Participant s Workbook

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Team Building

Developing High Performance Teams



© NIS Sparta

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted or copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photographic orotherwise, without the prior written permission of the author and the publisher.



The illustrative case lets in this publication are all fictitious situations. Such case lets, eamples andapplication eercises have been created solely to simulate learning and do not purport torepresent!reflect on wor" practices of any particular party!parties.

#nauthori$ed possession of the material or disclosure of the propriety information may result in legalaction. All disputes are sub%ect to the &urisdiction of 'ourts at New Delhi.

('ertain tet is ta"en from the copy right material of )elsoft *nteractive *nc 'anada under theauthori$ation to N*S Sparta.

All Trademar"s + Trade names ac"nowledged.

First published by NIS Sparta in 2008. Publishers: NIS Sparta

8 Balaji state! Sudarshan "unjal "arg! #al$aji! Ne% &elhi ' ((0 0() Ph*ne: 0((+,08(,8-



Table of 'ontents

- 'ourse verview

/- rgani$ations Today/

0- Types of Teams 1

2- Team Norms3

1- Towers 4

5- The 6our Stages of Team Development

7- 8ec"hart9s Activities 0

3- Par"er9s 'haracteristics 5

:- Pre;Assignment <eview :

4- 'ivili$ed Disagreements and 'onsensus /4

- pen 'ommunication //

/- 'lear <oles and Assignments /0

0- Shared =eadership/2

2- >gg Transportation Device /5

1- ?lenn Par"er Team Survey/7

5- The Trust!<elationship @odel 24

7- Team Shaping 6actors 2/

3- Problem *dentification 14

:- >ploration 1

/4- Analysis 10

/- >valuation 12

//- ther Problem;Solving Techniues11



/0- *nterventions 17

/2- <esolving 'onflict 5/

/1- SBT Analysis 51

/5- Developing Team Action Plans 5:

<ecommended <eading =ist 34



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(: /*urse 1er1ie%

earning bje3ti1es

At the end of this wor"shop, you will be able to-

*dentify different types of teams.

8uild teamwor" by recogni$ing and tapping into the twelve characteristics of aneffective team.Promote trust and rapport by eploring your team player style and how it impacts on

group dynamics.<ecogni$e the "ey elements that move a team from involvement to empowermentand how to give these elements to your team.

Develop strategies for dealing with team conflict and common situations.

#nderstand how action planning and analysis tools can help your team performbetter.

Pers*nal bje3ti1es



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2: rgani4ati*ns T*day

There are signs that both the nature of organi$ations and the self;concept of theindividuals who ma"e them up are changing in fundamental ways. Some basic shiftsare underway. 6or eample, organi$ations are evolving from pyramid to fishnetstructures, as hierarchies collapse and partnerships and mergers become the orderof the day.

Are there eamples you can share about flattened organi$ations

Bhat are the advantages

Bhat are the disadvantages



ften we see employees loo"ing to themselves and networ"s of co;wor"ers, ratherthan the corporation, for their health benefits and their career planning.

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'an you thin" of any eamples from your own eperience

Bithin organi$ations, individuals are less apt to wor" in big structures and more li"elyto participate in business teams and ad hoc alliances.

'an you thin" of some eamples of business teams or ad hoc alliances within yourown organi$ation

8usinesses have shifted their attention from their competitors to their customers.'ompetitive analysis still plays a role but blind competition is giving way to co;operative competition. There is an intense interest in customer needs and customerservice.

'an you give any eamples of a renewed interest in customer service, either as anemployee or as a consumer

>lectronic networ"s are replacing office buildings as the centre of business

transaction. Eou are where your networ" is.



Diversity is a simple business reality in the global mar"etplace. Bhat do you see asthe advantages and disadvantages

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An orientation toward continual learning has replaced one;time training for mostemployees. =earning must be life long for everyone.

6rom your reading, and your analysis of your own organi$ation, can you identifysome of these shifts that are happening *f so, what impact is this having on yourorgani$ation n you

'an you see other shifts within your organi$ation






Team Building


,: Types *5 Teams

A rose may be always a rose, but a team is not always a team. So many groups arecalled teams these days that the word FteamG has almost lost its meaning. There maybe an eecutive team, a uality team, a service team, or a sales team, but %ust callinga group a team doesn9t ma"e it so.

Types *5 Teams

There are several modern classifications of teams.

The Traditi*nal "*del

This refers to a group of people who have a traditional boss but whom also sharesome of his!her responsibility and authority. How much is shared is usuallydependent on the topic under discussion. A person is in charge, but on various issuesthat person may allow other team members to ta"e the leadership role.

The Team Spirit "*del

This is a group of people who are happy wor"ing for one boss, and everything seems tobe going well. These people have team spirit, but in reality they aren9t a team becauseone person calls all the shots, with no sharing of authority or responsibility.

The /utting dge "*del

This is a group of people who manage themselves. No one person in the group hasthe authority to ma"e all the decisions about the events that impact the group. This isreferred to as a self; directed wor" team because everyone has authority andresponsibility for all the decisions they have to ma"e.

The Tas$ F*r3e "*del

This is a group that comes together for a specific time to wor" on a special pro%ect ortas". This group has traditionally been called a tas" force or committee and mayinclude uality circles as used in TI@ effortsJ.

The /yber Team

*n this team model, members see one another infreuently or not at all. These arecalled cyber or virtual teams. Bhat ma"es these teams different is that they have to



wor" together to accomplish goals, but they may meet only at the beginning of theirpro%ect and thereafter interact through e;mail and telephone. They can also fit any ofthe four models listed above.




Team Building


*nto which model does your team fit Bhy do you feel that way

&e5ining a Team

How would you define a team

Be can define a team as a group of people who come together under sharedleadership, mutual responsibility, and conscious authority to achieve agreed;upongoals in a mutually effective fashion.

*f you bro"e down this definition into its words and phrases, could you %ustify eachone

?roup

Bho comes together

Shared leadership






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@utual responsibility

'onscious authority

Agreed;upon goals

@utually effective






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6: Team N*rms

All teams, whether they "now it or not, have norms, rules, or guidelines that guide thebehavior of team members. *n most cases they are not written down- they are simplyunderstood because that9s the way the team always operates.

Norms can be positive and thus help the team be an effective organi$ation. 6oreample, all team members show up on time for team meetings. Norms can also becounterproductive as when ecessive %o"ing and side conversations prevent ameeting from being productive.

*dentify the norms which you follow while wor"ing in a team.

Sr. No.Team NormEes ! No

'ome on time office ! meeting! wor"shopJ

/Dress formally in office

0

Arrange open house

2Share positive feedbac" before giving any

negative feedbac"



1Bee"ly status review meeting

5

A team lunch nce in a monthJ

7Sharing of best practices

3

Team training sessions

:'elebrate birthdays of team members

4@eet deadlines of critical pro%ects






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Describe several other norms your team follow and positively affects the teamperformance.

&*&*n7t &*



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: T*%ers

The T<* model of team building includes-

T is for Trust- interpersonal confidence and absence of fear.

is for penness- free flow of information, ideas, perceptions, and feelings.

< is for <eali$ation- self;determination, being role free, doing what you want to do.* is for *nterdependence- reciprocal influence, shared responsibility, and leadership.






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-: The F*ur Stages *5 Team &e1el*pment

Teams go through various stages of development. 8ruce Tuc"man and @.A. &ensen

:51;:77J refer to these stages as 6orming, Storming, Norming, and Performing.Knowing what to epect in each stage can help teams or individuals in the team. Teamleaders and other members of the group have an important role to play in each stage.>ffective team players can successfully move a team toward maturity with specificpositive actions.

Stage (: F*rming

/hara3teristi3s *5 this stage:

?roup members may be anious, adopt wait;and;see attitude, or be formal.

No clear idea of goals or epectations.

Not sure why they are there.

hat y*u 3an d* t* help:

Team writes its own charter or mission statement and clarifies goals.

<emember, goals must have personal buy;in.

Help team establish boundaries and determine what is epected.

Team members get to "now each other doing non;conflict laden tas". This buildscommitment towards one larger goal.Help them "now what to epectL communicate and reassure.

Stage 2: St*rming


Team members eager to get going.

'onflict can arise as people bring different ideas of how to accomplish goals, noticedifferences rather than similarities.

Some members may drop out mentally or physically.


'ontinue with no surprises and communicate.

Tensions will increase. This is normal, so recogni$e and publicly ac"nowledgeaccomplishments.

=ead!participate in meetings.

)alue diversity.



?ather information and be supportive.

Stage ,: N*rming


People begin to recogni$e ways they are ali"e.

They reali$e its sin" or swim, we9re in this together.

People get more social.

@ay forget their focus in favor of having a good time.

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<ecogni$e how they are ali"e.

Help with training if applicable.

>ncourage them to feel comfortable with each other and with systems.

Help group stay focused on goal.

Stage 6: Per5*rming


Team members are trained and competent, and able to do their own problem;solving.=eader will as" for critical self;assessment and loo" at ways to challenge them anddevelop them.

@ature, understand their roles and responsibilities.

Bant more input in processes.

Self;motivated and self;trained.






Team Building


9: Be3$hart7s 3ti1ities

<ichard 8ec"hart said in :7/ that there are four activities a group should perform ona regular basis if they desire to grow into a team. <esearchers today still agree onthese four activities.

