Effective Groups & Teams

208.451.5076

www.everettdecisions.com

michael@everettdecisions.com

Michael J. Everett, PhD, CLSSBBOrganizational Psychologist

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It’s easy to get players. Getting’em to play together, that’s the hard part.

Casey Stengel

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Groups vs. TeamsGroup

Two or more people who interact with each other to accomplish certain goals or meet certain needs.

TeamA group whose members work

intensely with each other to achieve a specific, common goal or objective.

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Organizational Effectiveness

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Why Teams?Participative style of management is

best approach to ensure employee involvement in the improvement process

Workforce is generally more educated and wants to participate in the decision making process – especially those that affect them directly

Provides employees with ownership and challenging them to use their skills and abilities

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Psychological RationaleMaslow’s higher level of human needs

McGregor’s Theory Y Recognizes worth of individuals

Herberg’s theoryTrue motivation is found in the work

itself

Bandura’s theory of self-efficacyCritical role in how we think, feel, and

behave

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Organizational BenefitsBrings together individuals with

diverse skill sets

Can usually solve larger issues than individuals

Build a more complete understanding to the process needing improvement

Rely on mutual support and cooperation between each other on current project as well as future encounters

Increase organizational engagement

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Team Member BenefitsProvides a greater understand/transparency

of organizational issues

Opportunity to be creative and share ideas

Develop stronger relationships with coworkers

Ability to learn/enhance new skill sets

Satisfaction of solving a chronic problem that attracts/retains more customers, increase revenue, and reduce costs

Enhance organizational engagement

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Team ObjectivesDevelop into highly effective, people-

building, goal-achieving social system characterized by:A climate of high supportOpen communication processOrganizational goal achievementCreative problem solvingIndividual achievementCommitmentImprove organizational efficiencies

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Properly Functioning TeamsImprove employee morale

Remove areas of conflict

Develop creative skills

Improve leadership and communication skills

Enhance problem solving techniques

Improve management/employee relationships

Project an environment that management listens

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Empowering TeamsPower is derived from management

authority

Empowered by virtue of power that was granted

Process charter helps develop empowerment

Team member have control over team performance and behaviorControl - autonomyInformation – up/down Resources – access to resources

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Managerial SupportEnsure consistency of purpose

Reinforce positive results

Remove roadblocks

Share business results

Provide a sense of mission (project charter)

Empower

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Sources and Consequences of

Group Cohesiveness

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Factors to Group Cohesiveness

Factor

Group Size Smaller groups allow for high cohesiveness; Low cohesiveness groups with many members can benefit from splitting into two groups.

Managed Diversity Diverse groups often come up with better solutions.

Group Identity Encouraging a group to adopt a unique identity and engage in competition with others can increase cohesiveness.

Success Cohesiveness increases with success; finding ways for a group to have some small successes increases cohesiveness.

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Types of Teams

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Formal/InformalFormal

A group that managers establish to achieve organization goals.

InformalA group that managers or non-

managerial employees form to help achieve their own goals or to meet their own needs.

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Types of Teams

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Types of Teams

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Selecting Team Members

When selecting a team need to identify the parts of the organization most closely associated with the problem:Where the problem is observedWhere the sources or causes of the

problem might be feltAmong those with special knowledge,

information, skillAny area that can be helpful in

developing a resolution

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Adding Team Members

Never impose an individual on a team

Use entire team in the selection team

Entire team conducts interview(s)

All members of team submit one vote

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Removing Team Members

Doesn’t occur often

Might not have the skills, knowledge required

Demonstrate little to no interest in team

Personality conflicts

To stretched or stressed by other commitments and/or issues

Both team members and leader needs to have frank discussions with individual prior to decision

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Team SizeGenerally team size for almost all

projects should be kept at a 6 – 10 individuals

Self-directed team can have as many as 12 – 15Especially if dealing with policy,

practices, operations

Cross functional teams (Lean) 8 – 12Usually disbands upon completion of

project

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Team DiversityTo achieve optimum performance

diversity is highly suggested

Team members:Some are primarily task orientatedThose with intimate knowledge of processIndividuals who are nurturers, encourage,

communicateMembers who are creative and innovative

Individuals are not assigned these roles but should be picked for such attributes

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Belbin Team RolesAction-orientated roles:

Shaper: highly motivated people with lots of drive, energy, and need for achievement. May be viewed as aggressive extroverts.

