Chapter 8

1. Chapter 8 Working in Teams

2. Quotes to start…. • “Getting’ good players is easy. Getting’em to play together is the hard part.”-Casey Stangel • “We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”-Benjamin Franklin

3. Teams • Project teams-work on a specific task, for a finite period of time • Service teams-support customers or employees • Management teams-work collaboratively on a daily basis within organizations to fulfill their missions • Action teams-offer immediate response, usually in emergency situations

4. What is a Work Group? -A work group is a small, interdependent collection of people with a common identity who interact with one another, USUALLY face-to-face over time, to reach a goal.

5. Characteristics of Work Groups • Size • Interaction • Shared purpose • Interdependence • Regular interaction/communication • Identity

6. Profile of Winning Teams • Clear and inspiring shared goals • A results-driven structure • Competent team members • Unified commitment • Collaborative climate • Standards of excellence • External support and recognition • Principal leadership

7. Virtual Teams • Strive for face-to-face time • Put communication on agenda • Be mindful of time zone differences • Use time zones to the groups’ advantage • Keep a personal touch • Consider using “back channels” • Do a trial run of technology • Seek input from ALL members • Be aware of cultural differences in communication styles

8. Leadership Approaches • Trait approach-all leaders possess common traits that lead to their effectiveness • Style approach-can a leader choose a way of communicating that would increase effectiveness? • Contingency approach-changes from one situation to another

9. Style Approach • Authoritarian-uses legitimate, coercive, and reward power at their disposal to control members • Democratic-inviting members to help make decisions • Laissez-faire-designated leader gives up the power or that position and transforms the group into a leaderless collection of equals

10. Life-cycle theory • Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard suggest that a leader’s concern for tasks and relationships ought to vary, depending on the readiness of the subordinate(s)to work independently.

11. How to emerge as a group leader • Participate early and often • Demonstrate your competence • Don’t push too hard • Provide a solution in a time of crisis

12. Designated leader-the boss, the chairperson, coach, or manager who has formal authority and responsibility to supervise the task at hand • Self-directed work teams-responsible for managing their own behavior to get a task done

13. Types of power • Position power-ability to influence because of the position held • Coercive power-the power to punish • Reward power-the ability to reward • Expert power-group’s recognition of a member’s expertise in that area • Referent power-how others in the group feel about that person • Information power-influence because of information held • Connection power-who you know

14. Dewey’s reflective-thinking sequence • Define the problem • Analyze the problem • Establish criteria for a solution • Consider possible solutions to the problem • Decide on a solution • Implement the solution • Follow-up on the solution

15. Stages of group forming • Orientation phase (forming) • Conflict phase (storming) • Emergence phase (norming) • Reinforcement phase (performing) • *sometimes groups can be stuck in one phase, NEVER progressing

16. Roles within group • Functional roles-involve functions that are necessary for the group to do its job • Task roles-play an important part in getting the job done • Relational roles-help keep the interaction between members smoothly • *Page 255 Table 8-3 Functional Roles of Group Members

17. Decision –making methods • Consensus • Majority • Minority • Expert • authority

18. Choice of Decision-making method • What type of decision is being made? • How important is the decision? • How much time is available? • What are the personal relationships among members?

19. Personal Goals • Individual goals-goals that members hold in addition to group goals • Hidden agendas-personal goals that are not made public, may be beneficial or harmful

20. norms • Norms are informal, often unstated rules for appropriate behavior within a group. • Create desirable norms early • Comply with established norms whenever possible

21. Cohesiveness • Cohesiveness is the degree to which members feel themselves part of a group and want to remain in that group. • Seven factors to promote optimal cohesiveness: • Shared or compatible goals • Progress toward goals • Shared norms or values • Minimal feelings of threat among members • Interdependence among members • Competition from outside of the group • Shared group experiences

22. groupthink • According to Irving Janis groupthink is when too much agreement occurs among group members. • Characteristics of groups that succumb to groupthink are: • The illusion that the group is invulnerable • The group has a tendency to rationalize or discount negative information • A willingness to ignore ethical or moral consequences • Group holds stereotypical views of other groups • There is group pressure to conform • Members self-censor • Group holds an illusion of unanimity • “Mindguards” against threatening information

23. brainstorming • An approach that encourages free thinking and minimizes conformity. • How to brainstorm: • Generate possible solutions • Eliminate duplicate ideas • Evaluate ideas