Set and reset goals and priorities.

Analy$e or allocate the way wor" is being performed, according to team members9roles and responsibilities.

>amine the way the team is wor"ing.

>amine how the group handles agreement and how it handles conflict and how groupmembers relate to one another.

Set and reset g*als and pri*rities.

Bays to *mplement






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naly4e *r all*3ate the %ay %*r$ is being per5*rmed! a33*rding t* teammember7s r*les and resp*nsibilities.

Bays to *mplement

;amine the %ay the team is %*r$ing.

Bays to *mplement



;amine h*% the gr*up handles agreement and h*% it handles 3*n5li3t and h*%gr*up members relate t* *ne an*ther.




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Bays to *mplement






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8: Par$er7s /hara3teristi3s

The twelve characteristics of effective teams were developed by ?lenn Par"er, whohas devoted his whole life9s wor" to studying teams. 6or the remainder of theafternoon and for part of tomorrow, the group will loo" at some of thesecharacteristics.

'lear Purpose

*nformality

Participation

=istening

'ivili$ed Disagreements

'onsensus Decisions

pen 'ommunication

'lear <oles and Bor" Assignments

Shared =eadership

>ternal <elations

Style Diversity

Self;Assessment

/lear Purp*se

Do your team members "now and accept the vision or mission of the organi$ation



Are they part of the goal setting for the department or unit




Team Building


n a personal note, having goals or a clear purpose is important to each of us. *n onelandmar" study done with Eale graduates, only 0M of the graduates set goals, but that0M earned more money and were more successful than the other :7M put together.

6or leaders who are serious about setting goals, there are some things to "eep in mind,

and these were nicely summed up by an acronym- S@A<T PPP. This acronym stands forSpecific, @easurable, Attainable, <ealistic, and with Timelines. ?oals should also beepressed Positively, be Personali$ed for each member of the team, and all goals shouldbe Put in writing, where you and the team can see them often.

nce you sit down with your team and set some goals, it can be very useful todevelop some type of action plan for accomplishing that goal.

In5*rmality and Parti3ipati*n

Bith high;performance teams, the climate tends to be informal, comfortable, and

relaed. There are no obvious tensions or signs of boredom. Teams en%oy gettingtogether, they interact easily, and there is lots of good;natured "idding and laughter.Seating arrangements can facilitate this. A circle is usually the best seatingarrangementL a typical classroom arrangement is the worst.

istening

High;performance team members also use effective listening techniues such asuestioning, paraphrasing, and summari$ing to get out ideas. =istening is the singlemost effective factor that distinguishes effective teams from ineffective teams.#nfortunately, it gets more lip service than action.

The ability to really listen is an important s"ill for any team member to have. =isteningallows you to understand where the other person is coming from, and shows you9reinterested in what he!she has to say. #nfortunately, we all eperience commonlistening problems.

Be let our attention wander.

Be miss the real point of what is being said.

Be let our emotions interfere with our %udgment.

Be interrupt and step on the statements of others.

Be thin" ahead to what we want to say net and miss what9s being said right now.

To improve your listening s"ills, use the three steps of active listening.

Non;)erbal @essages. >ye contact, an alert epression, head nodding, and a forwardlean to the body epresses listening.'ues or *nvitations. These are the phrases li"e uh;huh, K, yes, or go on that signalour attention and invite an individual to continue tal"ing.'larification of what has been said. Be can do this in one of several ways- by as"inguestions, summari$ing what has been said, or paraphrasing the message in your

own words.






Team Building


Paraphrasing is a 5undamental listening s$ill.

hy<*%

Paraphrasing has both a calming effect and#se your own words to say what you thin"

a clarifying effect. *t reassures the spea"er the spea"er said.

that his!her ideas are worth listening to. *t*f the spea"er9s statement is one or two

also provides the spea"er with a chance to

hear how his!her ideas are being heard bysentences, use roughly the same number

others.of words when you paraphrase it. *f the

spea"er9s statement is many sentences

long, summari$e it.

Paraphrasing is especially useful onPreface your paraphrase with a comment

occasions when a spea"er9s statements areli"e one of these-

convoluted or confusing. At such times, theF*t sounds li"e what you9re saying is .G

paraphrase will help the spea"er gauge howFThis is what *9m hearing you say .G

well his!her ideas are getting across.F=et me see if * understand youG

*n sum, paraphrasing is the tool of choice for Bhen you have completed the paraphrase,

supporting people to thin" out loud.loo" for the spea"er9s reaction. Say

something li"e, FDid * get itG )erbally or



non;verbally, s!he will indicate whether or

not s!he feels understood. *f not, "eep

as"ing for clarification until you understand

what s!he meant.




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): Pre+ssignment =e1ie%

ea$ reaIdeas 5*r Impr*1ement



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(0: /i1ili4ed &isagreements and /*nsensus

&e5initi*ns

'ivili$ed disagreements mean there is disagreement, but the team is comfortable withthis and shows no sign of avoiding, smoothing over, or suppressing conflict.

Some people may find team contracts something they feel comfortable with, whileothers may disli"e them.

d1antages&isad1antages

6or important decisions, the goal is substantial but not necessarily unanimousJagreement through open discussion of everyone9s ideas and avoidance of formalvoting or easy compromises. 'onsensus is finding a proposal acceptable enough thatall members can support itL no member opposes it. 'onsensus, however, is not aunanimous vote as a consensus may not represent everyone9s first priorities. *n ama%ority vote, only the ma%ority gets something they are happy withL people in theminority may get something they don9t want at all, which is not what consensus is allabout.

A state where everyone is totally satisfied reuires these elements-

Time

Active participation of all group members

S"ills in communication- listening, conflict resolution, discussion facilitation



'reative thin"ing and open;mindedness

*deas to be heard and understood

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The Per5e3t "enu






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((: pen /*mmuni3ati*n

Team players can encourage open communication and trust by being dependable,

pitching in and helping out, reading and responding to verbal cues, and candidlysharing views. The basic principles of good communication include-

bje3ti1e

Eou should have an end result or ob%ective clearly in mind before communicating.>amine your purpose. Bhat specifically do you want the receiver to understand or todo, as a result of the communication

"eth*d

BhatOs the best method for achieving your ob%ective bviously, some communication

methods or channels are better than others for a given ob%ective. Beigh thealternatives written or oral, group or individual, formal or informalJ before selecting aspecific method such as a letter, memo, meeting, telephone call, or e;mail.

Stru3ture

How you organi$e and construct your communication is very important to its success.There are many considerations- How much or how little to cover BhatOs the best wayto organi$e the message How can you "eep it simple and concise, yet completeHow can you gear it to your audienceOs needs frame of referenceJ

Feedba3$

*n order to ensure that your message has been understood and to evaluate theemotions of your receiver how does he!she feel about itJ, you should encouragefreuent responses.



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(2: /lear =*les and ssignments

The net characteristic of effective teams is that there are clear epectations about the roles

played by each team member. Bhen action is ta"en, clear assignments are made, accepted,and carried out. Bor" is fairly distributed among team members.

Teams can use this chec"list to evaluate their leader9s ability to give clear assignments.

eader7s ;pe3tati*n /he3$list

rea;planati*n=ating >(+(0?

*r$ "eth*ds#nderstanding our leader9s epectations

regarding reuired wor" methods and

procedures when completing %obs or pro%ects.

Time Frames#nderstanding due dates for the completion

of pro%ectsL determining when dates have

slipped and which completion dates are final

and nonnegotiable.

*r$#nderstanding each team member9s role

=esp*nsibilitieswhen we are assigned to a given %ob or



responsibility.

/ust*mer@Supplier #nderstanding our leader9s epectations

Inter5a3e

when dealing with supplier problems or

customer complaints or reuestsL

understanding how far we should go to build

effective relationships with other wor" groups.

*r$ Pri*rities#nderstanding which %obs ta"e priority and

the changes in wor" prioritiesL being able to

clearly differentiate between hot %obs and

other %obs.

Per5*rman3e#nderstanding what our leader epects in the

;pe3tati*nsway of desired outcomes, what it means to do

a good %ob, and the degree of effort we are

epected to put into a %ob as opposed to

overwor"ing low;priority %obsJ.



=es*ur3es#nderstanding what resources facilities,

support staff, euipment, software, and

budgetJ have been allocated to perform a %ob

and how much control we have over resource

decisions.




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(,: Shared eadership

8eing a leader doesn9t mean doing it all yourself. Nor does it mean always being theone out in front. Shared =eadership is an idea to consider when wor"ing in teamenvironments and we all function in them in some formJ. ne idea is to have differentpeople serve as S@>s sub%ect matter epertsJ.

Bhat are some benefits of sharing the burden of leadership

Bhat are some possible disadvantages of shared leadership

The "ey to shared leadership is communication. *f several or allJ members of the



group are going to share in leading the group, they must agree on where they aregoing and how they are going to get there. They must also communicate along theway to ma"e sure they are on trac".

As an eample, let9s loo" at a traditional construction team. Typically, you have theforeman or forewoman. This person directs the rest of the wor"ers to get theconstruction pro%ect accomplished.




