1. Teams & Team-Building ASCL/ASEC Workshop
Facilitated by Dan EKONGWE
Pan African Institute for Development-West Africa
November, 2014

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Participant at the end will understand the following:
Difference between a group and a team
The dynamics and skills for team formation
The benefit of team building
The different stages in the formation of an effective team
Handling conflict in a team
How to recognise and use helpful behaviors in a team
And how to motivate a team
The different roles in a team for synergy and result

3. A team is a collection of individuals guided by a common purpose striving for the same.. With a good team, the whole is better than the sum of the parts
(Mallory, 1991)
IIMCHL

4. WHAT IS A TEAM? A group organized to work together.
A team is a group of individuals working together to solve a problem, meet an objective, or tackle an issue.
Direct participants to page 2 of their workbook (page 5 of Instructor’s Workbook)
You can use a small piece of cardboard or paper to cover the two definitions on the slide until you are ready to cover each point.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
Ask participants how many have worked on a team in a business setting, and select one or two to tell about their experience.
Use the flip chart to record responses when you ask them to define a team.
After a few responses, use this overhead and reveal one point at a time.
POINTS TO EMPHASIZE:
A team is only as good as its members make it. If they work well together, they will have an effective team.
Effective teams can solve problems, meet objectives, and tackle issues.

5. WHY DO TEAMS WORK? Whole is greater than the sum of its parts
Individuals bring a range of talents, knowledge, experience, contacts, etc.
Working together, a team can accomplish more

6. Building An Effective Team
Get to know one another
Establish consensus as to team’s purpose
Identify available resources
Establish rules of behavior

7. Eight Characteristics of Effectively Functioning Teams
A clear elevating goal
A results –driven structure
Competent members
Unified commitment
A collaborative climate
Standards of excellence
External support and recognition
Principled leadership

8. Stages in Team Building
Forming
Storming
Norming
As the team matures, members gradually learn to cope with each other and the pressures that they face. As a result, the team goes through the fairly predictable stages noted on the slide.
Performing

9. Stage 1: FORMING The Team defines the problem
agrees on goals and formulates strategies for tackling the tasks
determines the challenges and identifies information needed
Individuals take on certain roles
develops trust and communication
To help the students adapt to their team, it might be wise to have them to simple activities to build trust and establish communication between the members. However, in the context of the computational science project many of the forming actions are undertaken as the team determines what their project topic will be and narrows the focus to reach their project goal. Teachers can help students as they "form" their teams by making sure that they understand the process they will go through to get their topic.
You may want to include some activities to illustrate trust and/or communication skills in a team.

10. Stage 2: STORMING During the Storming stage team members:
realize that the task is more difficult than they imagined
have fluctuations in attitude about chances of success
may be resistant to the task
have poor collaboration
This is probably the most difficult stage for the team. They may be floundering trying to find a project topic that is narrow enough to study or a mentor to help them. They begin to realize that this project is different than other ones that they have done in the past. Teachers can help students through this stage by encouraging members to use their individual skills and assume more responsibilities.
Understanding how personality types interact can ease some of the tensions in the storming stage.

11. Stage 3: NORMING During this stage members accept: their team
team rules and procedures
their roles in the team
the individuality of fellow members
Team members realize that they are not going to crash-and-burn and start helping each other.
During this stage, team members begin to work out their differences and now have more time and energy to spend on their work. Thus they are able to start making significant progress.
In the context of the computational science project, the students have probably found a mentor who is helping them and have narrowed their project focus.

12. Stage 4: PERFORMING Team members have:
gained insight into personal and team processes
a better understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses
gained the ability to prevent or work through group conflict and resolve differences
developed a close attachment to the team
During the performing stage, the team is now an effective and cohesive unit. As a team, the emphasize quality work; utilize each member’s talents; meet deadlines; and continue to work on team commitment.
Examples of the results of good team work can be seen on the Video tapes and CDs from the National Expos. The presentation itself is an example of team work.
The duration and intensity of these stages vary from team to team. Sometimes Stage 4 is achieved in a meeting or two; other times it takes months. Understanding the stages of growth will keep you from overreacting to normal problems and setting unrealistic expectations. Don’t panic. With patience and effort the assembly of independent individuals will grow into a team.

