Teamwork Dynamics

Week 3 lecture

Dr Catherine Collins

Learning Objectives - W3 lecture

1. Why is teamwork important? 2. Identify 3 tools to improve team effectiveness and explain why they

work.
3. Identify challenges and solutions for different: (a) stages of team

development; and (b) types of teams.

Learning objectives - reading

1. What is the key characteristic/s that differentiates a group from a

team?
2. When are teams appropriate? 3. Identify and differentiate various types of teams. 4. Outline the range of characteristics of effective teams (input

process output model), and explain which characteristics are most critical. 5. Compare and critique various models of group development. 6. What are common problems with teams? (eg reasons for conflicts, biases etc)

LO1. What is an effective team?

Outcomes that can be achieved

Case study

Assuming you needed to continue working with this case study team, how would you improve the its effectiveness?

1. Ignore the problem. It is likely to

2 2.

3.

4. 5.

disappear. Teams go through storming phases and work it out (formingstorming-norming-performing) Focus on progressing the team task (eg allocate parts of the task to everyone) Focus on improving interpersonal processes (eg smooth over the problem by being positive) Mediation. Find someone external to the team to work through the problem Other.

20% 20% 20%

20% 20%

LO2 Team tool 1: Team agreement

Content: appropriate strategy Process: high quality team agreement

Processes (not individual differences) explain the most in team effectiveness!

Team Performa ance

Content: appropriate strategy Process: low quality team agreement

Content: inappropriate strategy Process: high quality team agreement

Content: inappropriate strategy Process: low quality team agreement

Time (10 weeks)

(Mathieu & Rapp, 2009, JAP)

Transition Phase Mission analysis Goal specification Strategy formulation

Action Phase

Monitoring goal progress Systems monitoring Team Team monitoring monito ing & backup back p Coordination

Interpersonal Phase Motivation & confidence building Managing Conflict Affect management

Marks, Mathieu, Zaccaro (2001) 8AMR

Transition phase: set goals to manage the direction & individual goals to hold members accountable Be prepared to learn & teach others.

Learning

Performance
Develop a team goal with similar expectations: 51% group vs 70% group vs 85% group.
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People
Develop a relationship that will last after the study team. Put in an emotional investment to develop networks.

Action phase: decide on task interdependence so you can manage activities

Your team design may differ whilst completing one team assignment.

Pooled

Sequential

Reciprocal

Behfar, Peterson, Mannix, & Trochim, 2009, JAP)

Interpersonal processes: motivation & conflict resolution

Foster high-quality connections (Dutton, 2003)

Cultivate positivity positive : negative rato 5:1 (Losada &

Heaphy, 2004)

LO2 Team tool 2: Review & improve team processes

Timing has different purposes Halfway through team task vs task completed Example discussion questions To what extent:
is there progress/completion of team goals? has unique knowledge been accessed from members and utilised in the task? has individual and team motivation been maintained across the task?

Team intervention: Team reviews with coaches

Team efficacy

8.5 8.3 8.1 7.9 7.7 7.5 7.3 7.1 6.9 6.7 6.5

With intervention

Without intervention

Time 3

Initially
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Over team lifespan

Collins & Parker (2010)

LO2 Team tool 3: flighting fairly & conflict management strategies

Affective / interpersonal conflict

Cognitive / task conflict

Jehn (1995)

When is cognitive conflict beneficial for teamwork?

1. Always. Debating ideas is one of 2.
20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

3.

4. 5.

the key strengths of teamwork. Occasionally, otherwise it reduces team engagement & satisfaction When it is planned (eg in a devils advocate role). Team members need time to prepare for the challenge of debating ideas At the divergent stage of problem solving At the convergent stage of problem solving
1 2 3 4 5

DeDreu & Weingart (2003, JAP)

Task complexity

Cogniti e conflict Cognitive

Team effectiveness effecti eness Performance

Affective conflict

Satisfaction

Which of the following statements are likely to lead to interpersonal conflict ?

A. Your solution to the problem is
14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14%

B.

C. D. E. F. G.

wrong because you have not considered the customers perspective about XXX. You never come up p with a solution to the problems we work on in this team You are being lazy. Where are your ideas? You have no idea. Why do you bother to be part of the team? Option C and D Option B, C and D All the above

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

Flighting fairly
Address during team set-up Decision making & agenda Address during team action phase Language g g
Supportive context Role model Constructive, solution-focused methods for resolving differences

Conflict resolution: Personal strategies

Problem: cognitive & affective conflict occur together, so how do we separate?