Team Building


Now, let9s say that this team decided to use shared leadership and eliminate theforeperson position. Bithout communication, this could be a disaster. Eou wouldprobably end up in a situation where one person is laying carpet before painting hasbeen completed.

However, if the team meets each morning and lays out responsibilities and planstogether, this shared leadership formula might wor" very well for them.

How can you implement shared leadership in your team






Team Building


(6: gg Transp*rtati*n &e1i3e

Eour team represents a company that builds space craft. The teams will be competingfor a lucrative contract to build a particular type of craft for the net decade. Eour tas"is to design, construct, and build a spacecraft suitable for the transportation of boiledeggs- an >gg Transportation Device. #se the space below to design your >TD.






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(: Alenn Par$er Team Sur1ey

b*ut the Sur1ey

This survey was constructed by ?lenn Par"er, a noted business consultant who hasdone a great deal of research on teams. This has been around for about /4 years nowand is a pretty reliable and valid tool. The survey will ta"e perhaps 04 minutes tocomplete. *t is a survey, not a test, so there are no wrong answers. Don9t ta"e a longtime to decide on your answer.

There is a series of 3 uestions. 6or each one you will select your best or mostfreuent response, and for that, you write a 2 in the appropriate bo. *t might beeasiest if you then choose the response that is least li"e what you would do. 6or thisyou will write a in the appropriate bo. Now you have to choose a 0, one that is yoursecond most li"ely response, and /, the response that is net to your least li"ely.

No ties are allowedL you can9t use any number twice in any given situation, nor canyou leave a bo blan". This is "nown as forced choice and is common in studies suchas this.

nce you have finished your 3 uestions, you are to transfer your four responses to

a score sheet that is provided. 'ount up your score for each of the four columns.

>ach column represents one team player style. The column for which you have thehighest score is your primary style. To see if this describes you, read the page thatdescribes your primary style- what you are apt to do and how other people see you.






Team Building


During team meetings, * usually-

Provide the team with technical data or information

Keep the team focused on our mission or goals

@a"e sure everyone is involved in the discussion

<aise uestions about our goals or methods

*n relating to the team leader, *-

Suggest that our wor" be goal;directed.

Try to help him!her build a positive team climate

Am willing to disagree with him!her when necessary

ffer advice based upon my area of epertise

#nder stress * sometimes-

veruse humor and other tension;reducing devices

Am too direct in communicating with other team members

=ose patience with the need to get everyone involved in discussions

'omplain about lac" of progress toward our goals

Bhen conflicts arise on the team * usually-

Press for an honest discussion of the differences.

Provide reasons why one side or the other is correct

See the differences as a basis for a possible change in team direction

Try to brea" the tension with a supportive or humorous remar"

ther team members usually see me as-

6actual

6leible

>ncouraging

'andid

At times * am-



Too results;oriented

Too laid bac"

Self;righteous

Short;sighted

Bhen things go wrong on the team * usually-

Push for increased emphasis on listening, feedbac" and participation

Press for a candid discussion of our problems

Bor" hard to provide more and better information

Suggest that we re;visit our basic mission




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Bhen necessary * am able to-

Iuestion some aspect of the teamOs wor"

Push the team to set higher performance standards

Bor" outside my defined role or %ob area

Provide other team members with feedbac" on their behavior as a team member

Sometimes other team members see me as-

A perfectionist

#nwilling to re;assess the teamOs mission or goals

Not serious about getting the real %ob done

A nit;pic"er

* believe team problem;solving reuires-

'o;operation by all team members

High;level listening s"ills

A willingness to as" tough uestions

?ood solid data

Bhen a new team is forming * usually-

Try to meet and get to "now other team members

As" pointed uestions about our goals and methods

Bant to "now what is epected of me

See" clarity about our basic mission

At times * ma"e other team members uncomfortable because they-

Are not able to be as assertive as * am

Don9t live up to my standards of uality

Don9t thin" about long;range issues

Don9t care about how the team wor"s together

* believe the role of the team leader is to-



*nsure the efficient solution of business problems

Help the team establish long;range goals and short term ob%ectives

'reate a participatory decision;ma"ing climate

8ring out diverse ideas and challenge assumptions

* believe team decisions should be based on-

The teamOs mission and goals

A consensus of team members

An open and candid assessment of the issues

The weight of the evidence

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Sometimes *-

See team climate as an end in itself

Play devilOs advocate far too long

6ail to see the importance of effective team process

veremphasi$e strategic issues and minimi$e short term tas" accomplishments

People have often described me as-

*ndependent

Dependable

*maginative

Participative

@ost of the time * am-

<esponsible and hard;wor"ing

'ommitted and fleible

>nthusiastic and humorous

Honest and authentic

*n relating to other team members at times * get annoyed because they donOt-

<e;visit team goals to chec" progress

See the importance of wor"ing well together

b%ect to team actions with which they disagree

'omplete their team assignments on time






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S3*ring

Transfer your answers for uestions through 3 to the appropriate bo below.

8e careful when recording the numbers as the order of the letters change for eachuestion.

The totals for the four styles must eual 34.

uesti*n

a

bcd

/d

a

b

c

0c

d

a



b

2b

c

d

a

1a

b

c

d



5d

a

b

c

7c

d

a

b



3b

c

d

a

:a

b

c

d

4d

a



b

c

c

d

a

b

/b

c

d

a



0a

b

c

d

2d

a

b

c



1c

d

a

b

5b

c

d

a

7



a

b

c

d

3d

a

b

c

T*tals



= 180

/*ntribut*r /*llab*rat*r /*mmuni3at*r /hallenger

The highest number designates your Primary Team Player Style. *f your highestnumbers are the same or within three points of each other, consider them both as yourprimary style. The lowest total indicates your =east Active Team Player Style.

Eour primary team player style defines a set of behaviors that you use most often as amember of a team. *t does not mean that it is the only style that you use. All of us havethe capacity to use any one of the four styles. Be simply use one style our primarystyle more often.




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Alenn Par$er Team Player Types

I5 y*u ha1e *ne primary style:

/*ntribut*r + Tas$ riented

The contributor is a tas";oriented team member who en%oys providing the team withgood technical information and data. Eou do your homewor", push the team to set highperformance standards, and use your resources wisely. @ost people see you asdependable although they believe at times you may become too bogged down indetails or data. The contributor does not see the big picture or the need for positiveteam climate.

'hec" as many as apply to you.

"*st *5 the time y*u:But s*metimes y*u:

'omplete all team Ohomewor"O in a timely and?o into data overload with reportsefficient manner and detailedthat are too long

6reely share all of the information andPush for unrealistic performancematerials you havestandards

Push the team to set high performance=ose sight of the big picture ; thestandardsgoal or charter of the team

Provide technical training for team members=ac" patience with team climateand serve as a mentor and process issues

'an be depended upon to do what is as"ed8ecome impatient with other teamof youmembers who do not live up to your

standards



Csually pe*ple see y*u<*%e1er! *33asi*nally y*u are:as:

dependable

short;sighted

systematic

data;bound

proficient

perfectionist

efficient

narrow

practical

cautious



C N*S Sparta Team 8uilding 0/



Team Building


/*llab*rat*r + A*al riented

The collaborator is a goal;directed member who sees the vision, mission or goal of the team asparamount. Eou are fleible and open to new ideas, willing to pitch in and wor" outside yourdefined role and are able to share the limelight with other team members. @ost people see you

as a big picture person but they believe, at times, you may fail to periodically re;visit themission. The collaborator often does not give enough attention to the basic team tas"s andoverloo"s the individual needs of the other team members.



Help the team establish goals, ob%ectives

Do not give attention to the basic team

and action plans

tas"s

Pitch in to help out other members who

6ail to periodically re;visit or challenge

need help

the mission or goals

Are willing to wor" outside your defined role

Do not focus on the individual needs of

to help the team

team members



Are willing to share the lime; light with other

Publicly complain about team failures

team members

Bor" hard to achieve team goals even if

Do not give sufficient attention to the

you donOt agree with them

process by which goals are reached

Csually pe*ple des3ribe y*u as:<*%e1er! *33asi*nally y*u are:

forward;loo"ing

too future oriented

cooperative

not tas";focused

independent

unrealistic



fleible

unconcerned about group process

imaginative

s dreamer




Team Building


/*mmuni3at*r + Pr*3ess riented

The communicator is a process oriented member who is an effective listener. Eou are afacilitator of involvement, conflict resolution, consensus;building, feedbac" and the buildingof an informal, relaed climate. @ost people see you as a positive people person but they

find that, at times, you may see process as an end in itself. The communicator does notconfront other team members or not give enough emphasis to completing tas" assignmentsand ma"ing progress toward team goals.



Help the team rela and have fun by

See team process and climate as an end

%o"ing, laughing, and discussing

in itself

personal interests

Step in to resolve process problems

6ail to challenge or contradict other team

e.g. conflict, lac" of involvementJ

members

=isten attentively while withholding

Do not recogni$e the importance of tas"

%udgmentJ to all viewpoints



accomplishment

<ecogni$e and praise other team

veruse humour and other process

members for their efforts

techniues

>ncourage all team members to

Do not give enough emphasis to long;

participate in team discussions and

range planning

decisions

Csually pe*ple see y*u<*%e1er! *33asi*nally y*u are:as:

encouraging

impractical

enthusiastic

vague



supportive

manipulative

humorous

not sufficiently serious

relaed

not bottom;line focused




Team Building


/hallenger + uesti*n riented

The challenger is the team member who uestions the goals, methods and even theethics of the team. Eou are willing to disagree with the leader or higher authority andencourage the team to ta"e well conceived ris"s. @ost people appreciate the value of

your candour and openness although, at times, you may not "now when to bac" off anissue. The challenger often becomes self;righteous and tries to push the team too far.


