FSNP

Copyright © 2004 Patrick McDermott

UC BerkeleyExtension

pmcdermott@msn.com

“Once upon a time there was an organization with only three members—Somebody, Everybody and Nobody. Somebody said that an important job needed to be done. Everybody agreed that the job needed doing. Nobody ended up doing it.”—Mark Norris, Survival in the Software Jungle

Collaboration

• Chickens & other Bird Brains– Pecking Order– Dog Pack “Leader of the Pack”

• Contention of Gilbert & Sullivan: Topsy Turvy• Movie Casablanca

– No one wanted to be there; no script, no plan, etc. – But became masterpiece

• Collaborate good/bad– How important is collaboration? – Would a collaborator have helped Einstein?

• Assuming his wife wasn’t…

Team Life Cycle

Form• Excited, but

nervous

Storm• Conflict,

Turbulence, Bi-polar

Norm• Harmony

and Acceptance

Perform• In the Zone

Form• Ambivalent Feelings• Excited, but apprehensive• Need to define tasks• Need to learn to work together• Might thrash if objectives are unclear

Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)Oath of the Horatii, c. 1784-85

Storm• Conflict, Turbulence

– Ambivalent may become Bi-polar• Some compete for dominance• Establish a Pecking Order• Sometimes just “Wrong Foot”• We accept hierarchy

– 2nd Lt is youngest, weakest, dumbest• But grizzled sergeants obey

Winslow Homer (1836-1910)The Life Line, c. 1884

Norm• Team Spirit• Harmony and Acceptance• Constructive Disagreements

– “If everyone agrees, someone is wrong!”• Can Do the Job

• In a Word: Synergy– “The whole is greater then the sum of its parts.”

Edward Hicks (1780-1849)The Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1837

Perform• In the Zone• Anticipate each others needs• Fill in for each when necessary

– Without management Intervention• Few teams reach this level

– Make it your Goal, nonetheless

Edgar Degas (1834-1917)The Rehearsal on Stagec. 1874

Morale & Productivity

Team Life Cycle

Morale Productivity

Stage

% G

oo

dn

es

s

Re-Boot• Often a new member stirs the mix

– Existing patterns become open to question• When a new member joins, Regress• A New Pecking Order must be

Established

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

A Pair of BootsFall 1887

Team Death Cycle• Adjourn

– Wrap up & Look back• Mourn?

• They’re breaking up that old gang of mine

– It’s called a “Post Mortem” for a reason

– Learn from mistakes– Post-parted Depression

“You should be glad that bridge fell down—I was going to build twelve more to the same design.”—I.K. Brunel

Not Always• Sometimes (~15%) a Lost at Sea

participant would have been better alone

• Group dynamix: need right group; if nobody knows nothin’: no good.

• Three 100 IQs not smarter than Einstein• Einstein would not have been better on

a committee

Drucker’s 3 Team Types• Baseball

– Fixed Positions, Set Jobs/Responsibilities– Information from the Situation

• Orchestra (Soccer)– Requires a Conductor/Coach– Synchronized/Coordinated– Information from the Conductor

• Tennis Doubles– Cover for one another– Adapt to partner’s Strength & Weaknesses– Information from each other

Picture Sequence FormStormNormPerform