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Chapter 17: Leading Teams

CHAPTER 17

LEADING TEAMS

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, the student should be able to:

Distinguish between a team and a work group and outline the key elements that are

essential for the establishment of a team.

Describe the dimensions and characteristics of teams and how diversity can help or

hinder team performance.

Describe advantages and disadvantages of collocated, geographically dispersed, and

project teams.

Outline the stages of team development and the way in which norms are established in

teams.

Describe how teams function and how members of the team interact to accomplish the

team’s goals and objectives.

Define the major aspects of team effectiveness, and explain the role that leaders play in

influencing team performance.

Chapter Outline

Introduction

What Is a Team?

o Teams versus Individual Work Groups

© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.1


Team Characteristics

o Team Composition and Size

o Manager-Led versus Self-Directed Teams

o Collocated and Geographically Distributed Teams

o Leveraging Diversity

Team Development

o Stages of Development

o Team Norms

Team Process

o Purposeful and Rigorous Decision Making

o Effective Participation and Meaningful Influence

o Constructive Conflict

o Promoting Team Learning

Team Effectiveness

o Role of Team Leader

o Leading Geographically Distributed, or Virtual Teams

Summary

Self-Reflection: How Do You Contribute To Team Work?

This self-reflection is designed to assess how students contribute to the effectiveness of a team.

Through this self-reflection, students can think about how effective teams may have formal



leaders, as well as consider how members contribute their talents and are accountable for the

team’s effectiveness. In addition, students should reflect upon how the success of a team

depends upon members being motivated to accomplish goals through collective action, the

ability to learn from each other, and the willingness to develop constructive relationships.

This assessment is based upon a 5-point scale; fifty points is the highest possible score.

Self-Reflection

Question

Contributions to Teams

Q1 Mindful of the agenda or purpose.

Q2 Uses unique skills and talents to enable the team to achieve its goals.

Q3 Uses technology effectively to communicate with team members.

Q4 Adheres to the working norms of the team.

Q5 Shares knowledge with team members.

Q6 Learns from other team members.

Q7 Engages in constructive conflict with team members.

Q8 Manages the external relationships of the team.

Q9 Scans the competitive environment.

Q10 Creates positive energy by being optimistic, complimentary, or

celebratory.

After students complete this assessment, have students discuss what they have learned about

their contributions to a team and how their contributions benefit the team.



Comprehensive Lecture Outline

I. Introduction. A team cannot be successful without the collective expertise and efforts

of everyone. A considerable amount of research has proven that teams working

together are better than individuals working alone in a variety of complex and

straightforward tasks. Whether or not you like being on a team, the fact is that teams

are a dominant means by which organizations accomplish operational, strategic, and

creative tasks.

Class Activity: Use the case below as an opportunity to allow students to apply concepts from

the chapter. Suggestion: You could ask them to complete this case as individuals or in teams as

a class activity. Have students read the case presented in the text and answer the included

questions.

Case In Point: Teamwork at Whole Foods and Amoeba Management

at Kyocera

1. How are teams empowered at Whole Foods?

Teams are empowered at Whole Foods by being responsible for making pricing,

procurement, and marketing decisions.

2. At Whole Foods, why do you think management measures the performance of teams?

Management may measure performance because this practice motivates team members

and encourages collective action. Also, the measurement of team performance enables

management to reward team work and is a key determinant of future career opportunities.

3. What is “amoeba management” at Kyocera?

Amoeba management is the division of work into small groups that operate with self-



supporting accounting systems, and are responsible for particular work processes and a

specific component of profitability.

4. How do you think “amoeba management” creates a team at Kyocera?

At Kyocera “amoeba management” has resulted in galvanized productivity while retaining

an entrepreneurial spirit. Also, “amoeba management” encourages a culture of team work

by rewarding improved team performance and the ability to work as a team.

II. What Is a Team? A group of two or more people with complementary skills who are

committed to working together to achieve a specific objective.

Teams have a clear task that requires a variety of people to work together

interdependently to achieve a common outcome or objective requiring the

sharing of knowledge and skills.

Teams have clear boundaries that define who is and is not part of the team.

Teams possess the authority to manage their own work processes.

Teams possess a sense of stability that enables members to work together over a

set period of time.

A. Teams versus Individual Work Groups

While work groups are better than individuals working alone, teams are even

better when the task is complex and sophisticated or when the task

requires the buy-in and support of multiple constituencies.

1. Task complexity refers to the amount of information that must be

processed to understand the task, the degree of uncertainty

about possible outcomes, and the presence of many subtasks.



