Quality Teamwork Mc Graw-Hill Irwin Copyright 2009 by

What are Teams? Groups of two or more people Exist to fulfill a purpose Interdependent -- interact and influence each other Mutually accountable for achieving common goals Perceive themselves as a social entity

Groups versus Teams All teams are groups Some groups are just people assembled together Teams have task interdependence whereas some groups do not (e. g. , group of employees enjoying lunch together)

Four Common Types of Teams in Organizations There are four main types of work teams: problem-solving teams self-managed work teams cross-functional teams virtual teams Groups differ from teams in that groups are usually authoritarian in nature, whereby one person is primarily in charge of assigning activities and is therefore ultimately held responsible for results. Teams are conducted in a more collaborative fashion, with authority equally dispersed among members.

Problem-Solving team The problem-solving team is usually an assemblage put together to solve a particular problem or improve activities within their own department. Once they conduct research and arrive at a proposed solution, they present their findings to the proper person or panel who may or may not implement the recommended course of action.

Self-Managed Work Teams Many large organizations, especially technology firms, find it efficient to construct formal selfmanaged work teams which operate independent of a supervisor and are given authority to complete an assignment, coordinate across departments, and allow team members to select tasks they would like to undertake. In other words, they must both manage and execute themselves. At the end, they are all held accountable equally.

Cross-Functional Teams Cross-functional teams are comprised of members from a diversity of specialized backgrounds. For example, a content delivery network account representative may request a conference call with a customer, to which he may invite a solutions engineer, a channel sales director, an account development representative, and a professional services member. The expertise and information each brings to the table will aid in a smoother more efficient sales process that is not only practical but may spur the customer to request a purchase order.

Virtual Teams Each of the members of any of the teams described herein, may be geographically isolated from one another. Therefore, they will require information technology tools such as computers and phones to communicate. The virtual team is composed of members that are dispersed in different areas, but are still able to work together by using technology to assist them in accomplishing their communications objectives.

Why Informal Groups Exist 1. Innate drive to bond 2. Social identity We define ourselves by group memberships 3. Goal accomplishment 4. Emotional support

Advantages of Teams Compared with individuals working alone, teams tend to: Make better decisions Make better products and services due to more knowledge and expertise Increase employee engagement

The Trouble With Teams Individuals better/faster on some tasks Process losses - cost of developing and maintaining teams Brooks’ Law -- more delays when adding members to a team already behind schedule Social loafing Occurs when individuals exert less effort when working in groups than alone

How to Minimize Social Loafing Make individual performance more visible Form smaller teams Specialize tasks Measure individual performance Increase employee motivation Increase job enrichment Select motivated employees

Team Effectiveness Model and Components Team Dynamics Mc. Graw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2009 by The

Team Effectiveness Model Team Design • Task characteristics • Team size • Team composition Organizational and Team Environment Team Processes • Team development • Team norms • Team cohesiveness • Team trust Team Effectiveness • Achieve organizational goals • Satisfy member needs • Maintain team survival

Team’s Task and Size Task characteristics Better when tasks are clear, easy to implement Share common inputs, processes, or outcomes Task interdependence Team size Smaller teams are better But large enough to accomplish task

Team Composition Effective team members must be willing and able to work on the team Effective team members are good at the 5 C’s: Communicating Comforting (psych support) Coordinating Gourami session in Asia -- Courtesy of Shell International Ltd Cooperating Conflict resolving Team diversity Gourami session in U. S. A. -- Courtesy of Shell U. S. Homogeneous or heterogeneous, depending on task requirements

Team Development Team development involves: Interpersonal knowledge and trust Understand agree on roles Discover appropriate behaviors Learn to coordinate with each other

Stages of Team Development Performing Norming Storming Forming Existing teams might regress back to an earlier stage of development Adjourning

Team Norms Informal rules and shared expectations team establishes to regulate member behaviors Norms develop through: Initial team experiences Critical events in team’s history Experience/values members bring to the team

Changing Team Norms Introduce norms when forming teams Select members with preferred values Discuss counter-productive norms Reward behaviors representing desired norms Disband teams with dysfunctional norms

Team Cohesion The degree of attraction people feel toward the team and their motivation to remain members Calculative -- members believe the team will fulfill goals and needs Emotional -- team is part of person’s social identity

Influences on Team Cohesion Member similarity • Similarity-attraction effect • Some forms of diversity have less effect Team size • Smaller teams more cohesive Member interaction • Regular interaction increases cohesion • Calls for tasks with high interdependence

Influences on Team Cohesion (con’t) Somewhat difficult entry • Team eliteness increases cohesion • But lower cohesion with severe initiation Team success • Successful teams fulfill member needs • Success increases social identity with team External challenges • Challenges increase cohesion when not overwhelming

Team Cohesiveness Outcomes 1. Want to remain members 2. Willing to share information 3. Strong interpersonal bonds 4. Resolve conflict effectively 5. Better interpersonal relationships