By Wilmer ArellanoFall 2009

John F. Welch

CEO, General Electric

(1993)

High-performance teams can outperform equal number of individuals working in without interaction

Employers desire it

consistently listed as one of the top skills required of engineers!

Excerpts from the book “WHY TEAMS DON'T WORK, What Goes Wrong and How to Make It Right” by Harvey Robbins & Michael Finley, Copyright © 1998 by Harvey Robbins & Michael Finley.

Excerpts from the book “Engineering Design, a Project Based Introduction”, second edition by Clive I. Dym and Patrick Little. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-25687-0

http://seniord.ee.iastate.edu/notes/chapter16.htm

Teams Introduction

Stages of group formation

Brainstorming and Constructive Conflict

Typical Characteristics of a Team

Dichotomy

Possible Positive and Negative Roles of Team Members

Lack of Contribution

Some characteristics of highly successful teams include

“A small group of people (2 to 10) with

complementary skills,

who are committed to common performance goals (The Project), and

approach (Team Behavior) for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.” ,

Katzenbach and Smith

The team approach generally is selected because a group of people working together as a team can accomplish much more than the same group of people working individually.

For an individual to obtain the different knowledge of all the team member might require years of preparation.

However, a team is much like a chain in that it is only as strong as its weakest link.

• Learning to learn;• Listening and oral communication;• Competence in reading, writing, and computation;• Adaptability: creative thinking and problem solving;• Personal management: self-esteem, goal setting/

motivation and personal/career development;• Group effectiveness: interpersonal skills, negotiation and

teamwork;• Organizational effectiveness and leadership.

Source: Workplace Basics: The Skills Employers Want, American Society for Training and Development and U.S. Department of Labor,Employment and Training Administration, 1988.

POSITION:_____________________APPLICANT:____________________

DATE:____________________

NOTES:

More than 15% of the students teams have problems

Sometimes teams wait until the last two weeks of the semester to express that they have a team member that does not work and that they don’t want him/her in the team anymore

By a due date to be given shortly, all teams must elaborate and sign a contract.

Copies of each team contract have to be distributed among team members and myself.

That contract must be signed by all team members and has to include an explanation of disciplinary actions leading to a team member expelling.

A generation ago people didn't talk about teams.

Or, they existed, but they were conventional, function-bound things. There were:

accounting teams, finance teams, production teams, and advertising teams. Everyone on a team did pretty much the same

thing.

The Success of Japan in America is in large part because of its team ethic.

After the war they had no natural resources, no state of the art infrastructure, no money, no computers.

What they had was the cultural disposition to work together and

The vision and patience to chart a strategy and see it through.

Teams and groups are so important that they have been extensively studied. One of most useful models recognizes five different stages of group development:

Forming stage: getting acquainted and oriented, some testing behavior

Storming stage: resistance to task demands, interpersonal conflict likely, struggle for group leadership

Norming stage: emergence of informal leadership, consensus on group behaviors and norms, and on group’s purpose

Performing stage: clearly understood tasks and roles, productive work to accomplish team goals.

Adjourning.

There is a number feelings associated with this stage:

From excitement and anticipation to anxiety and concern

Worries about our ability or that of the teammates to perform the tasks asked

Concerns about who will show the leadership

The team works to develop its objectives, while

the members try to define their roles. Some characteristics of this stage:

resistance to task demands, interpersonal conflict, venting of disagreement, often without apparent

resolution, and struggle for group leadership.

it is important to recognize when the team is spending too long in this stage and encourage all team members to move to the next phases

At this point, most groups do agree on ways of working together. Some characteristics of this stage are:

clarification of roles in the group, emergence of informal leadership, development of a consensus on group behaviors and

norms, and emergence of a consensus on the group’s activities

and purpose.

This is the stage that most teams hope to reach. Here team members conduct themselves in accordance with the established norms of the group, and generate useful solutions to the problems they face.

