TAKEAWAY GUIDE

TEAMWORK

Five positive and negative behaviors when working on a team

ABSENCE OF TRUST AVOIDANCE OF

Negative Behavior: Being unwilling to be
vulnerable within the group or to take chances. 
ACCOUNTABILITY
Negative Behavior: Ducking responsibility to call
Positive Behavior: Being willing to take chances
team members on counterproductive behavior;
within the group and build relationships of trust. 
setting low standards individually and
collectively.
Positive Behavior: Taking on the responsibility to
FEAR OF CONFLICT make team members accountable for the
Negative Behavior: Seeking artificial harmony success of the project, setting the bar high. 
over disagreements or arguments. 
Positive Behavior: Resolving conflicts in an
amicable and professional manner; achieving INATTENTION TO
true harmony.
RESULTS
Negative Behavior: Focusing on personal
LACK OF COMMITMENT success, status, and ego before team success.
Positive Behavior: Placing team’s success above
Negative Behavior: Feigning buy-in for group
personal ego or status; seeing out solutions that
decisions; creating ambiguity throughout the
are best for the team.
team or organization. 
Positive Behavior: Supporting group decisions;
creating clarity by showing commitment to the
team or organization. 

The four-phase model of team development

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
FORMING STORMING NORMING PERFORMING

• Guidance needed from • Understanding of • Relationships • Team committed to

leader decision-making process well-understood success
• Individual roles unclear achieved • Commitment to team goals • Strategic focus
• Process not well-established • Purpose is clear, but team is being formed • Little oversight needed
relationships remain unclear • Optimizing team processes
TAKEAWAY GUIDE Teamwork 2

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths: Weaknesses: Opportunities: Threats:

Resources and capabilities Absences of resources or External circumstances that Internal or external changes
that can be used to a capabilities that cause can be taken advantage of, in the environment that may
team’s advantage disadvantages but not created at will present threats to the team

SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY

Personal identity Personal achievements

Need for Self-esteem
self-esteem achieved

Group achievements

Social identities
Favoritism toward ingroup
Derogation of outgroups

SOLVING PROBLEMS
AS A TEAM

BUILDING Evaluate the solution

CONSENSUS
Proceed with the solution

Decide on solution that best fits criteria

Establish objective criteria

Generate alternative solutions

Identify the problem or goal

TAKEAWAY GUIDE Teamwork 3

SWOT ANALYSIS

Encouraging teamwork: things you should do

Promote an active Relate Experiment with Always ask and

learning climate team-building new strategies evaluate, “How
strategies to are we doing?”
the team’s work

Encouraging teamwork: things you should avoid

Being too aggressive Failing to let Inadequate

instead of others express Planning
being assertive their opinions

Encouraging teamwork: things to consider

Make the Be patient, Learn from mistakes;

commitment, then the process don’t let them
commit others takes time discourage you