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Teamwork and managing conflicts. Zsuzsa Czobor Senior Lecturer OB, Leadership IMC Graduate School of Management. Team effectiveness. research into team effectiveness by M. Belbin Cambridge: Industrial Training Research Unit at Henley Adminsitrative Staff College
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Teamwork and managing conflicts Zsuzsa Czobor Senior Lecturer OB, Leadership IMC Graduate School of Management
Team effectiveness • research into team effectiveness by M. Belbin • Cambridge: Industrial Training Research Unit at Henley Adminsitrative Staff College • teams of 6 played Teamopoly, a computer aided game modelling business challenges • success was measured by earnings or profit • members were selceted by IQ and personality tests • teams were observed
The Apollo Teams • Highly intelligent, excellent analytical and critical thinkers • Only 3 out of 25 won against other teams • Competing against 8 companies, they landed 6 times at place #6, and 4 times at place #4
The Apollo teams: decision making • consisted of highly individualistic members • wasted a lot of time in futile arguments • reached decisions more slowly • decisions were less likely to be followed • were destroyed by intellectual competition
The Apollo Teams: operation • considered problem-solving the most valuable and important activity • neglected routine jobs and general housekeeping • had narrow perspective of team effectiveness • learnt less than other teams from the exercise
MBA teams prone to Apollo syndrome • equally high IQ and analytical skills • similar domains of expertise • strong intellectual competitiveness • less value attached to housekeeping and organization
Successful Apollo teams • selected their own members • chose members with complementing domains of exeprtise, so they became interdependent • refused intelligent but difficult members • there was no other dominant person but the Chairman(Leader)
Team leadership When the Chairman (Leader) was too bright: • held all dicsussion in close control • actively solved all the problems • was faster than others and often left the team behind • found flaw in others’ thinking very quickly • Chairman’s brightness intimidated the team • was left alone in the implementation phase
Team leadership When the Chairman (Leader) was not very bright (less than average) • often lost and stayed out of the discussions • was often indicisive and hesitant • had no confidence in resolving conflicts or maintain discipline
Team leadership The most successful Chairmen had average intellectual abilites • they were on the same wavelangth with the team • quickly recognised and utilized bright people and their ideas • did not feel inferior for not being the brightest • had enough self confidence to make decision
Successful Chairmen In addition to average intellect, the succesful Chairman had the following personality traits: • trust in people • strong, moral commitment • extraverted opennes and enthusiasm • propensity to calm, almost laid-back demeanor • self-control
Successful team leaders ‘Are patient enough to listen to everybody but are strong enough not to adopt their suggestions.’
Is yours a winning team? • What’s the Chairman’s (Leader’s) personality? • How evenly is the level of intelligence spread across the team? • Is there a Plant in the team? • Do team memebrs have copmplentary areas of expertise? • Is there a balance amongst the members in roles and responsibilites?
Plant Resource investigator Co-ordinator Shaper Monitor, evaluator Teamworker Implementer Completer Specialist Belbin’s nine team roles
Confronting lack of motivation • AL is not a run-of-the-mill course • it is not ‘elegant’ to show lack of motivation, lack of commitment • basic criteria to be admitted on the Masters in Org. Consulting in Ashridge, UK: motivation in a peer learning community • Don’t put up with it!
Confronting opposing views • Condition yourself to see conflicts natural in human interaction • Give credit for valuable points • Ask rather than tell • Offer your views as possible options • Invite the other party to find joint outcomes • Look for coalition or the Chairman’s help
Avoid • Refusing an idea without giving reasons • Being sarcastic • Threatening • Rolling your eyes • Questioning the person’s mental state • Storming out of the room
Confronting aggressive behaviour • Don’t respond immediately, cool down • Respond calmly • State how you feel • Define the conflict as a mutual problem • Refer to the overriding interests of the team • Ask other members to help resolve the conflict