Building Teams

Building Teams

Objectives

1. Understanding the purpose of teams

2. Considering models of teams

3. Mindfulness about keeping people on board

4. Overcoming resistance

5. The stages of a team

6. The 9 roles in effective teams

7. Awareness of team member’s emotions

8. The Pareto Principle

9. Considering commitment levels

10. Actions to take

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What is a Team?

A team comprises a group of people linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.

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A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team.

With thanks to Wikipedia

Why is team building so important in Connecting Classrooms?

• To engage a diversity of cultures, working practices and languages

• To share strengths, responsibilities and resources

• To overcome obstacles together• Partners are dispersed and may feel

isolated• Meetings are infrequent & intensive

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Q1. Model A

1. Why have we called this a “ME” team?

2. Who in the team you are thinking about forms the little circle of three arrows all on their own and not actively supporting the team?

3. Is their in fact a few individuals all on their own as on the left hand side? Are any of them supporting you? How would you describe them?

4. Who’s the powerful person in green heading in the ‘wrong’ direction?

5. Who are you?

6. Where is the team heading?

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Q2. Model B

1. Why have we called this the “WE” team?

2. Who’s the long red person? Are they waiting for retirement?

3. Who’s the green MBA student (for example)?

4. Who’s the short red person squeezed and constrained?

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Q3. Model C

1. Why have we called this the “US” team?

2. Reflecting now on the three models what are the views of the participants about these and do they see them in their schools?

3. What sort of model would they like to have for the CC team?

4. What are the challenges for the CC team?

5. How can these challenges be overcome?

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How do we keep people on board as we go on the journey?

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Q4. Leading on the train journey

• How do we as leaders alert staff to “tunnels” and empathise with them as they enter the tunnels?

• How do we ensure that we don’t become too blasé about the challenges?

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Resistance

Gaining acceptance goes through the process below, starting with those who are most likely to accept change - innovators - until finally the laggards are won over - or leave. Use the innovators as Ambassadors of Progress.

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Q5. Resistance

• Does the graph look familiar to the reaction you have observed when bringing about changes in your school?

• How have you managed this in the past?

• Will you experience something like this with the CC project?

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The Stages of a Team

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Q6. The stages of a team

Take a moment to reflect on the stages of a team.

•Have you observed this cycle in teams you have been in or formed yourself?

•How can you use this information in terms of the CC team you have formed or are forming?

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Forming a Dream Team

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The nine Belbin roles

• The resource investigator• The implementer• The chair (coordinator)• The monitor/evaluator• The innovator (plant)• The team worker• The completer/finisher• The specialist• The shape

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Activity 1

Match these titles to the descriptors in your PRM

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The nine Belbin roles

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Role Description The chair (coordinator) I try to coordinate my students and teaching colleagues efforts

I like to identify people’s strengths and put them to good use I often give (delegate) tasks to the best person for the job

The shaper I really want my team to succeed I focus my team on our objectives and priorities I try to keep the team focused on the activity

The implementer I like to turn ideas and plans into practical tasks I often take on tasks others won’t do I usually get things done on time

The completer/finisher I like to check details carefully so there are no mistakes I often keep an eye on time, deadlines and accuracy I worry about details (maybe too much, sometimes)

The innovator (plant) I like to suggest new ideas and creative solutions I often identify new opportunities I usually see problems as opportunities

The monitor/evaluator I try to evaluate ideas objectively to see if they are realistic I like to interpret and evaluate complex issues logically I like to consider all available options to reach the right conclusion

The resource investigator I like to keep the team in touch with what is happening outside the team I enjoy learning about ideas, information, developments in the outside world I will happily ‘steal’ or copy good ideas from others

The team worker I like to encourages others e.g. my students I try to helps others e.g. my colleagues I feel I am sensitive to people’s needs and feelings

The specialist I have specialist knowledge or experience which I feel I can contribute If I don’t know the answer, I will try and find out I love telling others about things I have learnt about

Q7. Considering the Belbin roles…..

• Which role(s) do you perform in the team you are thinking about within their school?

• Do you have someone to fill each of these roles in this team?• Depending on how far you have got with your CC team can you see

people fulfilling the different roles so far?

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Activity 2. Another view of the Belbin roles

Try to spilt the 9 Belbin roles into these categories below.

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Overall Belbin role

Leading12

Doing34

Thinking

567

Socializing89

Another view of the Belbin roles

Roles into categories

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Overall Belbin role

LeadingCoordinator

Shaper

DoingImplementer

Completer/finisher

Thinking

Monitor/Evaluator

Plant

Specialist

SocializingResource/investigator

Team Worker

The Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle

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Q8. Considering the Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle…..

• Have you ever experienced this cycle yourself? (Some people, in fact most of us, will have gone through difficult times in our lives and will relate to this). Some of the CC countries will have experienced this on a very large national scale.

• The cycle can happen for some people in schools when big changes are taking place. Have you ever observed this in some colleagues?

• How can we support colleagues when they are going through this cycler? Things that happen outside of school will significantly impact on their effectiveness in school.

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The Pareto Principle

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The Pareto Principle

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The Pareto Principle

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Q9. Considering the Pareto Principle …

• What sort of team will produce the greatest synergy?

• Have you got great synergy in the teams in your school?

• How will you create great synergy in the CC team?

• How does this relate back to the Belbin roles?

Also:

• Where else do you see the Pareto Principle (the 80-20 rule) at work in your school?

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Commitment levels

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Commitment level

• 2 or below : forget it!• 4 or above : success • 3 : needs work• Successful project

management moves the project from the bottom left to the top right.

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Activity 3. Considering commitment levels ...

• Considering the CC project how would you assess the staff commitment to it and the leadership commitment (you and your leadership team) to it?

• Be realistic. From this you can decide whether you are a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.

• So the task with the CC project is to move up to the top right – the level 4 or level 5. Then there will be success. How will you go about doing this?

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Plenary

This unit has covered a lot of issues. As the leader (“director”) of the CC project what three actions will you now take as a consequence of what has been looked at?

(You may wish to try to ensure that you don’t put anyone’s “nose out” by these actions!)

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