1. Managing Groups and Teams
Module 13
LIS 580: Spring 2006
Instructor- Michael Crandall

2. Roadmap Groups and teams Characteristics of teams
Reasons for team failure
Leading teams
Improving team performance
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

3. Groups and Teams Group Team
Two or more persons who are interacting in such a way that each person influences and is influenced by each other person.
Team
A group of people committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which the team members hold themselves mutually accountable.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

4. Comparing Work Teams and Work Groups
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

5. The Popularity of Teams
Teams typically outperform individuals when tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and experience
Teams are a better way to utilize individual employee talents
The flexibility and responsiveness of teams is essential in a changing environment
Empowered teams increase job satisfaction and morale, enhance employee involvement, and promote workforce diversity
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

6. Types of Work Teams May 9, 2006 LIS580- Spring 2006
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

7. Virtual Team Virtual Team
Groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who interact using a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task.
Virtual teams may be temporary, existing only to accomplish a specific task. Or they may be permanent and address ongoing matters.
Membership is often fluid, evolving according to changing task requirements.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

8. Group Dynamics Group Norms Group Cohesiveness
The informal rules that groups adopt to regulate and regularize group members’ behavior.
Group Cohesiveness
The degree of interpersonal attractiveness within a group, dependent on factors like proximity, similarities, attraction among the individual group members, group size, intergroup competition, and agreement about goals.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

9. What It Takes to Be a Team Player
Personality
Individualism versus collectivism
Interpersonal Skills
Conflict management skills
Collaborative problem solving skills
Communication skills
Management Skills
Develop and establish goals
Control, monitor, provide feedback
Set work roles and assign tasks
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

10. Team Member Roles
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

11. Challenges to Creating Team Players
Managers attempting to introduce teams into organization face the most difficulty:
When individual employee resistance to teams is strong
Where the national culture is individualistic rather than collectivist
When an established organization places
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

12. Workforce Diversity’s Effects on Teams
Fresh and multiple perspectives on issues help the team identify creative or unique solutions and avoid weak alternatives
The difficulty of working together may make it harder to unify a diverse team and reach agreements
Although diversity’s advantages dissipate with time, the added-value of diverse teams increases as the team becomes more cohesive
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

13. Checklist 13.1 How to Build a Productive Team
Have clear mission/purpose.
Set specific performance goals.
Compose the right team size and mix.
Have an agreed-upon structure appropriate to the task.
Delegate the authority to make the decisions needed, given their mission.
Provide access to or control of the resources needed to complete their mission.
Offer a mix of group and individual rewards.
Foster longevity and stability of membership.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

14. Characteristics of High-performing Work Teams
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006
Prentice Hall, 2002

15. Why Teams Fail: The Leadership, Focus, and Capability Pyramid
Source: Adapted from Steven Rayner, “Team Traps: What They Are, How to Avoid Them.” National Productivity Review. Summer 1996, p Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 13–3
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

16. Checklist 13.2 Symptoms of Unproductive Teams
Nonaccomplishment of goals.
Cautious, guarded communication.
Lack of disagreement.
Malfunctioning meetings.
Conflict within the team.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

17. The Challenge of Team Leadership
Becoming an effective team leader requires:
Learning to share information
Developing the ability to trust others
Learning to give up authority
Knowing when to leave their teams alone and when to intercede
New roles that team leaders take on
Managing the team’s external boundary
Facilitating the team process
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

18. Leading Productive Teams
Team Leader Skills
Coaching, not bossing
Help define, analyze, and solve problems
Encourage participation by others
Serve as a facilitator
Team Leader Values
Respecting fellow team members
Trusting fellow team members
Putting the team first
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

19. Team Leader Roles
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

20. Druskat, V.U. & J.V. Wheeler. (2004). How to Lead a Self-Managing Team
Team Leader Behaviors
Druskat, V.U. & J.V. Wheeler. (2004). How to Lead a Self-Managing Team
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

21. Typical Leader Transition Problems
Perceived Loss of Power or Status
Unclear Team Leader Roles
Job Security Concerns
The Double Standard Problem
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

