Chapter 14 Managing Teams

Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to: Translate the benefits teams provide into competitive advantages. Identify the different types of teams – self-managed, parallel, project, and virtual. Track the stages of team development that occur over the life of a project and help the team perform effectively. Recognize the key roles that team members must play to ensure high performance. Master the skills to detect and control team performance problems. Manage team conflict through negotiation.

As U.S. companies employ more knowledge workers, they are increasingly using teams to fully engage and empower workers to utilize their knowledge for the company’s advantage. More work is being performed in teams. The ability to manage teams has become an important skill for managers and employees.

Team A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to: a common purpose, a set of performance goals, an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Team members interact with each other on a regular basis.

Team (continued) Teams share performance goals. Individuals on a team are mutually responsible for end results. The team environment produces synergy. This allows individuals to blend complementary skills and talents to produce a product that is more valuable than the sum of the individual contributions.

Work Group Members of a work group are held accountable for their individual work. They are not responsible for the output of the entire group. A work group is more likely to have a strong, directive leader who seeks input from group members and then delegates work to various individuals to complete.

Not All Groups Are Teams (1 of 2) Collective Individual Work Products Team purpose that the team itself delivers Same as the broader organization mission Purpose Individual and mutual Accountability Shared leadership roles Strong, clearly focused leader Leadership Team Working Group Characteristic

Not All Groups Are Teams (2 of 2) Discusses, decides, and does real work together Discusses, decides, and delegates Decision-making Process Directly, by collective work products Indirectly, by its influence on others Performance Measurement Open-ended discussion, active problem-solving Efficient Meeting Style Team Working Group Characteristic

Skills for Managing Teams Conflict Management Skills Skills for Handling Difficult Team Members Negotiation Skills 3

Costs and Productivity The Benefits of Teams Quality Improvements Costs and Productivity Speed Innovation 3

Types of Teams Self-Managed Teams Project Teams Virtual Teams Parallel Teams Virtual Teams 3

Team Characteristics Self-managed Team Project Team Project Team High Project Team Time Commitment Team Member Parallel Team Virtual Team Parallel Team Low Low High Duration of Team

Self-Managed Teams (SMT) Responsible for producing an entire product, component, or service. Formalized as part of the organization structure. Employees are assigned to it on a full-time basis, and its duration is long. Utilize employees whose jobs are similar but who may have different levels of skill.

Self-Managed Teams (continued) Team members combine their skills to produce an important organizational outcome. Have authority to make many decisions that traditionally have been made by supervisors or managers. Members need a variety of skills: Technical skills Management skills Interpersonal Skills

Project Teams Work on a specific project that has a beginning and an end. Team members work full-time until the project is completed. Composed of members from different functions or different technical disciplines. Key criterion for judging team performance is meeting or exceeding milestone deadlines.

Parallel Teams Sometimes called problem-solving teams or special-purpose teams. Focus on a problem or issue that requires only part-time commitment from team members. Employee spends a few hours per week with the parallel team, and the remainder of the time on his/her regular job. When the problem is solved the team is disbanded. Can be of short or long duration.

Virtual Teams Take advantage of interactive computer technologies to enable distant people to work together. Require only a part-time commitment. Make it possible for companies to cross organizational boundaries: Linking customers, suppliers, and business partners to improve the quality and increase the speed with which a new product or service is brought to the market.

Managing Team Performance Team performance requires vigilant management. Factors that need to be taken into account in managing effective team performance are: The stages of team development. The roles of team members and leaders. Team member behaviors.

Stages of Team Development 1. Forming 2. Storming 3. Norming 4. Performing 5. Adjourning 3

Roles of Team Members Task-Facilitating Role Direction giving Information seeking Information giving Coordinating Summarizing Relationship-Building Role Supporting Harmonizing Tension relieving Energizing Facilitating

Effective Ways to Enact the Role of Team Leader How can a team leader positively influence team processes and outcomes? Take care of team members Communicate with team members Share power with the team Learn to relax and admit your ignorance

Behavioral Dimensions of Effective Teams Interdependence Team Cohesiveness Team Norms Cooperative Behavior Trust 3

Team Performance Problems Free Riders Nonconforming High Performers Lack of Teamwork Rewards

Team Management Skills Conflict Management Skills Functional conflict - conflict that stimulates team and organizational performance Dysfunctional conflict - conflict that has a negative effect on team and organizational performance

Applying the Problem-solving style of conflict management The willingness of both parties is necessary Convene meetings at the right time and place Give both parties ample time to cool down Resume discussion until a workable solution is achieved

Negotiation Skills Win-win Style, or integrative bargaining determine a personal bottom line understand the other party's real needs and objectives emphasize common ground, de-emphasize differences search for mutually agreeable solutions focus on building a relationship rather than a one-time deal Win-lose Style, or distributive bargaining one party will receive the most beneficial distribution of a fixed amount of goods.

Negotiation Skills (continued) Three Common Mistakes of Negotiation Do not assume that a negotiation must always result in a settlement. Avoid becoming fixated on one particular issue in the negotiation. Do not assume that the other party has all the power due to greater levels of experience.