Building Effective Teams

Building Effective Teams The Essential Pyramid By Brenda Olesuk, Firm Administrator – Meyers Brothers Kalicka, PC

Definition of a Team: • A group of interacting individuals sharing a common goal and the responsibility of achieving it. -- The Quality Assurance Project’s definition of team • A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable -- The Wisdom of Team, J.R. Katzenbach and D.K. Smith

Qualities of a Good Team Member

Qualities of a Good Team Member • Honest and Open • Dependable • Trustworthy • Flexible • Respectful • Sharing • Competencies – Has something to offer • Will Sacrifice • Supportive • Surrenders Own Ego • Offers Feedback • No “Back Door” Attitude

Model for Effective Team Building

Trust – Lubricant & Glue • Trust as a lubricant: The substance that reduces friction • Trust as glue: The substance that keeps us together • Trust is the most essential element of healthy, productive teams • Trusted/trusting members: • Get to know one another • Exhibit supportive behavior • Say what they mean, mean what they say – aren’t mean when they say it • Aren’t afraid to admit their mistakes or weaknesses • Are willing to listen without judgment or predisposition

Conflict – Open Exchange of Ideas • Unmanaged Conflict is the Ultimate Productivity Robber! • Good conflict is the unfiltered and passionate debate of ideas. The focus is on the idea, problem or challenge, not the individual. • Conflict occurs when the concerns or ideas of two or more people appear to be incompatible. When this happens, there are five specific methods of dealing with the situation:

Competing • Power-oriented behavior • Winning one’s own position • Psychological drive for success • Gain status, pride, respect and acceptance of others

Collaboration • Often called “team work” • Collective rather than individual • Effort to reach goals and solve common problems • Attempts to work with others to find a solution which satisfies the concerns of all parties

Compromise • Key element for good relationships • Middle ground between assertiveness and cooperation • Characterized by integration of ideas, opinions and feelings • Mutually acceptable settlement in which each side gives up some demands or makes some concessions

Avoidance • Fails to address conflict • Degree of procrastination or reluctance to challenge or confront uncomfortable situations

Accommodation • Opposite of competing • Using this behavior often means neglecting own concerns to satisfy needs of others • Self-sacrificial • Ability to say “I’m sorry” or offer some conciliatory gesture

Conflict Management Modalities • All of these methods are necessary and useful in working through conflict within the team • Key is knowing how and when to use each modality to promote healthy, passionate debate, maintain trust, and support dignity of each team member

Commitment: Buy-In • In order to be effective, a successful team must have the explicit “buy in” of all team members. • Trust and ability to manage conflict are essential to developing true commitment within a team. • Once all viewpoints have been aired, a decision must be made. • If Agreement cannot be reached in all cases, then it is necessary for all members to be in Alignment. This is commitment to the team.

Accountability – Peer Pressure • Trust, candor and commitment create a motivation to not “let down” other team mates • Goals that are collaboratively created and clearly stated by the team become the benchmark for the team’s success. Every team member will be “self-monitoring” for success • Teams need to periodically review their progress toward their stated goals and communicate formally about accountability within the team • Accountability within the team reduces the need for excessive bureaucracy around performance management and corrective actions

Results – How to Ensure Them • Public Declaration of Results – Teams that are willing to commit publicly to specific results are more likely to work with a passionate desire to achieve those results • Reward only those behaviors and actions that contribute to desired results • A team that focuses on collective results: • Retains achievement-oriented employees • Minimizes individualistic behavior • Enjoys success and suffers failure acutely • Benefits from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for the good of the team • Avoids distractions

Developing a Winning Team – The Stages • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing

Forming • High dependence on leader for guidance and direction • Little agreement on team goals other than those received from the leader • Individual roles and responsibilities are unclear • Leader must be prepared to answer lots of questions about the team’s purpose, objectives and external relationships • Processes are often ignored • Members test tolerance of system and leader • Leader is more directive

Storming • Decisions don’t come easily within the group • Team members vie for position as they attempt to establish themselves in relation to other team members and the leader, who might receive challenges from team members • Clarity of purpose increases but plenty of uncertainties persist • Cliques and factions form and there may be power struggles • The team needs to be focused on its goals to avoid becoming distracted by relationships and emotional issues • Compromises may be required to enable progress

Norming • Agreement and consensus forms among the team, who responds well to facilitation by leader • Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted. Big decisions are made by group agreement • Smaller decisions may by delegated to individuals or small teams within the group • Commitment and unity is strong • The team may engage in fun and social activities • The team discusses and develops its processes and working style • There is general respect for the leader, and some leadership is shared by the team • Leader plays a facilitating and enabling role

Performing • The team is more strategically aware, and knows clearly why it is doing what it is doing • The team has a shared vision and is able to stand on its own feet with no interference or participation from the leader • There is a focus on over-achieving goals, and the team makes most decisions with regard to criteria agreed with the leader • The team has a high degree of autonomy • Disagreements occur, but now they are resolved within the team positively, and necessary changes to processes and structure are made by the team • The team is able to work toward achieving the goal, and also to attend to relationship, style and process issues along the way

Performing - continued • Team members look after each other • The team requires delegated tasks and projects from the leader • The team does not need to be instructed or assisted • Team members might ask for assistance from the leader with personal and interpersonal development • Leader assumes a far more hands-off, delegation role to allow team members to perform in their team role

Expanding Team Awareness • Team Mission Statement (why are we here?) • Core Values (what do we stand for?) • Behavioral Norms (how do we live our values?) • Objectives (what measurable results are we seeking?)

Important Skills for Teams to Develop • Communication – Listening and Influencing • Communication – Conflict Management • Creativity and Problem Solving • Coping with Change • Appreciating Diversity/Appreciating Supporting Others

Leadership and Teambuilding Exercises Together Everyone Achieves More

Resources • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni • 6 Habits of Highly Effective Teams, Stephen E. Kohn and Vincent D. O’Connell • Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers, Brian Cole Miller • Leadership Development Program, by Giombetti Associates

Building Effective Teams