Importance of team work

Importance of team work

1. Importance of
Team Work

2. What is a team?
•A team is a small number of people with
complementary skills who are committed to a
common purpose, performance goals, and approach
for which they hold themselves mutually
accountable
• Small Number
• Complementary Skills
• Common Purpose & Performance Goals
• Common Approach
• Mutual Accountability

3. Why Use Teams?
•Most of today’s business assignments are addressed
by multidisciplinary teams.
•Team building is an important part of the modern
workforce.
•Team building is an important part of your preparation
for engineering practice

4. Advantages and Challenges
•Advantage: When the group works together, the
accomplishments will surpass any results
associated with any one individual.
•Challenge: Any team member functioning
independently of other team members or
competing with them will REDUCE the
performance of the team – EVERYONE’s
outcome.

5. Advantages and Challenges
•Advantage: Every person can contribute in some
way.
•Challenge: No member’s contributions should
ever be automatically disregarded.

6. Vision of the team
•A common and meaningful purpose sets the tone
•Specific performance goals are an integral part of the
purpose.
•The combination is essential to the performance
(measure the progress).
•By staying rooted in our commitment, today’s vision
becomes tomorrow’s reality.

7. What teammates do
•Teammates inconvenience themselves to help
each other.
•Teammates demonstrate patience and
concern for each other.
•Teammates enjoy each others successes and
avoid envy and jealously.
•Teammates show compassion for each other.
They can identify with the pain of others, and
they’re compelled to help relieve it.
•Teammates forgive each other. They
believe others will respond to forgiveness
with a deep sense of appreciation and a
desire to act responsibly.

8. Remember
•Together
•Everyone
•Accomplishes
•More
•With
•Organization
•Responsibility, and
•Knowledge

9. Effective Team Member
•Takes responsibility for
the success of the team.
•Delivers on commitments.
•Contributes to
discussions.
•Listens and asks helpful
questions.
•Gets the message across
clearly.
•Gives and receives useful
feedback.

10. When do Teams Work Best?
Team’s succeed when members have:
1. Commitment to common objectives
More likely when they set them; recognize interdependence
2. Defined, appropriate roles and responsibilities
–Good use of individual talent
–Opportunity for each to grow, learn all skills
3. Effective decision systems, communication and
work procedures
–Open, honest communication
–Accepts conflict, manages it, resolves it well
4. Good personal relationships
–Mutual trust

11. Team Building

12. Stages in Team Building
FormingForming
StormingStorming
NormingNorming
PerformingPerforming
AdjourningAdjourning

13. Stage 1: FORMING
Major Processes
Exchange of information, Increased interdependency, Task
Exploration, Identification of commonalities
Characteristics
Tentative interactions, polite discourse; concern over
ambiguity; self-discourse

14. Stage 2: STORMINGStage 2: STORMING
During the Storming stage:
–Team members realize that the task is more difficult
than they imagined.
–Members may be resistant to the task and fall back
into their comfort zones.
–Communication is poor with little listening.
–Fluctuations in attitude about their chances of
success.
–Among the team members there is disunity and
conflict.
–Collaboration between members is minimal and
cliques start to appear.

15. Storming Diagnosis
•Do we have common goals and objectives?
•Do we agree on roles and responsibilities?
–Use a table to share division of labor
•Do our task, communication, and decision
systems work?
•Do we have adequate interpersonal skills?
StormingStorming

16. Negotiating Conflict
•Separate problem issues from people issues.
•Be soft on people, hard on problem.
•Look for underlying needs, goals of each party rather
than specific solutions
–Find a creative solution that’s good for both
StormingStorming

17. Addressing the Problem
Problem Solving
•State your views in clear non-judgmental language.
•Clarify the core issues
•Listen carefully to each person’s point of view.
•Check understanding of the disagreement by
restating the core issues.
•Use techniques such as circling the group for
comments and having some silent thinking time when
emotions run high.
StormingStorming

18. Stage 3: NormingStage 3: Norming
•During this stage members accept
–their team
–team ground rules
–their roles in the team
–the individuality of fellow members
•Team members realize that they are not going to drown
and start helping each other.

