Team Building Presentation

Editor's Notes

• #3: Very often we use the word team work in our organizational context without perhaps fully understanding what we mean by teamwork. Garage Sale example
• #4: Ask trainees to list characteristics or attributes of a team
• #5: An effective team is a group of people with skills that compliment each other as they work together towards a common goal, purpose or vision. Team work is an abstract concept. It represents a set of values (refer to the characteristics/behaviors the group listed earlier on the whiteboard). Add any of the following that might not have been mentioned: - Listening & responding to each others point of view ; - Providing support to those who need it; - Celebrating the interests and achievements of others; - Encourage individual success as well as the success of the entire organization Requires participation from every person to be successful. When one person cannot accomplish a job alone (doesn’t possess all the necessary skills) to reach the goal, you need a team. To be an efficient team, all these attributes need to be present (cooperation, communication, coordination).
• #6: There are many misconceptions about building effective teams. One is that all groups of people who have a common goal are a team. Having a common task is not the central requirement for a team as you can see in this picture. Discuss pic and get feedback from gorup. The centeral requirement for a team is to have all members interdependent on each other to accomplish the task. In a team, there is a great deal of support and encouragement from the various team members to get the task done, and team members are willing to jump in and help each other so the task is completed on time.
• #7: The answer is still four legs. Just because you call the tail a leg doesn’t mean it is a leg. In other words, just because you call a group a team doesn’t mean they are a team.
• #8: The key to effective teams is to work to SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE each other to success. Page 2 fill in the blanks in the workbook
• #9: Yard Sale: A group of people is made up of individuals each doing their own jobs, working independently towards their own goals. An example is students in a class. Groups focus on individual accountability. Members of a group may possess the same or different skill sets or learn to acquire the same skill sets. Event for organization I belong to – parking attendants, food preparation, entertainment – network and organization and planning A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals & approach for which they are mutually accountable. An example is a sports team. Teams focus on mutual accountability & collective performance with a sense of common purpose & identity. Members of a team bring to the table a set of complementary roles & appropriate skills.
• #10: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE TEAM? The very nature of teamwork helps to promote individual performance and the performance of the entire organization. Teamwork is the central foundation of a high performance team, because when team members actively work together in such a way that all of their respective skills are utilized to achieve a common purpose, the ultimate outcome is success. Some of the benefits of establishing effective teams include: -Improved use of human resources through synergy; -Better communication; -Increased focus; - Socialization; - Development of a cooperative culture within the organization.
• #11: WHY ARE PEOPLE RELUCTANT TO RELY ON TEAMS? Although a large number of people believe in the need for greater focus on teams, when it comes to using this approach, people are reluctant to rely on teams. Three primary reasons people have reluctance about teams are: 1. Lack of conviction : Some people do not believe that teams really do perform better than individuals. Others think that teams are probably useful, from a human relations point of view, but are a hindrance when it comes to work productivity and decisive action. 2. Personal discomfort & risk : Many people fear or do not like to work in teams. Most people’s discomfort with teams is because they find the team approach too time consuming, too uncertain or too risky. Weak performance ethics: Some organizations lack compelling purpose that would appeal rationally and emotionally to their people. At worst, the environment of internal politics or external public relationship undermines the mutual trust and openness upon which teams depend. There are two common barriers that often interfere with building effetive teams.
• #12: These are shown on page 3 of your workbook. There first one is The “I” mentality – Many people have been raised to believe, “I need to look out for number one, me!” That attitude makes it difficult for us to be team players, because it means sharing ourselves with others and letting them have the advantage of our knowledge and skills as well as any information we might have. Teamwork needs to be less me and more we.
• #13: The second one is the spirit of COMPETITION . This can cause team members to withhold information and therefore sabotage the team effort. This compromises the effectiveness of the organization and builds a bad attitude among team members and among different teams in the same organization.
• #14: The team leader has to be willing to help the team move beyond misconceptions and barriers. The team leader helps the team realize its finest hour is when all are functioning together, sharing ideas and strengths, and developing and interdependence on each other to achieve a goal. The leader has to be willing to change, grow and move out of their comfort zone thus moving team members out of theirs.
• #16: Traditionally, a team goes through several stages of development. Each stage of team development presents its own special challenges for a group of people striving to work together successfully. The team and the organization can take specific actions at each stage of development to support the team’s success in accomplishing the team’s mission. At each stage, the team has different needs and questions. These must be addressed if the group is to become a high performing team. The behavior of the leader must be adapted to the changing and developing needs of the group. An effective team leader will structure team building initiatives according to the stages of team development. It is common for a team to revert back to a previous stage throughout the process of establishing a team that is effective and performs at a high level.