13. Key Roles in Teams Team Leader Initiator Recorder Devil’s advocate
Optimist
Time keeper
Gate keeper
summarizer

14. Different Team Roles & Benefits
Team Leader
Encourages and maintains open communication
Leads by setting a good example
Motivates and inspires team members
Helps the team focus on the task
Facilitates problem solving and collaboration
Maintains healthy group dynamics
Encourages creativity and risk-taking
Recognizes and celebrates team member contributions

15. Other Team Roles
Initiator - Someone who suggests new ideas. One or more people can have this role at a time.
Recorder - This person records whatever ideas a team member may have. It is important that this person quote a team member accurately and not "edit" or evaluate them.
Devil's Advocate/Skeptic - This is someone whose responsibility is to look for potential flaws in an idea.
Optimist - This is someone who tries to maintain a positive frame of mind and facilitates the search for solutions.
Timekeeper - Someone who tracks time spent on each portion of the meeting.
Gate Keeper - This person works to ensure that each member gives input on an issue. One strategy to do this is to ask everyone to voice their opinion one at a time. Another is to cast votes.
Summarizer - Someone who summarizes a list of options.

16. From Individuals A Group Forms
Different Personality Types
From Individuals A Group Forms
Help members understand each other
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Extroverts Introverts
Sensors iNtuitive
Thinker Feelers
Judger Perceiver
By selecting one from each category, we define our personality type, ESTJ, ENTJ…INFP
Team members need to understand and appreciate the other individuals or personality types in their group.
History of “type”
In 1921, Carl Jung a psychoanalyst and disciple of Sigmund Freud realized that behavior that seemed unpredictable could be anticipated if one understood the underlying mental functions and attitudes people preferred and published his theory in a book called Psychological Types.
In 1923, Katharine Briggs read Jung’s book, adopted his model and interested her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers in the theory. Myers and Briggs built on Jung’s work, expanded it and gave it a practical application. They determined that there were four personality preference scales and 16 distinct personality types. They developed and began giving their Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test instrument in the 1940s. The four scales are listed on the slide and the definitions of each end of a dimension is:
Extraverts – focus their attention and energy on the world outside of themselves; need to experience the world to understand it.
Introverts – focus their attention and energy on the world inside of themselves; need to understand world before experiencing it.
Sensors – Concentrate on what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled and tasted; focus on what is real and concrete
iNtuitives – interested in meanings, relationships, and possibilities based on facts; focus on implications and inferences
Thinkers – prefer decisions that make sense logically; make decisions by analyzing and weighing the evidence
Feelers – make decisions on how much they care or what they feel is right; view themselves as empathetic and compassionate
Judgers – seek to regulate and control life; like to have issues resolved
Perceivers – seek to understand life rather than controlling it; like to stay open to all kinds of possibilities.

17. Relevance to Teams (E/I)
Extroverts
Need to think aloud
Great explainers
May overwhelm others
Introverts
Need time to process
Great concentration
May not be heard
To be an effective team member:
Extraverts should
Be prepared to stop before you fall into redundancy and overkill
Control your tendency to speak
Make a special effort to listen carefully, avoid interrupting
Stop, Look and Listen
Introverts:
Share more quickly and spontaneously thoughts and ideas
Rule out nothing as being too trivial and meaningless
Don’t hold others to the first words out of their mouths. Push for meaning and clarity

18. Relevance to Teams (N/S)
iNtuitive
Great at big picture
See connections
May make mistakes in carrying out
plans
Sensor
Great executors
May miss big picture, relative importance
To be an effective team member:
iNtuitive’s should:
Use your imagination to show others
Keep as many alternatives on the table as possible
Don’t let facts stifle your creativity
Sensor’s should:
Express the problem in real, tangible and specific terms.
Demand that terms be defined and described accurately and quoted facts are real
Continue to push for common sense

19. Relevance to Teams (T/F)
Thinker
Skillful at understanding how anything works
Feeler
Knows why something matters
In order to be an effective team member:
Thinker’s should:
Help others sort out where and when they become too attached to the problem.
Continue to push for precision. Redefine and rephrase the idea
Feeler’s should:
Admit when your personal values are clouding an issue
Make sure everyone gets a chance to speak, is listened to and is affirmed in their ideas, but don’t overemphasize harmony.

