Communications for Business

1. Communications for Business Lecture 7: Working In Teams

2. Learning Objectives • Understand different types of groups and teams • Understand different team member profiles • Appreciate varying team behaviours

3. Introduction • The ability to work effectively as a team member is a vital skill • All organisations use teams to “get the job done”

4. Different Types of Teams • Potential Team • Group assigned a task – trying to work together, but lack of focus and frustration. Often happens in academic project teams! • Real team • Group assigned a task – all members committed and mutually supportive. High probability of success. • High-Performance Team • Group assigned a task – all members committed and are aware of each others strengths (and weaknesses!)

5. Achieve The Task • Define the task • Allocate roles and responsibilities • Make a plan • Divide up work • Identify resources • Check performance against plan • Adjust plan if necessary

6. Maintain The Team • Encourage others towards the group goals • Enable effective internal communications • Develop each other’s capabilities and skills • Maintain discipline • Build team spirit • Listen to each other

7. Develop Individuals • Recognise and use your own skills • Assist and support others • Understand members as individuals • Give constructive feedback to individuals • Deal with difficult members • Encourage quiet members • Value all members’ views and opinions

8. Team Profiles Source: Price & Maier (2007) Activist: doing Reflector: reviewing Concrete Thinker Enjoys the present. Flexible & open to new experiences. You act first – think later. Activity often centred around you. You don’t like working on your own or following precise instructions Cautious – holds back & observes first. Happy collecting & analysing data. Slow to commit to a solution. Able to maintain the ‘big picture’ perspective. Problems with deadlines because you don’t like to be rushes Active Person Reflective Person Like thinking through problems in a logical & rational way. Very objective & weigh up evidence. Like structured situations & clear purpose. Dislike activities with unclear focus. Less happy working with others with different learning styles - or discussing your feelings. Enjoy putting theories & techniques into practice. Work confidently with ideas & put them to work for self and/or team. Need to see immediate benefit – less happy with theoretical. Uncomfortable with unfocused discussions Pragmatist: planning Abstract Thinker Theorist: conclusion

9. Class Activity • Work in groups of about 5 • Consider the “Team Profiles” model on slide 5. Which of these profiles fits you personally? What impact do you think this will have on your contributions to team working? • 10 minutes • Feedback to the class • 5 minutes

10. Planning Action - 1 • Understand the task that has been allocated to the group • Agree what needs to be done, by when and in what way • Divide the whole task into sub-tasks • Allocate team members to sub-tasks • Set timetables • Set milestones

11. Planning Action - 2 • Decide how you will run meetings • How often • Minute taking • Minute storing • Decisions taken • Actions set

12. Planning Action - 3 • Decide reporting procedures • Plans for revising the overall “plan of action”, record keeping and minutes of meetings • Plan for how you will handle conflict between team members • Plan how to present your work

13. Agreeing Decisions • All Agree • Everyone has to agree before a decision is taken (usually not practical) • General Agreement • Alignment of the team as a whole with the goals set. Usually the most practical way of agreeing on actions • Majority • Democratic vote – needs more than 50% to agree a decision • Be careful – this can cause problems in the team!

14. Behaviours For Task Needs • Clarifying objectives • Seeking information from group members • Giving relevant information • Proposing ideas • Building on ideas offered by others • Summarising progress so far • Evaluating progress against objectives • Time keeping • Allocating responsibility for action • Setting up a review • Plus lots of others …

15. Behaviours For Group Needs • Encouraging members to contribute • Rewarding contribution with praise • Checking you have understood a point • Helping to resolve conflict • Changing your position in light of new arguments or new information • Helping to control those who talk too much • Praising group progress towards objectives • Plus lots of others …

16. Interfering Behaviour • Talking too much • Focusing attention on oneself • Reacting emotionally • Attacking others people’s points of view • Not listening to others • Interrupting others • Having private discussions during a meeting • Making fun of other group members or their opinions • Withdrawing from group discussions • Plus many others …

17. Different Abilities • There are different learning styles • Be aware of your own learning style • Remember how it influences behaviour • Remember other people are different to you

18. Other Factors • Different stress levels • Be alert to your own • Be aware of other members’ stress triggers • Different levels of motivation for team work • Be alert to your own • Be aware of others’ motivation levels

19. Cultural Differences • Different people (and cultures) have different approaches to learning • Different people (and cultures) have different styles of interpersonal interaction • Different people (and cultures) have different attitudes towards behaviour in public

20. Group Lifecycle - 1 • Forming • Individuals trying to establish identity within the group • Behaviour often tentative and ‘polite’ • Leadership pattern starts to emerge • Storming • Personal agendas emerge • Politeness replaced by fierce battles! May destroy the group • BUT – if conflict is constructive it can generate commitment and trust

21. Group Lifecycle - 2 • Norming • After the storm, patterns begin to emerge • Acceptable behaviour is established and ‘rules’ for how the group will operate are established • Performing • The group now really starts to perform well – provided all necessary roles are being filled • Adjourning • The group dissolves so that members can move on to other things

22. Class Activity • Work in groups of about 5 • Why do you think a team needs to “form” and “storm” before they can “perform”? • 10 minutes • Feedback to the class • 5 minutes

23. Conclusions • Operating effectively as a member of a team is an important life skill • Teams are collections of individuals – it is important to remember that • Teams need to manage themselves effectively if they are to achieve their targets • Teams go through ‘forming’, ‘storming’ and ‘norming’ stages before they can perform

24. References • Payne & Whittaker “Developing Essential Study Skills”, 2nd Edition, FT Prentice Hall, ISBN: 978-1405840873 • Cottrell “The Study Skills Handbook”, 3rd Edition, Pallgrave Macmillan, ISBN: 978-0230573055 • Price & Maier “Effective Study Skills: Essential Skills for Academic and Career Success”, Prentice Hall, ISBN: 978-1405840736 • Cameron “The Business Students Handbook: Skills for Study and Employment”, 5th Edition, FT Prentice Hall, ISBN: 978-0273730712

25. Lecture 7 – Working In Teams Any Questions?