Team Building: Creating Effective Teams

Dr. John Persico 612-310-3803

Agenda:• Welcome

• Learning Objectives

• Introduction of the participants

• Team Definitions

• Team Selection Processes

• Characteristics of High Functioning Teams

• Overview of Consensus

• Behaviors in Effective Teams

• Team Development Wheel

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Agenda:

• Team Building Activity – The Robbery

• Five Dysfunctions of Teams

• Team Assessment/Discussion

• Making Team Decisions

• Team Leadership

• Roles & Responsibilities

• Activity: The Sinking Ship

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Welcome

Describe the best team you ever worked on

•What made it a good team

•What did your team accomplish

•What did you learn from your experience

•How could you replicate that team

Introduction of Participants

• Who are you?

• Why are you here?

• What are you most proud of in your educational career to date?

• Tell about a time you lost a job.

• What would you like to take away from this two day session?

Learning Objectives• Participants will learn the definitions of teams

• Participants will understand the purpose and types of teams

• Participants will familiarize themselves with ideal skills associated with successful teams

• Participants will learn the characteristics and behaviors of high functioning teams

• Participants will identify the different roles within teams

• Participants will be able to identify several types of teams

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Learning Objectives

• Participants will learn team groundrules and team values

• Participants will be able to describe the Five Dysfunctions of a Team

• Participants will overview the four stages of team development

• Participants will understand the team charter process

• Participants will participate in several teambuilding activities

• Participants will learn the value of team longevity and team closure

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Promote Lifelong Learning

You can develop lifelong learning traits:

• By showing curiosity about human nature and how

the world works.

• By seeking and valuing diversity.

• By persisting in seeking out new solutions.

• By using your unique talents and intelligence to promote positive change.

• By learning and applying technology tools to solve problems.

Show Respect

• Value yourself. Be honest and ethical, and practice strong moral values.

• Treat all members of the school community with politeness and respect.

• Honor the ideas and opinions of others.

• Offer to help.

• Be responsible for keeping an open mind.

Policies

• Ask questions at any time.

• Listen to all ideas and opinions.

• Leave for restroom when needed.

• Please be back from lunch and breaks on time.

• Let us know if the day is not working for you.

“Teambuilding is a set of activities whereby members of a work team 1) begin to understand more thoroughly the nature of group dynamics and effective teamwork, particularly the interrelationship of process and content (task) and, 2) learn to apply certain principles and skills of group process toward greater team effectiveness.”

-William Burke

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Team Definit ions

• Team Two or more members Specific performance objective Coordination of activity amongst members is a

must Mutually Accountable

• Pseudo-Team Same as a Team Lacks collective focus Does not perform together, rather individually Individual Accountability

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Definit ions, Cont.

• Working Group No joint performance required Mutual Accountability not expected Organization driven work group

EXAMPLES:

Team: Minnesota Vikings

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Pseudo-Team: Real Estate Office

Working Group: School Department

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Team Selection

“Teamwork: simply stated, it is less me and more we.”

Team Skills List:

•Project Management

•Collaboration

•Communication

•Creativity

•Detail

•Team Leadership

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It doesn’t take a team to change a light-bulb

-Unknown• The Purpose of Teams

Creativity InnovationSynergyStrategic Thinking

Problem Solving

Decision Making

 

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Team Selection MatrixSkill Name Name Name Name Name Name

             

             

             

             

             

             

             

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Characteristics of High Functioning Teams1) A Clear, Elevating Goal

2) Results-Driven Structure

3) Competent Team Members

4) Unified Commitment

5) Collaborative Climate

6) Shared Standards of Excellence

7) External Support and Recognition

8) Principled Leadership17

Behaviors of Effective Teams

Members listen intently(to ensure understanding)

Work at understanding what others are saying

Ask others to repeat and clarify Paraphrase what is heard and ask if it is

heard correctly

Members say things clearly (respectful dialogue to ensure understanding)

• Elaborate/give illustrations• Ask listener to paraphrase what s/he has

heard• Repeat/restate statements to ensure

increased correct input reception• Ask for confirmation as to whether the other

heard correctly

Members are open to share feelings and ideas (deeper understanding) 

• Discuss own strengths and weaknesses• Let non-verbal expressions reveal joy,

boredom, anger, sorrow, etc.

