The Instant TeamHow to Collaborate with Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime

LawNet 2003

Andrea J. Daeubler

The Instant Team

No one has time to take a personality profile or choose the absolute perfect mix of people before putting a team together. How do you get IS to work with marketing, accounting and library services? This session provides collaboration principles that work in the real world.

Agenda

Teams vs. Groups

CollaborationStagesRequirements

Feedback on Behavior/PerformanceCriticismRewards

Q&A

Teams vs. Groups

GroupLeader makes decisionsMembers execute assignments from leader

TeamLeader communicates goals, interfaces

with other managers, and keeps team on track

Decision are made by the team members

Team

Formal way to actualize collaboration

We do it all the time

But how well?

Collaboration

Power of Collaboration: Decisions are improved by thoughts of othersNot taught or modeled well in American cultureQuestions viewed as sign of weaknessSchoolsEmployee Evaluation ProcessesManagement

Collaboration Process Stages

1 2 3 4

Gartner, September 2002

Collaboration Process Stages

Design Data

Collection Processing Action

Collaboration Process Stages

Design Data

Collection Processing Action

Forming Storming Norming Performing

Building a Team from Disparate Groups

People assigned based on ability

Preferable for leader to have say on who is selected

Not always good to have team of “stars” “The Apollo Syndrome” *

* Dr. Meredith Belbin

Build Commitment

Leader communicates goals or objectives of team

Members document their purpose:MissionGoalsTasksExpected Results

Understand Team Membership

Members discuss areas of expertise or responsibility

Team identifies and discusses their strengths and weaknessesMix of personalities is best to give team

balance

Clarify Roles & Responsibilities

Leader documents roles and responsibilities of each team member

On a cross-functional team, leader may need confidential information from member’s manager

Team discusses roles and responsibilities

Establish Protocols of Communication

Technology plays a critical -- but small -- role

Team needs to agree on communication guidelines

Communication Guidelines Issues

1. How information is shared2. Frequency of communications & meetings3. Expected response time to messages4. Method of giving and receiving feedback5. How decisions are made6. How disagreements or conflicts are

resolved7. How and when information is provided to

senior management

Shaping the Team

Results are in direct proportion to the skills members possess and the initiative they expendContribution is impacted by several factors: InclusionConfidenceEmpowerment

Communication is Vital

Leaders must set the tone for communications that are:FriendlyOpenPositive

Cooperation / Interdependence

“FACTS” model of effective team behaviors:

1. Follow-through

2. Accuracy

3. Creativity

4. Timeliness

5. Spirit

Conflict Resolution

What constitutes “conflict?”

Conflict vs. Disagreement

ConflictInvolves an emotional

component that tends to be destructive

DisagreementIs a non-emotional

presentation of different viewpoints

Don’t Suppress Conflict

Members can express negative feelings

Dealing with and managing conflict improves team performance

Leader must manage process

Change Management

Leader must:Provide security necessary for risk-takingProvide toolsGain management’s approvalModel a positive attitude about change

Teams and More Teams

T yp e n am e h e reT yp e tit le h e re

Y o ur

T e a m

T yp e n am e h e reT yp e tit le h e re

T yp e n am e h e reT yp e tit le h e re

Teams and More Teams

T yp e n am e h e reT yp e tit le h e re

Y o ur

T e a m

T yp e n am e h e reT yp e tit le h e re

E n t ire

E n terp r ise

Teams and More Teams

T e a m "A "Y o ur

T e a m T e a m "B "

E n t ire

E n terp r ise

Working with Other Teams

Each team has relationships with and responsibilities to other teams.See other groups as internal clientsShow same respect as for external clientsAsk for input on ways to improve serviceApproach negotiations as win-win

opportunitiesShare resources and improvement ideas

Delivering Criticism

All of us often do the wrong thing because we lack awareness or information.

Delivering Criticism: Leave out Your Emotions

Convey information to improve performance and leave recipient emotionally intact

Ask for what you want

Focus on what is right

Communicate, don’t just tell

Delivering Criticism: Additional Guidelines

Don’t just react

Act in a timely manner

Deliver criticism only in private

Criticize without comparison

Criticize with specifics

The Fun Part – Rewards!

Recognitions/rewards not used enough

Send powerful message about recipient’s importance and organization’s appreciation of good performance

Can take many forms – and involve varying levels of expense

Virtual Teams

All this is harder with virtual teams

By 2006, in 75% of enterprises, project teams will have virtual memberships.

In more than half of these enterprises, some project team members will be non-employees.

It’s about people, not technology.Gartner, September 2002

Collaboration Process Stages

Design Data

Collection Processing Action

Forming Storming Norming Performing

Hand-out

Steps to Building an Effective TeamUniversity of California – Berkeley’s “Guide

to Managing Human Resources,” Chapter 14

Questions ?

Teams, Teams, Teams

Relationships within the teamPeer support manifests itself in many ways

Relationship with the organizational teamConsider team needs/deeds in light of the

good of the whole organization

Relationship to other work groups and teams