3: Groups, Teams, and Powerful Meetings

Identify the ways in which a supervisor can make the most of the potential benefits of working with a group

- By supporting the group when it wants to voice legitimate concerns to higher management - By informing the group about what is happening in the organization - By conveying the limitations of the group to the group members

Identify the activities that are involved in a team building process.

- Examining the relationships among team members - Allocating work - Setting goals - Analyzing what needs to be done

Identify the requisites of a complete agenda.

A meeting's time and location A meeting's date The start and end times of a meeting Objectives of a meeting

Identify the factors that have an effect on a group member's status in an organization.

Age Race Gender Education level

A list of topics to be covered at a meeting is known as a(n) _____

Agenda

_____ is the extent to which group members stick together in an organization

Cohesiveness

Identify a true statement about organic organizations.

Each employee is flexible and multi-talented.

True or false: A team leader who acts as a coach for his or her team criticizes team members when they make mistakes.

False

_____ are groups set up by management to meet organizational objectives.

Formal groups

Identify a characteristic of an informal meeting.

It does not have a distributed agenda.

Identify a guideline that supervisors should adhere to in order to ensure that meetings are fruitful.

Rephrasing ideas that participants express

_____ is the second stage of team development in an organization.

Storming

For a supervisor in an organization, what is the most important characteristic of a group?

The group's effectiveness

Identify a factor that results in an individual taking on a role in an organization.

The individual's belief about how he or she is expected to behave

Identify a true statement about cohesive group members.

They abide by group norms even when under pressure to follow other norms.

Identify a true statement about team leaders who act as coaches for their teams.

They focus on how team members interact.

Which of the following is true of task groups in an organization?

They may operate for years with no definite end date.

Identify a true statement about formal groups in an organization.

They result from the management function of organizing.

Identify an advantage of teamwork in organizations.

They serve as motivators for employees.

Identify a true statement about small groups.

They tend to reach decisions faster.

True or false: For a supervisor, informal groups need to be effective only to the extent that they support organizational goals.

True

A common personal reason for individuals in an organization to join a group is to _____.

achieve their personal objectives

common goals

achieving goals in an organization becomes easier when other members have similar goals

In the forming stage of team development, it is important for supervisors to _____ .

allow time for thorough exploration of team members' roles

strength in numbers

being associated with other members in an organization provides individuals with a sense of confidence

closeness

being members of a group in an organization helps with the building of ties among people

When a supervisor is prepared to lead a meeting, but others are unprepared to participate, the supervisor should _____.

consider rescheduling the meeting

The most important reason for supervisors in an organization to call for a meeting is to _____.

convey news to a group of people when their feedback is important

A basic benefit of using work teams is that they _____.

enable an organization to increase its usage of expertise of all its employees

A team leader who can stimulate high-quality performance is one who focuses on _____.

enabling team members to do their best

During the forming phase of team development, team members will _____.

explore the different strengths of other team members

An increasing number of organizations are expanding group efforts by _____

forming teams

During the forming stage of team development, team members attempt to _____.

grasp what their role is on the team

A(n) ____ refers to two or more people who interact with one another, are aware of one another, and think of themselves as a unit.

group

The storming phase of team development in an organization is often perceived to be stressful because _____.

group members largely delineate exactly what each member's specific role will be

In an organization, a homogeneous group is one in which group members _____

have a lot in common

In the storming phase of team development, it is important for supervisors to _____.

highlight the long-term goal of a team

The term _____ refers to group standards for appropriate or acceptable behavior in an organization.

norms

A(n) _____ organization is one in which there is very little hierarchy.

organic

When participants digress from the main topic during a meeting, supervisors should try steering the discussion back on course by _____.

paying attention to the effects of particular kinds of behavior of the participants

In an organization, when a member of a group violates a norm, the group responds by _____.

pressuring the individual to conform

In the context of team leadership, enabling refers to _____.

providing employees with the resources they need to do their job

A feature of small groups in an organization is that they _____.

rely less on formal rules and procedures

The term _____ refers to patterns of behavior related to employees' positions in a group.

roles

In an organizational setting, _____ refers to a group member's position relative to others in the group.

status

One of the strategies that supervisors can use to make sure meetings are fruitful is to _____.

summarize key points at the end of each agenda item

In an organization, _____ are set up to carry out a specific activity and are disbanded when that activity has been completed.

task groups

A small group in an organization whose members share goals, commitment, and accountability for results is known as a ______.

team

The process of developing the ability of team members to work together to achieve common objectives is known as _____.

team building

For a growing number of organizations, _____ is the means to employee involvement.

teamwork

True or false: A meeting is appropriate when a supervisor wants a group to participate in decision making.

true