building constructive team relationships

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Building Constructive Team RelationshipsHeartland Conference

April 8, 2008

Dynamic Works Institute

www.dynamicinstitute.com 2

Objectives

Define team Team characteristics Team roles Team skills



My Favorite Team Building Icebreaker

1. Divide into groups of 4 or 52. Find ten things you have in common with

each other (no body parts or clothing)3. Assign note taker4. Share your list with another group and find

out how much you have in common with them

Source: http://humanresources.about.com/od/icebreakers/a/icebreaker_com.htm

http://humanresources.about.com/od/icebreakers/a/icebreaker_com.htm

http://humanresources.about.com/od/icebreakers/a/icebreaker_com.htm



What is a Team?

Group of individuals working together When do you work in teams?



What is a Team?

Together Everyone Achieves More



The Workforce System

WIA’s core is teamwork Single system Common goals and objectives Problem solving



Being a Team Player

Characteristics Roles and tasks Skills



Team Characteristics

Trust Empowerment Accountability Motivation



Team Characteristics Building Trust

Definitions: “To place confidence in someone.” “Willingness to be vulnerable”



TrustAction Steps

Define responsibilities Develop ground rules



Team Ground Rules

Encourage an open exchange of ideas during team creation.

One person speaks at a time. Keep team business inside the team. Everyone participates. No zingers, put-downs or cheap shots about others’

ideas. Open disagreement is okay. Listening is important. Respect one another, respect the team. Celebrate achievements. Share all relevant information. Every idea is worth exploring. Maintain confidentiality.



TrustAction Steps

Identify conflict resolution mechanism Introduce the team Provide feedback Building Trust checklist



Team Characteristics Empowerment

1. Begin new tasks before you are told?2. Look for work to fill any spare time?3. Make yourself available for extra work or

overtime?4. Keep communication with superiors open?5. Make suggestions?6. Try to correct mistakes or problems?7. Work without supervision?8. Take on extra tasks such as helping with staff or

charity events?9. Volunteer for committee work?10. Demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Become-Proactive-And-Master-Success&id=330179





Team Characteristics Accountability

Understand your role and its importance Questions:

How would your organization be affected if you failed to complete responsibilities?

Who would take up the slack? Who would work with your customers the

way you do?



Holding Others Accountable

Be willing to confront each other Accept responsibility for mistakes Don’t hold grudges



Team CharacteristicsMotivation

“A team whose members are aligned with its purpose, feel a challenge in their task, have a strong sense of camaraderie, feel responsibility for the outcome, and experience growth as a team and in their personal lives, will tend to sustain motivation over the long haul. This is not to say that they will not have difficulties at times, or that members’ wants and needs won’t change over time. In these cases, sometimes changes will have to be made. A member who no longer feels the team is meeting his or her needs may have to leave the team to continue on their own path. But, in as much as it is possible to sustain motivation indefinitely, the factors above will tend to create the best possible environment for it.”

Peter Grazier, November 2006



Team CharacteristicsSummary

Trust Empowerment Accountability Motivation



PracticeWill This Team Be Effective?

I never know when our team is going to be meeting. The leader calls us together whenever he feels that there’s something to talk about. We have no agenda for these meetings, and we’ve never set any kind of ground rules. We don’t even have the same people showing up each time – I don’t know half of the people on this team.



Practice Will This Team Be Effective?

I’ve just become a member of a new team, and I’m really excited about it. The leader spent some time at our first meeting giving us a chance to get to know one another – we played a fun getting to know you activity. We meet the first Tuesday of every month, and I’ve already gotten my first assignment – guess I’d better get to work – I wouldn’t want to let the rest of the team down!



Practice Will This Team Be Effective?

I sit on the board of a national association. We get quite a bit accomplished, although I have to say that I don’t always look forward to going to the meetings. There are a lot of side conversations, and sometimes I feel like people on the team are uncomfortable saying what’s on their mind to the entire group. We used to go out as a group in the evenings, but even that has stopped. I sometimes wonder what our real purpose is.



Roles of Team Members

Shaper Implementer Completer Finisher Coordinator Team Worker Resource Investigator Plant Monitor-Evaluator Specialist



Skills of Team Members

Listening Questioning Persuading Respecting Helping Sharing Participating



Team Member SkillsListening

“Silence is never more golden than when you hold it long enough to get all the facts before you speak.”



ListeningGuidelines for Effective Listening

Look directly at the speaker. Making eye contact indicates your attentiveness.

Concentrate on the words and the way things are being said.

Listen for the speaker’s attitudes, feelings, and main ideas.

Nod, make a quick comment, or ask a question to indicate that you are attending to the conversation.

Evaluate the message without judging the speaker. Be open to the person’s values, ideas, and feelings.

Adapted from Effective listening skills. Academic Support Services. Utah State University.



Team Member SkillsQuestioning

“You should ignore the situation.”

“Stand up to him and maybe he won't act that way.”

“I know what is wrong; you are depressed. You should see a doctor.”

“What do you think would happen if you just ignored the situation?”

“How do you think he would react if you stood up to him?”

“You sound kind of down. Are you not feeling well? Have you been to a doctor?”



Team Member SkillsPersuading

So what I hear you saying is that…” “Could we take your idea one step

further and….?”



Team Member SkillsRespecting

A feeling of appreciative, often deferential regard

Do not always have to agree Separate behavior from person



Team Member SkillsHelping

Make it easier or possible by providing assistance



Team Member SkillsSharing

Information Joe: I guess the only thing we haven’t

checked off yet are the marketing postcards. Dave, how are they coming?

Dave: Well, we’ve got a problem. The company that was printing these for us went out of business, and the only other printing company in town can’t meet our deadline.

Thoughts Feelings




Information Thoughts

Dave: Boy, I don’t know if that can be done – if you read the summaries from the employer focus groups that were held a few months ago, they’re really upset about this center and where it was built.

Joe: I know this isn’t going to be easy - it’s going to take up quite a bit of our time the next couple of months. But we’ve got a good team here – we were all chosen for our specific strengths and knowledge in this area.

Feelings




Information Thoughts Feelings

Joe: How did you feel about working on this team?

Shelly: I felt it to be a very positive learning experience. We were able to have constructive discussions, and for the most part were respectful of each other’s feelings.



Team Member SkillsParticipating

Storming

Norming

Performing

Adjourning

Forming



Skills of Team Members

Listening Questioning Persuading Respecting Helping Sharing Participating



Objectives

Define team Team characteristics Team roles Team skills



Ann Merrifield, CWDP:BESDynamic Works Institute

[email protected]

www.dynamicinstitute.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.dynamicinstitute.com/

building constructive team relationships

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