20. Relevance to Teams (J/P)
Judger
Good at schedules, plans, completion
Makes decisions easily (quickly)
May overlook vital issues
Perceiver
Always curious, wants more knowledge
May not get around to acting
To be an effective team member:
Judger’s should:
Keep the process or task oriented
Help bring definition to the process
Make sure that the goals are turned into action
Perceiver’s should:
Help keep everyone from going with the first solution
Play the devil’s advocate
Don’t keep offering new ideas once the group has defined a solution

21. Storming Diagnosis Do we have common goals and objectives?
Do we agree on roles and responsibilities?
Do our task, communication, and decision systems work?
Do we have adequate interpersonal skills?
As a teacher, you can help your students when they are in the “storming” stage, by focusing their attention on the questions above. The students may want to answer the first question both in general terms and more specifically, in conjunction with their project goals.

22. Addressing Team Conflict
Separate problem issues from people issues.
Be soft on people, hard on problem.
Look for underlying needs, goals of each party rather than specific solutions.
See The Team Book by Peter R. Scholtes, Brian L. Joiner and Barbara Streibel for more background on the various ways people or teams deal with conflict .
Avoiding Conflict – you must avoid both the issues likely to lead to conflict and the people with whom you are likely to conflict with
Smooth the conflict – minimizing conflict so that group relationships aren’t strained.
Forcing the conflict – attempts to overpower others and force them to accept your position.
Compromising – tries to get others to give up some of what they want in exchange for giving up some of what you want. Sounds good, but this can be lose-lose strategy because no one achieves their goals. Underlying assumption: everyone should accept less than they want because that is the best that they can hope for. (Should be tried after problem solving hasn’t worked)
Problem Solving – Win-win approach. Personal goals and group relationships are highly valued. Purpose to find a path forward that meets everyone’s goals and preserves group relationships. Continued on next slide

23. Addressing Team Conflict
State your views in clear non-judgmental language.
Clarify the core issues.
Listen carefully to each person’s point of view.
Check understanding by restating the core issues.
Problem solving includes strategies aimed at taking diverse viewpoints into account, clarifying the issues, clearing the air constructively and enabling everyone to move forward together.
You can clarify core issues by sorting out areas of agreement from areas of disagreement
When listening to each person’s point of view –
Accept that they believe/want this even if you don’t!!
Look for the reasons (maybe something would be good for both)

24. Addressing Team Conflicts
Identify/recognize problems
Act quickly
Formal conflict resolution an option
Team needs to reach consensus
Fire someone
Refer to page 13 of Instructor’s Workbook
Conflicts are always going to occur.
Small problems can build into large ones.
Act quickly before conflict builds.
Formal conflict resolution:
Have a discussion regarding behavior.
Ask members to list things, not individuals, leading to conflict.
Ask them to offer solutions.
Team leader opens discussion and works to achieve consensus.
Continuing problems may require private meeting between team leader and the individual.
If conflict can’t be resolved, the member may need to be removed from the team.
Optimist International

25. Expected Behaviors in Team
Competitive relationships should become more cooperative.
There should be a willingness to confront issues and solve problems.
Team should develop the ability to express criticism constructively.
There should be a sense of team spirit.
During this stage, you should encourage team members to:
do detailed planning
develop criteria for completion of goals
build on positive norms and change unhealthy norms
encourage continued team spirit
Now that the team is working well, it is important for team members to learn to communicate with each other including how to constructively criticize when necessary.

