Guffey text Ch 2, Thill/Bovee text Ch 2, Robbins text Ch 8-9

1. Communicating in Teams Guffey text Ch 2, Thill/Bovee text Ch 2, Robbins text Ch 8-9

2. Why Use Teams? “Two together can accomplish more than two separately” • When is this statement true? • When is this statement not true?

3. Why Use Teams? • Better decisions • Faster response • Increased productivity • Greater “buy-in” • Less resistance to change • Improved employee morale • Reduced risks

4. Beware: Teams Aren’t Always the Answer Three tests: • Is the work complex, requiring different perspectives? • Does the work create a common purpose/set of goals? Is purpose as strong a motivator as existing individual goals? • Are group members involved in interdependent tasks?

5. Characteristics of Successful Teams • Small size, diverse makeup • Agreement on purpose • Agreement on procedures • Ability to deal with conflict • Use of good communication techniques • Ability to collaborate rather than compete • Shared leadership

6. 4 Stages of Team Development • FORMING • STORMING • NORMING • PERFORMING Teams can get stuck, or repeat stages.

7. Roles Played by Team Members Task Roles • Initiator • Information seeker/giver • Opinion seeker/giver • Direction giver • Summarizer • Diagnoser

8. Roles Played by Team Members • Energizer • Gatekeeper • Reality tester What kinds of statements might be made by these role players?

9. Roles Played by Team Members Relationship Roles • Participation encourager • Harmonizer/ tension reliever • Emotional climate evaluator • Praise giver • Empathic listener What kinds of statements might be made by these role players?

10. Roles Played by Team Members Dysfunctional Roles • Blocker • Attacker • Recognition-seeker • Joker • Withdrawer What kinds of statements might be made by these role players?

11. Skills for Team Leaders/Facilitators Task Relationships • Goal setting • Agenda making • Clarifying • Summarizing • Verbalizing consensus • Establishing work patterns • Following procedures

12. Skills for Team Leaders/Facilitators Interpersonal Relationships • Regulating participation • Maintaining positive climate • Maintaining mutual respect • Instigating group self-analysis • Resolving conflict • Instigating conflict

13. Conflict:Functional vs. Dysfunctional

14. Types of Conflict

15. Task Conflict • Low to moderate levels = functional • Positive effect on group performance when stimulates discussion

16. Relationship Conflict • Almost always dysfunctional • Increases personality clashes • Decreases understanding

17. Process Conflict • At low levels = functional • Becomes dysfunctional when • Creates uncertainty about task roles • Increases time to complete tasks • Leads to members working at cross-purposes

18. Conflict: When to Call the Boss • Conflict source is external to team • Dysfunctional task or process conflict remains unresolved • team applies conflict management process • no immediate and sustained improvement • Relationship conflict remains unresolved or creates hostile workplace environment

19. Discussion: Communication Matters • Workplace Communication

20. Managing Conflict • Conflict management styles • Six-step procedure for managing conflict • Dealing with avoidance • Group decision-making methods

21. Conflict Management Styles

22. Conflict Style: Avoiding • Behaviors • Avoiding people you find troublesome • Avoiding issues that are unimportant, complex, or dangerous • Postponing discussion until later

23. Benefits Reducing stress Saving time Steering clear of danger Setting up more favorable conditions Costs Declining working relationships Resentment Delays Degraded communication and decision making Conflict Style: Avoiding

24. Conflict Style: Competing • Behaviors • Imposing of dictating a decision • Arguing for a conclusion that fits your data • Hard bargaining (making no concessions)

25. Benefits Asserting your position Quick victory potential Self-defense Testing assumptions Costs Strained work relationships Suboptimal decisions Decreased initiative and motivation Possible escalation of 4 horsemen Conflict Style: Competing

26. Conflict Style Accommodating • Behaviors • Doing a favor to help someone • Being persuaded • Obeying an authority • Deferring to another’s expertise • Appeasing someone who is dangerous

27. Benefits Helping someone out Restoring harmony Building relationships Choosing a quick ending Costs Sacrificed concerns Loss of respect Loss of motivation Conflict Style: Accommodating

28. Conflict Style: Compromising • Behaviors • Soft bargaining (exchanging concessions) • Taking turns • Moderating your conclusions

29. Benefits Pragmatism Speed and expediency Fairness Maintaining relationships Costs Partially sacrificed concerns Suboptimal solutions Superficial understandings Conflict Style: Compromising

30. Conflict Style: Collaborating • Behaviors • Reconciling interests through a win-win solution • Combining insights into a richer understanding

31. Benefits High-quality decisions Learning and communication Resolution and commitment Strengthening relationships Costs Time and energy required Psychological demands Possibility of offending Vulnerability risk Conflict Style: Collaborating

32. Six-Step Procedure for Managing Conflict Goal: Collaborate or Compromise • Listen • Understand the other point of view • Show concern for the relationship • Look for common ground • Invent new problem-solving options • Reach a fair agreement

33. Dealing with Avoidance Clear the air If you’re on a team with someone who seems consistently irritated, a martyr, or passive-aggressive: • Ask for a private meeting • Solicit feedback • Listen without interrupting and with an open mind • Request permission to respond with equal openness

34. Group Decision-Making Methods • Majority (vote) • Consensus (buy-in) • Minority (subgroup recommendation) • Averaging (compromise) • Authority rule with input What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?

35. Productive Meetings

36. Is a Meeting Necessary? • Topic is important • Need for input/decision is urgent • Requires an exchange of ideas A meeting is not necessary when: • Objective=distribute information • No immediate feedback required

37. Productive Meetings Before the meeting • Invite the right people • those who have information • those who make decisions • those who implement decisions • Distribute an agenda • essential for introverts • include required pre-meeting preparation

38. Productive Meetings During the Meeting • Establish ground rules • Assign facilitator role • Start on time (watch socializing) • Introduce agenda, add items if needed or put on “parking lot” • Appoint a recorder • Encourage balanced participation • Confront conflict frankly • Summarize points of consensus

39. Productive Meetings Ending the meeting • End on time • Review meeting decisions • Remind people of action items (identify who will do what by when) Following up • Distribute minutes of meeting • Absentees (for record) • list of decisions • action items

40. Organizing Team-Based Written and Oral Presentations • See text (p. 53-55) • See consulting project on web site • See boss (Loescher) Goal: Successful, meaningful, and FUN project

41. The End