Members listen to and are open to other’s ideas

• Seek/accept help from others• Ask others to be sincere and honest and

show evidence that s/he means it18

Behaviors, Cont. Members’ feedback to others 

• Share views of others with them• Check/seek awareness of whether others are

ready to receive their views• Feedback to others when they have been

helpful

Members contribute to team’s awareness of itself

• Call attention to what is happening in group• Invite others to give feelings and perceptions

of what is happening in group

Members contribute to problem definition and root cause identification

• Suggest ways of diagnosing/identifying what helps/hinders in team problem identification

• Aid team productivity by offering alternative ways of reaching group goals

Members keep alert to ways in which they can support others in the team

• From time to time take on various roles and functions to increase team maintenance

Members act in the team by using a diagnostic approach

• Use ability to understand why things happen

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“The strength of the team is each individual member...the strength of each member is the team.”-Phil Jackson

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Team Development Wheel

Joiner 21

• Team Groundrules-overview listHave teams you have worked on started

with groundrules?

• Team Values-overview listHow are values useful when putting

together/chartering a new team?

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Activity: The Robbery

OBJECTIVE:To provide a participatory learning exercise demonstrating the value of consensus decision making

SYNOPSIS:

A businessman had just turned off the lights in the store when a man appeared and demanded money. The owner opened a cash register. The contents of the cash register were scooped up and the man sped away. A member of the police force was notified promptly.

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The Robbery: Answers

1. ?

2. ?

3. False

4. ?

5. ?

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Answers, Cont.

6. True

7. ?

8. ?

9. ?

10. ?

11. ?25

Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust

Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict

Dysfunction #3: Lack of commitment

Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of accountability

Dysfunction #5: Inattention to results

Lencioni, 200226

Team AssessmentTrust

Complete Lack of Trust-------------------------------------------------------High Level of Trust

Conflict

Avoidance of Conflict----------------------------------------------------Conflicts Managed Well

Commitment

No Commitment to Team-----------------------------------------------------Total Commitment

Accountability

No Accountability---------------------------------------------------------------High Accountability

Focus on Results

Inattention To Results-------------------------------------------------------------Results-focused

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Discussion Questions

• What is working well in your team?

• What needs improvement?

• How can you make the changes needed?

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Making Team Decisions

• Types of Decisions

Minority

Majority

Unanimous

Consensus

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Consensus• Consensus is

Finding a proposal acceptable enough that all members can support it, and no one opposes it

• Consensus is NOT A unanimous vote A majority vote Everyone totally satisfied

• Consensus requires TIME ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

• The involvement, either by an individual or a group of individuals, in their own governance or other activities, with the purpose of exerting influence

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Team Leadership

Exhibit 10-1. Factors in Team Leadership

Team Leader

External Factors Internal Factors

Purpose

Balance of Authority

Individual Performance

Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution

Team Spirit

Team Focus on External

Relationships (critical others)

Team Performance

Team Image

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Team Leadership Definit ions

• External Factors

Team Performance

Team image

• Internal Factors

Balance of authority

• Directive

• Consultative

• Collaborative

• Delegative32

TL Definit ions, Cont.

• Individual Performance

• Problem solving and conflict resolution

• Team spirit

• Trust

Contractual Trust

Communications Trust

Competence Trust

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Defined Roles and Responsibil i t ies• Sponsor

• Team Leader

• Team Member

• Facilitator

• Recorder

• External Facilitator (when needed)

• Subject Matter Expert (when needed)

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Activity: The Sinking Ship

OBJECTIVE:The objectives for this lesson are to discuss the value of building commitment and synergy and to review some activities that build teams

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Sinking Ship: Discussion

1. Who emerged as the leader(s)? How did the leaders

feel about their role? How satisfied were the other

group members with their leadership?

2. What role did you play in this survival activity?

3. What helped and what hindered success or failure of

this task?

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Team Longevity

The two major team distinctions are:

•Natural Work Team

•Project Team

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Team Longevity, Cont.

• Teams may work together indefinitely as a unit within the larger organization or come together to collaborate on a specific project.

• Team “Endings”

Closure

Celebration

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New Team Charter:

• Groundrules

• Vision

• Mission

• Goals

• Implementation Plan

• Resources Needed

• People/Skills Needed

• Status Updates

• Recognition and Celebration  

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Wrap-Up and Evaluation

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