26. Expected Behaviors in Team
Be descriptive
Don't use labels
Don’t exaggerate
Don’t be judgmental
Speak for yourself
Be descriptive -- relate what you saw or heard the other person do. Give specific recent examples
Don’t use labels -- Be specific and unambiguous. Don’t use words like immature, unprofessional, irresponsible which are labels attached to behavior. For example, say “ You missed the deadline we had agreed to meet rather than, “You’re being irresponsible and I want to know what you are going to do about it.
Don’t exaggerate. Be exact. To say, “You’re always late for deadlines” is probably untrue and unfair. It invites the receiver to argue with exaggeration rather than respond to real issue
Don’t be judgmental. Don’t use words like good, better, bad, worst or should which place you in the role of controlling parent. This invites the receiver to respond as a child.
Speak for yourself. Don’t refer to absent, anonymous people. Avoid references like “A lot of people here don’t like it when you…” Encourage others to speak for themselves

27. Expected Behaviors in Team
Receiving Feedback
Listen carefully.
Ask questions for clarity.
Acknowledge the feedback.
Acknowledge the valid points.
Take time to sort out what you heard.
Listen carefully. Don’t interrupt. Don’t discourage the feedback-giver.
Ask questions for clarity. You have the right to receive clear feedback. Ask for specific examples.
Acknowledge the feedback. Paraphrase the message in your own words to let the person know what you have heard and understood what was said.
Acknowledge the valid points. Agree with what is true. Agree with what is possible. Acknowledge the other person’s point of view and try to understand their reaction. Agreeing with what’s true or possible doesn’t mean you agree to change your behavior or mean agreeing with any value judgment about you. You can agree that your reports are late with out thereby agreeing that your are irresponsible
Take time to sort out what you heard. You may need time for sorting out or checking with others before responding to feedback. It is reasonable to ask the feedback-giver for time to think about what was said and how you feel about it. Don’t use this time as an excuse to avoid the issue.

28. Intangible Benefits of Team Spirit
Sense of accomplishment
Self-fulfillment
Esprit de corps
Get to know one another
More participation in activities
Enhance club/OI reputation
We know how to get things done for our kids!

29. Helpful Behavior Be optimistic Be on time Support one another
Be courteous
Be open minded
Be honest
Participate
Be open
Listen
Stay on track
Share the work
Complete your work
Present ideas, comments clearly
Be prepared

30. Harmful Behavior Sub-conversations Simply agree with everything
Avoid decisions
Go off on tangent
Name-calling
Attack people/ideas
Constantly critical
Dominate/monopoli ze
Be manipulative
Be judgmental
Act bored/uninterested
Do unrelated things

31. Team Bonding against the weather

32. Recipe for Successful Team
Commitment to shared goals and objectives
Clearly define roles and responsibilities
Use best skills of each
Allows each to develop in all areas
To summarize, even though these points are addressing teams in the workplace, they are applicable in the classroom setting. They can also form part of the rubric to evaluate the team’s performance.
Clarity in team goals: has a clear vision and can progress steadily toward its goals.
A work plan: helps team determine what advice, assistance, and other resources they need from teachers, mentors or research
Clearly defined role: Uses each member’s talents and involves everyone in team activities so no one feels left out.

33. Recipe for Successful Team
Effective systems and processes
Clear communication
Beneficial team behaviors; well-defined decision procedures and ground rules
Balanced participation
Awareness of the group process
Good personal relationships
Clear communication: Speak with clarity and be succinct. Listen actively; explore rather than debate each speaker’s ideas. Avoid interrupting.
Beneficial team behaviors: Should encourage all members to use the skills and practices that make discussions and meetings more effective; suggest procedures for meeting goals, clarify or elaborate on ideas; keep the discussion from digressing
Well-defined decision procedures: discuss how decisions will be made; use data as a basis of decisions; explore important issues by polling
Balanced participation: Everyone should participate in discussions and decisions, share commitment to the project’s success and contribute their talents
Established ground rules: Establish ground rules for what will and will not be tolerated in the team
Awareness of group process: Be sensitive to nonverbal communication; be aware of the group process and how the team works together
Use the scientific approach: Of course this is the underlying assumption in a project development, but in team building it helps members avoid team problems and disagreements. Opinions must be supported by data

34. Team Building & Communications
What is Communications?
“to make known”
“to have an interchange, as of ideas”
“to express oneself in such a way that one is readily and clearly understood
Behaviors affect communications!

35. Role of Communication in Teams
Makes team objectives to be clearly understood
Keep each team member in the loop
Prevents others from dominating the team
Get all members to participate meaningfully
Help members make their point clearly
Points to Emphasize:
Every member must participate
If they don’t participate, the special attributes they might offer are wasted.

