Organizational Behavior - Teams and Team Building

cross-functional team

Employees from about the same hierarchical level, but from different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.

Facilitation

Enabling people - individuals or groups - to successfully execute tasks while preserving integrity, human dignity, and empathy in the workplace

Intervene

Enter the conversation to stimulate a change or to steer the group back on track.

Successful facilitation

Fostering an effective outcome based on a rich, robust exchange of participants' ideas and experiences.

Work teams

Generate a potential for an organization to generate greater outputs with no increase in inputs.

Role of Manager

Get employees to do necessary tasks correctly. Focus on how to do what needs to be done. Concentrate on administration and maintenance, and are concerned with the present rather than the future. Monitor and provide direction on shorter term, more specific objectives such as those involving standards, time lines, and job requirements.

Work Team

Goal: Collective performance Synergy (purpose for working together): Positive Accountability: Individual and mutual Skills: Complimentary

Work Group

Goal: Share information Synergy (purpose for working together): Neutral (sometimes negative) Accountability: Individual Skills: Random and varied

What is the difference between a group and a team?

Group - interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform better within their area fo responsibility. Team - the individual efforts result in performance that is greater than the sum of the individual efforts.

Problem-solving teams

Groups of 5 to 12 employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment

Four core beliefs of facilitation:

People are smart and accomplished, and they like to do the right thing Everyone's input has merit, regardless of seniority or title People can take ownership for, and are answerable for, their performance and can become partners in the enterprise The leader's task is to get the optimum performance from each team member

Effects of Group Processes

Potential Group Effectiveness+Process Gains-Process Losses=Actual Group Effectiveness

What type of response question is "Could you be more specific about how that works in context?

Probing

What type of response question is "What are you basing that conclusion on?"

Probing

Role of Leader

Provide vision and strategic direction. Dictate solutions to issues and explaining why these decisions are important. Create a vision, inspire innovation, and motivate others.

Open-ended question like: "Let's explore how that works" "Tell me about your idea."

Questions phrased to elicit full, meaningful responses. They encourage participants to become involved in a dialogue, rather than just replying with disconnected "yes" or "no" answers. Question phrased as a statement that implicitly asks for a response.

Image-building question like: "Imagine you're...," "What if...," "Consider...," "If you could...," "Think about..."

Questions that create a mental picture of the issue so it can be easily understood and remembered.

What type of response question is "I understand your point, but right now we're discussing...?"

Redirecting

What type of response question is "That's interesting, but let's finish up at the end of the meeting when our business is done. Okay?"

Redirecting

mental models are

Team members' knowledge and beliefs about how the work gets done by the team.

Social loafing occurs when ________.

Tendency of certain members of a group to get by with less effort than what they would have put when working alone. Its two common manifestations are (1) Free-rider effect, where some members do not put in their share of work under the assumption that others' efforts will cover their shortfall, and thus cause (2) Sucker effect, where the other (fully performing) members lower their efforts in response to the free-riders' attitude.

When should individuals be used instead of teams?

The task is simple and doesn't require diverse input. The task can be done quickly Not many resources are needed. Communication demands are low. No conflicts to manage nor meetings to run.

People scoring high on ________ are valuable in teams because they're good at backing up fellow team members and at sensing when their support is truly needed. a) conscientiousness b) positivity c) emotional stability d) agreeableness e) openness to experience

a) conscientiousness

You're a facilitator at a meeting about budgeting procedures. Which question would be the best example of an opening question? a. "Imagine you're about to put together a budget for your department. Where would you start and where would you go from there?" b. "The first thing we need to talk about is departmental budgeting. Do you know the current procedures for putting together a budget?" c. "What if the boss tripled the amount of money you get for your department? How would you budget all that extra cash?"

a. "Imagine you're about to put together a budget for your department. Where would you start and where would you go from there?"

Which actions are examples of an intervention? a. Asking a question b. Taking notes c. Employing a behavior d. Giving a reprimand e. Making a statement

a. Asking a question c. Employing a behavior e. Making a statement

Which examples illustrate behaviors facilitators should watch out for? a. Ignoring an agreed procedure to state a problem before suggesting a solution b. During a workshop about process improvements the group discusses the company web page c. Someone in a group asserts customer product complaints are increasing due to a decline in quality, but provides no evidence to back it up d. A team routinely allows participants to interrupt each other when speaking e. Salespeople discuss how to apportion customers in a sales territory f. During a discussion on financial procedures, an accountant becomes overenthusiastic when discussing customer accounts

a. Ignoring an agreed procedure to state a problem before suggesting a solution b. During a workshop about process improvements the group discusses the company web page c. Someone in a group asserts customer product complaints are increasing due to a decline in quality, but provides no evidence to back it up d. A team routinely allows participants to interrupt each other when speaking

