MIST 2090
Intro to IS: Creating Business Value
Intro to Teams
Dr. Mark W. Huber
Terry College of Business
Spring 2007
Today’s Class
What is a “team?”
Why do organizations use teams?
Team Success
Team Roles
Team Development
Team Contract (discussion)
Questions/Comments
Teams, Teams, Teams, Teams, Wonderful
Teams
(with apologies to Monty Python)
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.
– Source: Katzenbach and Smith, The Wisdom of Teams, p.45.
Definition of a Team
A team is an appropriate number of
people with complementary skills, and
with individual differences and talents,
who are committed to a common
purpose, performance goals, and
approach for which they hold themselves
mutually accountable.
– Source: Modified from Katzenbach and Smith, The Wisdom of Teams, p.45.
Contributors to the modified definition include our students, especially
students from UGA’s Terry College’s IBM MBA program.
Why Teams?
A complex and varied global business
environment demands a
correspondingly varied and complex
internal organizational environment
– Restatement of Ashby’s Law of
Requisite Variety
SO?
Source: Gareth’s Morgan’s Images of Organizations, 2nd ed., 1997, SAGE Publications
One way to try to organize to meet the challenges of a varied and
complex environment is to fill your organization with talented
individuals, who work primarily as individuals.
Environment
Organization
Individuals
Environment
Source: Dr. Mark W. Huber, adapted from Gareth’s Morgan’s Images of Organizations, 2nd ed., 1997, SAGE Publications
Another way to organize to create requisite variety and complexity
is to use teams.
Teams can meet the demand for requisite variety and complexity.
Environment
Individuals
Teams
Organization
Source: Dr. Mark W. Huber, adapted from Gareth’s Morgan’s Images of Organizations, 2nd ed., 1997, SAGE Publications
Team Success
Communication
Participation
Trust
Honesty
Mutual respect
Integrity
Mutual
understanding
Complement/
Support/
Accommodate
Socials/ Social
Interaction
Clear Objectives
Leadership
Planning
Execution
http://www.meetingwizard.com/
Team Member Roles and Behaviors
Belbin’s Team Roles
– "A tendency to behave, contribute and
interrelate with others in a particular
way.“– Dr. Meredith Belbin
Torres and Fairbanks Team Roles
– Task
– Process
– Dysfunctional
Task Roles
Information Giver
Offers authoritative information or data
Information Seeker
Asks for clarification or accuracy of
statements
Initiator
Makes suggestions or proposes new ideas
Opinion Giver
States beliefs or opinions relative to the
discussion
Elaborator
Elaborates on ideas and suggestions
Consensus Seeker
Polls the group for its readiness to make
decision or resolve conflicts
Clarifier
Interprets or explains facts or opinions
Standard Setter
Establishes criteria for evaluating
opinions, ideas, or decisions
Representative
Reports the team’s progress or actions
outside the team
Source: Torres and Fairbanks, 1996, The ASTD Trainer’s Sourcebook: Teambuilding, p. 30.
Process Roles
Encouraging
Being open to others’ opinion or feelings even
if the are different.
Gatekeeping
Openly taking interest in what others say and
facilitating communication.
Listening
Paying close attention to what others talk
about.
Harmonizing
Negotiating or relieving tension when
appropriate.
Yielding
Giving up an unpopular view and admitting
mistakes.
Accepting
Respecting and promoting differences.
Supporting
Giving team members permission to feel
good about their successes.
Source: Torres and Fairbanks, 1996, The ASTD Trainer’s Sourcebook: Teambuilding, p. 31.
Dysfunctional Team Member Behaviors
Condescending
Putting down team member contributions as
irrelevant.
Bullying
Being inconsiderate of other team member’s
needs.
Blocking
Arguing too much on a point and rejecting
expressed ideas without consideration
Avoiding
Not paying attention to facts or relevant
ideas.
Withdrawing
Acting passive or indifferent, wandering from
the subject of discussion.
Joking
Excessive playing around, telling jokes, and
mimicking other members.
Dominating
Excessive talking, interrupting others,
criticizing, and blaming.
Self-Seeking
Putting one’s personal needs before the
team’s needs.
Source: Torres and Fairbanks, 1996, The ASTD Trainer’s Sourcebook: Teambuilding, p. 33.
Tuckman’s Stages of Team
Development
(Forsyth, 1983; Tuckman, 1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977)
•FORMING
•Politeness; tentative
interactions
•Attempt to Define
Goals
•Leadership emerges
•Member roles emerge
•Feelings of insecurity,
anxiety, excitement
PPT Slides modified from on Dr. Melenie Lankau’s slides on Tuckman’s Stage Model.
Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development
(Forsyth, 1983; Tuckman, 1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977)
•STORMING
•Conflict emerges re:
roles, priorities,
leadership
•Ideas criticized
•Competition
•Feelings of resentment,
hostility, and withdrawal.
PPT Slides modified from on Dr. Melenie Lankau’s slides on Tuckman’s Stage Model.
Tuckman’s Stages of Team
Development
(Forsyth, 1983; Tuckman, 1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977)
• NORMING
• Agreement on rules
• Compromising &
Collaborating
• Share Information
• Accept Differences
• Cooperation &
Cohesion – “We”
feeling
PPT Slides modified from on Dr. Melenie Lankau’s slides on Tuckman’s Stage Model.
Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development
(Forsyth, 1983; Tuckman, 1965; Tuckman & Jensen, 1977)
Performing:
– Group members work
toward achieving their
goals.
– Decision making; problem
solving
Adjourning:
– termination of duties and
reduction of dependence
– Regret; increased
emotionality;disintegration
PPT Slides modified from on Dr. Melenie Lankau’s (UGA) slides on Tuckman’s Stage Model.
Team Contract
This course deliverable will be due
later this semester and will have
team and individual components.
It will be a living document
Please begin thinking about and
working on …
Team Contract (cont.)
Team Purpose (mission)
Team Structure (organization, skills)
Team Processes (roles, ground rules,
policies, etc.)
Team Values and Culture
– Maxwell’s Value Deck Shuffle1
– Also captured as goals and outcomes in
your team contract
1http://www.maximumimpact.com
Team Contact Information
Please enter your name and contact
information contact for each team
member.
Questions or
Comments?