module 21 teams and teamwork “two heads can be better than one” why is an understanding of teams...
TRANSCRIPT
MODULE 21
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK
“Two heads can be better than
one”
• Why is an understanding of teams so important?
• What are the foundations of successful teamwork?
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
MODULE GUIDE 21.1
Formal and informal groups are building blocks of organizations.
Organizations use a variety of committees, task forces, and cross-functional teams.
Virtual teams are increasingly common in organizations.
Teams offer synergy and other benefits to their members and the organization.
Teams can also suffer from common performance problems.
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
Team a collection of people who regularly interact to pursue common
goals. Teamwork
the process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals.
Formal Group a group that is officially recognized and supported by the
organization. Informal Group
a group that is unofficial and emerges from relationships and shared interests among members.
Committee people brought together outside of their daily job assignments to
work in a small team for a specific task
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
Types of TeamsProject Team
is convened for a specific purpose and disbands after completing its task.
Cross-functional Team operates with members who come from different
functional units of an organization. Employee Involvement Team
meets on a regular basis to help achieve continuous improvement.
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
Types of TeamsQuality Circle Team
employees who meet periodically to discuss ways of improving work quality.
Self-managing Teamswork team having the authority to make decisions
about how they share and complete their work. Virtual Teams
Work together and solve problems through computer based interactions
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
Benefits of Teams Synergy
The creation of a whole greater than or equal to the sum of its parts
Why Teams Are Good for Organizations
• More resources for problem solving • Improved creativity and innovation • Improved quality of decision making • Greater commitments to tasks • Increased motivation of members • Better control and work discipline • More individual need satisfaction
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
MANAGEMENT TIPSCharacteristics of High Performance
Teams
Clear, elevating goals Results-driven structure Competent team members Unified commitments Collaborative climate Standards of excellence External support and recognition Principled leadership
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
Potential Problems With Teams Social Loafing
the tendency of some people to avoid responsibility by free-riding in groups.
Meetings (wasted time)
Seven sins of deadly meetings:
1. People arrive late, leave early, and don’t take things seriously. 2. The meeting is too long, sometimes twice as long as necessary. 3. People don’t stay on topic; they digress and are easily distracted. 4. The discussion lacks candor; people are unwilling to tell the truth. 5. The right information isn’t available, so decisions are postponed. 6. Nothing happens when the meeting is over; no one puts decisions into action. 7. Things never get better; the same mistakes are made meeting after meeting.
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Importance Of Teams
Assessing the maturity of a team
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Foundations Of Teamwork
MODULE GUIDE 21.2
Teams need the right members and inputs to be effective.
Teams must use the right processes to be effective. Teams move through different stages of
development. Team performance is affected by norms and
cohesiveness. Team performance is affected by task and
maintenance roles. Team performance is affected by use of
communication networks. Team performance is affected by use of decision-
making methods. Team performance suffers when groupthink leads
to bad decisions.
TEAMS AND TEAMWORK Foundations Of Teamwork
Stages of Development Forming Stage
team development, one of initial task orientation and interpersonal testing.
Norming Stage members of the team begin to coordinate their efforts as a
working unit and tend to operate with shared rules of conduct.
Performing Stage members are more mature, organized, and well
functioning. Adjourning Stage
the final stage for temporary committees, task forces, and project teams.
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
Effective Teams make use of alternative communication
networks and decision-making methods to best complete tasks.
Group Process The way members interact and work together to
transform inputs into outputs
TEAM EFFECTIVENESS EQUATIONTeam effectiveness =
Quality of inputs x (Process gains - Process losses)
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
Group Norms Behaviors, rules or standards expected of team members
Cohesion the attractiveness of the team to its members
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
Task and Maintenance RolesTask Activities
contribute directly to the team’s performance purpose
Maintenance Activities support the emotional life of the team as an
ongoing social system.Distributed Leadership
every member is continually responsible for both recognizing when task or maintenance activities are needed and taking actions to provide them.
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
Communication NetworksDecentralized Communication Network
Allows all members to communicate directly with one another. Works well for tasks that require lots of creativity, information processing, and problem solving.
Centralized Communication NetworkRequires members to communicate with each
other via a central hub or port
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
FOUNDATIONS OF TEAMWORK Effective Teams
Decision MakingThe process of making choices through
choosing from alternative courses of action
Groupthinka tendency of members of highly cohesive
teams to lose their critical evaluative capabilities and make poor decisions.