In line with the company strategy to broaden its market, a marketing VP needs to explain the decision to develop a line of phones for the teenage market. Given the task, what role is best for the VP to adopt? a. Leader b. Manager c. Facilitator

a. Leader

Which role is it best to adopt when the task is to set the direction for a group or to outline the bigger picture? For example, a sales director who has to explain the context of new pricing strategies to the sales team will have to use leadership skills. a. Leader b. Manager c. Facilitator

a. Leader

What are the goals of a facilitator? a. To help people work capably b. To get optimum performance from people c. To build confidence and a sense of duty d. To tell others what to think and do e. To teach new skills to others

a. To help people work capably b. To get optimum performance from people c. To build confidence and a sense of duty

What are some specific benefits of adopting a facilitative approach in management? a. You are better able to help others work together to make complex decisions b. You can create and sustain teams that prosper c. You'll have a good source of capable leaders d. You'll complete all your projects on time e. Your team members will be happier about working together and attending meetings

a. You are better able to help others work together to make complex decisions b. You can create and sustain teams that prosper c. You'll have a good source of capable leaders

6) Which of the following statements is true regarding size of teams? a) The most effective teams have twelve to fifteen members. b) When teams have excess members, cohesiveness declines. c) As team size increases, social loafing decreases. d) When teams have excess members, mutual accountability increases. e) Members of large teams coordinate work better when pressed for time.

b) When teams have excess members, cohesiveness declines.

Araceli is a team member in a large corporation. She never speaks in team meetings because she has seen members talk behind each other's backs after the meetings. Members are constantly monitoring the other members' work and looking for mistakes to point out in a meeting. According to the information provided, which contextual factor is lacking in Araceli's team? a) adequate resources b) climate of trust c) team structure d) performance evaluations e) leadership

b) climate of trust

Which of the following is not one of the key components of effective teams? a) team efficacy b) company reputation c) adequate resources d) member flexibility e) leadership and structure

b) company reputation

With a deadline approaching, all seven members of Sharon's product development team were working round-the-clock and still the work was not completed in time. After the project was completed, Sharon spoke individually with the members to determine the cause for this delay. Many members complained saying the work given to them was not in accordance with their roles, some were unclear about which team member to approach when faced with a problem, and many underestimated the time and effort the project demanded. This team is characterized by ________. a) a clear role allocation for all team members b) dissimilar mental models c) high degree of role clarity d) excessively large team size e) a strong climate of trust

b) dissimilar mental models

Which of the following is most likely to increase team efficacy (team confidence)? a) providing vast and generic goals b) helping the team achieve small successes c) creating a team such that it has diverse members d) ensuring that team goals are substantially difficult e) reducing the number of members on a team drastically

b) helping the team achieve small successes

Which role is it best to adopt when the task is to define given work in terms of deadlines or who should do what? For instance, if you had to organize training of the sales team in the new pricing strategy, setting deadlines for when each salesperson must complete a pricing training course. a. Leader b. Manager c. Facilitator

b. Manager

characteristics of effective teams.

-Clear sense of purpose -Open and honest communication -Creative thinking -Accountability -Focus -Decision by consensus

How can organizations create team players?

1) Selecting: hire team players 2) Training: create team players 3) Rewarding:Provide incentives to be a good teamplayer

What conditions or context factors determine whether teams are effective?

1. Context: >adequate resources >leadership and structure >climate of trust >performance evals and reward systems 2. Composition: >abilities >personality >allocating roles >diversity >size of team >member flexibility >member preferences 3. Process: >common purpose >specific goals >team efficacy >conflict levels >social loafing

Appropriate intervention

1. Describe the behavior you've observed and explain what's happening. 2. Ask if your observation is accurate. 3. Help others to change their behavior.

Facilitation Goals

1. Help people work effectively by holding high-quality work events such as meetings and workshops. These enable people to share knowledge and experience and improve their creativity and productivity. 2. Get the best out of people by ensuring clear effective communications. The intent is that people should freely exchange thoughts and ideas and so develop and grow. 3. Instill confidence, authority, and responsibility. The ultimate goal is to build organizations that foster participation and responsiveness. These are essentially self-managing organizations.

Key Roles of Teams

1. Linker ( coordinates and integrates) 2. Creator (initiates nee ideas) 3. Promoter (champions ideas after they are initiated) 4. Assessor ( offers analysis) 5. Organizer ( provides structure) 6. Producer ( direction and follow-through ) 7. Controller (examines details and enforces rules 8. Maintainer ( fights external battles) 9. Adviser ( encourages the search for more information)

What are the three stages in an effective intervention process?

1. Observe and diagnose participants' behavior. 2. Determine whether to intervene 3. Intervene appropriately.

Types of teams in an organization

1. Problem-solving teams 2. Self-managed work teams 3. Cross-functional teams 4. Virtual teams

What are the 5 types according of response questions?

1. clarifying 2. challenging 3. confirming 4. probing 5. redirecting

Evidence that a team has too many members:

1. cohesiveness and mutual accountability decline 2. social loafing increases 3. members communicate less.

