Team Dynamics

1. TeamDynamics

2. Teams • What is a team? • What makes a team effective? • What makes a team defective? • Why teams? • Stages of team/group development

3. What groups/teams do you belong to?

4. What are Teams? • Groups of two or more people • Interact and influence each other • Are mutually accountable for achieving common objectives • Perceive themselves as a social entity

5. What makes a team effective Great Groups vs “Not Great” Groups How do we define effective?

6. Types of Teams Permanent teams • Team-based departments • Self-directed teams Task forces • Temporary teams that investigate a problem Skunkworks • Temporary teams • Formed spontaneously, using borrowed resources, to develop products or solve problems

7. Virtual Teams • Cross-functional teams that operate across space, time and organizational boundaries using electronic technology • Increasingly possible because of: • Technology • Knowledge-based work • Increasingly necessary because of: • Globalization • Knowledge management • Need for team work

8. Why Informal Groups Exist • Relatedness Needs • Fulfil need for social interaction • Social identity • Goal accomplishment • Emotional support

9. Organizational and Team Environment Team Design Team Effectiveness • Reward systems • Communication systems • Physical space • Organizational environment • Organizational structure • Organizational leadership • Task characteristics • Team size • Team composition • Achieve organizational goals • Satisfy member needs • Maintain team survival Team Processes • Team development • Team norms • Team roles • Team cohesiveness Team Effectiveness Model

10. Team Processes: Design Elements • Task characteristics • Better when tasks are clear, easy to implement • Task interdependence • Share common inputs, processes, or outcomes • Team size • Smaller teams are better • But large enough to accomplish task • Team composition • Members motivated/competent to perform task in a team environment • Team diversity

11. Performing Norming Storming Existing teams might regress back to an earlier stage of development Adjourning Stages of Team Development Forming

12. Day 12: Peer pressure begins Day 28: Employee has doubled performance Day 20: Employee begins working alone Day 1: Employee begins job with team 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 Conformity to Team Norms 100 75 Units Pressed per Hour 50 25 0 Production Days

13. Changing Team Norms 1. Introduce norms when team formed 2. Select members with preferred norms 3. Discuss counterproductive norms 4. Rewards to support desired behaviours 5. Disband the team

14. Causes of Team Cohesiveness Member Similarity Team Cohesiveness External Challenges Member Interaction Team Success Team Size Somewhat Difficult Entry

15. Team Cohesiveness Outcomes Members of cohesive teams: • Want to remain members • Willing to share information • Strong interpersonal bonds • Want to support each other • Resolve conflict effectively • More satisfied and experience less stress J. Major, Ottawa Citizen

16. Cohesiveness and Performance Moderately High Task Performance High Task Performance Team Norms Support Firm’s Goals Moderately Low Task Performance Low Task Performance Team Norms Oppose Firm’s Goals Low Team Cohesiveness High Team Cohesiveness

17. The Trouble With Teams • Individuals better/faster on some tasks • Process losses — cost of developing and maintaining teams • Companies don’t support best work environment for team dynamics • Social loafing

18. Conditions for Social Loafing • Low task interdependence • Individual output not visible • Routine, uninteresting tasks • Low task significance • Low collectivist values

19. Types of Team Building • Role definition • Interpersonal process • Goal setting • Problem solving