2. Task interdependence refers to the need for group members to work

with and rely on each other to produce the collective work of the

group.

3. Task objectives orient team members toward their goals and priorities

and help them understand how their work fits in the bigger picture.

III. Team Characteristics

A. Team Composition and Size

1. In addition to a shared purpose and objective, team members should be

equally committed to the task to ensure that the team’s

recommendations reflect the group’s collective wisdom

and input. To that end, team members should be technically adept and

possess strong interpersonal skills.

2. There is no optimal team size; it should reflect the nature of the task;

that is, it should include the right mix of skills and perspectives to

achieve the desired objective. It is generally better to have

too few members than too many. Large teams can be more

difficult to coordinate because communication and conflicts may increase

with each additional member.

B. Manager-Led Versus Self-Directed Teams.

Class Activity: Show the IDEO video and apply Management Research Question 1 to the IDEO

team. The video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M66ZU2PCIcM

1. Manager-led teams. Leaders have the greatest amount of control over

team members and the work they perform. The manager is

responsible for monitoring and managing performance processes and

reporting the team’s progress to the rest of the organization.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M66ZU2PCIcM


a. Vertical teams: Teams composed of a manager and his or her

subordinates in the formal chain of command, usually in

one functional department.

b. Horizontal teams: Teams composed of employees from about

the same hierarchical level but from several different

departments in the organization.

2. Self-directed teams. Teams that determine their own objectives and the

methods by which to achieve them.

C. Collocated and Geographically Distributed Teams

1. Collocated Teams

Use a significant amount of face-to-face communication to make

operating decisions.

Operate in close proximity to one another.

Have a good deal of social interaction.

Give one another quick feedback on the team’s progress.

2. Geographically Distributed Teams

Made up of widely geographically or organizationally dispersed

members.

Rely heavily on electronic tools to communicate and interact with one

another.



D. Leveraging Diversity

1. Benefits of Diversity

a. Promotes broader team thinking about the task in terms of all of

its inputs and outputs.

b. Provides access to more complementary information and

expertise.

c. Opens up broader and wider networks for the generation of

multiple ideas and approaches.

2. Disadvantages of Diversity

a. Loss of speed and efficiency

b. Lack of commonality in experience and viewpoints

c. Misunderstandings due to miscommunication

Teaching Tip: Suggested article: "A Surprising Truth About Geographically Dispersed Teams",

MIT Sloan Management Review, Josh Hyatt, July 1, 2008

The Leadership Development Journey

For this assignment, students are asked to think about the common pitfalls associated with

dysfunctional teams. Pitfalls can include the following.

Lack of trust among team members.

Fear of conflict between team members.

Uncommitted team members.



Team members that avoid accountability.

Team members that do not focus on results.

After a discussion of these pitfalls, students can reflect upon a time they worked with a

dysfunctional team. Based upon their reflections, have students discuss why the team was

dysfunctional and how they could have improved the effectiveness of the team.

A Different View: X-Teams

For this chapter’s A Different View, we recommend that the professor facilitate a discussion on

X-teams. X-teams view externally-focused ideas and relationships as a critical component to a

successful team, with the goal of driving innovation. X-team members are chosen for their

ability to work with each other, their colleagues, and systems within their organization, but the

emphasis is placed on their relationships and abilities to foster new ideas outside of the

organization.

This section uses the creation of the Razar cell phone as an example of work produced by a X-

Teams. Based on this discussion, students should analyze what aspects of the X-teams were

critical to the success of the Razar cell home.

In addition, students should identify a situation in their own life in which an X-team would have

been valuable. Students should also identify an organization that could benefit from the

innovative ideas of an X-team.

IV. Team Development

A. Stages of Development

1. Forming stage. Team members define what task is to be done and how

that task is to be accomplished, setting the ground rules for the

team.



2. Storming stage. Team members experience conflicts about interpersonal

issues and differences in perspective.

3. Norming stage. Team members uncover ways to create new standards

that encourage more collaborative behavior. Team members

adopt new group-generated standards and roles.

4. Performing stage. Team members have bridged their differences in

support of completing the task.

5. Adjourning stage. The team has completed its task and is disbanded.

B. Team Norms.

1. Meeting norms

2. Working norms

3. Communication norms

4. Leadership norms

5. Consideration norms

6. Team norms can help hold members accountable for their contributions

and avoid social loafing. Social loafing occurs when team members

disengage from the team process and fail to contribute to the team’s

recommendation or other deliverable.