Adequate resources include what characteristics of support the group receives from the organization. (Hint: there are )

1. timely information 2. proper equipment 3. adequate staffing 4. encouragement 5. administrative assistance

The facilitative process uses how many basic types of questions?

2

How many stages are in the intervention process

3

How many types of response questions are there?

5

reflexivity

A team characteristic of reflecting on and adjusting the master plan when necessary.

Why have teams become so popular?

As organizations have restructured themselves to compete more effectively and efficiently, they have turned to teams as a better way to use employee talents. Management has found that teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than are traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings. Teams have the capability to quickly assemble, deploy, refocus, and disband. Teams also can be more motivational. Teams allow for greater task identity, with members working on tasks together.

Work groups

Cannot generate a potential for an organization to generate greater outputs with no increase in inputs.

What type of response question is "Are there any other areas the group hasn't considered? What about..."

Challenging

What type of response question is "The group has discussed two options, but earlier Mary mentioned a third. Can we discuss that?"

Challenging

What type of response question is "Help me here. How does this point relate to the discussion?"

Clarifying

What type of response question is "Is that an issue because of the contract? I'm not sure I understand."

Clarifying

What type of response question is "As I understand it, you're saying that the third option is more economical. Is that correct?"

Confirming

How do you know what's the best role (Leader, Manager or Facilitator) for a given situation?

Consider three factors: the type of task, the amount of buy-in needed from others, and the level of experience of individuals or groups.

Mario is an experienced facilitator with a financial services company. He's to facilitate a group as it comes up with ways to improve interdepartmental communication within the organization. Mario and the group members have to agree on the ground rules for behavior at the meeting, as well as on the facilitation process. As the facilitator, Mario can intervene if he observes infringement of the rules. The team meets every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. for one hour. If someone cannot attend a meeting, Mario must be notified by e-mail. At each meeting, Mario designates someone to write minutes. Also, team members must seek permission if they want to invite someone to a meeting. Mario and the group members agree on a number of ground rules that will govern behavior in the meeting, and guide Mario's facilitation. First, when someone proposes an improvement, that person is automatically tasked to investigate it. Second, group discussions must not stray from the core purpose. And finally, group members must use the agreed upon format for writing minutes and action lists. Over the course of several meetings, Mario observes a few things. He notices that new group member Bob has brought an IT expert to a meeting without asking permission. At one point, Marsha says that the function of the Customer Support Department is to support online customers only. Last, Marsha and Alice frequently discuss plans to start a customer service improvement project. With the group's effectiveness in mind, which behavior may require intervention? a. Bob's failure to seek permission to bring someone to a meeting b. Marsha's and Alice's discussions about improvement project plans c. Marsha's presumption about the Customer Support Department

b. Marsha's and Alice's discussions about improvement project plans

Work should be performed by an individual if ________. a) the work is complex and requires different perspectives b) the work creates a common purpose or set of goals for the people in the group that is more than the aggregate of individual goals c) the work is simple and does not require diverse input d) several tasks that are interdependent are to be performed for completing the work e) performing the work requires learning a new technology or understanding a new system

c) the work is simple and does not require diverse input

Which role is it best to get other people involved and participating? For example as a sales director who has to spread the message about the new pricing system across the organization needs the help of a number of people. You might decide to create a cross-functional team to ensure that each department learns what it needs to know about pricing. a. Leader b. Manager c. Facilitator

c. Facilitator

Team efficacy is a measure of how ______ a team is.

confident

Which of the following accurately differentiates between work groups and work teams? a) Work groups are used by top-management employees, while work teams are used by lower-level workers. b) Work groups are used for functions relating to areas of the external environment, while work teams are exclusively used for departmental problems and issues. c) Work groups involve members who have complementary skills, while work teams use employees who have random and varied skills. d) Work teams generate a potential for an organization to generate greater outputs with no increase in inputs, while work groups cannot perform this function. e) Work teams represent the mere accumulation of individual efforts, while work groups generate a positive synergy within the organization.

d) Work teams generate a potential for an organization to generate greater outputs with no increase in inputs, while work groups cannot perform this function.

Which of the following statements is true regarding self-managed work teams? a) Self-managed work teams typically consist of forty to fifty employees. b) Self-managed work teams typically manage conflicts well. c) Members of self-managed work teams typically report lower job satisfaction. d) Self-managed work teams are typically composed of employees from different departments who work independent of each other. e) In the case of self-managed work teams, supervisory positions take on decreased importance.

e) In the case of self-managed work teams, supervisory positions take on decreased importance.

How many members do the most effective teams have?

five to nine members.

Self-managed work teams

groups of 10 to 15 people who take on responsibilities of their former supervisors

What are the two types of of questions the facilitative process uses?

opening questions and response questions.

Virtual teams

work together over time and distance via electronic media to combine effort and achieve common goals