Working in Teams

Agenda
Introduction

Becoming Team Players

Team Constitution and Roles

Setting Ground Rules and Guidelines

Team progression, tasking and planning

Working in Teams
What is a team?
A team is a group of individuals working together to achieve a common goal. In particular:
the task is split into parts appropriate to each individual's talents; team members are mutually accountable for completing the task; cooperation is essential to the overall success of the group; generate positive synergy through coordination of effort.

Given this definition, group, is regarded as a generic term and team as task specific. Therefore, in order for teams to work well, they need to understand how people work in groups.

Working in Teams
Difference between team and group
Group: two or more individuals who interact with one another to accomplish a goal.
Team: a group who work intensively with each other to achieve a specific common goal. Group Goal Synergy Accountability Skill Share information Neutral Individual Random and varied Team Collective performance Positive Individual and mutual Complementary

Working in Teams
Why work in teams?
There are several good reasons:
Employers value abilities for functioning effectively in teams.
In today's organization technical competence only gets you up to the starting line. High-performance relationship management is the critical skill which allows you to go the distance. 1

Research shows that we all learn effectively from each other. Hence, your teams should focus on helping each other to learn.

Teams are much more effective than individuals for work on complex projects.
Teamwork develops your interpersonal skills in coping with conflict. This aids your personal development and your non-work-related relationships
1. Interpersonal Skills Laboratory [Online]. http://www.interpersonal-skills.com

Working in Teams
Becoming Team Players
Teams generally go through five stages of development: 1. Forming (orientation)
A mixture of positive expectations and anxiety. An energetic period, focusing on the task ahead.

2. Storming (dissatisfaction/conflict)
A period of adjustment to how the team operates. This stage needs to be carefully managed.

Working in Teams
Becoming Team Players
3. Norming (resolution/cooperation)
Settling down, resolution of differences and making adjustments. Respect, harmony and trust are developing, giving all a sense of self esteem.

4. Performing (productivity)
Team members feel confident, work well together, can speak openly. Task is being achieved by joint effort.

5. Adjourning (disengagement/dissolution)
Goals met, team no longer needed. Termination of task behaviours. Disengagement from relation-oriented behaviours.

Working in Teams
Team Constitution
A team comprises individuals with their own personalities, each person will contribute to the team in different ways and develop different roles. Action Person:
Likes to get on with things. Extrovert and may appear a bit bossy.

Thinker:
Works things out first. Introvert and prefers to work alone first before acting. Not a good communicator

People Person:
Aware of how people are doing in the team Enjoys the company of other people Good communicator.

Working in Teams
Team Roles
Coordinator/Leader:

Creates common purpose Provides communication and vision Clarifies objectives Ensures that everybody is involved, committed and motivated Coordinates the efforts of the team Ensures that decisions are made and the team makes progress.
Collects and analyses information Listens to what is being said and watches what is going on Is sometimes quiet before contributing ideas Thinks through the problem Sees solutions, anticipates problems.

Thinker:

Working in Teams
Team Roles
Achiever:
Wants to succeed and strives for results Likes to progress towards the goal quickly Becomes impatient with delays Challenges assumptions and proposes improvements Has lots of enthusiasm Questions complacency. Is concerned that everybody is fitting in Contributes humour and builds bridges around the team Works to develop a team spirit Keen to get everyone to agree Watches out for feelings and attitudes Eases tension and fosters a positive spirit.

Carer:

Working in Teams
Team Roles
Doer:
Always wants to be active. Prepared to get involved to help others. Likes to see progress and adherence to plans. Becomes bored with too much discussion. Dislikes time wasting. Works hard to finish the task.

Source: University of Southampton: http://www.studyskills.soton.ac.uk/studyguides/Working%20in%20Groups.doc

Working in Teams
Project Teams
For some assignments, teamwork is a requirement of this course. You will therefore have to work at being a team as follows:
Get to know yourself and the individuals that make up your team Set ground rules. Develop a team spirit - take time to be a team.

Analyse and understand the assignment given, develop a plan and get organised.
Maintain the team: reflect on your own contribution and how the team is working as you go through the forming-storming-norming-peforming stages you will need to use the ground rules here.

Working in Teams
Setting Ground Rules
Two important first steps to creating effective teams are to set out a clear set of guidelines for team functioning and to have the members formulate a common set of expectations of one another. 1. Team Policies Statement:
provides guidance on effective team functioning

outlines different team roles

defines the responsibilities that go with each role procedures for working on and submitting assignments agrees strategies for dealing with uncooperative team members

Working in Teams
Setting Ground Rules
2. Team Expectations Agreement - serves two purposes:
it unites the team with a common set of realistic expectations that the members generate and agree to honor it serves as a quasi legal document to prevent students from making invalid claims about what they were supposed to do.

Research has shown that commitments made in public are less likely to be violated (Salacik & Pfeffer, 1978).
Salacik, G. R., & Pfeffer, J. (1978). A social information processing approach to job attitudes and task design. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23, 224-253.

Working in Teams
Team Expectations Agreement - Guidelines
What do working agreements look like?
Hackmann (2002) suggests that only two sets of working agreements are fundamentally necessary in a team:
1. All team members to keep scanning the environment for signs that mean the team needs to change its approach to the task. 2. A basic list of key dos and donts, for example (not exhaustive):
preparation for and attendance at group meetings; making sure everyone understands all the solutions; communicating frankly but with respect when conflicts arise, etc.

Each team member should sign the sheet, indicating acceptance of expectations and intention to fulfill them.

these

Hackmann R L (2002) Leading Teams. Harvard Business School Press.

Working in Teams
Understand the task and develop a plan

Overview:
As a team, analyse the task you have to do.

Ensure each team member understands what has to be done.

Keep notes on the teams progress and performance.

Working in Teams
Understand the task and develop a plan
Create a plan so you can clearly see each team members contributions. The plan should include:
a title for the project; a list of team members; clear statement of goals, the tasks to be completed, and by who; list of sub-tasks (with names); the deadline for submission; a time frame for each task (your milestones); presentation format (how should the group prepare material).

Be prepared to adjust your plan as the team develops.

Working in Teams
Maintaining the team
It is important to be alert to how the team is progressing. To ensure the team is at its most effective the following should be in place.
Procedures for:
communicating;

monitoring progress;
addressing problems (with tasks or people).

Regular checks on timing. Ensuring you are all working towards the plan. Agreed schedules on meeting times and venues.