Communicating
in Teams
Lina Melkonian
SJSU Career Center
Top Skills Sought By
Recruiters
 Communication—
Oral/Written
 Interpersonal/Social
 Critical Thinking
 Leadership
 Teamwork
Business Communications Quarterly, Volume 65, March 2002, pages 21-36
Teambuilding Lessons From
Geese
 Why do geese fly in a V formation?
 What happens when a goose falls out of
formation?
 What happens when the lead goose gets tired?
 Why do geese in formation honk from behind?
 What happens when a goose gets sick or
wounded?
Communicating in Teams
What is a Team?
A team is a unit of two or more people who work
together to achieve a goal. Team members share a
mission and the responsibility to achieve it.
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Types of Workplace Teams
Problem Solving
Taskforces
Committees
Virtual Teams
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Overview of Teams
Advantages
Information
Diversity
& knowledge
of views
Acceptance
of solutions
Performance
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Disadvantages
Groupthink
Hidden
agendas
Free
riders
High
costs
Communicating in Teams
Group Dynamics
Rules
Norms
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Identity
Communicating in Teams
Team Decision Making

Orientation

Conflict

Brainstorming

Emergence

Reinforcement
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Roles People Play in Groups
SelfOriented
GroupMaintenance
TaskFacilitating
Controlling
Encouraging
Initiating
Withdrawing
Harmonizing
Information Seeking
Attention Seeking
Compromising
Coordinating
Diverting
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Procedure Setting
Communicating in Teams
Being a Facilitator is like being a
Referee
Facilitators focus on the process the team is using to get
results. On effective teams, every member feels responsible
for the process, not just the leader.
A facilitator like a referee, makes sure the team operates in
an organized manner. A referee does not supervise team
strategies, but rather makes sure that the teams are
observing the rules of the game.
Making sure that the team is operating in a fair, organized
and respectful manner is called facilitation, and it is the
responsibility of all team members.
Communicating in Teams
Team Leadership
As employers reduce their layers of management and as
companies become flatter, individual contributors are
increasingly asked to lead teams.
Leaders Lead, Don’t Rule!
Successful team leaders demonstrate the ability to listen to
other team members first, then share their points of view.
Team Leaders Are Great Facilitators
Facilitation is a vital communication tool for effective team
leaders.
Communicating in Teams
Clear
Purpose
Effective
Teams
Open
Communication
Creative
Thinking
Consensus
Decision
Making
Focused
Efforts
Conflict
Resolution
Collaborative
Relationships
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Conflict in Teams
Scarce Resources
Task Responsibilities
Poor Communication
Attitudes and Values
Power Struggles
Conflicting Goals
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Resolving Conflict
Proaction
Fairness
Research
Communication
Alliance
Flexibility
Openness
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Overcoming Resistance

Express understanding

Raise awareness

Evaluate objections

Withhold arguments
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Purpose
Participants
PRODUCTIVE
MEETINGS
Agenda
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Location
Communicating in Teams
Focus
Procedures
Effective
Meetings
Participation
Closing
Follow-Up
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Three Types
Of Listening
Content
Listening
Critical
Listening
Purpose and Feedback
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Empathetic
Listening
Communicating in Teams
Barriers to Listening
SelfCenteredness
Prejudgment
Selective
Listening
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Check Points for Meeting
Facilitators
 Is this discussion being productive?
 Are agreements being reached?
 Are new ideas being generated?
 Are people understanding each other?
 What is being committed to?
 What is the best use of the group’s time now?
 Are we meeting the objectives of the meeting?
Bruce Withrow, Conversation Types, Affinity Consulting
Communicating in Teams
Nonverbal Communication
Honesty
Reliability
Efficiency
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Types of Nonverbal
Communication
Facial
Expressions
Gestures
and Posture
Use of
Time and Space
Vocal
Characteristics
Touching
Behavior
Personal
Appearance
From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003
Communicating in Teams
Commitment
Communication
Contribution
Cooperation
Change
Management
Conflict
Management
Connections
Suzanne Willis Zoglio, 7 Keys to Building Great Workteams