"*st *5 the time y*u:

But s*metimes y*u:

Are willing to disagree with the team

Do not "now when to bac" off

leader

'andidly share your views about the

Push the team to unreasonable ris"s

wor" of the team

'hallenge the team to ta"e well;

8ecome rigid and infleible

considered ris"s



Push the team to set high ethical

Paint yourself into a corner

standards for teamwor"

Are willing to bac" off when your views

Are too direct in communicating with

are not accepted

other team members.

Csually pe*ple see y*u<*%e1er! *33asi*nally y*uas:are:

candid

rigid

honest

arrogant

principled

self;righteous



assertive

aggressive

ethical

unyielding




Team Building


I5 y*u ha1e t%* primary styles:

/*ntribut*r and /*llab*rat*r

Eou are well focused on both the short and long;term aspects of the %ob. Eou will dowhatever it ta"es to complete the immediate tas" and reach the team9s overall goals.Such things as sharing your epertise, training, pitching in and wor"ing outside yourdesignated role comes naturally to you.

Eou focus on the strategic and tactical issues which mean that you may not givesufficient attention to the internal dynamics of the team. Eou may be so focused on thewor" that you may fail to raise important uestions about the team9s efforts.

/*ntribut*r and /*mmuni3at*r

Some may say this is the best of all possible combinations because you emphasi$eboth tas" and process getting the %ob done and how it gets done. Eou push the teamto do ecellent wor" and you are able to facilitate a supportive wor" environment byencouraging involvement, using your listening s"ills and resolving differences.

At times, however, you may lose sight of the big picture where your team is going.Eou may be reluctant to critici$e anything about the team for fear of disrupting thepositive climate.

/*ntribut*r and /hallenger

Eou bring to the team an emphasis on delivering uality wor" and meeting deadlinescombined with an ability to uestion the team9s tas"s and process. Eou push the teamto set higher standards, live up to those standards and to periodically uestion boththe standard and the wor" produced. Bhile you li"e to get things done, you are willingto consider alternatives when legitimate uestions are raised.

Eou may push the team to unrealistic standards, ecessive analysis and fail to see theneed to move forward epeditiously toward the long;term goals. >tensive uestioningcombined with a strong tas" focus may result in a lac" of concern for internal teamclimate.

/*llab*rat*r and /*mmuni3at*r

Some people may refer to you as a participative visionary because of your emphasison long;term goals combined with a need to get team members involved in thedevelopment and implementation of the goals. Eour willingness to pitch in and wor"outside your defined role meshes nicely with the capability to help establish asupportive and positive team climate.

At times you may not give sufficient attention to the immediate tas" or short;termob%ectives of the team. Eou also may not be concerned with the need to create aclimate which welcomes critical comments about the team9s goals and internaldynamics.






Team Building


/*llab*rat*r and /hallenger

Eou bring to the team a focus on the future and constant reminders to stay on trac"coupled with a willingness to uestion the team9s purpose, goals and methods. Bhennecessary, you can be the team9s ris" ta"er as you suggest that the team ta"e a hard

loo" at some innovative and far;reaching ideas.

However, if you go too far or are confrontational you run the ris" of being disruptive tothe team9s dynamics. Eour strong emphasis on the future and the big picture maymean you become impatient with other team members who are concerned with theteam9s near;term deliverables and the maintenance of a positive climate.

/*mmuni3at*r and /hallenger

Eour primary contributions are on the process side of the team9s success. Eou insurethat the members wor" well together while you push the team to address important

uestions about their strengths and wea"nesses.

However, you run the ris" of seeing process as an end in itself. Eou need to "eep inmind that the team must set long;term goals and wor" hard to deliver high ualityproducts and services that satisfy current customer needs.

I5 y*u ha1e three primary stylesD

=oo" at the strengths of each of these styles and recogni$e that you use each of themwith about eual freuency. Eou have the fleibility to use many behaviors as reuiredby the needs of your team. However, you may want to loo" at the one piece of thepu$$le which is missing.

*f your least active style is 'ontributor, as" yourself if you are sufficiently tas";oriented.

*f your least active style is 'ollaborator, are you sufficiently focused on the long;termaspects of the team9s wor"*f your least active style is 'ommunicator, are you adeuately concerned aboutdeveloping and maintaining a positive team climate*f your least active style is 'hallenger, do you see yourself as willing to candidlyuestion the team9s mission, goals, wor" uality, internal climate and other importantfactors






Team Building


I5 y*ur results sh*% a uni5*rm patternD

*f your scores on all four styles are within three points of each other you have thecapacity to easily use the strengths of all four styles. Since you are not stronglycommitted to one style you have the fleibility to provide the team with what is neededat the appropriate time. Eou should also have the ability to easily relate to other teammembers.

However, your impact as a team player may be diffused because you have no strongpreference for one type. ther team members may find you hard to read andunderstand because you lac" a dominant style.

In3reasing y*ur 55e3ti1eness as a Team Player

Here are some tips for ma"ing use of the information you have learned about yourselfthrough completing the Team Player Survey.

Affirm your strengths. Ac"nowledge that you9re .K. =oo" for ways to add to yourstrengths. 8e the best 'ontributor, 'ollaborator, 'ommunicator, or 'hallenger.

=oo" for teams and organi$ations where your strengths are appreciatedL avoid thosesituations where they are not valued. 6or eample, 'hallengers should avoidconservative, ris";adverse environments.

>tend your repertoire by incorporating more of the strengths of other styles. 6oreample, if your least active style is 'ommunicator, develop a plan to increase yours"ills as a group facilitator.

Develop your ability to analy$e your team. Bhen you observe the need for a particular strength i.e. to challenge complacencyJ provides an appropriate intervention and!orencourage others to do the same.

8e aware of your tendencies to become an ineffective team player to use yourstrengths to ecess. *f possible, wor" with a colleague or use feedbac" from the TeamPlayer Survey provided by colleagues to identify your potential ecesses, when theyare li"ely to appear and what you can do, perhaps with the help of others, to minimi$ethe tendencies.

*f you as" colleagues to complete the styles for you, the results may be recorded here.

Eour strengths as a team player






Team Building


Things that decrease your effectiveness as a team player

Bays you can improve as a team player



C N*S Sparta Team 8uilding 0:



Team Building


(-: The Trust@=elati*nship "*del






Team Building


How can we use this model to help our team grow






Team Building


(9: Team Shaping Fa3t*rs

The F*ur Fa3t*rs

There are four factors that interact to shape a team9s performance. These factors are-

Problems related to internal relationships

Problems related to team focus

Problems related to change and adaptability

Problems related to eternal relationships

>ffective problem;solving involves a three;way process of-

>ploration

Analysis

>valuation






Team Building


/ase Study

Ba3$gr*und

At the &une / staff meeting of the *nformation Technology *TJ division, DivisionDirector Smita Shah epressed great concern about the recently released results ofthe 'orporate 'ustomer Attitude Survey which is as follows-

/ust*mer ttitude Sur1ey =esults! In5*rmati*n Systems &i1isi*n

uesti*nFa1*rableCn5a1*rableNeutral

Bhen a customer has a problem, this unit,5M

15M

/3M

shows a sincere interest in solving it.

>mployees in this unit are consistently/,M

13M

/,M

courteous in dealing with customers.

>mployees in this unit try to understand/2M

1:M

,7M

the real needs of their customers.



>mployees in this unit provide prompt,0M

52M

/0M

service.

>mployees in this unit wor" together to/4M

51M

,1M

service customer needs.

The survey measures the attitudes of both internal and eternal customers. *nparticular, Smita pointed to the low level of satisfaction among users with the way theyare treated by the *T staff. Smita was especially upset because the percentage offavorable responses among division users was much less than overall companyresults, and lower than other divisions reporting to the same vice president.

Several managers in the meeting told Smita not to worry because most of thedissatisfaction probably comes from the employees in the mar"eting area. Althoughdata are not available for specific wor" groups, these managers feel that the newsystem deployed earlier this year stirred up this discontent. *n fact, one of themanagers says, F*f the mar"eting group9s data was separated out, the overall resultswould be much different.G

Smita is not impressed. F* want those numbers up net year,G she declares. As a result,she appoints a Iuality Action Team IATJ to investigate the customer service problem

in the division. Subseuently, she names @eenal Singh as chairperson of the team

@eenal is a surprise choice to head the IAT. She is a mar"eting specialist with abouttwo years with the company. @eenal came over from one of our competitors, 'roc"erand <amble. *n that time she has impressed everyone with her technical epertise andwillingness to wor" hard and long to meet pro%ect deadlines. @ar"eting is one of *T9sprincipal users.