Type of groups Cognitive & affective relationship: time 1 Control (N = 42 Teams) Intervention (N = 62 Teams) + + Intervention Cognitive & Implement? affective relationship: time 2 + No Yes

None ? setting Specific goal with trust

Implications: Set goals & integrate with action plans (team agreement) Foster a supportive, trusting & positive culture

(Collins, Horton, Griffin, Mason & Parker, in preparation)

Behfar, Peterson, Mannix, & Trochim, 2009, JAP)

Conflict resolution: Team process intervention

Creating explicit rules Pluralistic strategies Outcomes: High perf, low sat Examples: majority rules, arbitration Equity Outcomes: High perf, high sat Examples: assign tasks on skill, forecast workload, understand reasoning, focus on content not delivery style Equality Outcomes: low perf, high sat Examples: assign work to volunteers rather than analysis, include all ideas, focus on cohesion

Adhocracy Particularistic strategies Outcomes: low perf, low sat Examples: avoid debate & meetings, trial & error to correct process, divide & conquer

Reactive strategies Perf = performance Sat = satisfaction

Proactive strategies

Exercise
Think of the Case Study Report you will start in W5 What can you say to: 1. Create task conflict? 2. Rescue an conflict that is getting personal?
Write down a phrase for 1 & 2 above that you could comfortably say to your peers.

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Conflict resolution: Organisational responses

Leader interventions Authoritative command
Coaches, negotiators, mediators

Structural interventions Team composition

Organisational structure Resources

LO3 Challenges & solutions of different team stages & types

Differentiate various types of teams.

See textbook for other typologies of teams

Beyond types and typologies (Hollenbeck et al, in prep)

Vertical differentiation
High

Horizontal differentiation
High X-teams

Hierarchical decision making teams

Boundary strength
High

Crossfunctional teams Student project teams

Ongoing O i intact teams Crews

Low

One-shot lab teams

Shortterm advice teams

Full crosstrained teams Selfmanaged teams Low Low

What are the responsibilities of teams? (Hackman, 1987)

Design of organizational context Design of the group as a performing unit Monitoring and managing performance processes Executing the task Area of management responsibility

Area of group responsibility

Manager-led work Self-managing teams work teams

Self-designing work teams

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Challenges Hierarchical team (vertical differentiation) Self-managed team (vertical diff differentiation) i i ) Ongoing vs one-shot teams (boundary strength) Cross-function vs crosstrained teams(horizontal differentiation)

Solutions Review & improve processes Conflict management Team agreement Interpersonal processes are just as important Team agreement extract unique knowledge just as critical

Exercise
Think of a team you have worked in 1. How did the team develop over time? 2 Why? 2.

Effectiveness

Time
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Tuckman & Jenson (1977)

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Punctuated equilibrium model (Gersick, 1988)

Themes in team development frameworks

Typical journeys Robust equilibrium (e.g. Bales, 1955)
Lifecycle Lif l (Tuckman, (T k 1965) Punctuated equilibrium (Gersick, 1988)

Variability - contingencies Adaptive response (Poole, 1981) BUT need to look at BOTH theories

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Average trend
Role clarity & help ping Scale
5 4.5 4
5.5 9.5 8.5 7.5 6.5

Variability

3.5
1 2 3 4

4.5 1 2 3 4

Residentials Time (8 months)

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Interpersonal c conflict & social loafing

High

On average, (1) ( ) interpersonal te pe so a co conflict ct & (2) social loafing tend to escalate over time

But every team has a different journey j y

Low

(Collins, 2009)
Time (8 months)

Challenges New team or task Storming Harmonious team Interruption to team

Solutions Team agreement Conflict management Work on task Review & improve team processes Review & improve processes

Think back to the case study team. Having listened to the lecture, what would you do to improve the its effectiveness?
1. Ignore the problem. It is likely to

2 2.

3.

4. 5.

disappear. Teams go through storming phases and work it out (formingstorming-norming-performing) Focus on progressing the team task (eg allocate parts of the task to everyone) Focus on improving interpersonal processes (eg smooth over the problem by being positive) Mediation. Find someone external to the team to work through the problem Other.

20% 20% 20%

20% 20%

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Summary & practical implications

Selection Scenario: New team or when adding another member
Tool = Personality testing

Development Scenario 1 new team

Tool = Team agreement ( including developmental team role assignments )

Scenario 2 ongoing team for development

Tool = Review & improve processes

Scenario 3 ongoing team to resolve difficulties

Tool = Fight fairly & conflict management strategies

Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNG2mlkzkCI&feature=related

Personal Report Tips

Dos
When in doubt work towards the

Donts
Forget to upload it to turn-it-in Blame your behaviour on others /

marking criteria
Think critically Look L k at t the th data d t Apply meaning to the data with

situation
Think Thi k you can change h personality lit Describe rather than analyse Plagiarise

examples (qualitative information)

Be S.M.A.R.T in your action plan Enjoy the process

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Announcements
Please do not change tutorials!! Week 4 tutorial

Personal Report due Marking criteria on BB g as an Your Personal PROFILES must be attached to the assignment appendix Submit an electronic copy via the turn-it-in link on Black Board before the tutorial time slot. This version does not need your Personal PROFILES attached. We are serious about late penalties! See course outline for details. Preparation: see Learning Journal

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