Some characteristics of this phase include:

clearly understood roles and tasks, well-defined norms that support the overall goals of the

project, sufficient interest and energy to accomplish tasks, and emerging solutions and results

The last phase that teams typically pass through is referred to as adjourning. This stage is reached when the group has accomplished its tasks and is preparing to disband.

Depending on the extent to which the group has forged its own identity, this stage may be marked by members feeling regret that they will no longer be working together.

Individuals working in isolation

Under-Performing Team

Same performance as a Group but has a team structure

1. A given size. 2. A defined structure. 3. A set of skills and expertise. 4. The team’s current stage of development. 5. The team’s completeness or dependence

on others.

Team leader

Leads team through problem solving process Invests appropriate amount of time on the project Maintains accurate records of team activities and results Prepares for each team meeting Provides structure and guidance to allow maximum

participation Influences team decisions equally with team members

Team member

Invests appropriate time on the project Is committed and fully involved in project Participates equally in:

Defining problems Investigating problems Defining solutions Documenting solutions Represents his/her organization’s interest

1. Balloon popper – bring the team back to earth when it gets carried away.

2. Bookkeeper – watches the expenditures and keeps the project within budget.

3. Expert – knows everything about a particular topic4. Fence mender – fixes broken personal relationships5. Researcher – searches for needed information6. Reviewer – keeps an eye on the “big picture” and edits

documentation7. Salesperson – sells the project and its importance.8. Theoretician – understands and can explain the concepts

and principles involved.9. Timekeeper – attempts to keep the project on schedule.10. Troubleshooter – can identify the source of the problem.

1. Recorder - Keeps a record of the teams work2. Administrator – provides the team’s interface with

corporate management. 3. Application expert – identifies uses for an idea. 4. Balloon popper – bring the team back to earth when it

gets carried away. 5. Bookkeeper – watches the expenditures and keeps the

project within budget. 6. Cheerleader – keeps saying that it can be done. 7. Coach – motivates the team and its members. 8. Coordinator – brings it all together. 9. Entrepreneur – obtains the necessary financial backing.

10. Expediter – locates the necessary materials, expertise, and equipment.

11. Expert – knows everything about a particular topic12. Fence mender – fixes broken personal relationships13. Inspector – identifies flaws in the end product14. Investigator – probes a specific area or topic.15. Researcher – searches for needed information16. Reviewer – keeps an eye on the “big picture” and edits

documentation17. Salesperson – sells the project and its importance.18. Specialist – possesses a particular set of skills19. Strategist – figures how to accomplish something

20. Supporter – advocates the proposed team direction.21. Technician – makes the engineer’s design actually work

and fixes broken things.22. Test pilot – tests the end product.23. Theoretician – understands and can explain the concepts

and principles involved.24. Timekeeper – attempts to keep the project on schedule.25. Troubleshooter – can identify the source of the problem.26. Visionary – provides the grand ideas.

Nola No-Can-Meet.

Here’s the group member who can’t make the meeting, no matter when the others schedule it. He/she’s willing to contribute, but he/she has a busy schedule and lots to do. The group should carry on without him/her, and he/she will do his/her part, as long as somebody lets him/her know.

Do-It-All Dottie.

Dottie doesn’t much trust other people and their ability to do things the way she thinks they ought to be done or to her standards, so she does it all herself. If somebody offers to help, she puts them at ease: it’s no problem, everything is under control, and they shouldn’t worry. The less others in the group are involved, the happier Dottie is.

Seldom-Seen Steve

Nobody has seen hide nor hair of Steve. He isn’t coming to class, he hasn’t tried to contact anybody else in the group, and nobody knows how to get in touch with him. The project is just about due. What should the other members do about Steve?

Always-Right Artie

Artie definitely contributes to the group. His ideas are good and he’s always ready to offer them. The problem: he doesn’t listen very well to the ideas of others and he tends to force his solutions on the group. He takes charge and pushes the others in the direction that he thinks is best, even though some in the group may not agree.