Team Building


@eenal is, by all accounts, a real mover and sha"er. Nevertheless, she is not a peopleperson and more than once she has become impatient in meetings with developers.

ther members of the IAT include-

<avi Sharma, Personnel Specialist, 01 yrs, 8.A., rgani$ational 8ehavior, T*SS'ollege. <avi is an eperienced group facilitator. He is a facilitator;trainer for otherteams in the organi$ation. However, <avi is unhappy because he feels he should havechaired the IAT.

Kedar Nair, Senior Systems Analyst, 27 yrs, 8.>., >lectrical >ngineering, Pune#niversity. Kedar came up through the ran"s and is considered a solid, dependableperson.

Abhishe" Pandey, Programmer **, /: yrs, N**T year Diploma in 'omputer Science. Abhishe" is a hard wor"er and is well respected by the users for his no;nonsenseapproach to the %ob.

<ahul Kadam, Director of 8usiness Planning, /3 yrs, 8.A., >conomics, @umbai#niversity, @.8.A.., @anipal #niversity. <ahul is "nown to be a fast trac"er in thecompany. &oining the organi$ation after he got out of school, <ahul is considered anepert in strategic planning and as a result, li"es to loo" at the long;term aspects andbig picture of any pro%ect.

A few days later Smita meets with @eenal to tell her about the Iuality Action Team, herrole as chairperson, and the names of the other team members. She eplains that the IAThas an important charge because she is very unhappy with the results.

F6ran"ly,G she says, F*9m %ust plain embarrassed.G

Bhen @eenal as"s what type of programs she wants, Smita replies, Fh, that9s up toyou and the team. Eou9re empowered. * %ust want to see results and * want to seesomething by August 2.G

Smita does agree to send a memo to the other members informing them of theirappointment to the IAT and to epect to hear from @eenal soon.

Shortly thereafter @eenal sends a memo to the IAT announcing the first meeting ofthe team. *n the memo she as"s people to begin thin"ing about customer serviceproblems and some ways of attac"ing those problems for discussion at the meeting.






Team Building


The First "eeting *5 the uality 3ti*n Team

The opening of the meeting was somewhat aw"ward and slow. Bhile some membersof the team "new each other, several others had never met before. None of the teammembers had ever wor"ed together. Abhishe" Pandey was uncomfortable around all

these educated types. Similarly, Kedar Nair wondered what he was doing on thecommittee with all these educated types.

@eenal started the meeting by suggesting that they present their ideas on customerservice. She turned first to <avi. <avi said he believed the real need is forprogrammers to have the interpersonal s"ills to interact effectively with users.Therefore, he recommends a training program for division employees on listening,empathy, and other communication s"ills.

Kedar Nair then gave a long, philosophical presentation on how education on systemsdevelopment is the personal responsibility of each employee. FThis is the age oftechnology,G he says. He resents the time wasted in these long meetings with users.

Kedar believes what users need is a resource boo"let informing them of the systemsdevelopment process. At one point, Kedar pulls out a boo"let produced by thecompany where his wife wor"s.

<ahul says the division needs to develop a strategy that incorporates specific userneeds with the overall corporate strategy for the future. He believes the IAT shouldprepare a plan that will lin" eternal business strategy, internal customer needs, and *Tresources.

Somewhat reluctantly, Abhishe" Pandey says, FBe really don9t "now what the userswant from usQwe %ust "now they9re unhappy. So, * suggest that we conduct a surveyto find what they really want from *T.G

There is little discussion of each idea. However, body language seems to indicatedisagreement by other members as each idea is presented.

@eenal as"s for ideas on what to do net. <ahul suggests that each person gatherinformation on their idea and report bac" in a month. *n the meantime, each personwill stay in touch with @eenal. There is some nodding in agreement and the meetingad%ourns.






Team Building


The Se3*nd "eeting *5 the T

Set for : a.m., the meeting doesn9t really get underway until :-/4 when the last personarrives. @eenal reviews the agenda which calls for reports by each person.

<avi begins by presenting, in great detail, a customer service wor"shop for systemsdesigners. He uses an overhead pro%ector, a flip chart, and handouts to describe aprogram that would provide training in brainstorming, goal;setting, action planning,and a heavy dose of interpersonal s"ills. 8efore he can finish, Don interrupts to say,FTraining is a waste of time. 8esides, developers are already overwor"ed withirrelevant responsibilities.G

Abhishe" disagrees. He says the training loo"s good and that other people couldbenefit from the s"ills.

@eenal also li"es it but as"s, F<avi, how does this differ from the program alreadybeing offered by corporate human resourcesG <avi says he will chec" into the

corporate program. He also shoots a sharp loo" at Kedar and says, F@y program willdo more good than another publication that no one will read.G

@eenal cuts off the echange and as"s Kedar to give his report. Kedar9s report isbrief. He distributes copies of the employee boo"let from his wife9s company and says,FThis is what * had in mind.G

As people are flipping through the pages, <ahul says that he thin"s the boo"let isgood and will provide users with helpful information.

Somewhat hesitantly, Abhishe" says, FThe boo"let loo"s good, but fran"ly, users are %ust not going to read it. Some of them will see it as more *T propaganda while others

%ust do not read anything.G

Kedar immediately reacts strongly and says, FBe9ll never "now unless we try it, rightG

Abhishe" says we can save a great deal of time and epense if we as" users whatthey want from *T and how they want to wor" with developers. He distributes a one;page survey form. <avi responds, F*9m sorry Abhishe", but our people have beensurveyed to death. They want answers, not more uestions.G

Kedar agrees. @eenal goes on to point out that Smita will probably not react well to aIAT recommendation for another survey as a response to a problem caused by aprevious survey.

@eenal then says, FAll this bic"ering is not getting us anywhere.G Despite her pleas forcalm discussion, the meeting continues to include a great deal of disagreement.

6inally, the meeting concludes with @eenal saying she will report to Smita on therecommendations to conduct customer service training and publish a user informationboo"let.






Team Building


&is3ussi*n uesti*ns

Bhat are the critical team issues facing this team

Bhat are the positives in this situation 6or eample- what are the team9s strengths

Bhat other potentially effective things have been done by Smita, @eenal, and theteamJ






Team Building


Bhat are the negatives in this situation

Bhat things have been done by Smita, @eenal, and the team that have been or arepotentiallyJ counterproductive

Bhat steps should @eenal have ta"en prior to the first meeting After the firstmeeting






Team Building


As a team building consultant, what would you advise @eenal to do right now at theend of the second meetingJ

*f Smita had come to you prior to establishing the IAT and as"ed your advice, whatwould you have proposed






Team Building


(8: Pr*blem Identi5i3ati*n

Dictation ne

Dictation Two






Team Building


(): ;pl*rati*n

*deas for developing the interior of the house part oneJ

*deas for developing the interior of the house part twoJ






Team Building


#eys t* ;pl*rati*n

>ncourage your team to come up with the broadest possible range of creativesolutions to the current problem.>ncourage building on one another9s ideas.

Avoid the concept of team leader as hero, or team members will rely too heavily onyou to come up with all the creative solutions.Try not to rephrase team ideas or censor them in any way. *f you are unclear aboutwhat they mean, as" them for clarification.Suggest to the group you want multiple options, %ust not the single best solution to aproblem.

Depersonali$e ideas. Post them all so they become the common property of the team.Bhen the ideas are reviewed, team members are less apt to ta"e criticism personally.

>ncourage input from outside your team.






Team Building


20: nalysis

@any teams fail to utili$e this phase of problem;solving. They don9t stop to consideralternative approaches to analy$ing and reviewing a problem. Some ways to get yourgroup to pause and reflect include-

<eview all the potential solutions to ma"e sure they are understood.

?enerate a list of pros and cons for each option.

'ompile a list of uestions the team would use to review each option.

>ncourage team members to identify one benefit and one drawbac" to each solutionbefore discarding or selecting it.Set a time limit so the team doesn9t get bogged down in the process.

Pairs ;er3ise

=uralCrban






Team Building


2(: 1aluati*n

*n this phase the team evaluates the solutions they have generated. >ncourage theteam to discuss the relative merits of each solution before attempting to rate them.

Suggestions for this process include-

@ost solutions must meet a number of criteria in order to be deemed effective.=ist the criteria and discuss them before evaluating solutions. These can include cost, timereuired for completion, ease of implementation, support of senior management, impact onother groups such as customers or suppliers.

Sometimes team members can become attached to their own solution. The multi;voting techniue is one way to encourage a more balanced approach.

Some easy ways to evaluate ideas include-

Sort solutions by category.

*dentify the advantages and disadvantages to each solution.

*dentify what you li"e about each idea and what you don9t li"e.

Number your ideas in order, from the one that seems the most feasible to the one thatseems the least feasible. This is useful for small problems.

Eou can also use a criteria chec"erboard. ur criteria are listed across the top and theoptions are listed down the side. Eou can then ran" each option based on variouscriteria. This is a great option for thorough evaluation.

Is this d*+&* I li$e it as aIs it a55*rdableE

ableEs*luti*nE

<a1e mar$eting team 3*me upEes

Ees

#nsure

%ith ne% pr*du3t



Fire / and /I pr*m*te sel5 No

No

Ees

&*uble si4e *5 5a3t*ry t* ma$e#nsure

Ees

#nsure

m*re pr*du3t

/l*se 5a3t*ryNo

No

Ees

S%it3h t* paperless systemEes

Ees



Ees

<ire "i3$ey "*use t* pr*m*te#nsure

Ees

#nsure

pr*du3t

/reate ne% TG 3*mmer3ialsEes

Ees

#nsure

&e1el*p liais*n %ith Natty#nsure

Ees

#nsure

Nails



Be can now easily see which solutions are possible, which are out of the uestion,and which ones need more investigation.