Implementer: Well organized and have practical sense. Favor hard work and tackle issues in a systematic fashion.

Completer: Great capacity for follow-through and attention to details. Seldom start what they cannot finish.

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Belbin Team RolesPeople-orientated roles:

Coordinator: Ability to cause others to attain shared goals. They can spot individual talent and use the, to pursue group objectives.

Team Worker: Most supportive members of a team. Sociable and adaptive to different situation and people.

Investigator: Excellent communicators both inside and outside the organization. Extroverted and enthusiastic.

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Belbin Team RolesProblem-solving roles:

Plant: Innovators and can be very creative. Provide seeds and ideas for major developments

Evaluator: Serious and pragmatic individuals. Slow to decisions and posses critical thinking ability.

Specialists: Self-starting professionals, Pride themselves in acquiring technical skills and specialized knowledge

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Team Roles Master Black Belts/Black Belts

Green Belts

Executive Sponsors

Champions

Process Owner

Team Leader

Team Member

Recorder

Timekeeper

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Team StagesForming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Adjourning

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Team StagesForming

Beginning of team lifeExpectation are unclearInteractions are superficialMembers test the water

StormingConsists of conflict and resistance to

task/structureAuthority issuesVision/values dissonance

Most difficult stage to work through

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Team Stages Norming

Sense of group cohesion develops More energy on data collection and analysis Develop norms for resolving conflicts, making decisions

and making completing assignments

Performing: The payoff stage Relationships have been developed Team tackles tasks at hand Works effectively and cohesively May still have ups and downs

Adjourning Team disbands Celebration!

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Team Stage

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Team Life Cycle Characteristics

Build Phase (Forming/Storming)Group will be uncertainGroup lacks cohesivenessGroup will not easily develop consensusLeader exhibits high task/high relationship style

Develop Phase (Norming)Task related work is assumed by groupThe group must work to involve non participantsLeader exhibits a low task/high relationship

styleTeam focuses on presentation, tasks, and

relationships

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Team Life Cycle Characteristics

Optimize Phase (Performing)Members prioritize and perform tasksMembers workout decision is a caring

wayConflict is accepted, but cooperation is

preferredTeam leader is a delegator and exhibits a

low-task/low-relationship styleTeam exhibits a high-task/high

relationship style

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Team DynamicsRecognition and Reward

Groupthink

Risky-Shift

Social Loafing

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Recognition and Reward

Given to provide positive reinforcement or to correct a behavior

Effect depends on the perception of person receiving it

Can be grouped in the following: Material items of significant value Material items of incidental value Intangible items:

Satisfaction Thanks

Pleasure Admiration

Friendship Notoriety

Learning Prestige

Team rewards need to be same across the board

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Group ThinkDefined as: “ A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.” Irving Janis (1971)

Eight Symptoms of Group Think1. Illusion of invulnerability

Feeling the group is above criticism

2. Belief in inherent morality of group Group is inherently right and above reproach

3. Collective rationalization Refusing to accept contradictory data

4. Out-group stereotypesRefusing to look realistically at other groups

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Group Think5. Self-censorship:

Refusing to communicate personal concerns to the group as a whole

6. Illusion of unanimity:Accepting consensus prematurely, without

testing iit completeness

7. Direct pressure on dissenters: Refusing to tolerate a member who

suggests the group may be wrong

8. Self-appointed mindguards:Protecting the group form disturbing ideas or viewpoints from outsiders

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Risky ShiftMost members believe that proposed

solutions are fairly conservative

In reality teams get swept up with expansive and expensive remedies

Have team members ask if it was their personal money would they still risk it on proposed solution?

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Social LoafingThe tendency of individuals to put forth less effort in a

group than individually.

Results in possibly lower group performance and failure to attain group goals

Reducing Social Loafing

Make individual efforts identifiable and accountable.

Emphasize the valuable contributions of individual members.

Keep group size at an appropriate level.

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Common Team Problems

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Team Performance Factors

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Management Presentations

Are opportunities to:Display skillsShow accomplishmentsSummarize projectsKeep line of communication openDemonstrate understanding of

customer’s needsEvaluate team performance