Business Communication: Process and Product, 3e
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Transcript Business Communication: Process and Product, 3e
Communicating in Teams
Guffey text Ch 2, Thill/Bovee text Ch 2, Robbins text Ch 8-9
Why Use Teams?
“Two together can accomplish
more than two separately”
When is this statement true?
When is this statement not true?
Why Use Teams?
Better decisions
Faster response
Increased productivity
Greater “buy-in”
Less resistance to change
Improved employee morale
Reduced risks
Beware: Teams Aren’t
Always the Answer
Three tests:
1)
2)
3)
Is the work complex, requiring
different perspectives?
Does the work create a common
purpose/set of goals?
Is purpose as strong a motivator
as existing individual goals?
Are group members involved in
interdependent tasks?
Characteristics of
Successful Teams
Small size, diverse makeup
Agreement on purpose
Agreement on procedures
Ability to deal with conflict
Use of good communication
techniques
Ability to collaborate rather
than compete
Shared leadership
4 Stages of Team
Development
FORMING
STORMING
NORMING
PERFORMING
Teams can get
stuck, or repeat
stages.
Roles Played by
Team Members
Task Roles
•
Initiator
•
Information seeker/giver
•
Opinion seeker/giver
•
Direction giver
•
Summarizer
•
Diagnoser
Roles Played by
Team Members
o
Energizer
o
Gatekeeper
o
Reality tester
What kinds of statements might be made
by these role players?
Roles Played by
Team Members
Relationship Roles
•
•
•
•
•
Participation encourager
Harmonizer/
tension reliever
Emotional climate
evaluator
Praise giver
Empathic listener
What kinds of statements might be
made by these role players?
Roles Played by Team
Members
Dysfunctional Roles
•
•
•
•
•
Blocker
Attacker
Recognition-seeker
Joker
Withdrawer
What kinds of statements
might be made by these
role players?
Skills for Team
Leaders/Facilitators
Task Relationships
•
Goal setting
•
Agenda making
•
Clarifying
•
Summarizing
•
Verbalizing consensus
•
Establishing work patterns
•
Following procedures
Skills for Team
Leaders/Facilitators
Interpersonal Relationships
•
Regulating participation
•
Maintaining positive climate
•
Maintaining mutual respect
•
Instigating group self-analysis
•
Resolving conflict
•
Instigating conflict
Conflict:
Functional vs. Dysfunctional
Types of Conflict
Task Conflict
Low to moderate levels =
functional
Positive effect on group
performance when stimulates
discussion
Relationship Conflict
Almost always dysfunctional
Increases personality clashes
Decreases understanding
Process Conflict
At low levels = functional
Becomes dysfunctional when
Creates uncertainty
about task roles
Increases time to
complete tasks
Leads to members
working at cross-purposes
Conflict: When to Call the Boss
Conflict source is external
to team
Dysfunctional task or process
conflict remains unresolved
team applies conflict
management process
no immediate and sustained
improvement
Relationship conflict remains
unresolved or creates hostile
workplace environment
Discussion:
Communication Matters
Workplace Communication
Managing Conflict
Conflict management
styles
Six-step procedure for
managing conflict
Dealing with avoidance
Group decision-making
methods
Conflict Management Styles
Conflict Style: Avoiding
Behaviors
Avoiding people you find
troublesome
Avoiding issues that are
unimportant, complex, or
dangerous
Postponing discussion until
later
Conflict Style: Avoiding
Benefits
Reducing stress
Saving time
Steering clear of
danger
Setting up more
favorable
conditions
Costs
Declining
working
relationships
Resentment
Delays
Degraded
communication
and decision
making
Conflict Style: Competing
Behaviors
Imposing of dictating a
decision
Arguing for a conclusion that
fits your data
Hard bargaining (making no
concessions)
Conflict Style: Competing
Benefits
Asserting your
position
Quick victory
potential
Self-defense
Testing
assumptions
Costs
Strained work
relationships
Suboptimal
decisions
Decreased
initiative and
motivation
Possible
escalation of 4
horsemen
Conflict Style Accommodating
Behaviors
Doing a favor to help
someone
Being persuaded
Obeying an authority
Deferring to another’s
expertise
Appeasing someone who is
dangerous
Conflict Style: Accommodating
Benefits
Helping someone
out
Restoring
harmony
Building
relationships
Choosing a quick
ending
Costs
Sacrificed
concerns
Loss of respect
Loss of
motivation
Conflict Style: Compromising
Behaviors
Soft bargaining
(exchanging concessions)
Taking turns
Moderating your
conclusions
Conflict Style: Compromising
Benefits
Pragmatism
Speed and
expediency
Fairness
Maintaining
relationships
Costs
Partially
sacrificed
concerns
Suboptimal
solutions
Superficial
understandings
Conflict Style: Collaborating
Behaviors
Reconciling interests
through a win-win solution
Combining insights into a
richer understanding
Conflict Style: Collaborating
Benefits
High-quality
decisions
Learning and
communication
Resolution and
commitment
Strengthening
relationships
Costs
Time and energy
required
Psychological
demands
Possibility of
offending
Vulnerability risk
Six-Step Procedure for
Managing Conflict
Goal: Collaborate or Compromise
1. Listen
2. Understand the other
point of view
3. Show concern for the
relationship
4. Look for common ground
5. Invent new problemsolving options
6. Reach a fair agreement
Dealing with Avoidance
Clear the air
If you’re on a team with someone
who seems consistently irritated, a
martyr, or passive-aggressive:
Ask for a private meeting
Solicit feedback
Listen without interrupting and
with an open mind
Request permission to respond
with equal openness
Group Decision-Making
Methods
Majority (vote)
Consensus (buy-in)
Minority (subgroup recommendation)
Averaging (compromise)
Authority rule with input
What are the advantages and
disadvantages of each method?
Productive Meetings
Is a Meeting Necessary?
Topic is important
Need for input/decision is urgent
Requires an exchange of ideas
A meeting is not necessary when:
Objective=distribute information
No immediate feedback required
Productive Meetings
Before the meeting
•
Invite the right people
those who have information
• those who make decisions
• those who implement decisions
•
•
Distribute an agenda
essential for introverts
• include required pre-meeting
preparation
•
Productive Meetings
During the Meeting
Establish ground rules
Assign facilitator role
Start on time (watch socializing)
Introduce agenda, add items if
needed or put on “parking lot”
Appoint a recorder
Encourage balanced participation
Confront conflict frankly
Summarize points of consensus
Productive Meetings
Ending the meeting
•
•
•
End on time
Review meeting decisions
Remind people of action items
(identify who will do what by when)
Following up
• Distribute minutes of meeting
•
•
•
Absentees (for record)
list of decisions
action items
Organizing Team-Based
Written and Oral Presentations
See text (p. 53-55)
See consulting project
on web site
See boss (Loescher)
Goal: Successful, meaningful,
and FUN project