1. DEVELOPING TEAMWORK SKILLS
CHAPTER 6
DEVELOPING TEAMWORK SKILLS

2. TECHNICAL MEANING OF TEAM
A special type of group.
Members have complementary skills.
Members are committed to
common purpose
set of performance goals, and
approach to the task.
As a result of these characteristics, the members work together smoothly.

3. FEATURES OF FACE-TO-FACE (TRADITIONAL) TEAMS
Take some of the responsibility for their own work.
Members work together on an ongoing basis.
Team often given total responsibility for an entire product or service.
Mutual trust contributes to team effectiveness.

4. USEFUL TEAM SKILLS Speaking effectively Fostering open communication
Listening to others
Delivering presentations
Preparing written communication
Acting with integrity
Demonstrating adaptability

5. Useful Team Skills, continued
Engaging in personal development
Striving for results
Displaying a commitment to work
Innovating solutions to problems
Using sound judgment
Analyzing issues
Knowing the business

6. Useful Team Skills, concluded
Using technical/functional expertise
Using financial/quantitative data
Recognizing “big picture” impact
Promoting corporate citizenship
Focusing on customer needs
Commitment to quality
Managing profitability
Not expected to have all these skills at once!

7. FEATURES OF A VIRTUAL TEAM
Collaborative work done electronically
Groupware often used to conduct electronic meetings
Webcams are useful for interaction
Team members are often geographically dispersed
Office-bound workers may resent those who work at home
Need to trust workers you rarely see

8. ADVANTAGES OF GROUP WORK AND TEAMWORK
Synergy—group’s total output exceeds the sum of individual contributions.
Work accomplishment and high productivity—without groups, organization could not get its work accomplished.
Acceptance and commitment—contributors to decision feel some ownership about its implementation.

9. Advantages of Group Work, concluded
Avoidance of major errors—evaluation of other’s thinking helps avoid major errors.
Increased job satisfaction—more needs are satisfied than working alone, such as needs for affiliation, security, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment.
Worker satisfaction is also enhanced because many people find working in groups to be a natural way of life.

10. DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP WORK AND TEAMWORK
Time wasting—too much talk, and too little action.
Pressure toward conformity—members face pressures to conform, sometimes to mediocre performance standards.
Shirking of individual responsibility (social loafing)—under-motivated person can often squeeze by without contributing his or her fair share to group effort.

11. Disadvantages of Group Work, concluded
Fostering of conflict—members may bicker about doing unwanted tasks; groups may develop dislike of other groups.
Groupthink—judgment suffers for the sake of solidarity; an extreme form of consensus; group loses its power of critical analysis.
To overcome these problems, act like a team and perform tasks that require collective effort.

12. SYMPTOMS OF CONFORMITY TO THE TEAM (SAQ 6-3)
I rarely question the decision reached by the team.
Whatever the group wants is fine with me.
I consider myself to be one of the gang.
I rarely express disagreement during a group discussion.

13. Symptoms of Conformity to Team, continued
I routinely have lunch with other members of the team.
My preference is to piggyback on the ideas of others rather than to contribute ideas of my own.
When I notice that other members of the team make the same speech error, I will copy them rather than sound different.
I am particularly careful not to criticize an idea submitted by a team leader.

14. Symptoms of Conformity to Team, concluded
The number of hours I work per week corresponds closely to the number of hours worked by my teammates.
I would rather keep my mouth closed than point out weaknesses in a teammate’s ideas.
When the team laughs at a comment, I laugh also even if I don’t think the comment was funny.
Most of my social life centers around activities with my teammates.

15. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE WORK GROUP (Figure 6-1)
Clear-cut goals linked to organizational goals
Group members are empowered
Challenging, exciting, and rewarding work for group members
Mutual dependency for goal attainment
Diversity including education, experience, and cultural background

16. Effective Work Group, continued
Members trained in technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and interpersonal skills
Part of pay related to team or group incentives
About 6 members rather than 10 or more
Members have good intelligence and personality factors, such as conscientiousness
Honest and open communication among group members and with other groups

17. Effective Work Group, concluded
Philosophy of working as a team (6 brains, not just 12 hands)
Members familiar with their jobs, coworkers, and the work environment
Emotional intelligence in terms of building relationships inside and outside the group
Stronger performers assist weaker performers in accomplishing their tasks, particularly the “weakest link”

18. TEAM MEMBER ROLES
Role is a tendency to behave, contribute, and relate to others in a particular way.
Carry out positive roles to be perceived as contributor.
Person who neglects to carry out these roles will be perceived as poor contributor.
Nine key member roles are presented in following slides:

19. NINE TEAM MEMBER ROLES
Creative problem solver (creative, imaginative, unorthodox)
Resource investigator (extravert who explores opportunities)
Coordinator (mature, confident, natural team leader)
Shaper (challenging and dynamic)
Monitor-evaluator (big thinker who sees options)

20. Team member roles, concluded
Team worker (cooperative, sensitive, and diplomatic)
Implementer (disciplined and efficient)
Completer-finisher (anxious to get job done)
Specialist (dedicated, has rare knowledge and skill)
All roles can have downside, and members will sometimes engage in self-oriented roles.

21. SELF-ORIENTED TEAM ROLES
Focuses on own needs rather than those of group
Overly aggressive to pursue own goals
Hunger for recognition or power
Dominates meeting, blocking others from contributing
Creates a distraction, such as taking personal phone calls

22. GUIDELINES FOR INTERPERSONAL ASPECTS OF TEAM PLAY
Trust team members (cornerstone attitude of outstanding team player).
Display a higher level of cooperation and collaboration (the meaning of teamwork).
Recognize the interests and achievements of others (let others know that you care).
Give and receive helpful criticism (be diplomatic, sometimes by asking questions; be open to feedback).

23. Interpersonal Aspects of Team Play, concluded
Share the glory (even if the most deserving, share praise and other rewards).
Take care not to rain on another person’s parade (belittling the achievements of others brings about tension and anger; suppress your feelings of petty jealousy).

24. ACHIEVING A COOPERATIVE TEAM SPIRIT
Make the first move, such as asking somebody for input.
Target the most individualistic, least cooperative member of the group.
Minimize confrontation.
Explain any reason for disagreements.
Look for a workable way to integrate both ideas when disagreement surfaces.

25. GIVING AND RECEIVING HELPFUL CRITICISM ON THE TEAM
Offer constructive criticism, but be diplomatic.
Keep ratio of criticism to praise small.
Criticize the person’s work, not the person.
Ask a question rather than making a declarative statement.
Be open to feedback yourself.

26. GUIDELINES FOR THE TASK ASPECTS OF TEAM PLAY
Provide technical expertise (or knowledge of the task).
Assume responsibility for problems.
See the big picture (“What are we trying to accomplish?”).
Believe in consensus (general acceptance of a decision by the group).
Focus on deadlines (people vary on importance of deadlines).

27. Task Aspects of Team Play, concluded
Help team members do their job better (show how to make needed improvements).
Be a good organizational citizen (help out beyond the requirements of your job description).
A key research finding covered in this chapter is that teamwork processes are associated with team member performance and satisfaction.