Team Building


22: ther Pr*blem+S*l1ing Te3hniHues

Another tool for solving problems is the reframing techniue. This involves redefining aproblem by placing it within a completely different contet. Iuite often our perceptionof a problem dictates the types of solutions we come up with for resolving the issue.

The following steps can help you apply the reframing method to your own teamproblems-8egin by writing a brief statement of your problem on a flip chart.Net, challenge team members to come up with two or three different ways ofrethin"ing and rewor"ing this statement. 6or eample, if your team9s problem is, FHowcan we meet together more often to manage team pro%ectsG you could suggest thatanother way of loo"ing at the problem is, FHow can we each provide input on our plansdespite different schedules and locationsG

Discuss the different lines of inuiry presented by the reframed statements. Perhapsinstead of scheduling meetings everyone can attend, we can purchase ?roupwaresoftware, so team members can provide their input no matter where they are.

Another version of this techniue involves dividing your team up into two or three sub;teams. Assign each team to brainstorm potential solutions to different definitions of theproblem. =ater, bring them together to compare their lists of solutions.

The Pr*blem+S*l1ing T**l$it

There are some techniues we can use to help us at every stage of the problem;solving process.

The ass*

'an we use a lasso techniue to tighten up our definition of the real problem Bhenwould a lasso be useful

FHow can we improve communication in our groupG =et9s tighten up that wordcommunication. Bhat do we mean by itFHow can we get our wor" done more efficientlyG Bhat do we mean by efficiently

Is@Is N*t

The *s!*s Not techniue lets us eliminate assumptions and emphasi$e facts. 6oreample, someone says, FThe telephone system isn9t wor"ing.G Eou might as" them tolist what isn9t wor"ing and list what is wor"ing. Perhaps all functions are affected, orperhaps only incoming calls have been affected.

Araphi3s

A diagram allows us to see things visually. 6or eample, thin" of the Kohlberg9s sistages that we loo"ed at yesterday. These can be depicted visually as well as verbally.6or some, the diagram was more beneficial than the discussion. 6or some, one type of categori$ing is better than another type of categori$ing.






Team Building


Basi3 uesti*ns

Bho, what, where, when, why, how

Brea$ it Cp

8rea"ing a problem down into mini;problems or sub;problems lets you eat theelephant one bite at a time. 6or eample, let9s say you are having problems with yourgarden. *f we brea" this problem down into separate problems, you can deal withslugs, acid soil, and no rain. Then we can deal with each issue separately.

F*r3e Field nalysis

6orce field analysis will eamine restraining forces forces that discourage theproblemJ vs. sustaining forces forces that encourage a problemJ. Ta"e an eampleli"e &ohn arriving late for wor".

Bhat are the restraining forces

8oss is angry

He9s behind with his wor"

Par"ing spots all gone

Bhat are the sustaining forces

?ets to sleep an etra 1 minutes

Ta"es the "ids to the babysitter

@isses traffic on way to wor"

How can we wea"en the sustaining forces and strengthen or shore up some of therestraining forces

Aenerali4e@;empli5y

This allows us to move from the general to the specific or vice versa to ma"e certainwe are seeing the situation from all sides.

;pert

Avoid rumors and don9t reinvent the wheel. As", FBho can we invite in to tal" aboutthisG or FBho has dealt with this beforeG






Team Building


2,: Inter1enti*ns

Pr*blems and S*luti*ns

Pr*blem (

A team member ma"es a comment or as"s a uestion that is off the sub%ect. How toPrevent *t

How to Handle *t

Pr*blem 2

A side conversation ta"es place between two team members.

How to Prevent *t

How to Handle *t






Team Building


Pr*blem ,

Team members are distracted.

How to Prevent *t

How to Handle *t

Pr*blem 6

Two or more team members argue with each other.

How to Prevent *t

How to Handle *t






Team Building


Pr*blem

ne or two team member dominate the meeting.

How to Prevent *t

How to Handle *t

Pr*blem -

Team members get nervous and are anious to leave.

How to Prevent *t

How to Handle *t






Team Building


Pr*blem 9

The team members refuse to participate.

How to Prevent *t

How to Handle *t

Pr*blem 8

The leader gets off the sub%ect.

How to Prevent *t

How to Handle *t






Team Building


/ase Study

<idden genda

F=oo", you9ve had more than enough time,G eclaimed @ohini, the director of planning,to <a%, the manager of production control. F* put you in charge of this committee soyou could get everyone9s ideas and generate some intelligent solutions.G

F* wasn9t able to get past the first point on the agenda,G replied <a%. F* tried, but it feltli"e * was on a treadmill. * %ust couldn9t get the staff to come to any decisions. @ohan"ept telling the group our ideas would never fly. He said he9s tried them all before. 8ani

put down every suggestion * made, and seemed to en%oy ma"ing me loo" li"e a fool.Sandeep %ust sat there li"e a dummy and never said anything at all. * can certainly seewhy he9s been passed over for a promotion. And * "now Atul is a bright enough guy,but he only tal"ed about the baseball game last night.G

<a% sighed and continued, F*t was a rough afternoon, @ohini. >veryone seemed to bewor"ing at odds with each other.G

People often use meetings such as <a%9s to satisfy their own needs at the epense ofothers.

An awareness of the hidden agendas and needs people bring to a meeting can help

the group leader understand the group9s dynamics and better direct the meeting. Bhatmight you suggest to <a% as a way he could get different results from his meeting

Bhat might you suggest to <a% as a way he could get different results from hismeeting






Team Building


26: =es*l1ing /*n5li3t

ays t* =es*l1e /*n5li3t

The easiest way to deal with difficult people is to stay as far away from them aspossible. This is great advice, but itOs not always an option. *n fact, if you avoid dealingwith a touchy problem, itOs not going to go away. *n all probability, avoiding it will %ustma"e the problem worse.

@ost of us disli"e conflict. Be want everything to go smoothly at wor", and we wanteveryone to li"e one another and to li"e us. 8ut is that a realistic scenario @ost of thetime, it isnOt.

And indeed, conflict can be a very positive thing for you and your wor"group. Bhy *f

you try to ignore all conflict, and "eep the anger and frustration tamped down, it cansmolder underground, until all of a sudden, it bla$es up out of control. This creates aproblem that never needed to happen in the first place.

A manager who avoids conflict sets a wor"group or an organi$ation on a calamitouscourse. 6or eample, maybe you have an employee who is constantly late for wor",but you let the situation ride without dealing with it. Not only will you reinforce badwor" habits, but you will lose the respect of those who see you not dealing with theconflict.

n the other hand, you canOt go around confronting everyone and everything. *f youread the riot act to an employee who is late for wor" for the first time, you wonOt earnrespect. Eou will be seen as a tyrant. This leads to the uestions- when do you ignoreand when do you confront

Here are some guidelines that might help you. Eou should consider confrontingemployees when-

An employeeOs performance impedes your organi$ationOs goals or slows downproduction.Eou determine an employee9s actions will impede your own success. As" yourself-'an * afford to ignore this

ther employees as" you to intercede. *nternal bic"ering can cause low morale.The people involved as" you to intercede because they are unable to resolve their

differences themselves. Eou also have to stop and as" yourself if you are doinganything that contributes to this problem.

>ven members of the most eceptional team will occasionally find themselves loc"ed inconflict. Sometimes you, as team leader, are reluctant to as" for your team9s help inresolving conflicts because you feel that the burden for conflict resolution rests entirely onyour shoulders. This is not only inaccurateL it can also be detrimental to you and yourgroup in a number of ways. Team leaders who appoint themselves sole arbitrators andharmoni$ers for their teams are headed for disaster.






Team Building


=es*l1ing Internal /*n5li3t

Bhen a team is in internal conflict, what can you do

=em*1e all mas$s.

Sincerity is the ideal mindset for conflict resolution. *f we cannot achieve sincerity, atleast aim for authenticity. 8eing authentic means not hiding behind mas"s, butshowing up as yourself.

Identi5y the real pr*blem.

ften the real problem lur"s somewhere behind or underneath the apparent problem.'onflict will not be resolved until the process can address the true problem.

Ai1e up a must+%in attitude.

Bhen players compete too hard all the time, a good deal of life passes them by. Theygo to the wall to defend a position and will go down screaming, ta"ing as many peoplewith them as possible. 'onflicts are not wonL they are resolved.

&e1el*p se1eral p*ssible s*luti*ns.

*n reality, most situations can go in a variety of directions. *t may be up to you to createthe choices.

1aluate *pti*ns and sele3t a s*luti*n.

'hoose the best wor"able choice from the possibilities you have gathered. The goal isto choose the possibility that will hold the most for both you and the other party.

/*mmuni3ate in a manner 3ertain t* be re3ei1ed.

A great idea goes nowhere if you don9t communicate it to others. nly when someonefeels you have heard their message are they ready to listen to yours, so listen actively.'ommunication that is full of anger, lac"s clarity, and has no commitment behind it, willnot bring about action.

