Team Dynamics, Creativity & Problem Solving, & Decision MakingMatthew L. Eisenhard, Psy.D.Week 11: Psychology for Business & Industry

Teamwork

• Involves working together to achieve something beyond the capabilities of individuals working alone.

▫ Organizations today are based on teams.▫ Being a team player requires high levels of

emotional intelligence.▫ Being a team player is the 2nd most sought after

skill employers seek. Communication and personal skills is 1st.

Types of Teams (a.k.a. Groups)

• Formal Groups▫ Functional Groups

Formal ongoing groups = permanent. Typically managers and employees in specific

departments (marketing, production, etc.).

• Informal Groups▫ Develop spontaneously when people get together

because of similar interests.▫ They come and go according to events and people

in the group and can vary accordingly.

Types of Teams (a.k.a. Groups)• Task Groups

▫ Consist of functional group members.▫ Put together for a specific task (job).▫ Coming called committees.

Ad hoc committee (task force). Formal and temporary

(temporary groups) = discontinue after task is accomplished.

Standing committee. Formal and ongoing, but has

rotating members.

Types of Teams (a.k.a. Groups)

• Virtual Teams▫ Do most of their work via electronic digital

communication. Groupware is a digital tool to work on a document

at the same time.▫ One of the challenges of virtual teams is

developing trust. Effective teamwork is even more challenging when

teams are put together from many different countries around the world.

Your Team Behavior

• Self-assessment 11.1.• Every person on the team does not have to do all

the things on the assessment to have an effective team – as long as someone is doing them.▫ Questions 1-5 refer to team structure.▫ Questions 6-13 refer to team dynamics.▫ Questions 14-17 refer to team development.

Teamwork – The Formula

• Team Performance Model Formula▫ A team’s performance (TP) is based on its

structure (TS), dynamics (TD), and stage of development (SOD). TP = TS + TD + SOD

▫ All teams face the Systems Effect. A team is only as strong/effective as its weakest link.

If one link is weak… so is the whole chain. If one person is weak… so is the whole team.

Team Structure

• The structure of a team affects the team’s performance.

FOUR PARTS

Team Structure1. LEADERSHIP

▫ Leadership styles affect the team performance.▫ Teams with effective leaders outperform teams lacking good,

strong leaders.1. COMPOSITION

▫ Refers to diversity of team members (functional/technical skills).

▫ Diversity enhances performance – better decisions – more innovations than homogeneous teams.

1. PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING▫ How the team works together when they encounter problems

reflects on the overall performance.1. CONFLICT

▫ Can be useful or not useful.▫ Solving conflicts important to how team functions effectively.

Team Dynamics

• A.K.A. Group Process.▫ Refers to the pattern

of interactions that emerge as the group/team develops.

▫ Job recruiters & employers seek applications with leadership and team dynamics skills.

▫ Most people have little or no training in working in groups/teams.

▫ Six parts of group dynamics.

Objectives• To be effective teams need clear objectives (goals).

▫ And must be committed to achieving them.• Managers/Leaders

▫ Make certain there are goals and set priorities.• Team Members

▫ Must work toward gaining consensus of commitment to goals.

▫ Without goals and everyone working toward them – teams will struggle and fail.

Size• No ideal size – it varies depending on the team’s purpose.

▫ Functional groups: about 14-15.▫ Task groups: 3-9 (5)

Too small = too cautious. Too large = too slow, but larger groups tend to generate more

choices and better ideas due to greater diversity.• Effects on group diversity

▫ Larger teams = more formal/autocratic leadership is needed to provide direction. Larger groups tend to stifle equal participation.

▫ Smaller groups = leaders are more informal and participative.▫ Generally equal participation is seen more in groups of 5.

• Managers/Leaders▫ Appropriate leadership style will vary according to group size.

Norms

• The group/team’s shared expectations of its members’ behavior.▫ Develop spontaneously as the group interacts.▫ All groups tend to form their own unwritten rules

about how they will do things.▫ If one team member fails to conform to the norm,

other teammates may try to force compliance = peer pressure. Ridicule – ostracism – sabotage – physical abuse.

