of team members? team leaders? team recorders? Can the team approach problem solving,
process improvement, goal setting and measurement jointly? Do team members cooperate to accomplish the team
charter? Has the team established group norms or rules of conduct in areas such as conflict resolution, consensus
decision making and meeting management? Is the team using an appropriate strategy to accomplish its action plan?
8.
Communication: Are team members clear about the priority of their tasks? Is there an established method for the teams
to give feedback and receive honest performance feedback? Does the organization provide important business
information regularly? Do the teams understand the complete context for their existence? Do team members
communicate clearly and honestly with each other? Do team members bring diverse opinions to the table? Are
necessary conflicts raised and addressed?
Twelve C’s of Team Building
9.
Creative Innovation: Is the organization really interested in change? Does it value creative thinking, unique solutions,
and new ideas? Does it reward people who take reasonable risks to make improvements? Or does it reward the people
who fit in and maintain the status quo? Does it provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field
trips necessary to stimulate new thinking?
10.
Consequences: Do team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements? Are rewards and
recognition supplied when teams are successful? Is reasonable risk respected and encouraged in the organization? Do
team members fear reprisal? Do team members spend their time finger pointing rather than resolving problems? Is the
organization designing reward systems that recognize both team and individual performance? Is the organization
planning to share gains and increased profitability with team and individual contributors? Can contributors see their
impact on increased organization success?
11. Coordination: Are teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for
success? Have priorities and resource allocation been planned across departments? Do teams understand the concept of
the internal customer—the next process, anyone to whom they provide a product or a service? Are cross-functional and
multi-department teams common and working together effectively? Is the organization developing a customer-focused
process-focused orientation and moving away from traditional departmental thinking?
12.
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Cultural Change: Does the organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling
organizational culture of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be? Is the
organization planning to or in the process of changing how it rewards, recognizes, appraises, hires, develops, plans
with, motivates and manages the people it employs? Does the organization plan to use failures for learning and support
reasonable risk? Does the organization recognize that the more it can change its climate to support teams, the more it
will receive in pay back from the work of the teams?