Building a Team

1. Building a Team Jeff Hornsby, Ph.D., SPHR Department of Management Ball State University 765.285.5306 Jhornsby@bsu.edu

2. Learning Objectives • To define the concept of a work team • To provide a brief overview of work teams • To describe team implementation issues

3. The Abilene Paradox • What could have been done to avoid the situation? • Has there ever been an Abilene Paradox at your organization? Your own personal life?

4. What is a Team? • Break into small groups and define the concept of “work team”

5. Exercise: Work Team Self Assessment • Where do you fall?

6. Work Teams Defined... • The basic tenet of work teams is that jobs and organizations should be designed around processes instead of functions and that the basic production unit should be the team and not the individual.

7. Work Teams Defined… • Fully mature work teams set their own work goals and perform all the tasks associated with the work process.

8. Work Teams Defined… • Remember, teams/groups are formed for SYNERGY. That is--to accomplish more than individuals can accomplish separately.

9. How does the team concept work in your organization? • Factors that lead to success of teams? • Factors that lead to failure of teams?

10. Successful Results from the Use of Work Teams • Xerox • P&G • Crayola • Blue Cross of CA • AT&T • Shenandoah Life Teams

11. Dysfunctional Teams Exercise and Video

12. The Transition to Work Teams: A Model of Group Formation • Forming stage • Storming stage • Initial integration stage (Norming) • Total integration stage (Performing) • Adjourning stage

13. Levels of Work Team Implementation: One Size Does Not Fit All! • Project/Problem Solving Teams • Matrix/Cross-functional Teams (These are temporary teams) • Semi-autonomous Teams(permament teams, ie manufact, sales, some formal structure, usually there is a leader or a facilitator, but are full integrated into the structure. They are somewhat self regulated • Self-directed/Autonomous Teams (Usally found in very professional settings such as tehcinal teams involving research such as at Eli Illy ) Very rarely do you see a flly autonomous teams.

14. Key Elements of Work Teams...

15. Commitment • Top management support. • Critical during the forming and storming stages • Commitment does not mean control!!! • …

16. Training and Development • A commitment to both technical and interpersonal training

17. Information Resources • Need to have access to necessary information on productivity, quality, etc. Reports

18. Reward Systems • Probably the most difficult component. • How do you measure team performance? • How do you deal with the individual?

19. Patience and Trust--The team learning curve

20. Common Barriers to Implementation

21. Resistance to change • “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you always got!”

22. Work Context • Work teams are not appropriate to all work situations such as highly specialized functions. • 25-30 percent of workers do not want to be “empowered”

23. When Should a Group be Used for Decision Making? High Include those affected and experts Include those affected Need for Acceptance Make the decision yourself Include Experts Low High Need for Quality

24. Management Indulgence • The failure to provide proper direction. • Teams are often highly motivated but lack clear direction. • Empowerment does not mean abandonment!

25. Impatience • Teams are not immediately effective. • Remember the team learning curve?

26. Interpersonal Conflict • Status differences • Role relationships • Work sequencingfacilitator should be the person who manages conflicts between groups.

27. Employee Security • When a company moves to fully self-directed teams, some employees feel that their jobs will be rendered obsolete.

28. Employee Relations • Trust • Policies • Reinforcement System

29. The Future of Work Teams • Teams mobilize the human element. • Teams improve the quality of decisions made. • Requires a long-term business focus for teams to reach maturity • Determine what level of team involvement is appropriate.

30. Movie: The Flight of the Buffalo

31. Ten Questions to Ask About Your Team... • Are the leader/facilitator’s expectations clear to everyone? • Are members’ expectation for each other well communicated? • Are you a cohesive and integrated team? • Do members help each other appropriately, giving feedback on how their behavior affects each other’s effectiveness? Are members honest with each other? • Does the team have all the skills and abilities it needs to do the job?

32. Ten Questions to Ask About Your Team... • Is each member doing his or her utmost to help you? • Does the team communicate well with others? • As a group, do you place a high priority on developing each other? • Is each member involved in decision making? • Are you satisfied as a member of this team?

33. Facilitator Problem solver Motivator Coach/Mentor Listener Empowerment Participatory Decision Making Communicator Resource seeker Understand change Some Characteristics of Good Team Leaders

34. Closing Comments and Questions

35. The Challenge!!! “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got.” GROUP THINK VIDEO • Illusion of invulnerability.

36. GROUP THINK VIDEO Illusion of invulnerability Inherent morality of the group Rationalization Stereotypes of outsider Self censorship Direct Pressure Mindguarding (discouraging others from speaking their mind, or supression of documents) Illusion of Unanimity: (Members are encouraged to “Get with the program”)

37. GROUP THINK VIDEO Critical evaluator role Avoid being too directive. Foster open cliemate for discussion Avoid insulating the group from outside critisim

38. FISH VIDEO *BE THERE *CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE *PLAY *Make Their day *