A Sum Greater than it’s PartsA Sum Greater than it’s PartsPresented by:

Damon Cottrell, MS, RN, APRN-BC, CCNS, CCRN, CENPresbyterian Hospital of Dallas

Dallas County Chapter of AACN - President

Mary Beth Reid, MS, RN, APRN-BC, CCRN, CENPresbyterian Hospital of Plano

Dallas County Chapter of AACN - Secretary

““We don't accomplish We don't accomplish anything in this world alone ... anything in this world alone ... and whatever happens is the and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one of individual threads from one

to another that creates to another that creates somethingsomething.”.”

- - Sandra Day O'Connor

What is a Team?What is a Team?

• Small number of people

• Complimentary skills

• Committed to a common purpose

• Performance goals

• Working approach

• Mutually accountable

Why Build a Team?Why Build a Team? •Bring together

complimentary skills and experiences

•Establish communications supportive of real-time problem solving & initiative

•Provide unique social dimensions

•Teams have more fun

A Group or A TeamA Group or A Team

Group• Leader dominates

and controls the team

• Goals set by organization

• Leader conducts meeting

• Leader assigns work• Individual emphasis• Competition• Information hoarded• Decisions by leader

Team• The leader is facilitator and

coach• Goals set by team members• Meetings are participative

discussions• Team plans work assignments• Team emphasis• Cooperative work• Communication upward• Shared information• Decisions by team

Types of TeamsTypes of Teams

• Working teams

• Special purpose or project teams

• Multifunctional teams

• Self-directed teams

• Management teams

What is Team Building?What is Team Building? •“…an effort in which a team

studies its own process of working together and acts to create a climate that encourages and values the contributions of team members.”

•“Their energies are directed toward problem solving, task effectiveness, and maximizing the use of all members’ resources to achieve the team’s purpose.”

Arnold Bateman

Characteristics of Characteristics of Effective Team BuildingEffective Team Building

•Collegiality• Respect• Relaxed climate

•Collaboration

•Coordination

•Coaching

Characteristics of Characteristics of Effective Team BuildingEffective Team Building

•Risk taking

•Goals clear and targets established

•Roles defined

•Errors examined without personal attacks

•Capacity to create new ideas

•Members can influence the team agenda

Problematic SituationsProblematic Situations

•Communication• What?• Not listening• Wasting time in meetings• Poor rapport• Conflicting agendas• Rivalry/Jealousy• Personality conflicts

““Everything becomes a Everything becomes a little different as soon as little different as soon as it is spoken out loudit is spoken out loud.”.”

- - Hermann Hesse

Other Problematic SituationsOther Problematic Situations

• Lack of leadership/leadership skills• Poor planning• Poor training

• Poor attitudes• Conflict• Team members not

getting along

• Poor Reward/Recognition programs

““Argument is the worst Argument is the worst sort of conversationsort of conversation.”.”

- - Jonathan Swift

““Whenever two good Whenever two good people argue over people argue over

principles, they are both principles, they are both rightright.”.”

- - Marie Ebner Von Eschenbach

Building a TeamBuilding a Team

GoalsGoals

• Goals are dreams…with deadlines

• Developed through group process

• Team interaction and agreement

• Should be clear and written

• Responsible person(s)

• Set realistic goals

• Go for “small wins”

Evaluation of ProgressEvaluation of Progress

•Establish process for periodic evaluation

•Schedule separate meetings

•Avoid “finger pointing”

•Revisit the basics

•Redesign the work

PlanningPlanning

•Always have an agenda• Stick to it!• Timekeeper• Open item for “other

issues” as time allows

•Facilitator training

•New information/ approaches

““I have noticed that the I have noticed that the people who are late are people who are late are

often so much jollier often so much jollier than the people who than the people who

have to wait for themhave to wait for them.”.”

- - E. V. Lucas

Role ClarificationRole Clarification

•Conflict not uncommon

•Unclear assignments should be avoided

•Avoid overlap

•PEOPLE

Examining ErrorsExamining Errors

• Open ended questions

• Involve the whole team

• Listen, Listen, Listen• Expect resistance• Follow the team’s

lead• Maintain trust,

safety and confidentiality

• End with a closure

InterdependenceInterdependence

• Share the leadership• Gain consensus to make

decisions• Assignments tackling

specific issues• Assigning work to subsets

• Team membership based on skill• Take advantage of individual

talents

• All members with equivocal work

Risk Taking/CreativityRisk Taking/Creativity

•Essential for problem solving

•Should be encouraged

•“Out-of-the-box” thinking

•Mistakes a source for learning

Real-Life ExamplesReal-Life Examples

•Committees• Professional Development• Communications,

Recruitment & Retention• Others

• Public Policy• Research• Fundraising• Etc.

Real-Life ExamplesReal-Life Examples

•Merit Programs• Provides

incentives for chapter participation

• Assists in gaining interest in leadership activities

Real-Life ExamplesReal-Life Examples

•Special Events• Beginning of year “Board

Retreat”

Real-Life ExamplesReal-Life Examples

• Individual Mentoring• Identify talent• Seek mentorships

and provide encouragement to “members on the move”

Putting it all togetherPutting it all together• 4 C’s

• Collegiality• Collaboration• Coordination• Coaching

• Mentoring

• Praise• Don’t overdo• Sincerity• Publicly praise• Something to keep• Ask for advice

• The Leader• Know each

member• Develop goals

collaboratively• Communicatio

n is two-way• MBWA –

Manage by walking around

• Don’t dominate

Once You’re EffectiveOnce You’re Effective

• Balanced performance results

• Clear, challenging aspirations

• Committed and focused leadership

• Energized team that is dedicated to productivity and learning

• Skill based sources of competitive advantage

• Open communication and knowledge of management