THE DILEMMA FOR TEAM MEMBERS

Leaders can be more effective when they understand three primary reasons teams present a
dilemma for people:

• We Have to Give Up Our Independence. When people become part of a team, their success depends on
the team’s success; therefore, they are dependent on how well other people perform, not just on their
own individual initiative and actions.

• We Have to Put Up with Free Riders. Teams are sometimes made up of people who have different work
ethics. The term free rider refers to a team member who attains benefits from team membership but
does not actively participate in and contribute to the team’s work.

• Teams are Sometimes Dysfunctional.

Five Common Dysfunctions of Teams

Dysfunction Attitudes and behaviors

Lack of trust People don’t feel safe to reveal mistakes, share concerns, or express ideas

Fear of conflict People go along with others for the sake of harmony; don’t express conflicting
opinions

Lack of commitment People can’t truly commit to decisions because they haven’t contributed their
true opinions and ideas

Avoidance of People don’t accept responsibility for outcomes; engage in finger-pointing when
accountability things go wrong

Inattention to results Members put personal ambition or the needs of their individual departments
ahead of collective results

LEADING A TEAM TO HIGH PERFORMANCE

To lead any team to high performance, whether in health care, manufacturing, Internet services,
leaders incorporate the following elements:

1. A Compelling Purpose, Clear Objectives, and Explicit Metrics. To succeed, team members have to
know what is expected of them and commit to accomplishing it. High-performing teams have a
specific, clearly-defined purpose and a well-defined set of goals, enabling people to come together
in a shared undertaking. Team members also need clear metrics so they know how well they are
progressing toward meeting goals.
2. A Diversity of Skills and Unambiguous Roles. Effective teams contain the diverse mix of skills,
knowledge, and experience needed to perform all the components of the team’s project. Within
this diverse mix, however, individual roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.
3. Streamlined Team Size. Much research has shown that small teams (six or fewer members) perform
better than large ones. People in small teams report higher motivation, more job satisfaction, and a
greater sense of belonging and cohesiveness.
 4. Decision Authority over How to Achieve Goals. Although teams need clearly defined goals spelled
out by leaders, the team itself should have the authority to decide how it will reach those goals.
Members of high-performing teams determine together how they will work cooperatively to
accomplish objectives and achieve the team’s purpose.
5. Support and Coaching. Team effectiveness, productivity, and learning are strengthened when team
leaders provide support to team members, reinforce team identity and meaning, work to maintain
trusting interpersonal relationships and group cohesiveness, and offer coaching to enhance
members’ self-leadership skills.

TEAM PROCESSES
Team processes refer to the dynamics that change over time and can be influenced by leaders.

How Teams Develop

Forming : Forming stage of team development that includes orientation and getting acquainted.

Storming : Storming stage of team development in which individual personalities and conflicts emerge

Norming : Norming stage of team development in which conflicts have been resolved and team unity
emerges

Performing : Performing stage of team development in which the major emphasis is on accomplishing
the team’s goal

Adjourning : The adjourning stage occurs in committees and teams that have a limited task to perform
and are disbanded afterward.

Team cohesiveness : Team cohesiveness is defined as the extent to which members are attracted to the
team and motivated to remain in it.

Determinants of Cohesiveness : Leaders can use several characteristics of team structure and context
to influence cohesiveness. First is team interaction. Second is the concept of shared goals. Third is personal
attraction to the team. Two factors in the team’s context that influence group cohesiveness are the
presence of competition and team success.

Consequences of Cohesiveness : The outcome of team cohesiveness can fall into two categories
morale and performance.

Team Norms
A team norm is an informal standard of conduct that is shared by team members and guides their
behavior. Norms are valuable because they provide a frame of reference for what is expected and
acceptable.