36. Providing Recognition
Recognize individual team members informally and continually
Also provide formal recognition for special accomplishments
This discussion can be found on page 14 of the Instructor’s Workbook
Informal recognition can be verbal simple acknowledgement.
Formal recognition includes plaques or other awards.
Cost of the recognition item is not of great importance.
It’s the recognition itself that counts.
Timing and method of presentation is very important.
Recognition is important to team morale.
Effective recognition awards should always be treated seriously.

37. Making Team Decisions and Solving Problems
Gathering information
Analyzing information
Generating and analyzing ideas
Examining solution alternatives
Making decisions and gaining consensus
The material on this slide and the next two are covered on pages of the Instructor’s Workbook. On this slide, give the participants an overview of the process as depicted on the slide, then cover the first two bullets in detail using the discussion in the Instructor’s Workbook and the points to emphasize below.
GATHERING INFORMATION
All the relevant facts and figures must be gathered.
Research work should be divided among all team members.
ANALYZING INFORMATION
Team members should share reviewing information and reporting on it.
After analyzing the information, teams must come to a consensus as to its affect on your decisions.
The facts and figures may show that you need to do more research.
You may conclude that your project isn’t practical or necessary.
Help from outside professionals by be needed.

38. The Results of Team Work

39. Differences between Teams and Groups

40. Traditional Work Groups
Teams
Leaders dominates and controls the team
The leader is facilitator and coach
Goals set by organization
Goals set by team members
Leader conducts meetings
Meetings are participative discussions
Leader assigns work
Team plans work assignments

41. Traditional Work Groups
Teams
Emphasis on individual performances
Emphasis on team performances
Workers compete against each other
Team members work as cooperative unit
Communication flows down from leader
Communication flows upward and downward(to and from leader)
Information is often hoarded by workers
Information is shared
Decisions made by leader
Decisions made by entire team

42. Good Reasons to Form a Team in the Church
To solve problems by drawing on the talents of variety of individuals.
To foster togetherness in the church committees while tackling projects.
To reduce or eliminate a lack of communication among members on projects that concerns all.
To heighten productivity by encouraging an atmosphere of cooperation.
To achieve a solution that might be unpopular to some but is the desire of the majority.

43. Weak Reasons to Form a Team in the Church
To lighten the workload of the Parish Priest (this requires delegation.)
To make workers transfer knowledge to one another to save costs (People need training.)
To determine the opinions and working styles of the church workers (the church/parish need improved communication.)
To get the church workers to work harder (they need better supervision or motivation and rewards.)

44. Task - Values Exercise
What are the different types of teams available?
Have you ever worked in a team and what was your experience?
Do you belong to any committee in the church? How can you explain the different behaviours of team members to the success of good team building?

45. Key Points to Keep in Mind
Understand how and why people work together- the psychology of team-building – and consistently put your knowledge to use.
Set goals, objectives and checkpoints to keep team projects on track
Select the right people to be on your team. Look for their full potential and cultivate it.

46. Key Points to Keep in Mind
Demand the most from yourself and your skills as team leader. Challenge yourself and the team throughout the project, and inspire others to follow you.
Delegate with tact and thoroughness. Let others’ skills help you do your work. Allow others to grow through the tasks you assign them.

47. Key Points to Keep in Mind
Motivate your team by giving them their needs and wants, and by rewarding them.
Communicate with your team in a concise manner. Have the team give you feedback to demonstrate they understand your message.
Eliminate problems quickly when they arise. Confront the difficult situation, determine what action you should take, keep team members informed, if appropriate, then move on to other matters.

48. Key Points to Keep in Mind
Give rewards. Reward the whole team, not individuals.
Instill team spirit. Monitor team morale and togetherness, and keep it running at an optimum pace.

49. Moral
When people believe in each other, when they believe that each team member will bring superior skills to a task or responsibility, that disagreements or opposing views will be worked out reasonably, that each member’s view will be treated seriously and with respect, that all team members will give their best effort at all times, and that every one will have the team’s overall best interest at heart, then excellence can become a sustainable reality.

51. Every Team Member Can Help!

52. Thank You
Merci
IIMCHL