Effective Team Building Strategies for Diverse Work Environments

1. TEAMS - 3 Types • Work Teams/Functional Teams (1) • Teams that form natural work units Most logical teams to create: • Existing units/regional units • Used to individual work • Often perform common interdependent work HED 362 – L. Good

2. TEAMS - 3 Types • Task Teams/Cross-Functional (2) • Teams that address a specific problem or opportunity • Usually cross-functional • Less problematic than work teams • No different organizational structure • May fail to look beyond the team members for input HED 362 – L. Good

3. Cross-Functional - Design Issues • Power Level- mix of people • need more levels (position power) for implementation-oriented team • Disposition of members toward problem solving and collaboration • need more able problem solvers when there is time pressure and problems are controversial HED 362 – L. Good

4. Cross-Functional - Design Issues • Amount of time to address the issue • need more time with more innovative solutions • Task specificity • need more defined outcomes when tasks are more controversial or strategic HED 362 – L. Good

5. TEAMS - 3 Types • Management Teams/Self-Managed (3) • Teams drawn from people who direct operational or organizational units • Most difficult teams to develop • Achievements of team add to value of the organization • Members must leave functional identities at the door HED 362 – L. Good

6. TEAMS - 3 Types • Management Teams cont. • Must do real work together • Take on tasks that inspire and integrate work of organization • Build a vision, refine the culture, improve morale or image, carry our major initiatives HED 362 – L. Good

7. Task Force Activity • 6-10 members on each team • Deal the deck of 30 cards out so that each member has 3-5 cards • No passing cards between members • No showing cards to other members • Only one member can write • You have 20-30 minutes HED 362 – L. Good

8. Task Force Activity • Group result - spokesperson? • What helped in this exercise? • What Hindered? • How did leadership work? • How did communication work? HED 362 – L. Good

9. Task Force Activity • Who grows apples? • Who drives a truck? • How confident are you? HED 362 – L. Good

10. Task Force Activity • Who grows apples? • Hull • Who drives a truck? • Skinner HED 362 – L. Good

11. Skill Sets • Problem solving • Interpersonal • Technical HED 362 – L. Good

12. Problem Solving Skills • Assures that team members know how to define and address problems and to reach wise decisions • Thinking • Ability to conceptualize issues • Creativity • Ability to generate options HED 362 – L. Good

13. Problem Solving Skills • Discussion • Ability to pursue a discovery process • Decisiveness • Ability to formulate and explain decisions • Implementation • Ability to follow through with plans and details HED 362 – L. Good

14. Interpersonal Skills • Assures that team members work together and develop a sense of affiliation among members • Facilitation • Ability to keep the discussion focused and moving • Influencing • Ability to rephrase proposals to meet team member needs HED 362 – L. Good

15. Interpersonal Skills • Listening • Ability to capture the essence of ideas • Support • Ability to draw out ideas from others • Visioning • Ability to carry team members through the valleys of the decision making process HED 362 – L. Good

16. Technical Skills • Assures substantive knowledge, access to detailed information about the issue, and experience to put the current issues into context • Discovery • Ability to search out needed information • Organization • Ability to collect and present information in a useful manner HED 362 – L. Good

17. Technical Skills • Analysis • Ability to interpret information • Synthesis • Ability to combine info for complete meaning/prioritize issues • Clarification • Ability to differentiate between key and secondary information HED 362 – L. Good