Cohesiveness• The attraction and closeness team

members have for each other and the group as a whole.▫ The more desirable

membership in a certain group, the more team members are likely to conform to the normative behavior.

▫ Sometimes individuals will do things with and for a team that they would not do on their own. Can be positive or negative

depending on the nature of the team/group.

Factors Influencing Cohesiveness• OBJECTIVES

▫ Stronger the agreement and commitment of the group, the stronger the cohesiveness.

• SIZE▫ Smaller = more cohesive.▫ Larger = more difficult to agree.

• HOMOGENIETY▫ The more similar people are, the greater the cohesiveness –

people tend to be attracted to and agree with people most like themselves.

▫ Growing diversity in the workplace can lead to decreased cohesiveness.

Factors Influencing Cohesiveness• PARTICIPATION

▫ More equal the participation, the higher the cohesiveness.▫ Domination by one or a few tends to make other members feel

excluded.• COMPETITION

▫ Intragroup = competition with each other which leads to decreased cohesiveness.

▫ Intergroup = results in team pulling together to beat the rivals, increased cohesiveness.

• SUCCESS▫ More you win the stronger the cohesiveness.▫ Losers argue among themselves more than winners.▫ Success breeds more success.

Solomon Asch’s (1951, 1956) Line Judgment Studies• Solomon Asch (1951, 1956) had participants guess which

line in the right box is the same length as the line on the left. Almost everyone easily gets this right—when alone.▫ Asch had people repeatedly evaluate lines like these, while

hearing other people also evaluate the lines.▫ Sometimes, though, everyone else got it wrong.

• 76% of the participants conformed on at least one trial.• 12/18 trials confederates gave incorrect answers.

Status• Perceived ranking of one member

relative to other members of the group.▫ Based on…

Job title – amount of pay – seniority – knowledge/expertise - interpersonal skills – appearance – education – race – sex.

▫ It affects team performance. High status members have a major influence. In functioning groups, the manager/supervisor usually takes

the leader role. There can also be “informal” leaders.

Status Congruence

• The acceptance and satisfaction members get from their status in the group.▫ Members who are not happy with their status may

feel excluded and not be active participants. May cause team conflict if they fight for higher

status. Leadership struggles may go on for a long time –

and never be resolved. These struggles can ultimately undermine the team’s

productivity.

Roles• Shared expectations of how group members will fulfill

the requirements of their positions.▫ People often have multiple roles in a group/team or

job.▫ Example: Professor

Teacher – researcher – writer- consultant – advisor – committee member.

Plus all personal and family roles.

• Task Roles = things group members do and say that directly aid in the accomplishment of its objective.▫ OBJECTIVE CLARIFIERS

Role = make sure everyone understands the goal.▫ PLANNERS

Role = determine how the goal will be met.▫ ORGANIZERS

Role = to assign and coordinate resources.▫ LEADERS

Role = to influence members by directing.▫ CONTROLLERS

Role = to take corrective action to make sure goal is met – keeping people on target.

Classes of Group Roles

Classes of Group Roles• Maintenance Roles = the things that group members do and say to

develop and keep the group going.▫ FORMERS

Role = get the members involved and committed.

▫ CONSENSUS SEEKERS Role = get members’ input and agreement on decisions.

▫ HARMONIZERS Role = resolving conflicts with members.

▫ GATEKEEPERS Role = see that appropriate norms are developed and enforced.

▫ ENCOURAGERS Role = be supportive, friendly.

▫ COMPROMISERS Role = get members to adjust their positions to gain cohesiveness.

Classes of Group Roles• Self-Interest Roles = things members do and say to meet their own

needs or goals at the expense of the team.▫ AGGRESSORS

Role = deflate others’ status – negative criticism – putting other members down.

▫ BLOCKERS Role = resist the group effort and try to prevent the team meeting its

goal.