3$n*%ledge and preser1e the 1alue in the relati*nship.

<esolving conflict is about preserving relationships. *f that were not so, people wouldnot try to resolve their conflicts. Disputes would %ust fester and eventually destroy therelationship.

To provide a temporary time;out for individuals who feel they are loc"ed in conflict, as"uestions such as these-

How do you thin" we are doing

Are we ma"ing progress on this issue



Do you feel your views are being heard




Team Building


Pre1enting Internal /*n5li3t

To prevent internal conflict, "eep in mind what Dale 'arnegie said-

Tal" about what the other person is interested in.

8e genuinely interested in people.

Tell them to as" B**6@ Bhat9s *n *t 6or @eJ.

@a"e them feel important.

See things from the other person9s point of view.

SmileR ☺






Team Building


2: ST nalysis

The "eaning *5 ST

SBT stands for Strengths, Bea"nesses, pportunities, and Threats. SBT Analysis is used for understanding your Strengths and Bea"nesses and for loo"ing atthe pportunities and Threats you face. *n a business sense, it can help you carve outyour niche in the mar"et and can help your business grow in the right way. *n a teamsense, it is used for identifying a team9s strengths and wea"nesses, and for areas ofgrowth and potential problems that lie ahead. *t can even be used in a personal senseto develop your career.

*t is a good idea to perform a SBT analysis of your team at pre;defined points intime. These points depend on the type of team and how often it meets. 6or eample, a

team responsible for publishing a daily company newsletter may want to do a SBTanalysis as often as every two wee"s. *f the team was responsible for publishing auarterly newsletter, however, the analysis would probably only be necessary once ortwice a year.

As well, a SBT analysis of the company can also help direct the team and ma"e itmore productive. 6or eample, if the newsletter team "nows that the company has agreat opportunity to etend its mar"et into 'anada, it may discuss ways that the teamcan help the company achieve this goal.






Team Building


/ase Study

<ansen and <ansen /ase Study

Ba3$gr*und





15M/3M



13M

/,M


>mployees in this unit try to understand

/2M



1:M

,7M



52M

/0M

service.


51M

,1M




Smita is not impressed. F* want those numbers up net year,G she declares. As a result,she appoints a Iuality Action Team IATJ to investigate the customer service problemin the division. Subseuently, she names @eenal Singh as chairperson of the team






Team Building


@eenal is a surprise choice to head the IAT. She is a mar"eting specialist with abouttwo years with the company. @eenal came over from one of our competitors, Highperformance Private =TD. *n that time she has impressed everyone with her technicalepertise and willingness to wor" hard and long to meet pro%ect deadlines. @ar"etingis one of *T9s principal users.

@eenal is, by all accounts, a real mover and sha"er. Nevertheless, she is not a peopleperson and more than once she has become impatient in meetings with >Sdevelopers.


<avi Sharma, 01, 8.A., rgani$ational 8ehavior, T*SS 'ollege. <avi is an eperiencedgroup facilitator. He is a facilitator;trainer for other teams in the organi$ation. However,<avi is unhappy because he feels he should have chaired the IAT.Kedar Nair, 27, 8.>., >lectrical >ngineering, Pune #niversity. Kedar came up throughthe ran"s and is considered a solid, dependable person.

Abhishe" Pandey, /:, N**T year Diploma in 'omputer Science. Abhishe" is a hardwor"er and is well respected by the users for his no;nonsense approach to the %ob.<ahul Kadam, /3, 8.A., >conomics, @umbai #niversity, @.8.A.., @anipal #niversity.<ahul is "nown to be a fast trac"er in the company. &oining the organi$ation after hegot out of school, <ahul is considered an epert in strategic planning and as a result,li"es to loo" at the long;term aspects and big picture of any pro%ect.











Team Building


ST nalysis

Strengths

ea$nesses

pp*rtunities

Threats






Team Building


2-: &e1el*ping Team 3ti*n Plans

Planning T**ls

After wor"ing with your team to identify a tentative solution, you must construct adoable action plan together. A concise, unambiguous plan that is fully supported byyour team will help you avoid disappointing outcomes. A good action plan should cover the following topics-

Bhat is doable How much improvement activity can we manage over the net fewwee"sBhat9s fair How can we ensure that everyone on the team is an eual partner in ourimprovement pro%ect

Bhere do we need help 6or what areas will we need the help of other wor" groups or managers or eternal resources How will we go about getting the help we needBhat could go wrong Bhat obstacles are we li"ely to face and how can we preventor wor" through them

"a$ing *ur Team Impr*1ement Plan

There are five steps to constructing a Team *mprovement Plan-

*dentify the reuired actions

Agree on desired outcomes

As" for or assign responsibility for specific areas'onstruct an action;planning chartPerform troubleshooting






Team Building


S"=T

?oals should be S@A<T.

S+SP/IFI/

Bhen we ma"e our goals too general we aren9t able to visuali$e them, and if we can9tsee them, we have a hard time devoting our efforts toward reaching them. Be aremore apt to do a good %ob of redecorating the bathroom if we have a picture in ourmind of how it will loo" when it9s done.

"+"SC=B

*f we can9t measure a goal, we have no idea how close we are getting to reaching it,and that can be de;motivating. 6or eample, you have decided you will save somemoney from every paychec" in order to ta"e a vacation this summer. 8ut if you don9tset a specific amount each pay, and you don9t have an amount you want to reach, youare less apt to put the money away.

+TTINB

Be sometimes thin" that we should set high targets or goals for ourselves, in order togrow and stretch. Bell, we do want to grow and stretch, but if we set goals that aren9tdoable, we soon get discouraged and we stop trying. The really high achievers in theworld "now this. They set goals that they "now they can reach, with a little stretching,and when they get there, they set another goal they "now they can reach. They climbthe mountain one foot at a time.

=+=GNT

?oals have to ma"e sense, and have some importance, or they will soon bediscarded. Set goals that ma"e sense to you. Another word that is often used for the< in this acronym is <ealistic.J

T+TI"&

Put a deadline on your goals. Deadlines are great for getting things done.

Eou will also want to ma"e sure that your goals have the three P9s. Personal- There

has to be a buy;in.Positive- Eou wonOt want to wor" towards if it isnOt.Put in writing- <emember and can refer bac" to for all of the above.

"a$e them Pers*nal.

Eou set goals because you want to reach them, not because your boss or your spousewants you to. Similarly, when you are helping your employees set goals, they must begoals that your employees want, not the goals you want for them. Bithout buy;in, youare wasting your time.

"a$e them P*siti1e.



Be can create some negative energy by saying what we aren9t going to do, but theeffect is more sustainable when we say what we will do.

?oals aren9t %ust about wor". Eou are a whole person with many more sides to youthan %ust your s"ill as a supervisor for your organi$ation. Bhile you are thin"ing aboutsetting goals, let9s thin" about areas in which you want to set goals.




Team Building


Setting a goal isn9t enough though. The net step is deciding how we can achieve thatgoal. Do any of you have a goal you are willing to share *f nobody is willing to share agoal and the strategy they will use to get there, you might use common goals such aslosing weight or saving <s.444 for an escape wee"endJ and get the group to suggeststrategies that will get you there.

According to 8rian Tracy, a 'anadian who is doing very well as a motivational spea"er and trainer, most people do not have goals. So if you do have goals, you are one stepahead of the pac". And if you have a strategy for reaching your goals, you are twosteps ahead of the pac". Now the final thing * would suggest to "eep you out there isto put these goals where you will see them often, to remind you of what you want toachieve.

Put these g*als *r targets in %riting.

So everyone will remember them all the time and wor" towards them.






Team Building


Intenti*n 1s. 3ti*ns

A freuent problem with teams is that they have wonderful intentions that are rarelytranslated into actions. To prevent this, use action statements instead of intentionstatements. Here are some eamples.

Team Impr*1ement reaIntenti*n3ti*n

Be seem to lac"Be9ll pay more attentionDuring the net si wee"s,foresight. Team membersto our planning.each pro%ect leader willare too often ta"en by

create a troubleshootingsurprise with performance

chec"list detailing potentialproblems, such as errors

obstacles and indicatingor pro%ect delays.

appropriate preventive

actions.

'ommunicationBe9ll schedule moreDuring the net threebrea"downs are occurringmeetings.wee"s, Theresa willwithin the team.

schedule two

videoconferences. The

meetings will ta"e place



after pm >astern time to

allow for the time

difference on the Best

'oast.

Be9re eperiencing a lac"During the net few

8y the 1th

of this month,

of direction. There iswee"s, we9ll discuss eachour team will meet to draftsome confusion within our team member9s view of

a vision statement. Prior toteam regarding our our team vision.this meeting, each teamob%ectives and direction

member will compile a listover the net few years.

of pro%ected changes in

our customer base, service

output, and organi$ational

charter for the net two

years.

Be9re receiving anBe9ll as" our internal

n the /0rd

of this month,

increasing number of customers for feedbac"&im and =isa will conduct acomplaints from our on our performance.focus group withinternal customers.

representatives from our



engineering department to

identify service areas in

which our performance is

less than satisfactory.




Team Building


3ti*n Planning /hart

Here is a chart that can be used to plan out your team9s actions to ma"e sure itsintentions are fulfilled.

