Effective Team Management

Keys to Developing Effective Teams

-have an explicit vision and plan that serves as the basis for determining team outcomes -use results oriented outcome measures -provide training in team skills -compensate team performance -promote cooperation within and between teams -select team members based on their current skills or potential to develop needed skills -be patient

Characteristics of the best team experience

-the right people on the team -fun -clearly defined goals -ways to measure success -celebration of success -availability of resources needed for success -mutual support among team members -a good leader who really cares about the team

Types of Teams

-work teams -project teams and development: teams that work on long term projects but disband once the work is done -management teams: teams that coordinate and provide direction to the subunits under their jurisdiction and integrate work among subunits -virtual teams: teams that are physically dispersed and communicate electronically more than face-to-face -self-managed teams: autonomous work groups in which workers are trained to do all or most of the jobs in a unit, have no immediate supervisor, and make decisions previously made by frontline supervisors -transnational teams -"parallel" teams temporary in nature used to address specific issues or problems -"teaming" a strategy of teamwork on the fly in which managers create multiple temporary teams

5 stages of group development

1) forming: group members attempt to lay the ground rules for what types of behavior are acceptable 2) storming: hostilities and conflict arise, and people jockey for positions of power & status 3) norming: group members agree on their shared goals, and norms and closer relationships develop 4) performing: the group channels its energies into performing the tasks 5) adjourning

Group

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

Differences between groups & teams

A Typical Group: -has a designated, strong leader -individual accountability -identical purpose for group and organization -performance goals set by others -works within organizational boundaries -individual work products -organized meetings; delegation A True Team: -shares or rotates leadership roles -mutual and individual accountability -specific team vision or purpose -performance goals set by team -not inhibited by organizational boundaries -collective work products -mutual feedback, open-ended discussion, active problem solving

Team

A group whose members work intensely with each other to achieve a specific, common goal or objective

Sources & Consequences of Group Cohesiveness

Factors leading to group cohesiveness: -group size -effectively managed diversity -group identity & healthy competition -success consequences of group cohesiveness -level of participation within a group -level of conformity to group norms -emphasis on group goal accomplishment

avoidance

a reaction to conflict that involves ignoring the problem by doing nothing at all or deemphasizing the disagreement

collaboration

a style of dealing with conflict emphasizing both cooperation and assertiveness to maximize both parties' satisfaction

compromise

a style of dealing with conflict emphasizing both cooperation and assertiveness to maximize both parties' satisfaction

accommodation

a style of dealing with conflict involving cooperation on behalf of the other party but not being assertive about one's own interests

gatekeeper

a team member who keeps abreast of current developments and provides the team with relevant info

informing

a team strategy that entails making decisions with the team and then informing outsiders of its intentions

parading

a team strategy that entails simultaneously emphasizing internal team building and achieving external visibility

probing

a team strategy that requires team members to interact frequently with outsiders, diagnose their needs, and experiment with solutions

mediator

a third party who intervenes to help others manage conflict

task specialist role

an individual who has more advanced job related skills and abilities than other group members

Building effective teams

defined by 3 criteria: 1) productive output of the team meets or exceeds standards of quantity and quality 2) team members realize satisfaction of their personal needs 3) team members remain committed to working together again the challenge for managers is building & sustaining effective teams

roles

different sets of expectations for how different individuals should behave

Group Leadership

effective leadership is a key ingredient for high performing groups, teams, and organizations -sometimes managers assume the leadership role in groups and teams -appoint a member of a group who isn't a manager to be a group leader or chairperson -group or team members may choose their own leaders -leader may emerge naturally as group members work together

Groups' and Teams' Contributions to Organizational Effectiveness

groups & teams can: enhance performance, increase responsiveness to customers, increase innovation, increase motivation & satisfaction ---> gain a competitive advantage

autonomous work group

groups that control decisions about and execution of a complete range of tasks

traditional work groups

have no managerial responsibility

superordinate goals

higher level goals taking priority over specific individual or group goals

team maintenance role

individual who develops and maintains team harmony

boundary spanning

interacting with people in other groups, thus creating linkages between groups

Why some teams fail

members are unwilling to cooperate with each other teams fail to receive support form management some managers are unwilling to relinquish control to teams some teams fail to cooperate with other teams organizations fail to change the infrastructure

Social Loafing

occurs when: -individuals believe their contributions aren't important -others will do the work for them -their lack of effort will go undetected -they will be the lone sucker if they work hard but others don't 3 ways to reduce social loafing: -make individual contributions to the group identifiable when possible -emphasize the valuable contributions of individual members -keep group size at an appropriate level

Group norms

shared guidelines or rules for behavior that most group members follow managers should encourage members of a group to develop norms that contribute to group performance and the attainment of group goals

Group Size

small groups-between two and nine members -interact more with each other and find it easier to coordinate their efforts -more motivated, satisfied, and committed -find it easier to share information -better able to see the importance of their personal contributions for group success -disadvantage- members of small groups have fewer resources available to accomplish their goals large groups-with 10 or more members -have more resources at their disposal to achieve group goals than small groups do -let managers obtain the advantages stemming from the division of labor -division of labor: splitting the work to be performed into particular tasks and assigning tasks to individual workers -disadvantages: difficult to share information with & coordinate the activities; members of large groups sometimes experience lower levels of motivation, satisfaction, and commitment

self-designing teams

teams with the responsibilities of autonomous work groups, plus control over hiring, firing, and deciding what tasks members perform

Group Dynamics

the characteristics and processes that affect the functioning & efficiency of a group 5 key elements of group dynamics: -group size and roles -group leadership -group development -group norms -group cohesiveness

cohesiveness

the degree to which a group is attractive to its members, members are motivated to remain in the group, and members influence one another

social facilitation effect

working harder when in a group than when working alone