Fundamentals of Team building: Characteristics of Effective Teams

*group*

360 tax accountants in attendance at a tax accounting conference.

What is process loss?

any aspect of group interaction that inhibits good problem solving. It is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits group functioning. Process loss is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits group functioning. The performance of a group consists of the inputs of the group minus any process losses such as the quality of a product, ramp-up time to production, or the sales for a given month.

adjourning stage

the final stage in group development for temporary groups, characterized by concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance

forming stage

the first stage of group development in which people join the group and then define the group's purpose, structure, and leadership

performing stage

the fourth stage in group development, during which the group is fully functional

storming stage

the second stage in group development, characterized by intragroup conflict

norming stage

the third stage in group development, characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness

Name the type of team: At Revamp Inc., a team is formed with the members from various departments to meet a common project goal. The team members met at the corporate office everyday to discuss their progress. What is this team an example of?

A cross-functional team

In the context of an organization, what is the difference between a group and a team?

A group is a collection of individuals who may or may not have a shared goal, but a team is a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals.

*formal work group*

A hair salon that has eight hairstylists, one general manager, and two receptionists.

What type of team in this example: A company faces a financial crisis and this puts their project delivery dates at risk. A team comprising members from various functional teams are chartered to assess the issue and develop a solution for the project at the corporate office. Identify the team put in charge of addressing the crisis.

A problem-solving team

*virtual team*

An outside sales team that included 4 sales reps and one manager. Each sales rep has a territory that includes three states, and each spends about 60% of his or her time traveling. When not traveling, each team member works out of a home office. They use a webinar platform to conduct team meetings as well as a cloud-based file sharing site to submit documents such as expense reports.

*working group*

Annual company-wide meeting in which senior leadership updates employees on new policies and organizational changes.

defining clear roles

Ask the team to identify goals they would like to achieve within the next 3 months, 6 months, one year, and assist them in setting the goals in ways that are specific and measurable.

What is a typical a challenge for a virtual team?

Building trust among employees

these are methods to ensure a team doesn't languish in the *forming phase* Normalize conflict. Let members know this is a natural phase in the team-formation process. Be inclusive. Continue to make all members feel included and invite all views into the room. Mention how diverse ideas and opinions help foster creativity and innovation. Make sure everyone is heard. Facilitate heated discussions and help participants understand each other. Support all team members. This is especially important for those who feel more insecure. Remain positive. This is a key point to remember about the team's ability to accomplish its goal. Don't rush the team's development. Remember that working through the storming stage can take several meetings. Once team members discover that they can be authentic and that the team is capable of handling differences without dissolving, they are ready to enter the next stage, norming. T/F

False

*team*

Four engineers trying to redesign a bridge so that it will withstand the required amount of weight in below-freezing temperatures.

A _________ _________ refers to the team approach related to the project _________. The engineering team, the procurement team, and the project controls team are examples of functional teams within the project. On a project with a low complexity profile that includes low technological challenges, good team member experience, and a clear scope of work, the project manager can utilize well-defined functional teams with clear expectations, direction, and strong vertical communication.

Functional Teams

Which of the following is a characteristic of a group that distinguishes it from a team?

Group members are responsible only for their own area.

What is a defining characteristic of a cross-functional team?

It addresses work processes that include two or more of the functional teams in an organization.

Define a virtual team?

It is a team in which members are not located in the same physical place.

What is process loss?

It is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits group functioning.

Describe succession planning.

It is the process of identifying future members of the top management team of an organization.

What is a functional team?

It refers to the team approach related to project functions within a project.EXPLANATION: A functional team refers to the team approach related to the project functions. The engineering team, the procurement team, and the project controls team are examples of functional teams within the project.

Which of the following is NOT an example of process loss?

Level of operating autonomy

Which of the following is NOT an example of process loss?

Level of operating autonomy The performance of a group consists of the inputs of the group minus any process losses such as the quality of a product, ramp-up time to production, or the sales for a given month. Process loss is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits group functioning.

_____________ ____________ _____________ ____________ are assigned to address specific issues that arise during the life of the project. The project leadership includes members that have the expertise to address the problem. The team is chartered to address that problem and then disband. _____________ ____________ on Equipment Manufacturing On a project in Indiana, a company selected to design and build a critical piece of equipment began having financial problems. As a result, the delivery of the equipment on the date needed by the project was at risk. A _____________ ____________ team was chartered to assess the enigma and develop a solution for the project. The team brought in some accounting expertise from the parent company and assessed the status of the vendor. The engineering team assessed the current state of the design, and the construction team developed an alternative schedule to allow for a late delivery of the equipment. The team developed a plan to support the vendor with funds and expertise that allowed the project to complete on time. The _____________ ____________ was organized to address a specific problem, developed and executed a plan to address the problem, and then was disbanded.

Problem-Solving Teams

*informal work group*

Six co-workers in a book club that meets once a month to discuss the current reading selection.

Identify the key property of a true team.

Stress on collaborative actions

What is the key characteristic of a work team?

Teams possess the decision-making power to pursue their goals.

Identify the definition of an informal work group.

They are made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the official structure of an organization.

Identify the definition of an informal work group.

They are made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the official structure of an organization. Informal work groups are made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization.

