Team Building: Proven Strategies for
Improving Team Performance
Dr. W. Gibb Dyer, Jr.
O. Leslie Stone Professor
Marriott School of Management
Brigham Young University
Percent of Total Responses
What Organizations Say:
The Importance of Team Work
100%
Low
Priority
17%
75%
Medium
Priority
50%
25%
36%
High
Priority
47%
0%
No, not
mentioned
Yes,
Implied;
No specific
statement
Yes,
Clear and
Specific
statement
24%
33%
43%
No, not
mentioned
Yes,
Implied but
Not specifically
mentioned
Yes,
Clearly and
Specifically
mentioned
19%
46%
35%
Is teamwork a company Is teamwork mentioned Is developing effective
priority?
in company statements teamwork a requirement
or goals?
in manager performance
reviews?
Percent of Total Responses
What Organizations Do: Are Organizations
Committed to Building Effective Work Teams?
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
Considerable
Time Spent
On Team
Building
22%
Ongoing
Team Building
30%
Action Taken
But Not to
Any Great
Extent
38%
Do Nothing
Regarding
Team
Building
32%
Team Building
Was a One
Time Team
Building
Session
78%
Organizational Involvement Frequency of Team Building
in Team Building
Efforts
Why Team Building is Not Done
1. Don’t know how to do it.
2. Don’t understand the rewards.
3. Don’t feel it is being rewarded in the
company.
4. People feel they don’t need it.
5. People feel it takes too much time.
6. People feel they don’t have the support
from their bosses to do team building.
The Four Cs of Team Performance
Context
The need for teamwork; the type
of team needed; and the culture,
structure, and systems that
support teamwork
Change
The team’s ability to
monitor its
performance and make
changes as needed
Team
Performance
Competencies
The team’s ability to solve
problems, communicate, make
decisions, manage conflict, and
so on
Composition
Team members’ skills,
experience, and
motivation as well as
team size
Context for Teamwork
Low teamwork
Average teamwork
High teamwork
(Modular
interdependence)
(Sequential
interdependence)
(Reciprocal
interdependence)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Golf Team
Baseball Team
Basketball Team
University Dept.
Accounting Dept.
NASA Space Team
SWAT Team
Technical -- Interpersonal
Team Member’s Skills
Team Composition: Evaluating and Managing
Team Members Based on Skills and Motivation.
High
Low
Provide
Incentives and Share Power
Use
and
Motivational Responsibility
Techniques
Drop from
Team
Low
Provide
Training and
Develop Skills
High
Team Member’s Motivation
Key Team Competencies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Setting clear, measurable goals
Making assignments clear and insuring competence
Using effective decision-making processes
Establishing accountability for high performance.
Running effective meetings.
Building trust.
Establishing open communication channels.
Managing conflict
Creating mutual respect and collaboration
Encouraging risk taking and innovation
Team Building to Improve Team Competencies
THE FOUR BOXES
ARE “SOMETHING...
SOMETHING...
SOME OTHER THING
AND WHATEVER.”
IN PHASE TWO I HOPE
TO TURN THIS MATRIX
INTO CONCENTRIC
CIRCLES WITH LABELS
AND ARROWS.
I’M UNDER THE
CONSULTANT’S
SPELL
YOUR OVERLY
COMPLICATED MATRICES
AND DIAGRAMS HAVE
CONVINCED ME OF YOUR
INTELLECTUAL
SUPERIORITY.
I AM AFRAID TO
ACT WITHOUT
YOUR APPROVAL.
DID I SAY YOU
COULD PUT YOUR
ARMS UP LIKE
THAT?
MUST . . . WRITE . .
. LARGE CHECKS TO
CONSULTANT . . .
BECAUSE . . .
EMPLOYEES . . . ARE
. . . MORONS.
JUST BECAUSE WE
PAY INEXPERIENCED
STRANGERS TO TELL
US HOW TO DO OUR
JOBS, THAT DOESN’T
MEAN WE’RE MORONS!
YEAH!
IT’S A
COINCIDENCE.
How Bain & Company Sets the
Context for Teamwork:
• Bain & Co’s mission is to help our clients create such
high levels of economic value that together we set
new standards of excellence in our respective
industries. This vision demands:
– The Bain vision of the most productive client relationship and
single-minded dedication to achieving it with each client.
– The Bain community of extraordinary teams.
– The Bain approach to creating value, based on a sharp
competitive and customer focus and the most effective analytical
techniques.
• Extraordinary team selected and featured in the
biannual company newsletter
• Senior director reports on extraordinary team
characteristics at the annual company meeting
Team Composition at Bain & Co.
• Recruiting is a high priority activity
– Specific evaluation of whether the recruiter would want this person
on their team.
• Consultants are interviewed by managers and
partners regarding their interests before being
assigned to clients
– Consultants can make requests to work on certain teams; in many
cases they can refuse assignments.
• The team assignment process involves discussions
on the following three questions:
– Does this person have the skills necessary to be successful in this
particular assignment?
– Does this project fit with this person’s skill plan and professional
development needs?
– Will this person work well with the manager and other team
members?
Team Competencies
• Teams know how to measure results
– Estimate of quantifiable results (typically
reviewed and approved by client) are
required at the end of each project
Team Competencies
• Teams know how to measure results
– Estimate of quantifiable results (typically
reviewed and approved by client) are
required at the end of each project
• Consultants must must demonstrate team
leadership and management skills before
being promoted to manager.
