HBO Managing Groups and Teams PDF

Managing Groups and Teams Objectives of the lesson  Recognize and understand group dynamics and development.  Understand the difference between groups and teams.  Compare and contrast different types of teams.  Understand how to design effective teams.  Explore ideas around teams and ethics....

Managing Groups and Teams Objectives of the lesson  Recognize and understand group dynamics and development.  Understand the difference between groups and teams.  Compare and contrast different types of teams.  Understand how to design effective teams.  Explore ideas around teams and ethics.  Understand cross-cultural influences on teams. Jack Welch, (GE’s former CEO), “We now know where productivity comes from. It comes from challenged, empowered, excited, rewarded teams of people.” Groups A group is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person’s actions have an impact on the others. In organizations, most work is done within groups. How groups function has important implications for organizational productivity. Groups where people get along, feel the desire to contribute to the team, and are capable of coordinating their efforts may have high performance levels, whereas teams characterized by extreme levels of conflict or hostility may demoralize members of the workforce. Types of Groups: Formal and Informal A formal work group is made up of managers, subordinates, or both with close associations among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group. Informal work groups are made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization. For example, a few people in the company who get together to play tennis on the weekend would be considered an informal group. Stages of Group Development Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning Forming In the forming stage, the group comes together for the first time. The members may already know each other or they may be total strangers. In either case, there is a level of formality, some anxiety, and a degree of guardedness as group members are not sure what is going to happen next. “Will I be accepted? What will my role be? Who has the power here?” These are some of the questions participants think about during this stage of group formation. Because of the large amount of uncertainty, members tend to be polite, conflict avoidant, and observant. They are trying to figure out the “rules of the game” without being too vulnerable. At this point, they may also be quite excited and optimistic about the task at hand, perhaps experiencing a level of pride at being chosen to join a particular group. Storming Participants focus less on keeping their guard up as they shed social facades, becoming more authentic and more argumentative. Group members begin to explore their power and influence, and they often stake out their territory by differentiating themselves from the other group members rather than seeking common ground. Discussions can become heated as participants raise contending points of view and values, or argue over how tasks should be done and who is assigned to them. It is not unusual for group members to become defensive, competitive, or jealous. They may even take sides or begin to form cliques within the group. Questioning and resisting direction from the leader is also quite common. “Why should I have to do this? Who designed this project in the first place? Why do I have to listen to you?” Although little seems to get accomplished at this stage, group members are becoming more authentic as they express their deeper thoughts and feelings. What they are really exploring is “Can I truly be me, have power, and be accepted?” During this chaotic stage, a great deal of creative energy that was previously buried is released and available for use, but it takes skill to move the group from storming to norming. In many cases, the group gets stuck in the storming phase. Norming Group members often feel elated at this point, and they are much more committed to each other and the group’s goal. Feeling energized by knowing they can handle the “tough stuff,” group members are now ready to get to work. Finding themselves more cohesive and cooperative, participants find it easy to establish their own ground rules (or norms) and define their operating procedures and goals. The group tends to make big decisions, while subgroups or individuals handle the smaller decisions. Hopefully, at this point the group is more open and respectful toward each other, and members ask each other for both help and feedback. They may even begin to form friendships and share more personal information with each other. At this point, the leader should become more of a facilitator by stepping back and letting the group assume more responsibility for its goal. Since the group’s energy is running high, this is an ideal time to host a social or team-building event. Performing At this stage, participants are not only getting the work done, but they also pay greater attention to how they are doing it. They ask questions like, “Do our operating procedures best support productivity and quality assurance? Do we have suitable means for addressing differences that arise so we can preempt destructive conflicts? Are we relating to and communicating with each other in ways that enhance group dynamics and help us achieve our goals? How can I further develop as a person to become more effective?” By now, the group has matured, becoming more competent, autonomous, and insightful. Group leaders can finally move into coaching roles and help members grow in skill and leadership. Adjourning Just as groups form, so do they end. For example, many groups or teams formed in a business context are project oriented and therefore are temporary in nature. Alternatively, a working group may dissolve due to an organizational restructuring. Just as when we graduate from school or leave home for the first time, these endings can be bittersweet, with group members feeling a combination of victory, grief, and insecurity about what is coming next. For those who like routine and bond closely with fellow group members, this transition can be particularly challenging. Group leaders and members alike should be sensitive to handling these endings respectfully and compassionately. An ideal way to close a group is to set aside time to debrief (“How did it all go? What did we learn?”), acknowledge each other, and celebrate a job well done. Cohesion can be thought of as a kind of social glue. It refers to the degree of camaraderie within the group. Cohesive groups are those in which members are attached to each other and act as one unit. Generally speaking, the more cohesive a group is, the more productive it will be and the more rewarding the experience will be for the group’s members (Beal et al., 2003; Evans & Dion, 1991). Members of cohesive groups tend to have the following characteristics: They have a collective identity; they experience a moral bond and a desire to remain part of the group; they share a sense of purpose, working together on a meaningful task or cause; and they establish a structured pattern of communication Factors affecting group cohesion  Similarity. The more similar group members are in terms of age, sex, education, skills, attitudes, values, and beliefs, the more likely the group will bond.  