Chapter 14

Managing Teams

Learning ObjectivesAfter reading this chapter, you should be able to: Translate the benefits teams provide into

competitive advantages. Identify the different types of teams – self-

managed, parallel, project, and virtual. Track the stages of team development that occur

over the life of a project and help the team perform effectively.

Recognize the key roles that team members must play to ensure high performance.

Master the skills to detect and control team performance problems.

Manage team conflict through negotiation.

As U.S. companies employ more knowledge workers, they are increasingly using teams to fully engage and empower workers to utilize their knowledge for the company’s advantage.

More work is being performed in teams.

The ability to manage teams has become an important skill for managers and employees.

Justin Yuen’s presentation (Winter term) Google

Of 10,000 employees, 5,000 work in teams Multiple teams Average size of teams = 3 Easy to switch teams Use technology to assist teams

Whole Foods Organizational unit in stores and HQ: team 8 teams per store Autonomy Teams engaged in a variety of activities

Justin’s Nike Experience Pursue sustainable initiatives Organized by Europe Footwear Shambhala

Team Launched with aid of a couple hundred

people working in teams

Team A team is a small number of

people with complementary skills who are committed to: a common purpose, a set of performance goals, an approach for which they hold

themselves mutually accountable.

Team members interact with each other on a regular basis.

Team (continued)

Teams share performance goals. Individuals on a team are mutually

responsible for end results. The team environment produces

synergy. This allows individuals to blend

complementary skills and talents to produce a product that is more valuable than the sum of the individual contributions.

Work Group Members of a work group are

held accountable for their individual work.

They are not responsible for the output of the entire group.

A work group is more likely to have a strong, directive leader who seeks input from group members and then delegates work to various individuals to complete.

Not All Groups Are Teams (1 of 2)

CollectiveIndividualWork Products

Team purpose that the team itself delivers

Same as the broader organization mission

Purpose

Individual and mutualIndividualAccountability

Shared leadership rolesStrong, clearly focused leader

Leadership

TeamWorking GroupCharacteristic

Not All Groups Are Teams (2 of 2)

Discusses, decides, and does real work together

Discusses, decides, and delegates

Decision-making Process

Directly, by collective work products

Indirectly, by its influence on others

Performance Measurement

Open-ended discussion, active problem-solving

EfficientMeeting Style

TeamWorking GroupCharacteristic

Skills for Managing Teams

Conflict Management Skills

Negotiation SkillsSkills for Handling

Difficult Team Members

The Benefits of Teams

Costs and Productivity

Quality Improvement

s

Speed Innovation

Types of Teams

Self-Managed Teams

Project Teams

Parallel Teams

Virtual Teams

Team Characteristics

High

High

Low

Low

Duration of Team

Team

Mem

ber

Tim

e C

omm

itmen

t Project Team

Self-managed Team

Project Team

Parallel Team

Virtual TeamParallel Team

Self-Managed Teams (SMT) Responsible for producing an entire product,

component, or service.

Formalized as part of the organization structure.

Employees are assigned to it on a full-time basis, and its duration is long.

Utilize employees whose jobs are similar but who may have different levels of skill.

Self-Managed Teams (continued)

Team members combine their skills to produce an important organizational outcome.

Have authority to make many decisions that traditionally have been made by supervisors or managers.

Members need a variety of skills: Technical skills Management skills Interpersonal Skills

Project Teams Work on a specific project that has a

beginning and an end. Team members work full-time until

the project is completed. Composed of members from different

functions or different technical disciplines.

Key criterion for judging team performance is meeting or exceeding milestone deadlines.

Parallel Teams Sometimes called problem-solving teams or special-

purpose teams.

Focus on a problem or issue that requires only part-time commitment from team members.

Employee spends a few hours per week with the parallel team, and the remainder of the time on his/her regular job.

When the problem is solved the team is disbanded.

Can be of short or long duration.

Virtual Teams Take advantage of interactive computer

technologies to enable distant people to work together.

Require only a part-time commitment. Make it possible for companies to cross

organizational boundaries: Linking customers, suppliers, and business

partners to improve the quality and increase the speed with which a new product or service is brought to the market.

Managing Team Performance Team performance requires vigilant

management.

Factors that need to be taken into account in managing effective team performance are: The stages of team development. The roles of team members and

leaders. Team member behaviors.

Stages of Team Development

1. Forming

2. Storming 3. Norming

4. Performing

5. Adjourning

Roles of Team MembersTask-Facilitating Role

Direction giving

Information seeking

Information giving

Coordinating

Summarizing

Task-Facilitating Role Direction giving

Information seeking

Information giving

Coordinating

Summarizing

Relationship-Building Role

Supporting

Harmonizing

Tension relieving

Energizing

Facilitating

Relationship-Building Role

Supporting

Harmonizing

Tension relieving

Energizing

Facilitating

Effective Ways to Enact the Role of Team Leader How can a team leader

positively influence team processes and outcomes? Take care of team members

Communicate with team members

Share power with the team

Learn to relax and admit your ignorance

Behavioral Dimensions of Effective Teams

Team Cohesiveness Team Norms

Cooperative BehaviorTrust

Interdependence

Interdependence

Trust Willingness of one person to increase

vulnerability to the actions of another Willingness to stick my neck out because I

know I can rely on team member Can be created by

Communicating openly Share credit Reciprocate Avoid acting purely out of self interest (or what

goes around, comes around)

Team Performance Problems

Free Riders

Nonconforming High Performers

Lack of Teamwork Rewards

Video: Delta Force

Writing:

Team Management Skills Conflict Management Skills

Functional conflict - conflict that stimulates team and organizational performance

Dysfunctional conflict - conflict that has a negative effect on team and organizational performance

Integrating Obliging

Dominating Avoiding

Compromising

High Low

High

Low

Con

cern

for

Oth

ers

Concern for SelfSource: MA Rahim, “A Strategy for Managing Conflict in Complex Organizations, Human Relations, January 1985, p 84. Used with author’s permission.

Five Conflict-Handling StylesFive Conflict-Handling Styles

Applying the Problem-solving style of conflict management The willingness of both parties is necessary

Convene meetings at the right time and place

Give both parties ample time to cool down

Resume discussion until a workable solution is achieved

Negotiation Skills Win-win Style, or integrative bargaining

determine a personal bottom line understand the other party's real needs and

objectives emphasize common ground, de-emphasize

differences search for mutually agreeable solutions focus on building a relationship rather than a one-

time deal

Win-lose Style, or distributive bargaining one party will receive the most beneficial distribution of

a fixed amount of goods.

Negotiation Skills (continued)

Three Common Mistakes of Negotiation Do not assume that a negotiation must

always result in a settlement. Avoid becoming fixated on one particular

issue in the negotiation. Do not assume that the other party has

all the power due to greater levels of experience.

Minicase 14.2: Whole Foods Review Manager’s Notebook 14.1 and 14.2

and based on discussion question 1, discuss the following: What must happen if these companies in the

industry were to apply team work as Whole Foods does?

Write: TBA