Transcript Building Effective Teams The Essential Pyramid By Brenda Olesuk, Firm Administrator – Meyers Brothers Kalicka, PC    Definition of a Team: A group of interacting.

Building Effective Teams
The Essential Pyramid
By Brenda Olesuk, Firm Administrator – Meyers Brothers Kalicka, PC
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Definition of a Team:
A group of interacting individuals sharing a common goal and the
responsibility of achieving it. -- The Quality Assurance Project’s
definition of team
A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed
to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they
hold themselves mutually accountable -- The Wisdom of Team, J.R.
Katzenbach and D.K. Smith
Qualities of a Good Team
Member
Qualities of a Good Team
Member
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Honest and Open
Dependable
Trustworthy
Flexible
Respectful
Sharing
Competencies – Has something to offer
Will Sacrifice
Supportive
Surrenders Own Ego
Offers Feedback
No “Back Door” Attitude
Model for Effective Team
Building
Results
Accountability
Commitment
Conflict – Open Exchange of Ideas
Development of Trust
Trust – Lubricant & Glue
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Trust as a lubricant: The substance that reduces friction
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Trust as glue: The substance that keeps us together
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Trust is the most essential element of healthy,
productive teams
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Trusted/trusting members:
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Get to know one another
Exhibit supportive behavior
Say what they mean, mean what they say – aren’t mean when they
say it
Aren’t afraid to admit their mistakes or weaknesses
Are willing to listen without judgment or predisposition
Conflict – Open Exchange of
Ideas
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Unmanaged Conflict is the Ultimate
Productivity Robber!
Good conflict is the unfiltered and passionate debate of
ideas. The focus is on the idea, problem or challenge, not
the individual.
Conflict occurs when the concerns or ideas of two or more
people appear to be incompatible. When this happens, there
are five specific methods of dealing with the situation:
Competing
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Power-oriented behavior
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Winning one’s own position
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Psychological drive for success
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Gain status, pride, respect and acceptance of
others
Collaboration
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Often called “team work”
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Collective rather than individual
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Effort to reach goals and solve common
problems
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Attempts to work with others to find a
solution which satisfies the concerns of all
parties
Compromise
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Key element for good relationships
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Middle ground between assertiveness and
cooperation
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Characterized by integration of ideas,
opinions and feelings
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Mutually acceptable settlement in which each
side gives up some demands or makes some
concessions
Avoidance
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Fails to address conflict
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Degree of procrastination or reluctance to
challenge or confront uncomfortable
situations
Accommodation
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Opposite of competing
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Using this behavior often means neglecting
own concerns to satisfy needs of others
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Self-sacrificial
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Ability to say “I’m sorry” or offer some
conciliatory gesture
Conflict Management
Modalities
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All of these methods are necessary and useful
in working through conflict within the team
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Key is knowing how and when to use each
modality to promote healthy, passionate
debate, maintain trust, and support dignity of
each team member
Commitment: Buy-In
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In order to be effective, a successful team must
have the explicit “buy in” of all team members.
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Trust and ability to manage conflict are essential to
developing true commitment within a team.
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Once all viewpoints have been aired, a decision
must be made.
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If Agreement cannot be reached in all cases, then
it is necessary for all members to be in Alignment.
This is commitment to the team.
Accountability – Peer Pressure
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Trust, candor and commitment create a motivation to not “let
down” other team mates
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Goals that are collaboratively created and clearly stated by
the team become the benchmark for the team’s success.
Every team member will be “self-monitoring” for success
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Teams need to periodically review their progress toward their
stated goals and communicate formally about accountability
within the team
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Accountability within the team reduces the need for excessive
bureaucracy around performance management and
corrective actions
Results – How to Ensure Them
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Public Declaration of Results – Teams that are willing to
commit publicly to specific results are more likely to work
with a passionate desire to achieve those results
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Reward only those behaviors and actions that contribute to
desired results
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A team that focuses on collective results:
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Retains achievement-oriented employees
Minimizes individualistic behavior
Enjoys success and suffers failure acutely
Benefits from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for
the good of the team
Avoids distractions
Developing a Winning Team –
The Stages
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Forming
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Storming
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Norming
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Performing
Forming
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High dependence on leader for guidance and direction
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Little agreement on team goals other than those received
from the leader
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Individual roles and responsibilities are unclear
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Leader must be prepared to answer lots of questions about
the team’s purpose, objectives and external relationships
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Processes are often ignored
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Members test tolerance of system and leader
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Leader is more directive
Storming
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Decisions don’t come easily within the group
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Team members vie for position as they attempt to establish
themselves in relation to other team members and the leader,
who might receive challenges from team members
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Clarity of purpose increases but plenty of uncertainties
persist
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Cliques and factions form and there may be power struggles
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The team needs to be focused on its goals to avoid becoming
distracted by relationships and emotional issues
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Compromises may be required to enable progress
Norming
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Agreement and consensus forms among the team, who responds well to
facilitation by leader
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Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted. Big decisions are made
by group agreement
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Smaller decisions may by delegated to individuals or small teams within
the group
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Commitment and unity is strong
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The team may engage in fun and social activities
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The team discusses and develops its processes and working style
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There is general respect for the leader, and some leadership is shared by
the team
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Leader plays a facilitating and enabling role
Performing
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The team is more strategically aware, and knows clearly why it is doing
what it is doing
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The team has a shared vision and is able to stand on its own feet with no
interference or participation from the leader
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There is a focus on over-achieving goals, and the team makes most
decisions with regard to criteria agreed with the leader
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The team has a high degree of autonomy
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Disagreements occur, but now they are resolved within the team
positively, and necessary changes to processes and structure are made by
the team
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The team is able to work toward achieving the goal, and also to attend to
relationship, style and process issues along the way
Performing - continued
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Team members look after each other
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The team requires delegated tasks and projects
from the leader
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The team does not need to be instructed or assisted
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Team members might ask for assistance from the
leader with personal and interpersonal development
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Leader assumes a far more hands-off, delegation
role to allow team members to perform in their team
role
Expanding Team Awareness
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Team Mission Statement (why are we here?)
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Core Values (what do we stand for?)
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Behavioral Norms (how do we live our
values?)
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Objectives (what measurable results are we
seeking?)
Important Skills for Teams to
Develop
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Communication – Listening and Influencing
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Communication – Conflict Management
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Creativity and Problem Solving
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Coping with Change
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Appreciating Diversity/Appreciating
Supporting Others
Leadership and Teambuilding
Exercises
Together
Everyone
Achieves
More
Resources
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick
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6 Habits of Highly Effective Teams, Stephen
Lencioni
E. Kohn and Vincent D. O’Connell
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Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy
Managers, Brian Cole Miller
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Leadership Development Program, by
Giombetti Associates