Team Dynamics and Leadership Chapter 11

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following stages is NOT part of the Four-D model in Appreciative Inquiry?

Delivering

Discovery

Defining (correct)

Designing

What is the primary purpose of the 'Learning' process within team effectiveness?

To distribute tasks equally among team members

To ensure everyone agrees on decisions

To manage individual performance

To improve performance and develop skills (correct)

Which dysfunction is characterized by not being able to trust one another?

Fear of conflict

Inattention to results

Lack of commitment

Absence of trust (correct)

What critical factor contributes most to team success according to Google's Project Aristotle?

Psychological safety Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following does NOT describe a characteristic of highly effective teams?

Avoid difficult conversations Signup and view all the answers

The 'Accountability' process in team dynamics primarily deals with which aspect?

Managing and rewarding performance Signup and view all the answers

What role does a leader play in the 'Infrastructure' process of team success?

Systemizes team work and accesses resources Signup and view all the answers

What is a key trait that signifies the ability to speak freely and equally in a team?

Equal turn-taking in conversations Signup and view all the answers

Which team process refers to the manner in which team work is legitimized?

Buy-in Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an outcome of effective team partnering?

Greater success across organizational units Signup and view all the answers

What is one characteristic of a high-performance group?

Clear mission Signup and view all the answers

Which role is focused on facilitating group discussions and contributions?

Encourager Signup and view all the answers

What is a sign of ineffective leadership within a team?

Lack of clarity of assignment Signup and view all the answers

What describes a team that utilizes 'slices of genius' from different cultures?

Diverse and creative Signup and view all the answers

What behavior is indicative of a 'negative artist' in a group?

Rejects all ideas suggested Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following strategies is NOT recommended for dealing with problem behavior?

Encouraging withdrawal from the group Signup and view all the answers

How can leaders foster better teamwork?

Model teamwork behaviors Signup and view all the answers

Which team size is suggested as optimal for effective collaboration?

Five to eight individuals Signup and view all the answers

What should be avoided when addressing a team member with negative behavior?

Engaging in a counterattack Signup and view all the answers

What is considered an essential element in the problem-solving process?

Building theories Signup and view all the answers

What type of individual is likely to create confusion in a group?

Ego tripper Signup and view all the answers

Which approach helps individuals understand the importance of cooperating in a team?

Discussing positive outcomes of collaboration Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a role that builds high-performance groups?

Avoider Signup and view all the answers

What aspect is critical for a leader to develop within a team?

Clear communication Signup and view all the answers

What must leaders commit to in order to model excellence?

Engaging in continuous personal improvement Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the 'storming' stage of team development?

Conflict and resistance to group structure occur Signup and view all the answers

What factor can exacerbate the likelihood of groupthink in a team?

A highly insulated group with restricted access to information Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT essential for a successful team?

High levels of competition among members Signup and view all the answers

How can leaders effectively create a one-team attitude?

By promoting open-mindedness and innovation Signup and view all the answers

Which technique should leaders use to combat groupthink?

Assign a member to play devil's advocate Signup and view all the answers

What role do external support and recognition play in a high-performance team?

They reinforce a sense of achievement and legitimacy Signup and view all the answers

In the performing stage, a team is characterized by what?

Increased focus on solving problems and completing tasks Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a symptom of groupthink?

Illusion of invulnerability Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the five requirements for global teams to work effectively?

Trust and respect among team members Signup and view all the answers

Which approach best describes the most common method of team building?

Developing relationships over time through challenges Signup and view all the answers

What should leaders do when they admit mistakes?

Model honesty as a virtue Signup and view all the answers

What defines the 'norming' stage in team development?

Conflict is resolved and cohesion starts to develop Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy is essential for maintaining team flexibility?

Employing a variety of tactics to achieve success Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Chapter 11: The Team Concept

Learning objectives include describing high-performance group characteristics, demonstrating positive/negative group member roles, and understanding leader roles in developing communication, teamwork, and a unified team attitude.
Leadership is the ability to effectively harness and channel group power. Leadership requires understanding group behavior and tapping the constructive power of teams.
Excellent teams exhibit 12 key characteristics: clear mission, informal atmosphere, lots of discussion, active listening, trust and openness, disagreement is acceptable, criticism is focused on issues, consensus is the norm, effective leadership, clarity of assignment, shared values/norms, and commitment.
Successful groups depend on individual choices, leader influence and direction, and intentional reinforcement of positive vs. negative roles.

Roles That Build High-Performance Groups

Encourager: Helps members fulfill potential.
Clarifier: Organizes and clarifies information.
Harmonizer: Brings together differing points of view.
Idea generator: Suggests ideas.
Ignition key: Facilitates group work.
Standard setter: Uses knowledge/skills to guide the group.
Detail specialist: Identifies errors/omissions.

Roles That Reduce Group Success

Ego tripper: Interrupts others, overly dogmatic.
Negative artist: Rejects ideas, takes negative stances.
Above-it-all person: Withdraws from group activities.
Aggressor: Attacks/blames others.
Jokester: Distracts from tasks.
Avoider: Avoids conflict/confrontation.
Power victim: Seeks negative attention.

