Communicating in Teams

Lina Melkonian

SJSU Career Center

Communication— Oral/Written Interpersonal/Social Critical Thinking Leadership Teamwork

Business Communications Quarterly, Volume 65, March 2002, pages 21-36

Top Skills Sought By Recruiters

Teambuilding Lessons From Geese

Why do geese fly in a V formation?

What happens when a goose falls out of formation?

What happens when the lead goose gets tired?

Why do geese in formation honk from behind?

What happens when a goose gets sick or wounded?

What is a Team?

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

A team is a unit of two or more people who work together to achieve a goal. Team members share a mission and the responsibility to achieve it.

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Problem SolvingProblem Solving

CommitteesCommittees

TaskforcesTaskforces

Virtual TeamsVirtual Teams

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Types of Workplace Teams

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

AdvantagesAdvantages

Information & knowledge

Diversity of views

Acceptance of solutions

Performance

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

Groupthink

Hidden agendas

Free riders

High costs

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Overview of Teams

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

RulesRulesRulesRules IdentityIdentityIdentityIdentityNormsNormsNormsNorms

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Group Dynamics

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Orientation

Conflict

Brainstorming

Emergence

Reinforcement

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Team Decision Making

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Controlling

Withdrawing

Attention Seeking

Diverting

Encouraging

Harmonizing

Compromising

Initiating

Information Seeking

Coordinating

Procedure Setting

Self-Oriented

Group-Maintenance

Task-Facilitating

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Roles People Play in Groups

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Being a Facilitator is like being a Referee

Facilitators focus on the process the team is using to get results. On effective teams, every member feels responsible for the process, not just the leader.

A facilitator like a referee, makes sure the team operates in an organized manner. A referee does not supervise team strategies, but rather makes sure that the teams are observing the rules of the game.

Making sure that the team is operating in a fair, organized and respectful manner is called facilitation, and it is the responsibility of all team members.

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Team Leadership

As employers reduce their layers of management and as companies become flatter, individual contributors are increasingly asked to lead teams.

Leaders Lead, Don’t Rule!

Successful team leaders demonstrate the ability to listen to other team members first, then share their points of view.

Team Leaders Are Great Facilitators

Facilitation is a vital communication tool for effective team leaders.

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

EffectiveTeams

CollaborativeRelationships

EffectiveTeams

CollaborativeRelationships

ClearPurpose

ClearPurpose

CreativeThinkingCreativeThinking

FocusedEffortsFocusedEfforts

OpenCommunication

OpenCommunication

ConflictResolution

ConflictResolution

ConsensusDecisionMaking

ConsensusDecisionMaking

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Conflicting GoalsConflicting Goals

Power StrugglesPower Struggles

Attitudes and ValuesAttitudes and Values

Poor CommunicationPoor Communication

Task ResponsibilitiesTask Responsibilities

Scarce ResourcesScarce Resources

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Conflict in Teams

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Proaction

Communication

Openness

Research

Flexibility

Fairness

Alliance

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Resolving ConflictCommunicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Express understanding

Raise awareness

Evaluate objections

Withhold arguments

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Overcoming Resistance

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

PurposePurpose PurposePurpose

PRODUCTIVEMEETINGS

ParticipantsParticipants ParticipantsParticipants

AgendaAgenda AgendaAgenda LocationLocation LocationLocation

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

FocusFocus

ProceduresProcedures

ParticipationParticipation

ClosingClosing

Follow-UpFollow-Up

EffectiveMeetingsEffectiveMeetings

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

CriticalCriticalListeningListening

ContentContentListeningListening

EmpatheticEmpatheticListeningListening

Three Types Three Types Of ListeningOf Listening

Purpose and FeedbackPurpose and Feedback

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Self-Self-CenterednessCenteredness

Self-Self-CenterednessCenterednessPrejudgmentPrejudgmentPrejudgmentPrejudgment

SelectiveSelectiveListeningListeningSelectiveSelectiveListeningListening

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Barriers to Listening

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Check Points for Meeting Facilitators

Is this discussion being productive?

Are agreements being reached?

Are new ideas being generated?

Are people understanding each other?

What is being committed to?

What is the best use of the group’s time now?

Are we meeting the objectives of the meeting?

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

Bruce Withrow, Conversation Types, Affinity Consulting

HonestyHonestyHonestyHonesty ReliabilityReliabilityReliabilityReliability

EfficiencyEfficiencyEfficiencyEfficiency

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

Nonverbal Communication

Communicating in TeamsCommunicating in Teams

From Business Communication Today, Prentice Hall, 2003

FacialFacialExpressionsExpressions

GesturesGesturesand Postureand Posture

Touching Touching BehaviorBehavior

PersonalPersonalAppearanceAppearance

Use of Use of Time and SpaceTime and Space

Vocal Vocal CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Types of Nonverbal Communication

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CommitmentCommitment

ConnectionsConnections

Change Change ManagementManagementConflict Conflict

ManagementManagement

CooperationCooperation

CommunicationCommunication

ContributionContribution

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Suzanne Willis Zoglio, 7 Keys to Building Great Workteams