:3ti*n t* beTeam&ate this&ate this&ate 5*r teamta$enmember>s?a3ti*n %illa3ti*n %ill bere1ie%

resp*nsible

begin3*mpleted

5*r a3ti*n






Team Building


3ti*n Planning ;er3ise

Ba3$gr*und





15M

/3M



13M

/,M


>mployees in this unit try to understand/2M

1:M

,7M





52M

/0M

service.


51M

,1M




Smita is not impressed. F* want those numbers up net year,G she declares. As a result,she appoints a Iuality Action Team IATJ to investigate the customer service problemin the division. Subseuently, she names @eenal Singh as chairperson of the team

@eenal is a surprise choice to head the IAT. She is a mar"eting specialist with abouttwo years with the company. @eenal came over from one of our competitors, 'roc"erand <amble. *n that time she has impressed everyone with her technical epertise andwillingness to wor" hard and long to meet pro%ect deadlines. @ar"eting is one of *T9sprincipal users.




Team Building


@eenal is, by all accounts, a real mover and sha"er. Nevertheless, she is not a peopleperson and more than once she has become impatient in meetings with >Sdevelopers.


<avi Sharma, Personnel Specialist, 01 yrs, 8.A., rgani$ational 8ehavior, T*SS'ollege. <avi is an eperienced group facilitator. He is a facilitator;trainer for otherteams in the organi$ation. However, <avi is unhappy because he feels he should havechaired the IAT.Kedar Nair, Senior Systems Analyst, 27 yrs, 8.>., >lectrical >ngineering, Pune#niversity. Kedar came up through the ran"s and is considered a solid, dependableperson.

Abhishe" Pandey, Programmer **, /: yrs, 8achelors in 'omputer Science, 'ommunity'ollege. Abhishe" is a hard wor"er and is well respected by the users for his no;nonsense approach to the %ob. He is a "nowledgeable techie and is considered an

ecellent motivator and mentor of other people.<ahul Kadam, Director of 8usiness Planning, /3 yrs, 8.A., >conomics, @umbai#niversity, @.8.A.., @anipal #niversity. <ahul is "nown to be a fast trac"er in thecompany. &oining the organi$ation after he got out of school, <ahul is considered anepert in strategic planning and as a result, li"es to loo" at the long;term aspects andbig picture of any pro%ect.











Team Building


The First "eeting *5 the T

The opening of the meeting was somewhat aw"ward and slow. Bhile some membersof the team "new each other, several others had never met before. None of the teammembers had ever wor"ed together. Abhishe" Pandey was uncomfortable around all

these educated types. Similarly, Kedar Nair wondered what he was doing on thecommittee with all these educated types.

@eenal started the meeting by suggesting that they present their ideas on customerservice. She turned first to <avi. <avi said he believed the real need is forprogrammers to have the interpersonal s"ills to interact effectively with users.Therefore, he recommends a training program for division employees on listening,empathy, and other communication s"ills.

Kedar Nair then gave a long, philosophical presentation on how education on systemsdevelopment is the personal responsibility of each employee. FThis is the age oftechnology,G he says. He resents the time wasted in these long meetings with users.

Kedar believes what users need is a resource boo"let informing them of the systemsdevelopment process. At one point, Kedar pulls out a boo"let produced by thecompany where his wife wor"s.

<ahul says the division needs to develop a strategy that incorporates specific userneeds with the overall corporate strategy for the future. He believes the IAT shouldprepare a plan that will lin" eternal business strategy, internal customer needs, and *Tresources.

Somewhat reluctantly, Abhishe" Pandey says, FBe really don9t "now what the userswant from usQwe %ust "now they9re unhappy. So, * suggest that we conduct a surveyto find what they really want from *T.G

There is little discussion of each idea. However, body language seems to indicatedisagreement by other members as each idea is presented.

@eenal as"s for ideas on what to do net. <ahul suggests that each person gatherinformation on their idea and report bac" in a month. *n the meantime, each personwill stay in touch with @eenal. There is some nodding in agreement and the meetingad%ourns.






Team Building


The Se3*nd "eeting *5 the T

Set for : a.m., the meeting doesn9t really get underway until :-/4 when the last personarrives. @eenal reviews the agenda which calls for reports by each person.

<avi begins by presenting, in great detail, a customer service wor"shop for systemsdesigners. He uses an overhead pro%ector, a flip chart, and handouts to describe aprogram that would provide training in brainstorming, goal;setting, action planning,and a heavy dose of interpersonal s"ills. 8efore he can finish, Don interrupts to say,FTraining is a waste of time. 8esides, developers are already overwor"ed withirrelevant responsibilities.G

Abhishe" disagrees. He says the training loo"s good and that other people couldbenefit from the s"ills.

@eenal also li"es it but as"s, F<avi, how does this differ from the program alreadybeing offered by corporate human resourcesG <avi says he will chec" into the

corporate program. He also shoots a sharp loo" at Kedar and says, F@y program willdo more good than another publication that no one will read.G

@eenal cuts off the echange and as"s Kedar to give his report. Kedar9s report isbrief. He distributes copies of the employee boo"let from his wife9s company and says,FThis is what * had in mind.G

As people are flipping through the pages, <ahul says that he thin"s the boo"let isgood and will provide users with helpful information.

Somewhat hesitantly, Abhishe" says, FThe boo"let loo"s good, but fran"ly, users are %ust not going to read it. Some of them will see it as more *T propaganda while others

%ust do not read anything.G

Kedar immediately reacts strongly and says, FBe9ll never "now unless we try it, rightG

Abhishe" says we can save a great deal of time and epense if we as" users whatthey want from *T and how they want to wor" with developers. He distributes a one;page survey form. <avi responds, F*9m sorry Abhishe", but our people have beensurveyed to death. They want answers, not more uestions.G

Kedar agrees. @eenal goes on to point out that Smita will probably not react well to aIAT recommendation for another survey as a response to a problem caused by aprevious survey.

@eenal then says, FAll this bic"ering is not getting us anywhere.G Despite her pleas forcalm discussion, the meeting continues to include a great deal of disagreement.

6inally, the meeting concludes with @eenal saying she will report to Smita on therecommendations to conduct customer service training and publish a user informationboo"let.






Team Building


3ti*n Plan

:3ti*n t* beTeam&ate this&ate this&ate 5*r teamta$enmember>s?a3ti*n %illa3ti*n %ill bere1ie%

resp*nsiblebegin

3*mpleted

5*r a3ti*n






Team Building


&e1el*ping Indi1idual 3ti*n Plans

* "now where *9m starting from. * "now * am already good at these things, and * can do themmore often-

* can learn this, * am learning this, and * am doing what * can at this stage as well. * havealready learned-

* will start with small steps, especially in areas that are difficult for me. @y short term goals for

improvement are-

* promise to congratulate and reward myself every time * do something, no matter how small,to maintain and improve my s"ills. @y rewards will be-

*9m setting myself up for success by choosing long;range goals to wor" for gradually. @y long;term goals for success are as follows-






Team Building


=e3*mmended =eading ist

8arner, <obert B. Team Troubleshooter. Davies;8lac" Publishing, /44. 8endaly,

=eslie. Strength in Numbers. @c?raw;Hill, ::7.8ennis, Barren. On Becoming A Leader. Perseus Publishing, /440.8ennis, Barren, and 8urt Nanus. Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge. 'ollins,/447.8lanchard, Ken, and Sheldon 8owles. High Fie! The "agic of #orking Together.Billiam @orrow, /444.

8oo", Howard, and Stephen Stein. The $% $dge. Biley, /445. 8othwell, =in. The Art ofLeadershi&. Prentice Hall, :30.

8yham, Billiam '., <ichard S. Bellins, and &eanne @. Bilson. $m&o'ered Teams. &ossey;8ass, /440.

'arnegie, Dale. Ho' to #in Friends and (nfluence )eo&le. Poc"et 8oo"s, ::3<eprintJ.'aroselli, @arlene. Leadershi& Skills for "anagers. @c?raw;Hill, /444. 'ava,<oberta. *ifficult )eo&le. Key Porter 8oo"s, ::/.

'ovey, Stephen. The Seen Habits of Highl+ $ffectie )eo&le. 6ree Press, /442.De8ono, >dward. The Si, Thinking Hats. Penguin 8oo"s, /444.6isher, Kimball. Leading Self-*irected #ork Teams. @c?raw;Hill, :::.

?uffey, @ary >llen. $ssentials of Business Communication . South;Bestern 'ollegePub, /445.

Hamilton, 'heryl, and 'ordell Par"er. Communicating for esults. BadsworthPublishing, /447.Harrington;@acKin, Deborah. The Team Building Tool /it. A@A'@, ::2. Hus$c$o,?regory. Tools for Team $,cellence. Davies; 8lac" Publishing, ::5. @an$, 'harles.Su&erleadershi&. 8er"ley Trade, ::4.Par"er, ?lenn @. Team )la+ers and Team'ork. &ossey;8ass, ::5.

Portnoy, <obert. Leadershi&: 0 Com&etencies for Success. Prentice Hall, ::3.Templar, <ichard. The ules of #ork. Pearson >ducation, /440.T%osvold, Dean. Team'ork for Customers. &ossey;8ass, ::0.






Documents

Participant s Workbook