22. Stages of Team Development
Prentice Hall, 2002
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

23. The Leader’s Role in Creating a Self-Managing Team
Forming
The teams and their leaders begin working out their specific responsibilities.
Training is the leader’s main task.
Storming
Questions typically arise regarding who is leading the team and what its structure and purpose should be.
The leader ensures that team members continue to learn and eventually exercise leadership skills.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

24. The Leader’s Role in Creating a Self-Managing Team (cont’d)
Norming
Team members agree on purpose, structure, and leadership and are prepared to start performing.
The leader’s job is to emphasize the need for the team to temper cooperation with the responsibility to supervise its own members.
Performing
A period of productivity, achievement, and pride as the team members work together to get the job done.
Adjourning
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

25. How to Improve Team Performance
Select members for skill and teamwork.
Establish challenging performance standards.
Emphasize the task’s importance.
Assign whole tasks.
Send the right signals.
Encourage social support.
Make sure there are unambiguous team rules.
Challenge the group regularly with fresh facts and information.
Train and cross-train.
Provide the necessary tools and material support.
Encourage “emotionally intelligent” team behavior.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

26. Providing an Organizational Context That Supports Teams
Organizational Structure
Organizational Systems
Organizational Policies
Employee Skills
Team Work Approach
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

27. Designing Organizations to Manage Teams
Source: Adapted from James H. Shonk, Team-Based Organizations (Homewood, IL: Irwin, 1997), p. 36.
FIGURE 13–5
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

28. Pros and Cons of Group Decision Making
More points of view
More ways to define the problem
More possible solutions/alternatives
More creative decisions
Stronger commitment to decisions
Cons
More disagreement and less problem solving
Desire for consensus (groupthink)
Domination by a single individual
Less of commitment to the group decision
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

29. Signs That Groupthink May Be a Problem
Source: Adapted from information provided in Irving James, Group Think: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascos, 2nd ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982).
FIGURE 13–7
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

30. Improving Group Decision Making
Devil’s-Advocate Approach
The group appoints a person to prepare a detailed counterargument that lists what is wrong with the group’s favored solution and why the group should not adopt it.
The aim is to ensure
a full and objective
consideration of the
solution proposal.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

31. Improving Group Decision Making (cont’d)
Brainstorming
A creativity-stimulating technique in which prior judgments and criticisms are specifically forbidden from being expressed and thus inhibiting the free flow of ideas, which are encouraged.
Brainstorming rules:
Avoid criticizing others’ ideas until all suggestions are out on the table.
Share even wild suggestions.
Offer many suggestions and comments as possible.
Build on others’ suggestions to create your own.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

32. Improving Group Decision Making (cont’d)
The Delphi Technique
A multistage group decision-making process aimed at eliminating inhibitions or groupthink through obtaining the written opinions of experts working independently.
Process steps
Identify the problem.
Solicit the experts’ individual opinions on the problem.
Analyze, distill, and then resubmit these opinions to other experts.
Continue this process for several more rounds until the experts reach a consensus.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

33. Improving Group Decision Making (cont’d)
The Nominal Group Technique
Each group member writes down his or her ideas for solving the problem at hand.
Each member then presents his or her ideas orally, and the person writes the ideas on a board for other participants to see.
After all ideas are presented, the entire group discusses all ideas simultaneously.
Group members individually and secretly vote on each proposed solution.
The solution with the most individual votes wins.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

34. Improving Group Decision Making (cont’d)
The Stepladder Technique
Individuals A and B are given a problem to solve, and each produces an independent solution.
A and B develop a joint decision, and meet with C, who has analyzed the problem and arrived at a decision.
A, B, and C discuss the problem and arrive at a consensus decision, and are joined by D, who has analyzed the problem and arrived at a decision.
A, B, C, and D jointly develop a final group decision.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

35. Improving Group Decision Making (cont’d)
How to Lead a Group Decision-Making Discussion
See that all group members participate and contribute.
Distinguish between idea getting and idea evaluation.
Do not respond to each participant or dominate the discussion.
Direct the group’s effort toward overcoming surmountable obstacles.
Don’t sit down.
G.Dessler, 2003
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006

36. Next Time Guest Lecturer:
Martha Choe, Director of Global Libraries Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Read the articles, and come prepared to discuss library leadership issues
May 9, 2006
LIS580- Spring 2006