▫ RECOGNITION SEEKERS Role = try to take credit for the groups’

accomplishments.

▫ WITHDRAWERS Role = physically or mentally not involved

with group – more concerned about their own personal matters.

Development of Team Stages• 5 stages of team development.

▫ Not all groups go through the same stages as they grow and develop.

▫ There are specific supervisory strategies recommended for each stage.

Stages of Team Development• Orientation

▫ Leader = Autocratic.▫ Forming stage – roles and goals

must be clearly defined.• Dissatisfaction

▫ Leader = Consultative.▫ Storming stage – learning about

each other and building trust; differences are experienced.

• Resolution▫ Leader = Participative.▫ Norming stage – relationships are

built, affiliations are made, norms are set; learning to work together.

Stages of Team Development• Production

▫ Leader = Laissez-faire.▫ Performing stage – commitment is high and

performance is enhanced; conflicts are resolved quickly, members are open with each other.

• Termination▫ Adjourning stage – found in task groups (not

functional/ongoing groups); people usually have feelings of sadness at group dissolving or if a negative experience may be relief at ending.

Your Preferred Group Leadership Style

• Self-assessment 11.2.▫ More even the distribution of scores, the more

flexible you are at leading in a group.▫ Total of 0-1 in any style indicates a problem using

it and could be a problem if ever needed.▫ Compare this to scores on your

self-assessments of situational supervision and communication style.

Meetings & Leadership Skills• Planning the Meeting

▫ Have a written plan that includes… Goals – purpose of meeting. Participants and assignments – who and what. Agenda – list of items to be covered in order of priority (with

approximate time allotted for it). Time (start and finish) – date – place.

• Conducting the Meeting▫ Begin on time – review progress (minutes – secretary)▫ Cover the items on the agenda – stay on task.▫ Summarize and review assignments – end meeting on time

– was everything accomplished? – get commitments from people on assignments – record all assignments to encourage accountability and follow-up on them.

Handling Problem Team Members• The Silent Member

▫ Usually not leaders – leaders should draw them out – team needs input and benefits from all members.

• The Talker▫ Has something to say about everything – tries to dominate

– can cause intragroup conflicts – leaders have responsibility to slow these folks down and include others without alienating them.

• The Wanderer▫ Distracts the team from its focus – likes to complain and

criticize – wants to socialize and divert focus of team – leader needs to divert and keep team on track.

Handling Problem Team Members• The Bored Member

▫ Preoccupied with other things – tend to be “know-it-alls” that feel superior to others in group – leader is obligated to keep members interested and active.

• The Arguer▫ Likes to be center of attention – likes to argue just for the

sake of it rather than for productive purposes – leaders should never engage in arguments – don’t allow personal attacks – keep the focus on the goal and move on.

• The Social Loafer▫ Lets everyone else do the work and reaps all the benefits

from the group’s efforts – leaders should not allow.

Meetings & Leadership Skills• Important considerations

when working in a team…▫ Never embarrass, intimidate,

argue with others – no matter how provoked! The result will make them look

like martyrs and make you look like a bully. If there are serious problems with members that do

not respond to the positive techniques – see them outside of the meeting in private and try to gain their support and cooperation.

Problem Solving & Decision Making• Problem = when there is a difference between what is

actually happening and what you wanted/expected to happen.▫ Problem solving = process of making corrective actions in

order to meet your goal.• Decision making = process of selecting an alternative

course of action to solve the problem.▫ Decisions are made to solve problems and take advantage of

opportunities.▫ These can occur at the same time.

Decision Making Styles• Self-assessment 11.3.• REFLEXIVE

▫ Shoot from the hip – make decisions fast (sometimes without getting or considering all of the necessary information).

▫ Positive = not procrastinators.▫ Negative = can lead to waste and having to start over if not right the first

time.• REFLECTIVE

▫ Takes plenty of time to decide – gets lots of information and checks out alternatives thoroughly.

▫ Positive = decisions are not rushed.▫ Negative = procrastination can be costly.