Dealing with Problem Behavior

Address issues: Calmly discuss behavior after the fact.
Report honestly: Note observations, emphasizing the importance of considering others' perspectives.
Emphasize shared goals: Highlight the need for cooperation to achieve success.
Express impact: Describe how the behavior affected individuals.
Ask for clarification: Encourage the individual to explain their behavior.
Avoid counter attack - do not engage in defensiveness if the person challenges your observations.
Emphasize cooperation: Point out the value of cooperation with others.
Confront with facts: Emphasize consequences if closed-minded.
Communicate unacceptability: State that the behavior is unacceptable.

Designing Teams for Success

Teams typically consist of 5-8 individuals.
Effective teams draw on diverse experiences/perspectives.
Amazon's "two-pizza rule" suggests team size limits for effective teamwork.
Microsoft recommends 8-person teams for software development.

The Problem-Solving Cycle

Problem-solving involves: having experiences (E), reflecting on results (R), building theories (T), taking action (A).

Problem-Solving Styles

Problem-solving includes having experiences, reflecting on results, building theories, and taking action.
Preference for multiple problem-solving styles is possible.
Tolerance of differences in styles is crucial in collaborative environments.

Leader as Team Builder

Teamwork is essential for group success.
Effective leaders value teamwork, acting as team builders and champions.

Hiring and Developing Winners

Leaders must recruit and develop high-performing team members.
Leaders must commit to excellence, set an example.
Leaders need to hire talented individuals and train others.
Leaders should consider the needs/interests of all team members.

How to Create a High-Performance Team

Individual competence does not guarantee high-performance teams.
Leaders should create a unified team spirit and "one-team" attitude.
Seek to assemble teams with knowledge, commitment, desire to collaborate.
Encourage enthusiasm, timely decision-making, open-mindedness, innovation.

How to Create a High-Performance Team, II

Modelling honesty and handling uncertainties.
Being adaptive in tactics/strategies for success.
Emphasize persistence/lasting power in teams.
Giving credit to others, recognizing efforts and accomplishments.

Characteristics of a Successful Team

Clear, elevating goal.
Results-driven structure.
Competent team members.
Unified commitment.
Collaborative climate.
Standards of excellence.
External support/recognition.
Principled leadership.

Virtual Teams

Virtual teams perform best with tasks needing moderate interdependence.
Key elements for global virtual teams = senior management support, effective communication technology, a supportive organizational structure, trust and respect between team members, ability to capitalize on diverse cultures/languages.

Stages in the Life of a Group

Groups progress through stages: forming (caution, tentative interactions), storming (conflict, pushing limits), norming (agreement, cohesion), performing (focused effort, high morale).
Transition between stages may involve the potential for groupthink.

Stage I: Forming

Group formation, but purpose/expectations are unclear.
Cautious approach to testing the waters.
Individuals evaluate acceptable behavior, tasks, and interactions.
Interactions are superficial and directed toward formal leaders.

Stage II: Storming

Individuals react to actions and authority, asserting individuality.
Characterized by conflict, resistance to structure.
Members develop coping strategies and approaches for working together.

Stage III: Norming

Norms are established for group tasks.
Greater order/cohesion develops.
Members identify with the group and find ways to resolve conflict.
Members feel comfortable exchanging ideas and information.

Stage IV: Performing

Focused efforts on tasks, having passed through membership, structure, role issues.
Tasks are prioritized, members take initiative emphasizing results.
Morale increases as milestones are achieved, improving positive feelings among members.
Each member takes on leadership responsibilities.

Avoiding Groupthink

Groupthink is a mode of thinking where striving for unanimity overrides realistic evaluation of alternatives.
Factors fostering groupthink = highly insulated groups, stressful decision-making contexts, group cohesiveness.
Symptoms include illusion of invulnerability, inherent morality, rationalization, stereotypes of out-groups, self-censorship, pressure to conform, mindguards, illusion of unanimity.
Techniques to avoid groupthink= assign role of critical evaluator, adopt impartial stance, external evaluators, devil's advocate, second-chance meetings.

Team-Building Interventions and Techniques

Team building often occurs organically, as the group responds to challenges.
Experiential strategies enhance team building.
Challenges/adventures can strengthen relationships.

Team-Building, II

Key questions to consider during team discussions = history, current status, purpose, goals, values, stakeholders, strategy, success factors, team dynamics

Appreciative Inquiry

Team-building strategy.
"Four-D" model – Discovery, Dreaming, Designing, and Delivering.

The Role of the Leader in the Team Concept

Organizational success depends on understanding and managing team processes.
Crucial processes include buy-in (legitimizing work & setting goals), accountability (managing/rewarding performance), learning (performance improvement), infrastructure (systemizing work/accessing resources), and partnering (promoting interaction across units).
Leaders must coordinate teams across organizations, advocate for teams, access resources, and ensure organizational support for team results.

Team Dynamics

Five dysfunctions of teams = absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, inattention to results.
Five traits of effective teams = trust, unfiltered conflict about ideas, committing to decisions, holding each other accountable, focusing on collective results.

The Human Side of Team Effectiveness

Research emphasizes psychological safety as a critical factor in team success.
Good teams foster a sense of equality in conversational turn-taking.
The importance of social sensitivity in teams.

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Description

Explore the essential characteristics of high-performance teams and the pivotal roles of leadership in fostering effective communication and teamwork. This quiz covers various group member roles, their impact on dynamics, and the importance of a unified team attitude. Test your knowledge on building successful groups and understanding the intricacies of team behavior.