Leadership in Groups and Teams Chapter 7

“When building a team, I always search first for people who love to win. If I can’t find any of those, I look for people who hate to lose.” H. Ross Perot

Communicative Perspective A common purpose or goal A common purpose or goal Interdependence Interdependence Mutual Influence Mutual Influence Face-to-face communication Face-to-face communication Specific size Specific size

Group Evolution Orientation phase Orientation phase Conflict phase Conflict phase Emergence phase Emergence phase Reinforcement phase Reinforcement phase

Group Development Breakpoints Breakpoints Implications in group formation Implications in group formation –Timing –Can’t rush the development of the group –Effective groups have high degree of cohesion and commitment

Emergent Leadership Elimination Elimination –Phase 1 Unsuitable Unsuitable –Phase 2 Recruiting a lieutenant Recruiting a lieutenant No strong leader No strong leader Crisis determination Crisis determination No clear leader No clear leader

How Not to Become a Leader Be absent from group meetings Be absent from group meetings Contribute little to the meetings Contribute little to the meetings Volunteer to be the secretary Volunteer to be the secretary Indicate you are willing to do what you are asked to do Indicate you are willing to do what you are asked to do Try to assume the role of joker Try to assume the role of joker Demonstrate your knowledge of everything Demonstrate your knowledge of everything Demonstrate your contempt for leadership Demonstrate your contempt for leadership

Useful Leadership Strategies Participate early and often Participate early and often Focus on communication quality and quantity Focus on communication quality and quantity Demonstrate your competence Demonstrate your competence Help build a cohesive unit Help build a cohesive unit

Idiosyncratic Credits Definition Definition Conforming to group expectations Conforming to group expectations –General group norms –Role expectations for a leader

Leadership in Meetings Determine need for meeting Determine need for meeting Have a clear agenda Have a clear agenda Maintain focus on the agenda throughout the meeting Maintain focus on the agenda throughout the meeting Listen to others Listen to others –Focus on the content of the message –Listen for ideas, not just facts –Don’t get distracted –Be open minded –Use thought speed to your advantage –Involve all participants Keep a record Keep a record Evaluate your performance Evaluate your performance

Group Decision Making Functions and Formats Functions and Formats –Analysis of the problem –Goal setting –Identification of alternatives

Group Decision Making –Evaluation of solutions Problem identification Problem identification Problem analysis Problem analysis Develop criteria Develop criteria Generate possible solutions Generate possible solutions Evaluate and select a solution Evaluate and select a solution Implement the solution Implement the solution

Group Think When a group puts unanimous agreement above all other considerations. When a group puts unanimous agreement above all other considerations. Counteractive influence Counteractive influence

Janus’ Symptoms of Group Think Signs of Overconfidence Signs of Overconfidence –Illusion of invulnerability –Belief in the inherent morality of the group Signs of Closemindedness Signs of Closemindedness –Collective rationalization –Stereotypes Sings of Group Pressure Sings of Group Pressure –Pressure of dissenters –Self-censorship –Illusion of unanimity –Self-appointed mindguards

Working Group vs Team Individual work products Individual work products Individual accountability Individual accountability Group purpose same as organizational mission Group purpose same as organizational mission Measures performance indirectly Measures performance indirectly Runs meetings and active problem solving meetings Runs meetings and active problem solving meetings Discusses, decides and delegates Discusses, decides and delegates Strong, clearly focused leader Strong, clearly focused leader Collective work products Collective work products Individual and group accountability Individual and group accountability Measures its effectiveness directly by assessing collective work products Measures its effectiveness directly by assessing collective work products Encourages open-ended discussion Encourages open-ended discussion Discusses, decides and does real work together Discusses, decides and does real work together Shared leadership roles Shared leadership roles

Larson and LaFasto’s Team Building Skills Establish clear and inspiring team goals Establish clear and inspiring team goals Maintain a results oriented team structure Maintain a results oriented team structure Assemble competent team members Assemble competent team members Strive for unified commitment Strive for unified commitment Provide a collaborative climate Provide a collaborative climate Encourage standards of excellence Encourage standards of excellence Furnish standards of excellence Furnish standards of excellence Furnish external support and recognition Furnish external support and recognition Apply principled leadership Apply principled leadership

Fundamental Dynamics to Team Success Team Member Team Member –Experience –Problem solving ability –Openness –Supportiveness –Action Oriented –Personal Style

Fundamental Dynamics to Team Success Team Relationships Team Relationships –CONNECT Commit to the relationship Commit to the relationship Optimize safety Optimize safety Narrow to one issue Narrow to one issue Neutralize defensiveness Neutralize defensiveness Explain and echo Explain and echo Change one behavior Change one behavior Track it Track it

Fundamental Dynamics to Team Success Team Problem Solving Team Problem Solving –Clarity and focus of the goal –Creation of team relaxed climate –Open and honest communication

Fundamental Dynamics to Team Success Team Leadership Team Leadership –Focus on the goal –Ensure a collaborative climate –Build confidence –Demonstrate sufficient technical know-how –Set priorities –Manage performance Organizational Environment Organizational Environment

Self-Directed Work Teams Multi-skilled and cross-trained Multi-skilled and cross-trained Quality and process control on-going Quality and process control on-going Empowered Empowered Shared leadership Shared leadership Regular meetings Regular meetings Primary focus-customer satisfactions and meeting overall business goals Primary focus-customer satisfactions and meeting overall business goals On-going training On-going training

Difficulty for Managers to Switch to Self-Managed Teams Perceived loss of power Perceived loss of power Role of team facilitator may seem ambiguous Role of team facilitator may seem ambiguous Job security concerns Job security concerns Facilitators may be victims of a management double standard Facilitators may be victims of a management double standard