• #17: The first stage of developing an effective team is the Structuring Stage. During this stage, team members are getting to know one another and getting comfortable with each other. Members will naturally try to understand their own roles, the roles of the other team members and their purpose in the group. This is entirely natural and to be expected. People are unsure, suspicious and nervous. It is important during this stage for the leader to build awareness of the skills and talents each individual brings to the team to gain commitment and acceptance from all.
• #18: The Challenge To create a purpose and manage TEAM MEMBERS Team Dynamics EXPLORING why we are together TESTING to identify the boundaries of both interpersonal and task behaviors ASSESSING other team members and the commitment EVALUATING potential risks and rewards ESTABLISHING relationships with leaders and other team members Questions often raised during this level of development are: Do I want to be a part of this team? Will I be accepted as a member? Who is the leader? Is the leader competent? What are we supposed to do together? Is everyone committed to this? How can I contribute? What will be expected of me? What are the pros and cons to being on this team? Who are these people?  Can I trust the other team members?
• #19: It is important during this time that the leader creates an environment where the team members can get to know each other. This can be accomplished during informal team meetings where open discussion is allowed. Make sure the purpose and task are clearly defined and share management’s expectations with the group. Give the team time to get comfortable with one another, but move the team along as well. Empowerment and involvement are critical at this stage. This is the time to excite and inspire the team. Set GROUND RULES & define BOUNDARIES Set standards for TEQAM INTERACTION Clarify team tasks and team member ROLES and RELATIONSHIPS DEMONSTRATE and TEACH skills Monitor and give FEEDBACK on team performance MAKE decisions and PROVIDE direction
• #20: Settling is probably the most difficult stage for the group. Members often become impatient about the lack of progress, but are still inexperienced with working as a team. Members may argue about the actions they should take when faced with ideas that are unfamiliar to them and put them outside their comfort zones. Much of the team’s energy is focused on each other instead of achieving the goal.
• #21: The Challenge To manage EXPECTATIONS and ROLES Team Dynamics CHALLENGING the team’s purpose  SPLITTING into subgroups  STRUGGLING for power and control  RESISTING tasks and authority  AVOIDING dealing with underlying tension and hidden agendas Questions often raised during this level of development are: Why are we doing this? Why are we doing it this way? Why don't we do it that way? What’s the point?
• #22: As the team progresses through the settling stage, with the guidance of the team leader, they learn how to solve problems together, function both independently and together as a team, and settle into roles and responsibilities. For team members who do not like conflict, this is a difficult stage to go through. The team leader needs to be adept at facilitating the team through this stage - ensuring the team members learn to listen to each other and respect their differences and ideas. This includes not allowing any one team member to control all conversations and to facilitate contributions from all members of the team. The team leader will need to coach some team members to be more assertive and other team members on how to be more effective listeners. This stage will come to a closure when the team becomes more accepting of each other and learns how to work together for the good of the project. At this point, the team leader should start transitioning some decision making to the team to allow them more independence, but still stay involved to resolve any conflicts as quickly as possible. Focus on AGENDA State and restate EXPECTATIONS Take full advantage of the STRENTHS each team member brings to the table Let each person know how he/she fits into the OVERALL PLAN
• #23: Working together as a team seems more natural. In this stage, the team has agreed on their team rules for working together, how they will share information and resolve team conflict, and what tools and processes they will use to get the job done. They have begun to work more effectively as a team. They are no longer focused on their individual goals, but are focused rather on developing a way of working together. They respect each other's opinions and value their differences. They begin to see the value of those differences on the team. The team members begin to trust each other and actively seek each other out for assistance and input. Rather than compete against each other, they are now helping each other to work toward a common goal. The team members also start to make significant progress on the project as they begin working together more effectively. Individual members of the team grow personally and look for ways to continue that personal growth. One sign a team is in the learning stage may be the cross-training of team members.
• #24: The Challenge To manage RELATIONSHIPS and TASK EFFORTS Team Dynamics IMPLEMENTING the team’s performance expectations RE-ESTABLISHING specific roles and operating procedures DEFINING rules for problem solving  CLARIFYING processes for resolving team conflicts  BUILDING team culture Questions often raised during this level of development are: Who does what and when?  How often will we meet?  How do we resolve problems?  How do we make decisions? How do we handle conflicts?  What makes our team special?
