CHAPTER 6 DEVELOPING TEAMWORK SKILLS. 2 Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e Andrew J. DuBrin © 2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

CHAPTER 6

DEVELOPING TEAMWORK SKILLS

2Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/eAndrew J. DuBrin

© 2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson EducationUpper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

TECHNICAL MEANING OF TEAM

A special type of group. Members have complementary

skills. Members are committed to

a) common purposeb) set of performance goals, andc) approach to the task.

As a result of these characteristics, the members work together smoothly.



FEATURES OF FACE-TO-FACE (TRADITIONAL)

TEAMS

Take some of the responsibility for their own work.

Members work together on an ongoing basis.

Team often given total responsibility for an entire product or service.

Mutual trust contributes to team effectiveness.



USEFUL TEAM SKILLS

1. Speaking effectively2. Fostering open communication3. Listening to others4. Delivering presentations5. Preparing written communication6. Acting with integrity7. Demonstrating adaptability



8. Engaging in personal development9. Striving for results10. Displaying a commitment to work11. Innovating solutions to problems12. Using sound judgment13. Analyzing issues14. Knowing the business

Useful Team Skills, continued



15. Using technical/functional expertise16. Using financial/quantitative data17. Recognizing “big picture” impact18. Promoting corporate citizenship19. Focusing on customer needs20. Commitment to quality21. Managing profitability

Not expected to have all these skills at once!

Useful Team Skills, concluded



FEATURES OF A VIRTUAL TEAM

Collaborative work done electronically Groupware often used to conduct

electronic meetings Webcams are useful for interaction Team members are often

geographically dispersed Office-bound workers may resent

those who work at home Need to trust workers you rarely see



ADVANTAGES OF GROUP WORK AND TEAMWORK

Synergy—group’s total output exceeds the sum of individual contributions.

Work accomplishment and high productivity—without groups, organization could not get its work accomplished.

Acceptance and commitment—contributors to decision feel some ownership about its implementation.



Avoidance of major errors—evaluation of other’s thinking helps avoid major errors.

Increased job satisfaction—more needs are satisfied than working alone, such as needs for affiliation, security, self-esteem, and self-fulfillment.

Worker satisfaction is also enhanced because many people find working in groups to be a natural way of life.

Advantages of Group Work, concluded



DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP WORK AND

TEAMWORK Time wasting—too much talk, and too

little action. Pressure toward conformity—members

face pressures to conform, sometimes to mediocre performance standards.

Shirking of individual responsibility (social loafing)—under-motivated person can often squeeze by without contributing his or her fair share to group effort.



Fostering of conflict—members may bicker about doing unwanted tasks; groups may develop dislike of other groups.

Groupthink—judgment suffers for the sake of solidarity; an extreme form of consensus; group loses its power of critical analysis.

To overcome these problems, act like a team and perform tasks that require collective effort.

Disadvantages of Group Work, concluded



SYMPTOMS OF CONFORMITY TO THE TEAM

(SAQ 6-3)

1. I rarely question the decision reached by the team.

2. Whatever the group wants is fine with me.

3. I consider myself to be one of the gang.

4. I rarely express disagreement during a group discussion.



5. I routinely have lunch with other members of the team.

6. My preference is to piggyback on the ideas of others rather than to contribute ideas of my own.

7. When I notice that other members of the team make the same speech error, I will copy them rather than sound different.

8. I am particularly careful not to criticize an idea submitted by a team leader.

Symptoms of Conformity to Team, continued



9. The number of hours I work per week corresponds closely to the number of hours worked by my teammates.

10. I would rather keep my mouth closed than point out weaknesses in a teammate’s ideas.

11. When the team laughs at a comment, I laugh also even if I don’t think the comment was funny.

12. Most of my social life centers around activities with my teammates.

Symptoms of Conformity to Team, concluded



CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE WORK GROUP

(Figure 6-1)

1. Clear-cut goals linked to organizational goals

2. Group members are empowered3. Challenging, exciting, and rewarding

work for group members4. Mutual dependency for goal

attainment5. Diversity including education,

experience, and cultural background



6. Members trained in technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and interpersonal skills

7. Part of pay related to team or group incentives

8. About 6 members rather than 10 or more

9. Members have good intelligence and personality factors, such as conscientiousness

10. Honest and open communication among group members and with other groups

Effective Work Group, continued



11. Philosophy of working as a team (6 brains, not just 12 hands)

12. Members familiar with their jobs, coworkers, and the work environment

13. Emotional intelligence in terms of building relationships inside and outside the group

14. Stronger performers assist weaker performers in accomplishing their tasks, particularly the “weakest link”

Effective Work Group, concluded



TEAM MEMBER ROLES Role is a tendency to behave,

contribute, and relate to others in a particular way.

Carry out positive roles to be perceived as contributor.

Person who neglects to carry out these roles will be perceived as poor contributor.

Nine key member roles are presented in following slides:



NINE TEAM MEMBER ROLES

1. Creative problem solver (creative, imaginative, unorthodox)

2. Resource investigator (extravert who explores opportunities)

3. Coordinator (mature, confident, natural team leader)

4. Shaper (challenging and dynamic)5. Monitor-evaluator (big thinker who

sees options)



6. Team worker (cooperative, sensitive, and diplomatic)

7. Implementer (disciplined and efficient)

8. Completer-finisher (anxious to get job done)

9. Specialist (dedicated, has rare knowledge and skill)

All roles can have downside, and members will sometimes engage in self-oriented roles.

Team member roles, concluded



SELF-ORIENTED TEAM ROLES

Focuses on own needs rather than those of group

Overly aggressive to pursue own goals

Hunger for recognition or power Dominates meeting, blocking others

from contributing Creates a distraction, such as taking

personal phone calls



GUIDELINES FOR INTERPERSONAL ASPECTS OF

TEAM PLAY Trust team members (cornerstone

attitude of outstanding team player). Display a higher level of cooperation

and collaboration (the meaning of teamwork).

Recognize the interests and achievements of others (let others know that you care).

Give and receive helpful criticism (be diplomatic, sometimes by asking questions; be open to feedback).



Share the glory (even if the most deserving, share praise and other rewards).

Take care not to rain on another person’s parade (belittling the achievements of others brings about tension and anger; suppress your feelings of petty jealousy).

Interpersonal Aspects of Team Play, concluded



ACHIEVING A COOPERATIVE TEAM SPIRIT

Make the first move, such as asking somebody for input.

Target the most individualistic, least cooperative member of the group.

Minimize confrontation. Explain any reason for disagreements. Look for a workable way to integrate

both ideas when disagreement surfaces.



GIVING AND RECEIVING HELPFUL CRITICISM ON THE

TEAM

Offer constructive criticism, but be diplomatic.

Keep ratio of criticism to praise small. Criticize the person’s work, not the

person. Ask a question rather than making a

declarative statement. Be open to feedback yourself.



GUIDELINES FOR THE TASK ASPECTS OF TEAM PLAY

Provide technical expertise (or knowledge of the task).

Assume responsibility for problems. See the big picture (“What are we

trying to accomplish?”). Believe in consensus (general

acceptance of a decision by the group).

Focus on deadlines (people vary on importance of deadlines).



Help team members do their job better (show how to make needed improvements).

Be a good organizational citizen (help out beyond the requirements of your job description).

A key research finding covered in this chapter is that teamwork processes are associated with team member performance and satisfaction.

Task Aspects of Team Play, concluded

Documents

CHAPTER 6 DEVELOPING TEAMWORK SKILLS. 2 Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e Andrew J. DuBrin © 2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education