Team Structure & Development

What is a TEAM ???

A team is a group of people who work together to achieve a

common goal....

Types of Teams

Formal - structured to perform specific tasks.

Informal - emerge naturally in response to organizational or member interests.

Leader

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Facilitator

Team Structure

Team Development

Forming - orientation, guidance

(dependence)

Storming - conflict, roles and

responsibilities, rules and

procedures, individual recognition

(counter dependence)

Team Development (contd)

Norming - issue resolution, develop social agreements, cohesion, establish group norms (interdependence)

Performing - mutual assistance, creativity, understanding goals and roles (independence)

Adjourning - closure, symbolism, ceremonies, and emotional support.

Communication Styles

• assertive

• competitive

• aggressive

• manipulative

• intuitive

“Teams function cohesively when all members

understand the team’s purpose and its

relationship to the primary aim of the organization”

Discussing issues as a team

• interact supportively

• establish common purpose

• gather and validate information

• keep the discussion moving

• give feedback

Building agreement

“If you have solid facts to build on then a logical and well-

reasoned argument may be sufficient.....”

Building agreement

“.........in other cases you might need to communicate support,

friendship or appreciation to try to persuade other members to

consider your ideas.....”

Successful meetings need:

• an experienced team leader who can define and clarify problems and remain impartial

• the active support of management who must convince team members that the outcomes of the meeting will be taken seriously

Circulate agenda containing a list of topics and the goals for the meeting in

advance.

An agenda should explain:

• where the meeting is being held

• why it is taking place

• when it will start and finish

• what people should bring

• what sort of preparation is required

Team leaders should:

• promote lively, focused discussion

• maintain an even distribution of speaking time

• restrict private discussion

• stop any “ganging up”

• help members to express their ideas

• ask questions to stimulate discussion

Team members should:

• respect other members and their opinions

• understand the dynamics of working in teams

• speak clearly and succinctly

• listen actively

• think logically and analytically

• share speaking time fairly

• help keep the discussion on track

Step-by-step problem solving means:

• having plenty of reliable information

• committing to a logical, analytical approach

• keeping stress levels low

Distinguish symptoms from causes

Symptom - “Production is behind schedule”

Possible cause – “Equipment failure”

Step 1: Define the problem and the present situation

the “where are we now” stage

Step 2: Define the end goal

“How will we know when the problem is solved?”

Step 3: Define the constraints on the solutions

money?

legal power?

information?

commitment?

time?

Step 4: List missing information and make valid

assumptions

“we haven’t got the budget yet but last time costs were about Rs.7000.00....lets draw up a

tentative budget and confirm the amounts ....”

Step 5: Brainstorm a range of alternatives

encourage ideas but do not evaluate their usefulness YET

Step 6: Analyze alternatives and select the best option .....

.... which satisfies the group goal and incorporates the

constraints

Step 7: Who? How? When? Where?

...time for action.....take the practical steps to implement your decisions

Effective team presentations

• allocate the workload fairly and creatively wherever possible and match team member's talents to their tasks

• share information

• give feedback on each other's preparation

Information gathering some primary sources

• observation of an issue at source

• interviews on site

• telephone interviews

• surveying people affected by the issue

• consulting to get expert opinion

Information gathering some secondary sources

• library research

• newspaper articles

• past reports and projects

Successful work team presentations

• are well structured

• have quality information

• are professionally presented

• have cohesive, well-rehearsed delivery

• capitalize on the team’s diverse personalities and styles

An effective work team :

• understands and accepts a common goal compatible with the organization's aims

• builds team spirit through open communication and equitable distribution of workloads

• has a workable number of members who value and respect each other's differences