Stability. The longer a group stays together, the more cohesive it becomes.  Size. Smaller groups tend to have higher levels of cohesion.  Support. When group members receive coaching and are encouraged to support their fellow team members, group identity strengthens.  Satisfaction. Cohesion is correlated with how pleased group Steps to Creating and Maintaining a Cohesive Team  Align the group with the greater organization. Establish common objectives in which members can get involved.  Let members have choices in setting their own goals. Include them in decision making at the organizational level.  Define clear roles. Demonstrate how each person’s contribution furthers the group goal—everyone is responsible for a special piece of the puzzle.  Situate group members in close proximity to each other. This builds familiarity.  Give frequent praise. Both individuals and groups benefit from praise. Also encourage them to praise each other. This builds individual self-confidence, reaffirms positive behavior, and creates an overall positive atmosphere.  Treat all members with dignity and respect. This demonstrates that there are no favorites and everyone is valued.  Celebrate differences. This highlights each individual’s contribution while also making diversity a norm.  Establish common rituals. Thursday morning coffee, monthly potlucks—these reaffirm group identity and create shared experiences. Social Loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to put in less effort when working in a group context. This phenomenon, also known as the Ringelmann effect, was first noted by French agricultural engineer Max Ringelmann in 1913. In one study, he had people pull on a rope individually and in groups. He found that as the number of people pulling increased, the group’s total pulling force was less than the individual efforts had been when measured alone (Karau & Williams, 1993). Tips for Preventing Social Loafing in Your Group  Carefully choose the number of individuals you need to get the task done. The likelihood of social loafing increases as group size increases (especially if the group consists of 10 or more people), because it is easier for people to feel unneeded or inadequate, and it is easier for them to “hide” in a larger group.  Clearly define each member’s tasks in front of the entire group. If you assign a task to the entire group, social loafing is more likely. For example, instead of stating, “By Monday, let’s find several articles on the topic of stress,” you can set the goal of “By Monday, each of us will be responsible for finding five articles on the topic of stress.” When individuals have specific goals, they become more accountable for their performance.  Design and communicate to the entire group a system for evaluating each person’s contribution. You may have a feedback session in which each member gives feedback to every other member. This would increase the sense of accountability individuals have.  Build a cohesive group. When group members develop strong relational bonds, they are more committed to each other and the success of the group, and they are therefore more likely to pull their own weight.  Assign tasks that are highly engaging and inherently rewarding. Design challenging, unique, and varied activities that will have a significant impact on the individuals themselves, the organization, or the external environment. For example, one group member may be responsible for crafting a new incentive-pay system through which employees can direct some of their bonus to their favorite nonprofits.  Make sure individuals feel that they are needed. If the group ignores a member’s contributions because these contributions do not meet the group’s performance standards, members will feel discouraged and are unlikely to contribute in the future. Make sure that everyone feels included and needed by the group. Collective efficacy refers to a group’s perception of its ability to successfully perform well (Bandura, 1997). Collective efficacy is influenced by a number of factors, including watching others (“that group did it and we’re better than them”), verbal persuasion (“we can do this”), and how a person feels (“this is a good group”). Research shows that a group’s collective efficacy is related to its performance (Gully et al., 2002; Porter, 2005; Tasa, Taggar, & Seijts, 2007). In addition, this relationship is higher when task interdependence (the degree an individual’s task is linked to someone else’s work) is high rather than low. Understanding Team Design Characteristics Differences Between Groups and Teams A group is a collection of individuals. Within an organization, groups might consist of project-related groups such as a product group or division, or they can encompass an entire store or branch of a company. The performance of a group consists of the inputs of the group minus any process losses, such as the quality of a product, ramp-up time to production, or the sales for a given month. A collection of people is not a team, though they may learn to function in that way. A team is a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals. Being on a team does not equate to a total suppression of personal agendas, but it does require a commitment to the vision and involves each individual working toward accomplishing the team’s objective. Teams differ from other types of groups in that members are focused on a joint goal or product, such as a presentation, discussing a topic, writing a report, creating a new design or prototype, or winning a team Olympic medal. Moreover, teams also tend to be defined by their relatively smaller size. For example, according to one definition, “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 are mutually accountable” (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993). Team Tasks 1. Production tasks include actually making something, such as a building, product, or a marketing plan. 2. Idea-generation tasks deal with creative tasks, such as brainstorming a new direction or creating a new process. 