• #25: In this stage, the team leader may not be as involved in decision making and problem solving since the team members are working better together and can take on more responsibility in these areas. The team has greater self-direction and is able to resolve issues and conflict as a group. On occasion, however, the team leader may step in to move things along if the team gets stuck. The team leader should always ensure that the team members are working collaboratively and should begin to function as a coach to the members of the team. More of an OBSERVER GUIDES team members and only steps in to move things along if the team gets ‘stuck.’ Ensure team members are working COLLABORATIVELY CROSDSK-TRAINS team members
• #26: This is the final stage where all team members are focused on both the task, and on team relationships. By this stage, the members have discovered and accepted each other's strengths and weaknesses, and learned what their roles are within the team. Reaching this stage is largely dependent upon the successful transition through the previous stages. Not every team makes it to this level of team growth. Some teams stop at the Settling stage. The high performing team functions without oversight and the members have become interdependent. Members are open and trusting and many good ideas are produced, because they are not afraid to offer ideas and suggestions. They are comfortable using decision making tools to evaluate ideas, prioritize tasks and solve problems. A lot is accomplished during the performing stage, and team satisfaction and loyalty are high. Reaching the Performing stage is the result of all team members working effectively together.
• #27: The Challenge Managing task COMPLETION, evaluating RESULTS, striving for IMPROVEMENT. Team Dynamics Alignment - Each person has an integral role in the team’s work  Accomplishment - People and the team as a whole are meeting and exceeding role and task expectations. Cohesion - Feeling like a “team” Commitment - To each other, the team and to accomplishing the team’s goals.  Loyalty and trust – Questions often raised during this level of development are: How can we improve this? Is there a better way? What more can we do? How can I help?
• #28: In this stage, the team leader is not involved in decision making, problem solving or the day-to-day work of the team. The team members work effectively as a group and do not need the oversight that is required at the other stages. The team leader will continue to monitor the progress of the team and celebrate achievements with the team to continue to build team camaraderie. The leader will also serve as the gateway when decisions need to be reached at a higher level within the organization. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ CONTINUES to monitor the progress of the team CELEBRATES achievements with the team CONTINUES to build team camaraderie SERVES as the gateway when decisions need to be reached at a higher level
• #29: Effective teams are led by effective leaders. Effective team leader are willing to invest themselves in the lives of others and encourage discussion or problems and concerns while responding in a non-judgmental way. They understand the value of building trust and constantly build people skills, such as communication skills and listening skills. They use team building activities to help members learn the importance of working together. The use of activities that develop problem-solving skills is crucial. In addition, an effective leader motivates his team regularly by working with the team to develop personal goals for each individual as well as for the team. A high performing leader will produce an effective team.
• #30: One of the most common objectives of a team is to solve a certain problem. Team members bring a diverse set of skills to the team and this provides a great scenario and the best chance in finding a solution. Because the team is comprised of individuals that bring a unique skill set, it provides the team with a “the whole is greater than its parts” setup which is a valuable tool. A facilitative leader helps a team to solve its own problem. The problem-solving process is as follows: DETERMINE THE PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED In order to solve a problem, the problem needs to be fully understood by all - agree to disagree. IDENTIFY THE DESIRED OUTCOME Knowing the desired outcome makes the solution easier to determine - begin with the end in mind. DEVELOP WAYS TO ACHIEVE RESULTS Share ideas among team members, look at all options. The easiest solution may not be the best solution. OUTLINE STEPS TO TAKE Be precise on next step actions. DETERMINE OBSTACLES TO RESOLUTION Look at ways to overcome objections. RECOGNIZE CHANGE TAKES TIME Everyone involved in the process should understand exactly which step is being worked on at any given point. When team members sense a problem, they are usually reacting to symptoms of the problem. But they are side effects of the real problem which usually lies below the surface.
• #31: Brainstorms are a simple and an effective method for generating ideas and suggestions. They allow group members to use each other as creative resources and are effective when a subject is being introduced. The goal is to rapidly generate a large quantity of ideas. Subsequent sorting and prioritizing of the ideas is usually needed to refine the results. Allows for more valuable ideas to be shared. Provides open conversation for sharing thoughts. Always be open to others ideas without judgment. One thought can be developed from a basic concept to a full process.
• #32: Consensus is a point of maximum agreement so action can follow. It is a win-win situation in which everyone feels that he or she has one solution that does not compromise any strong convictions or needs. To reach consensus, group members share ideas, discuss, evaluate, organize, and prioritize ideas, and struggle to reach the best conclusions together. A good test for consensus is to ask the question "can you support this decision?" If everyone can support it, the group has achieved 100% consensus. Consensus is not always the best strategy. In some cases, reaching consensus does not result in a better decision or outcome. For example, group members are capable of unanimously agreeing on a completely incorrect solution to a problem. But generally, reaching consensus remains a highly desirable goal. To make consensus work, the leader must become skilled at separating the content of the team's work (the task) from the process (how the team goes about doing the task). But the process should get the most attention.