Individuals can outperform teams on some occasions. An individual tackling a problem consumes fewer resources than a team and can operate more efficiently—as long as the solution meets the project's needs. A person is most appropriate in the following situations: When speed is important When one person has the knowledge, skills, and resources to solve the problem When the activities involved in solving the problem are very detailed When the actual document needs to be written (Teams can provide input, but writing is a solitary task.) T/F

True

Teams are effective in several situations: When no one person has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to either understand or solve the problem When a commitment to the solution is needed by large portions of the project team When the problem and solution cross project functions When innovation is required T/F

True

these are methods to ensure a team doesn't languish in the *storming phase* Normalize conflict. Let members know this is a natural phase in the team-formation process. Be inclusive. Continue to make all members feel included and invite all views into the room. Mention how diverse ideas and opinions help foster creativity and innovation. Make sure everyone is heard. Facilitate heated discussions and help participants understand each other. Support all team members. This is especially important for those who feel more insecure. Remain positive. This is a key point to remember about the team's ability to accomplish its goal. Don't rush the team's development. Remember that working through the storming stage can take several meetings. Once team members discover that they can be authentic and that the team is capable of handling differences without dissolving, they are ready to enter the next stage, norming. T/F

True

When would you prefer an individual over a team?

When activities involved in solving a problem are very detailed

When is a team needed?

When buy-in is required from several individuals

When is a team needed?

When buy-in is required from several individuals The purpose of assembling a team is to accomplish larger, more complex goals than what would be possible for an individual working alone or even the simple sum of several individuals working independently. Teamwork is also needed in cases where multiple skills are tapped or where buy-in is required from several individuals.

forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

Which is the correct order for Tuckman's 5 group development stages? a. forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning b. forming, norming, performing, storming, adjourning c. norming, forming, storming, performing, adjourning d. norming, storming, performing, forming, adjourning e. storming, norming, forming, performing, adjourning

establishing common rituals

create a document that details each team member's role and responsibility as well as how his/her role contributes to team goals. Provide each member with a copy of the spreadsheet and discuss at the next team meeting, and ask each member to display the spreadsheet so that it's visible at all times.

___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ address issues and work processes that include two or more of the functional teams. The team members are selected to bring their functional expertise to addressing project opportunities. Cross-Functional Teamwork on a Concrete Project A cross-functional project team in Tennessee was assigned to develop a project approach to procuring, delivering, and erecting precast concrete without storing the concrete on the site. Although the complexity of this goal is primarily related to delivering the precast concrete in a sequence that will allow erection from the delivery trucks, the planning involved coordination of the design, procurement, and project controls. Team members from each of these functions developed and tracked a plan to meet the project goal. The cross-functional team was successful in designing a process and executing the plan in a way that saved three weeks on the schedule and several thousand dollars in costs.

cross-functional teams

Bruce Tuckman

forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

member choice

hold weekly team update meetings at a coffee house

___________ _____________ ____________ ___________ _____________ ____________ are appointed by the chief executive officer (CEO) and, ideally, reflect the skills and areas that the CEO considers vital for the company. There are no formal rules about ___________ _____________ ____________ design or structure. The ___________ _____________ ____________ often includes representatives from functional areas, such as finance, human resources, and marketing, or key geographic areas, such as Europe, Asia, and North America. Depending on the company, other areas may be represented, such as legal counsel or the company's chief technologist. Typical ___________ _____________ ____________ member titles include chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief marketing officer (CMO), or chief technology officer (CTO). Because CEOs spend an increasing amount of time outside their companies (e.g., with suppliers, customers, and regulators), the role of the COO has taken on a much higher level of internal operating responsibilities. In most American companies, the CEO also serves as chairman of the board and can have the additional title of president. Companies have ___________ _____________ ____________ to help set the company's vision and strategic direction. Top teams make decisions on new markets, expansions, acquisitions, or divestitures. The ___________ _____________ ____________ is also important for its symbolic role: How the ___________ _____________ ____________ behaves dictates the organization's culture and priorities by allocating resources and by modeling behaviors that will likely be emulated lower down in the organization. Importantly, the ___________ _____________ ____________ is most effective when team composition is diverse—functionally and demographically—and when it can truly operate as a team, not just as a group of individual executives (Carpenter, Geletkanycz & Sanders, 2004).

top management teams

_________ _________ "Teamwork doesn't tolerate the inconvenience of distance." —Author Unknown _________ _________ are teams in which members are not located in the same physical place. They may be in different cities, states, or even different countries. Some _________ _________ are formed by necessity, such as to take advantage of lower labor costs in different countries with upwards of 8.4 million individuals working virtually in at least one team (Ahuja, 2003). Often, _________ _________ are formed to take advantage of distributed expertise or time: the needed experts may be living in different cities. A company that sells products around the world, for example, may need technologists who can solve customer problems at any hour of the day or night. It may be difficult to find the caliber of people needed who would be willing to work at 2:00 a.m. on a Saturday, for example. As such, companies organize virtual technical support teams. BakBone Software Inc. has a 13-member technical support team. All members have degrees in computer science and are divided among offices in California, Maryland, England, and Tokyo. BakBone believes it has been able to hire stronger candidates by drawing from a diverse talent pool and hiring in different geographic regions rather than being limited to one region or time zone (Alexander, 2000).

virtual teams