TEAMS

Admin Teams For next week…

MARSHMALLOW EXERCISE

Get into groups of 5 Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure

The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.

The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure.

Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team. 

Use as Much or as Little of the Kit The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as

much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as part of their structure.

You have 18 minutes.

CLICKER QUESTION

How tall was your structure? (Be Honest!)

A. 0-10 inchesB. 11-20 inchesC. 21-30 inchesD. 30+ inches

TED TALK

Tom Wujec: Build a tower, build a team

GROUPS VERSUS TEAMS

Groups: Members primarily accountable to

supervisors, not each other Reason for the group’s formation is to

assemble diverse expertise for the creation of a product, not to emphasize perspective sharing in on-going collaboration

Teams: Team, as a whole (and as individual members),

accountable to supervisors More working together Possible emergence of a team culture Emphasis on:

Collaboration Creativity Formal and emergent leadership Benefits of diversity

IMPORTANT SKILLS

Working cooperatively Contributing to groups with ideas,

suggestions, and effort Communication (both giving and receiving) Sense of responsibility Healthy respect for different opinions,

customs, and individual preferences Ability to participate in team decision-making

STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT

Psychologist Bruce Tuckman first came up with the stages of team development in 1965. They included: forming, storming, norming, and performing.

He used these stages to describe the path that most teams follow on their way to high performance.

He later added Adjourning (sometimes known as mourning).

STAGES OF TEAMS

FORMING

Team members are positive and polite, some are anxious, others are simply excited about the task ahead.

Leaders play a dominant role at this stage, because team members' roles and responsibilities aren't clear.

Can last for some time, as people start to work together, and as they make an effort to get to know their new colleagues.

STORMING People start to push against the boundaries

established in the forming stage. Often starts where there is a conflict between

team members' natural working styles – can cause many to become frustrated.

Team members may challenge leader authority, or attempt to establish their position as their roles are clarified.

People may feel overwhelmed by their workload, or they could be uncomfortable with the approach to work.

Some may question the worth of the team's goal, and they may resist taking on tasks.

NORMING People start to resolve their differences,

appreciate colleagues' strengths, and respect authority of leaders.

Team members know one-another better, and are able to ask each other for help and provide constructive feedback.

People develop a stronger commitment to the team goal, and you start to see good progress towards it.

Often a prolonged overlap between storming and norming, because, as new tasks come up, the team may lapse back into behavior from the storming stage.

PERFORMING

Achieved when hard work leads, without friction, to the achievement of the team's goal.

Leaders can delegate much of the work, and can concentrate on developing team members.

It feels easy to be part of the team at this stage, and people who join or leave won't disrupt performance.

ADJOURNING

Many teams will reach this stage eventually. For example, project teams exist for only a fixed

period, and even permanent teams may be disbanded through organizational restructuring.

Team members may find this stage difficult, particularly if they like routine, or if their future now looks uncertain.

TEAM MEMBER ROLES: TASK ROLES (MCCORKLE AND REESE)

Initiator: Makes suggestions Information Seeker: Asks for facts and ideas Information Giver: Shares data Opinion Seeker: Asks for ideas Clarifier: Sums up consensus or progress "Devil's Advocate": brings critical thinking to a

topic Procedural Technician: Books rooms, prepared

agenda, etc. Recorder: Takes notes

MAINTENANCE ROLES

Encourager: Listens to others and praises good work

Harmonizer: Moderates differences and conflicts

Compromiser: Offers ideas to break deadlocks Tension releaser: Uses humour to break

tension Gatekeeper: Ensures that everyone has a

chance to contribute

Observer: Notices nonverbal behaviour; helps avoid miscommunication

Follower: Supports the leaders Feeling expresser: Draws attention to

emotional tone Standard setter: Focuses attention on how

the group works together

DYSFUNCTIONAL ROLES

Aggressors use aggression to push agendas Blockers resist others' ideas Stage hogs monopolize discussion Clowns joke inappropriately or goof off Deserters don't show up or don't participate Confessors share inappropriate personal

feelings

Special Interest Pleasers advocate their pet ideas

Cynics focus on negatives Playboys or Playgirls flirt or sexually harass

Some people think they're one thing (eg, tension releaser) while the rest of the team thinks of them as another (clown)

CLICKER QUESTION

What types of roles do find yourself gravitating toward?

A. Task RolesB. Maintenance RolesC. Dysfunctional RolesD. It depends

TEAM PROBLEM SOLVING

Functional: Looking for best outcome, can strengthen

relationships Supporting other people Seeking agreement, not asserting power Trying to de-escalate conflict, solve problems Focusing on the issue, not the relationship or

other irrelevancies

Dysfunctional: Participants seen as "good" and "bad” Little goodwill Escalation of conflict Drifting from the point Potential long-term relational damage

TEAMS AND SELF-SERVING BIAS

Many people’s understanding of their performances on teams is hindered by the self-serving bias Self-serving bias: the human tendency to

interpret events in a way that attributes credit for good things to the self and blame for bad things to others.

Have you exhibited the self-serving bias when on teams?

Have you seen others do it?

GROUP/TEAM PROBLEM SOLVING

Problem analysis What really is the problem: Task related?

Interpersonal? Acute? Chronic? Criteria setting: What values are attached to

the problem? What features will a successful outcome have?

Brainstorming of possible solutions (avoid “either-or,” bi-polar thinking)

Selection of solution Implementation of solution

TEAM PROBLEM-SOLVING OUTCOMES Competition (win-lose)

May threaten or blame May be useful if your solution genuinely must be

followed

Compromise (lose/win-lose/win)  Concern for others as well as self Everyone gets and gives up something Can be useful in less important decisions or when time

is important Can leave everyone feeling unhappy

Collaboration (win-win) Concern for everyone Involves taking time to consider all ideas Welcomes new ideas Can be time-consuming or not worth it for less

important matters

IN GENERAL…

Focus on dialogue, not debate.

Seek collaboration (in which everyone wins), rather than competition or compromise.

LOST AT SEA ACTIVITY

Get into groups of 5

1. Individually, rank the following items from 1-15

2. In your teams, rank the same items from 1-15(Be able to back up your choices - why did you choose one item over another item?)

3. Compare your individual rankings with your team rankings

- A sextant- A shaving mirror- A quantity of mosquito netting- A 25 L container of water- Maps of the Atlantic Ocean- A floating seat cushion- A 10 L can of oil/petrol mixture- A small transistor radio

- 20 sq feet of opaque plastic sheeting- A can of shark repellent- One bottle of 160 proof rum- 15 feet of nylon rope- 2 boxes of chocolate bars- An ocean fishing kit and pole- A case of army rations

SCORING KEY

CLICKER QUESTION

What was your team score?

A. 0 – 25B. 26 – 32C. 33 – 45D.46 – 55E. 56 +

CLICKER QUESTION

Was your team score better or worse than your individual score?

A. BetterB. WorseC. The same

DEBRIEF

How did you score individually compared to as a team?

What was your team's process for ranking the items?

Did any conflicts arise during your deliberation? If so, how did you resolve them?

FOR NEXT WEEK

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