Quiet Quentin

Quentin is so quiet that the others often forget he’s there, although he/she comes to the meetings quite well prepared. His/her ideas would really help the group, but, unless they call on him, Quentin is unlikely to speak up.

It is important to develop respect for the ideas and talents early in the process. One formal technique for generating ideas (and getting to know one another in a fun and respectful environment) is brainstorming.

Brainstorming is a classic technique for generating ideas and solutions to problems. Brainstorming consists of the members of a group offering individual ideas without any concurrent evaluation. ‘Typically, a team will form a circle or sit around a table and, after a brief review of the problem for which ideas are being sought, offer ideas about the problem. One or more members of the team acts as the “scribe,” writing down each idea offered for later discussion and review.

By Authority:

The leader takes al decisions

Expert Member:

The most expert member takes al decisions

Average Member Opinion

A method needs to be found

By Authority after Discussion:

The leader takes al decisions after discussion by all members

Minority Control

Subcommittee

Majority Control

Vote

Consensus

All team members must agree and commit to the decision

Avoidance – ignoring the conflict and hoping it will go away;

Smoothing - allowing the desires of the other party to win out in order to avoid the conflict;

Forcing - imposing a solution on the other party;

Compromise - attempting to meet the other party “halfway”; and

Constructive engagement - determining the underlying desire of all the parties and then seeking ways to realize them.

Each member should understand the total problem or task

Each person should realize how he or she can contribute to the solution

Each person should recognize the potential contributions of others

Members should be willing to recognize when other members may need more information or assistance, and to offer their help so that each member can make his or her full contribution to the effort

The team primary role is to produce a quality end product in an efficient and timely manner. Team members will be evaluated separately.

This creates a dichotomy, which each individual faces.

On one hand, making the team look good helps everyone on the team to look good.

But, an individual may not receive immediate recognition for his/her contributions if an immediate supervisor is not actively involved with the team.

Devil’s advocate – questions the team’s proposed direction.

Procrastinator – can never seem to get things done correctly on schedule.

Troublemaker – impedes project progress.

Many times, one or more of the team members will not be a significant contributor. In general, the team leader should be responsible for attempting to improve the situation

Reasons for lack of contribution Personality conflicts between team members. Over commitment on the part of a team member. Lack of commitment to the project. Prolonged health problems on the part of a team

member of a relative.

The level of technical diversity required to perform multidisciplinary analysis and design makes the teaming aspects even more important. A study was conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center to develop a model of multidiscipline teams that can be used to help understand their dynamics and identify key factors that influence their effectiveness.

meeting milestones and deadlines,

producing high quality products,

producing results with long-term impact,

exceeding expectations,

and exhibiting effective communication, productivity, and efficiency.

Clarity of Mission,

Involvement of Key Experts,

Multidiscipline Team Experience,

Willingness to be a Team Player,

Effectiveness of Team Processes, and

Balanced Level of Technology.

• EVERY member is responsible for the team's progress and success.

• Attend all sessions and be on time.

• Listen to and show respect for the contributions of other members; be an active listener.

• Criticize ideas, not persons.• Resolve conflicts

constructively.• Pay attention - avoid

disruptive behavior.

• Avoid disruptive side conversations.

• Only one person speaks at a time.

• Everyone participates -- no one dominates.

• Be succinct, avoid long anecdotes and examples.

• No rank in the room.• Attend to your personal

comfort needs at any time but minimize team disruption.

• HAVE FUN.• .....

Introduction

Stages of group formation

Brainstorming and Constructive Conflict

Typical Characteristics of a Team

Facts that Unite Team Members

Dichotomy

Team Member’s Classifications

Desirable Team Member Skills

Characteristics of a Successful Team’s Member

Possible Positive and Negative Roles of Team Members

Group Decision-Making Processes

Team Members Actions to Insure Team Success

Lack of Contribution

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AnswersAnswers