– 6-12 months in informal “team leader” role
(no Peter Principle here).
• Teams learn how to do teambuilding.
Team Building at Bain
• Team building every 6 months initiated by survey:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Value addition and impact of work
Clear performance expectations
Up-front planning and organization
Clear and prompt downward communication
Level of responsibility
Interest level of work
General level of respect for each person
Fun, motivation, and a sense of teamwork
Accuracy of previous performance evaluation
• Data are compiled, including comparative data
with other teams, and the manager and partner
leads a discussion of how the team can improve
how it functions.
Bain & Company Results
• Bain has grown 2 times faster than the
industry since 1975 and is now the 2nd largest
“strategy” consulting firm behind McKinsey.
• Bain clients’ stock outperforms both their
industries and the S&P 500.
• Bain is now considered to be one of the
premier consulting firms in the industry.
I’VE HIRED THE “DOGBERT
TOUCHY-FEELY INSTITUTE”
TO TEACH US ABOUT
TEAMWORK.
WE’LL START WITH AN
EXERCISE ABOUT TRUST.
I WANT EACH OF YOU TO
SIGN BLANK CHECKS AND
GIVE THEM TO ME.
WHAT WILL
THIS TEACH
US ABOUT
TRUST?
IT WILL TEACH
YOU THAT
TRUST IS AN
EXCELLENT
QUALITY FOR
OTHER PEOPLE
TO HAVE.
Professor Jeff Dyer
Team Building Activities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Stop/Start/Continue Activity
Force Field Analysis Activity
Role Clarification Activity
Appreciative Inquiry
Observation/Feedback/Process
Consulting
Role Clarification Teambuilding Activity
• The team member answers the following questions:
a) What is your formal job description?
b) What do you think you are supposed to do in your job? (expectations of self)
• The team either agrees or disagrees with the person’s
answers to these questions and the role is defined
(expectations of the team for the individual).
• The team member then answers the question:
What help do you need from other team members to do your job more
effectively? (expectations the individual has of other team members).
• The team then answers the question: What might you do
to help this team member succeed in his/her job?
• This sequence of steps is followed for each member of
the team.
Team Building in Different Types of
Teams
1)
•
•
•
•
Temporary Teams: Key issues
Set Priorities
Share expectations
Clarify Goals
Determine guidelines: how decisions will be
made, conflict handled, etc.
2) Virtual Teams: Key Issues
• Diversity of norms and expectations
• Reliance on Technology
• High demands on the leader
Alliance Health Check: Strategic Fit
Strategy
• 1. The alliance team has a well defined strategy for achieving the desired
outcomes for both partners.
Commitment
• 1. Lilly is committing the resources necessary to make the alliance
successful.
• 2. Lilly team members demonstrate their commitment to the alliance by
following through on promises and commitments.
• 3. Lilly is highly committed to the alliance relationship.
Trust and Fairness
• 1. Lilly team members are willing to make adjustments in ways perceived as
"fair" by the alliance partner (Lilly is fair).
• 2. Lilly team members are trustworthy and would not take advantage of our
firm in this alliance relationship even if they had the chance (Lilly is
trustworthy and shows goodwill).
Alliance Health Check:
Operational Fit
Communication
• 1. We are extremely satisfied with the communication processes that Lilly
has established to maintain effective communication with our firm.
• 2. Lilly team members are open and transparent in their communications
with our firm.
Conflict Management
• 1. We are extremely satisfied with Lilly’s ability to resolve disputes or
disagreements that we have had during the alliance.
• 2. We frequently have conflicts and we are not effect at resolving those
disagreements.
Decision Making
• 1. Lilly’s decision making processes are efficient and timely.
• 2. Lilly’s decision-making processes are effective.
• 3. The right people are always involved in making key decisions.
Alliance Health Check: Cultural Fit
Organizational Values
• 1. Lilly team members behave in ways that
reinforce Lilly’s espoused organizational
values.
• 2. We find that our organizational values
frequently clash with Lilly’s organizational
values.
Knowledge Management
• 1. Lilly team members quickly share
whatever information and knowledge they
have to help the alliance achieve its
Team Satisfaction/Performance
Overall Success/Satisfaction
• 1. Overall, this alliance is on track to
deliver significant value to our company.
• 2. We are highly satisfied with the
results of the alliance to date.
• 3. We are highly satisfied with Lilly as a
partner.
Measuring Alliance Health
(% of team members rating each dimension as favorable or very favorable)
Commitment
100%
Cultural Fit
Organizational Values
90%
Strategy
Strategic Fit
80%
70%
Knowledge Management
Trust/Fairness
60%
50%
40%
30%
Flexibility
Communication
20%
10%
0%
Team Coordination
Conflict Management
Skills/Competence
Lilly Response
Partner Response
MCALM/Document Library/Presentations/
OAM Team/SELL OAM/Outside/date
Decision Making
Roles
Leadership
Operational Fit
Performance Measurement
Company Confidential
Copyright © 2001 Eli Lilly and Company
ALLIANCE MANAGEMENT
27
Challenges in Teambuilding
•
•
•
•
Counseling/Therapy versus Teambuilding
Teams at an Impasse
Managing Conflict in Teams
Virtual and Interorganizational Teams (Conflicting
goals)
• Follow-Up Activities (Personal Management
Interviews)