19. Behaviors
•Competitive relationships become more cooperative.
•Willingness to confront issues and solve problems.
•Ability to express criticism constructively.
•More sharing and a sense of team spirit.
NormingNorming

20. Guide for Giving Constructive
Feedback
•When you …. describe behavior
•I feel ….. how behavior affects you
•Because I … why behavior affects you
•(Pause for discussion) …. let other person(s) respond
•I would like …. what change would you like
•Because …. why change will reduce the problem
•What do you think …. Listen to other person’s response
and discuss options
NormingNorming

21. Giving Constructive
Feedback
•Be descriptive
•Don't use labels
•Don’t exaggerate
•Don’t be judgmental
•Speak for yourself
NormingNorming

22. Giving Constructive
Feedback – Contd…
•Talk first about yourself, not about the other person.
•Phrase the issue as a statement, not a question.
•Restrict your feedback to things you know for certain.
•Help people hear and accept your compliments when
giving positive feedback.
NormingNorming

23. Receiving Feedback
•Breathe
•Listen carefully
•Ask questions for clarity
•Acknowledge the feedback
•Acknowledge the valid points
•Take time to sort out what you heard
NormingNorming

24. Stage 4: PERFORMINGStage 4: PERFORMING
Team members have
–Gained insight into personal and team processes.
–A better understanding of each other’s strengths and
weaknesses.
–Gained the ability to prevent or work through group
conflict and resolve differences.
–Developed a close attachment to the team.

25. Stage 5: AdjourningStage 5: Adjourning
Major Processes
Termination of roles; completion of tasks; reduction of
dependency
Characteristics
Disintegration and withdrawal; increased independence
and emotionality; regret

26. Recipe for a Successful Team
•Commitment to shared goals
and objectives.
•Clearly defined roles and
responsibilities
–Use best skills of each team
member.
–Allows each team member to
develop in all areas.

27. Recipe for a Successful Team
•Effective systems and processes
–Clear communication
–Beneficial team behaviors
–Well-defined decision procedures
–Use of scientific approach
–Balanced participation
–Established ground rules
–Awareness of the group process

28. Positive Roles in a Team
Setting
•Defining issues
•Proposing tasks
•Seeking information and opinions
•Clarifying
•Summarizing
•Compromising; Consensus building

29. Negative Roles in a Team
Setting
•Dominating: asserting superiority
•Withdrawing: not talking; sulking
•Avoiding: skipping meetings
•Degrading: putting down others’ ideas
•Being uncooperative: side conversations

30. How to Promote Team
Success
•Every member must have a common vision of the tasks.
•One way to do this is to develop a Team Performance
Agreement.

31. What is a Team Performance
Agreement?
•It is a contract among the team members.
•It is drawn up by the team members.
•It describes the group vision of the shared goals of the
team.
•It describes the methods for achieving these shared
goals.
•It is dynamic!

32. The Team Performance
Agreement
•Prepare a TPA which addresses all of the following:
A.What is an acceptable outcome?
B.How decisions are to be made?
C.What happens in cases of disagreement?
D.How are roles going to be identified for group
efforts?
E.What are the expectations for inter-group
communication?

33. Do
•Allow issues to be resolved
properly and promptly.
•Come prepared/Be on
time/Make a contribution.
•Be empowered to represent
your organization.
•Express open and honest
opinions.
•Encourage participation.
Don’t
•Prematurely judge an
idea/thought/concept/propo
sal.
•Keep members from stating
their position/opinion
•Discourage reasoned
disagreement
•Withhold information
•WHINE!
TEAMWORK Do's and Don't's

34. How to be a good team
member?
•Be a good listener
•Be honest and open
•Accept other people’s needs
•Don’t be negative
•Don’t be defensive
•Learn to take the initiative

35. How to be a good team
member?
•Become more sensitive
to the different ways
people communicate
•Take a risk
•See the uniqueness in
each team member
•Be trusting-of yourself
and responsible

36. Benefits of team work
•Realistic, achievable goals can be established for the team and
individual members.
•Team members commit to support each other.
•Team members understand one another’s priorities.
•Communication is open.
•Problem solving is more effective.
•Performance feedback is more meaningful.
•Conflict is understood as normal.
•Balance is maintained between group productivity.
•The team is recognized for outstanding results.
•Members are encouraged to test their abilities and try out ideas.
•Team members recognize the importance of disciplined work habits.
•Learning to work effectively as a team in one unit is good
preparation for working as a team with other units.