3. Problem-solving tasks refer to coming up with plans for actions and making decisions. For example, a team may be charged with coming up with a new marketing slogan, which is an idea-generation task, while another team might be asked to manage an entire line of products, including making decisions about products to produce, managing the production of the product lines, marketing them, and staffing their division. The second team has all three types of tasks to accomplish at different points in time. Team Roles Team Roles 1. Task roles 1.1 Contractor role includes behaviors that serve to organize the team’s work, including creating team timelines, production schedules, and task sequencing. 1.2 Creator role deals more with changes in the team’s task process structure. For example, reframing the team goals and looking at the context of goals would fall under this role. 1.3 Contributor role is important, because it brings information and expertise to the team. This role is characterized by sharing knowledge and training with those who have less expertise to strengthen the team. 1.4 Completer role is also important, as it transforms ideas into action. Behaviors associated with this role include following up on tasks, such as gathering needed background information or summarizing the team’s ideas into reports. 1.5 Critic role includes “devil’s advocate” behaviors that go against the assumptions being made by the team. 2. Social roles 2.1 Cooperator role includes supporting those with expertise toward the team’s goals. This is a proactive role. 2.2 communicator role includes behaviors that are targeted at collaboration, such as practicing good listening skills and appropriately using humor to diffuse tense situations. 2.3 Calibrator role is an important one that serves to keep the team on track in terms of suggesting any needed changes to the team’s process. This role includes initiating discussions about potential team problems such as power struggles or other tensions. 3. Boundary-spanning roles 3.1 Consul role includes gathering information from the larger organization and informing those within the organization about team activities, goals, and successes. 3.2. Coordinator role includes interfacing with others within the organization so that the team’s efforts are in line with other individuals and teams within the organization. Types of Teams 1. Task force that is asked to address a specific issue or problem until it is resolved. 2. Other teams may be temporary or ongoing, such as product development teams. 3. Cross-functional teams in which individuals from different parts of the organization staff the team, which may be temporary or long-standing in nature. 4. Virtual teams are teams in which members are not located in the same physical place. They may be in different cities, states, or even different countries. Some virtual teams are formed by necessity, such as to take advantage of lower labor costs in different countries 5. Top management teams are appointed by the chief executive officer (CEO) and ideally, reflect the skills and areas that the CEO considers vital for the company. There are no formal rules about top management team design or structure. The top team often includes representatives from functional areas, such as finance, human resources, and marketing, or key geographic areas, such as Europe, Asia, and North America. Depending on the company, other areas may be represented, such as legal counsel or the company’s chief technologist. Typical top management team member titles include chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief marketing officer (CMO), or chief technology officer (CTO). Team Leadership and Autonomy Traditionally managed Self-managed teams Self-directed teams teams Leader resides outside The team manages itself but The team makes all the team still has a team leader decisions internally about Potential for low Potential for low, medium, leadership and how work autonomy or high autonomy is done Potential for high autonomy Designing Effective Teams 1. A key consideration when forming a team is to ensure that all the team members are qualified for the roles they will fill for the team 2. The majority of teams have 10 members or less, because the larger the team, the harder it is to coordinate and interact as a team. With fewer individuals, team members are more able to work through differences and agree on a common plan of action 3. Diversity wise, teams whose members have complementary skills are often more successful, because members can see each other’s blind spots. One team member’s strengths can compensate for another’s weaknesses Management of Teams 1. Establishing Team Norms Norms are shared expectations about how things operate within a group or team. Just as new employees learn to understand and share the assumptions, norms, and values that are part of an organization’s culture, they also must learn the norms of their immediate team. This understanding helps teams be more cohesive and perform better. Norms are a powerful way of ensuring coordination within a team. For example, is it acceptable to be late to meetings? How prepared are you supposed to be at the meetings? Is it acceptable to criticize someone else’s work? These norms are shaped early during the life of a team and affect whether the team is productive, cohesive, and successful. 2. Team Contracts Having a team contract does not necessarily mean that the team will be successful, but it can serve as a road map when the team veers off course. 3. Team Meetings (before, during, and after) Before Meetings 1. Is a meeting needed? 2. Create and distribute an agenda. 3. Send a reminder prior to the meeting. During Meetings 1. Start the meeting on time. 2. Follow the meeting agenda. 3. Manage group dynamics for full participation. 4. Summarize the meeting with action items. Be sure to clarify team member roles moving forward 5. End the meeting on time After the Meeting: Follow up on action items. Common Problems Faced by Teams 1. Challenges of Knowing Where to Begin 2. Dominating Team Members 3. Poor Performance of Team Members 4. Poorly Managed Team Conflict