Teaching Tip: Ask students, "Is it possible for a team to be too cohesive?" The answer is yes. If

the team becomes too cohesive, it is possible for groupthink to occur which diminishes the

quality of decision making in the team. It can also lead to intergroup conflicts promoting an "us

against them" environment in the workplace.

V. Team Process

A. Purposeful and Rigorous Decision Making. A strong team process should include

the following.

1. Encourage critical thinking and debate among members.

2. Move the team focus from divergent to convergent perspectives by

considering many possibilities and then narrowing them down to

a few recommendations.

B. Effective Participation and Meaningful Influence

1. Participation reflects the extent to which individuals engage in the

process of generating solutions and articulating their opinions and

perspectives. Influence refers to the impact an individual’s

opinion or perspective has on the team process or solution.

2. Blocking behaviors is an imbalance of influence or participation that can

lead to behaviors that destroy morale and teamwork.

C. Constructive Conflict. Conformity occurs when people behave in line with a

group’s expectations and beliefs.

D. Promoting Team Learning. Strategies for team learning from dialogues include

the following.



1. Ensure all team members understand the purpose of the discussion

up front.

2. Focus on inquiring about team members’ perspectives, not on

challenging them.

3. Avoid using imprecise language that may cause confusion among team

members.

4. Raise your concerns with the group without casting blame on other team

members for your feelings.

5. When the team is at an impasse, determine the source of disagreement

by asking, “What do we agree on, and what do we disagree on?”

VI. Team Effectiveness

A. Role of Team Leader. Manage the team itself.

1. Managing Boundaries. Boundary manager’s responsibilities are as

follows.

a. Determines how the team will work with clients, upper

management, and others who have an interest in the

team’s product.

b. Buffers the team from organizational infighting.

c. Persuades top management to support the team’s work.

d. Coordinates and negotiates with other groups on work deadlines.

B. Leading Geographically Distributed, or Virtual, Teams



1. Process skills and approaches for managers leading geographically-

distributed teams are as follows.

a. Walk before you run.

b. Assume nothing; spell out everything to ensure mutual

understanding.

c. Communicate even more, avoid jargon or slang.

d. Share background information.

e. Find allies.

f. Watch for conflict—and learn to manage it.

g. Do better next time.

Discussion Topics

1. Under what conditions is a team better than a work group or a collection of individuals

working independently?

2. Teams should be comprised of individuals with the appropriate technical and interpersonal

skills. Teams with members who have a good balance of both skills are ideal, but what if you

needed to choose between team members who were strong in one area over the other.

Would you favor team members who were strong technically or interpersonally? What are

the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

3. What are the challenges and benefits of self-directed teams? Do you prefer being on

manager-led or self-directed teams? Why?



4. Think of diverse teams that you have been a member of. When was diversity a help or

hindrance to team performance? What can be done to ensure that diversity is leveraged in

the most effective way?

5. What activities can a new team engage in to ensure that they have a successful launch?

6. When someone on a team decides to "fly under the radar" and engage in social loafing,

what can be done to reengage them? How should team members confront this behavior?

Why is it so difficult to hold peers accountable for team performance?

7. What can a team leader do to encourage full participation on the team? What are the

dangers of not ensuring full participation?

8. Review the three dimensions of team effectiveness in Figure 17.6. How would you rank

order them in terms of performance? Are they all equally important? In what situations or

teams is one criterion more important than another?

9. Consider the different approaches to boundary management outlined in Figure 17.7. For

each approach, how will the composition of the team and the team process need to

change?

10. What are the advantages and disadvantages of geographically dispersed teams? What can a

leader do to minimize the disadvantages?

Assignments

Management Research

1. For this assignment, students should research a team in the news and create a case study

on that team. For the case study, students should document the following.

a. Identify the team members.

b. Identify the team type.



c. Describe how the team is lead (manger-led vs. self-directed team).

d. Provide examples of how the team leverages diversity.

e. Describe the team norms.

f. Analyze how the team promotes learning and manages boundaries.

g. Evaluate the team’s effectiveness.

2. Based on the information students collected for the case study, they should develop a visual

model that depicts how the team operates.

In the Field

For this assignment, students should identify a team on campus and volunteer to serve as its

“coach.” Students should work with the team and help them to accomplish the following.

a. Articulate their goals and develop performance measurements for their goals.

b. Determine a strategy for managing boundaries.

c. Develop formal decision-making processes.

d. Learn how to manage conflict constructively.

e. Develop practices for sharing information and creating positive energy.

At the conclusion of the coaching session, students should have the team comment on what

aspects of the coaching they found valuable, and how they will use the students’ coaching tips.


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