Team Workings

Considerations

• What tasks will it carry out• Why this can not be done by an individual• How many people will the team require• What skills will be required

Consider how to:

• Get the right people in the team• Get them to work together• Raise their standard of performance

Teams need to be able to:

• Co-operate• Co-ordinate• Communicate

Team Members Abilities:

• Technical or professional competence • Ability to work as a team member • Desirable personal attributes

Group Development

• Forming• Storming• Norming• Performing

  Group Structure Task Activity

Forming Lays the foundation for the group, its standards of behaviour, the role of its leader and members.

The task is determined and how it will be approached.

Storming Conflicts develop between sub-groups. The leaders authority or competence may be challenged.

The feasibility or value of the task is challenged.

Norming The group begins to harmonise and form as a unity. The norms accepted by the group emerge and members begin to support each other.

Co-operation begins between members. Plans are developed to achieve the task. Communication between members develops.

Performing A group structure develops and roles are acquired by members in order that the task can be worked on.

The work on the task is developed.

Individual Roles

Within a team there are two types of individual role:

• functional role as assigned by the structure of the organisation e.g. head of department, deputy, etc.

• team role as played by the individual within the team, the role of the person within the team will depend on the persons personality.

Roles according to Clutterbuck

• Generators• Integrators• Developers• Perfecters

Bellbin’s Role Types

• Chairman / Co-ordinator• Organiser / Implementer• Shaper• Plant• Resource investigator• Monitor / Evaluator• Team worker• Completer - finisher

Group Functions Benne and Sheats

Initiator-contributor Suggests new goals, procedures and ideas to the group.

Information seeker Seeks information and facts relevant to the problem.

Opinion seeker Clarifies the value of what the group is.

Information giver Offers facts and gives his experiences.

Opinion giver Gives his opinion with regard to suggestions made.

Elaborator Offers reasons for suggestions and deduces consequences of following them.

Co-ordinator Co-ordinates the suggestions and activities

Orienteer Questions the direction the group is taking and defines its position.

Evaluator-critic Subjects the accomplishments of the group

Energiser Stimulates the group to take decisions or action.

Procedural technician Performs routine tasks for the group.

Recorder Keeps a record of group decisions.

Unhelpful Roles

Aggressor Deflates the status of other members by expressing disapproval of their contribution or values.

Blocker Tends to be negative and resistant to suggestions. Opposes all suggestions.

Recognition seeker

Calls attention to himself by boasting about his achievements.

Self-confessor Uses the group forum to express personal feeling not related to the group.

Playboy Displays a lack of involvement in the group's process by "playing around".

Dominator Tries to dominate other members of the group.

Help-seeker Looks for sympathy from other members by expressing personal problems

Special interest pleader

Speaks for certain sectors of the community ie. the small businessman. Cloaks his prejudices or biases in a stereotype.

The Needs within the Group

• Task • Group• Individual

Task

• This is the need to accomplish something. The task is the purpose of the group. It is seen as a thing rather than as people.

Group

• This refers to the maintenance of the group, it maintains working relationships between members in order that the group can accomplish its task.

• This refers to people and how they relate to each other.

Individual

• This looks at the needs of the individual members of the group, why they are part of the group, consider motivation.

Cohesion - influenced by

• Physical proximity - If people work closely together they tend to form a group.

• Length of time together - If a number of people are together for a length of time, the longer they are together the more they will work together as a team.

• Similar work - Those carrying out the same sort of work are able to assist and help each other thus forming a bond.

• Homogeneity - People work better together if they share such characteristics as, race, age, sex, social status etc.

• Communication - It is important that members can communicate with each other.

• Size - Small groups of under 15 members are more likely to develop cohesion than larger groups.

Maintaining the Group

• Reviewing• Debrief

Reviewing

• Why we exist, what are we here for?• What or who would be affected if we went out of existence?• Are there more cost-effective ways our purpose and aim

could be achieved than having this team?• Has there been a significant change in our mission as a team. • Have we perceived or been given, new responsibilities? • Are we still the right people to be tackling this work? • Does it still need a team effort?

Debrief• Was the goal clear?• Was the plan clear?• Was the plan workable?• Was the plan flexible?• Did everyone know what they were supposed to be doing?• Did everyone do their part?• Did everyone work together?• What skills or knowledge was lacking?