• CONSISTENT▫ Makes choice without rushing or wasting time – the happy medium.▫ Know when they have enough information.▫ Follows generally the 5-step model for decision making.

Decision Making Model

• Step 1 – Define the Problem.▫ Separate the symptoms from the cause.▫ If you do not find the “cure,” it will keep recurring.

• Step 2 – Set Objectives and Criteria.▫ Setting goals in place – you need to have a “must”

and “want” list for your criteria in meeting the goal.

▫ Example: Hiring. Must have a certain degree – B.A., M.A., Ph.D.? Want to have bilingual skills – Spanish, French?

Decision Making Model• Step 3 – Generate Alternatives.

▫ Start thinking of ideas, methods, or other choices to use to solve the problem.

▫ Plan A, B, and C.• Step 4 – Analyze Alternatives and Pick One.

▫ Do a cost-benefits analysis to try to pick which plan will be the best.

• Step 5 – Plan, Implement, and Control.▫ Do it! Make sure to oversee the process and outcome.▫ Be willing to cut your losses and change if you need to

(switching to Plan B, C, etc.)

Creativity

• The ability to develop unique alternatives to solve problems.▫ Thinking “outside the box.”▫ Innovation – the

organizational use of creative ideas. Vital to success Pressure to come up

with new ideas.

Four Stages of Creativity• PREPARATION

▫ Get familiar with the problem, the facts.▫ Asks others what it is and get their ideas.▫ Look for new or unusual angles.▫ Do not set limits or boundaries.

• POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS▫ Brainstorming – look for as many solutions as possible

without passing judgment on them.• INCUBATION

▫ Take a break – sleep on it – allow for insight.• EVALUATION

▫ Make sure it works, change course if necessary.

5 Techniques of Group Creativity

Brainstorming

• The process of suggesting many alternatives, without evaluation, to solve a problem.

• Rules…▫ Quantity – the more the better.▫ No Criticism – hold evaluation of ideas.▫ Freewheel – think “outside the box.”▫ Extend – build on the ideas presented.▫ Brainwriting – put it in writing.

Synectics• Process of generating novel alternatives through role-

playing and fantasizing.• The nature of the exact situation is not revealed in order

to expand the group’s creativity.

Nominal Grouping• Process of generating and evaluating alternatives

through a structured voting method – helps to lessen the influence of status in the group and usually involves these steps.▫ Each member separately writes her or his ideas.▫ Ideas are then presented round-robin fashion.▫ Discussion and clarification take place.▫ First voting – members can defend and explain.▫ Final vote is made for ideas to be presented to the

leader for decision to implement or not.

Consensus Mapping• A cooperative attempt to

develop a solution acceptable to all employees instead of a competition.▫ A discussion where everyone

has to mutually agree to a solution.

▫ Major benefit is the group is more committed to the result since the solution is one they equally generated and decided on as best.

Delphi Technique• Variation on nominal grouping – a poll is taken

by a series of anonymous questionnaires.▫ Opinions of each round are analyzed and

resubmitted to successive rounds.

▫ May take up to five rounds to reach a consensus.

▫ Used for technological forecasts.

Pros & Cons of Group Decision Making

• Pros▫ Better decisions – avoid errors.▫ More choices.▫ Acceptance and commitment.▫ High morale levels – better job satisfaction.

• Cons▫ Time consuming.▫ Domination – those in power may prevail.▫ Conformity of groupthink.▫ Lack of responsibility – no individual held accountable and

social loafing (some people do not pull their weight).

Global Team Decision Making• Collective cultures (such as

Asian) groups are cohesive and there is less conflict – they are not competing against each other as much.▫ Individualistic cultures

(such as U.S., Europe) more intragroup competition.

• Internet has made virtual teams more common.

Chapter Summary

• Team dynamics and how they affect performance.

• 5 stages of team development.• 4 situational supervisory styles for groups.• How to plan and conduct effective meetings.• Identifying and handling 6 types of problem

team members.• 5 steps in decision-making.• 5 techniques for generating creative alternatives.