Transcript Slide 1

Effective Teambuilding
Presented by Shenita Hicks
August 2009
What does a successful team look like?
“It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody
cares about who gets the credit.”
- Robert Yates
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Critical Elements of a Successful Team
 Shared Vision
 Alignment on purpose
 Understanding of goals
 Task focused
 Commitment
 Participative leadership
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Critical Elements of a Successful Team
 Trust
 Shared responsibility
 Understanding of roles
 Communication
 Information sharing
 Responsiveness
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THE ELEMENT
 Communication
 Why?
"One man can be a crucial ingredient on a
team, but one man cannot make a team.“
-- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Good vs. Bad
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Beginnings of Conflict
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Seeking power
Dissatisfaction with management style
Weak leadership
Lack of openness
Change in leadership
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Causes of Workplace Conflict
 Alignment of amount of resources is
insufficient
 Leadership Problems
 Personal Chemistry
 Cultural
 Generational
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Generational Differences
 Important aspect of diversity
 For the first time in
American History, there are
four generations working
side-by-side.
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The Four Generations
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Traditionalists (born 1922-1943)
Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960)
Generation X (born 1960-1980)
Nexters/Generation Y/Millenials (born
1980-2000)
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Generational Facts
 They all view the world differently.
 Their differences can cause strife in the
workplace.
 They all have something to add to the
workplace.
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Generational Commonality
 Employees of all generations have one
thing in common. They need one good
reason they should put their full faith in
any one organization.
 Trust is common, no matter the age.
Adapted from: K. Tyler, Neckties to Nose Rings (2002)
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Events and Experiences
Traditionalists:
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Great Depression
New Deal
World War II
Korean War
Industrialization
Social Security
Mandatory
Boomers:
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Civil Rights Movement
Sexual Revolution
Cold War
Space travel
Assassinations
Television
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Events and Experiences
Xers:
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Latchkey Upbringing
Women’s Liberation
Desert Storm
Energy Crisis
AIDS
Video Game
Personal Computers
Nexters:
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School shootings
Internet
Child focused world
September 11th
Tragedy
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Values
Traditionalists:
Boomers:
 Hard work
 Dedication &
sacrifice
 Respect for rules
 Duty before pleasure
 Honor
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Optimism
Team orientation
Personal gratification
Involvement
Personal growth
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Values
Xers:
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Nexters:
Diversity
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Techno literacy
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Fun and informality 
Self-reliance
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Pragmatism
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Optimistic
Techno Savvy
Feel civic duty
Confident
Achievement oriented
 Respect for diversity
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When Generations Fail To
Communicate
 May impact turnover rates
 May impact tangible costs
(i.e. recruitment, hiring,
training, retention)
 May impact intangible
costs (i.e. morale)
 May impact grievances
and complaints
 May impact perceptions of
fairness & equity
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Generational Feedback
Feedback style and form can
be impacted by generational
differences.
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Generational Feedback
 Traditionalists – “No news is good news.”
 Boomers – “Feedback once a year and
lots of documentation.”
 Xers – “Sorry to interrupt but how am I
doing?”
 Millenials – “Feedback whenever I want it
at the push of a button.”
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Feedback Style and Impact
 Feedback styles that may appear informative and helpful
to one generation might seem formal and “preachy” to
another.
 Feedback an Xer thinks is immediate and honest can seem
hasty or even inappropriate to other generations.
 Some older generations have been told that there is a time
and place for feedback. Younger generations haven’t
necessarily been taught this “rule.”
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Generational Meaning of Feedback
 Xers need positive feedback to let them
know they’re on the right track.
 Nexters are use to praise and may
mistake silence for disapproval. They
need to know what they’re doing right
and what they’re doing wrong.
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When You are interacting across age
difference…
 Find out not only about the seminal events that occurred
as they were growing up, but also about the ways in which
this event impacted the person with whom you are
interacting
 Avoid assuming that because people are a certain age they
will act a certain way. There are some people that don’t fit
 Instead of treating others as you like to be treated, find
out how they like to be treated and respect them by
honoring that
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Conflict Indicators
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Body language
Surprises
Conflicts in value system
Lack of respect
Lack of clear goals
Disagreements, regardless of issue
Withholding information
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Conflict: Good or Bad?
 Depends
 If managed well, it can:
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Help raise and address problems.
Focuses team on the most immediate issues.
Motivates people to participate.
Helps people recognize and benefit from
differences.
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Conflict: Good or Bad?
 Conflict is a problem when it:
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Hampers productivity
Lowers Morale
Causes more and continued conflict
Causes inappropriate behaviors
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Conflict Management
 Conflict Management is the principle that
all conflicts cannot necessarily be
resolved, but learning how to manage
conflicts can decrease the odds of non
productive escalation.
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Common Conflict Management
Strategies
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Avoid it.
Accommodate it.
Compromise.
Compete.
Collaborate.
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Avoiding
 When a person does not pursue his/her own
concerns or those of the other person.
Avoiding Skills
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Ability to withdraw
Ability to leave things unresolved
Ability to sidestep issues
Sense of timing
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Accommodating
 An individual neglects his/her own
concerns to satisfy the concerns of the
other person.
Accommodating Skills
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Forgetting your desires
Ability to yield selflessness
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Compromising
 To find some expedient mutually
acceptable solution which partially
satisfies both parties.
Compromising Skills
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Negotiating
Assessing value
Finding a middle ground
Making concessions
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Competing
 Pursuing your own concerns at the
others expense.
Competing Skills
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Arguing or debating
Standing your ground
Using rank or influence
Stating your position clearly
Asserting your opinions and feelings
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Collaboration
 Involves an attempt to work with the other person
to find some solution which fully satisfies the
concerns of both parties.
Collaboration Skills
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Active Listening
Identifying concerns
Non threatening confrontation
Analyzing input
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Techniques for Resolution
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Meet conflict head on
Set goals
Plan for and communicate regularly
Be honest about concerns
Agree to disagree
Remove individual ego
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Techniques for Resolution
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Discuss differences in values openly
Communicate honestly
Focus on interests vs. positions
Think outside the box to develop optional
solutions
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Valuing Differences
Information flows in all directions.
Successful leaders find a way to let every
generation be heard. They recognize
that no one has all the answers. This
appreciation of diversity allows each
group to contribute and be a part of the
growth of a division or organization.
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Thanks for Your Attention!
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