Group and Team Dynamics

Chapter Overview
1. Group and Team Dynamics 2. Building Mutual Respect 3. Establishing a Common Vision

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Lesson Overview
How can you work as a team? What are characteristics of effective teams? What are the four stages of team development? How can you run an effective meeting?

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Quick Write
Think of a time when youve been a member of a team or group. What were the groups goals? Write down the steps the team or group went through to accomplish its goals. Were there any conflicts among group members? What obstacles did the group need to overcome to be effective?
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Working as a Team
You might know of a sports team that has no stars, but that team wins game after game. Why? One reason is that the players and coaches work together harmoniously They put the team first

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Working as a Team
What exactly is a team?
Its a collection of individuals who are identified by others and by themselves as a group and who work together to accomplish a common goal Each members conduct affects the actions of all the other team members
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Team Dynamics
Team dynamics, or interactions, are complex because each member must direct his or her unique talents toward achieving a shared goal A teams leader or coach has a major influence on team dynamics

One of the team leaders most important tasks is preventing distractions from interfering with the teams work
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Effective Teams
Every successful team or group has five common characteristics: Goals Rules Roles Communication Participation
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Goals
A goal is a teams target or objective It gives team members a sense of purpose or focus When you know your target, you have a much better chance of hitting it The goal should be specific and measurable
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Rules

Teams frequently rely on structure and rules A rule is a guideline for membership, conduct, or performance In some cases, a group makes its own rules In other cases, the group must follow external rules that govern it and other competing teams
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Roles
One of the advantages of teamwork is specializationteam members have different roles A role is the specific job or task assigned to a team member Roles can shift; they need not be permanent But at any given time, each team member must know what his or her role is
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Communication
Good communication is critical to effective team performance Communication should be objective, honest, and focused on the team goal, rather than on personal matters

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Communication
Team leaders have particularly important roles in communication Good leaders know the value of positive feedback

But a good leader also knows how to offer constructive criticism in a way that encourages performance improvement
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Participation
Team members typically focus on performance and collective improvement

To do this, members need to be interactive

Participation is balanced Each members actions complement, or round out, those of the other members Members build on each others strengths and make up for any weaknesses
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Effective Teams
Work together to reach team goals Execute tasks thoroughly Meet or exceed the standard Thrive on challenges Learn from experiences Take pride in individual and shared accomplishments Strive for continued improvement
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Stages of Team Development

It takes work to mold a good teamit doesnt just happen naturally

Conflict and resistance are natural during the early phases of a teams development Strong leadership at each stage can help minimize conflict and reduce resistance Trust and commitment are also important to a teams development
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Stages of Team Development

Four stages, according to Tuckmans model: Forming Storming Norming Performing

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Forming Stage
The period when team members meet and begin to create relationships among themselves and with their leader At this stage, team members defer decisions to their leader

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Forming Stage
Members have limited commitment to the team Members are concerned about whats going to happen in the future They have not yet developed a high degree of trust They focus on the task at hand rather than on long-term goals or results
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Storming Stage
A period during which personalities begin to clash as members try to overcome their natural tendency to focus on their own needs

During this phase, communication may be unproductive, or even damaging

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Storming Stage
Some members may be unwilling to accept group rules or norms Some may confront each other or the leader They are still unwilling to fully trust one another
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Norming Stage
The team begins to work together as a whole As a result of their leaders patience, guidance, and role modeling, team members begin to see the advantages of teamwork Trust grows as members share more and more experiences, training, and activities
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Norming Stage
Team members give each other feedback and share thoughts and ideas Team standards develop, and the team develops a shared work ethic Team members begin to support one another, and individual differences become less divisive A team spirit begins to emerge
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Performing Stage
The stage at which the team works at its best Youve heard the expression, The whole is greater than the sum of the parts Thats a perfect description of an effective team
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Performing Stage
The teams vision, roles, and processes are clear Communication is open

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Performing Stage
Members feel free to share their own views They have a high degree of trust in their leader and each other The focus is on continuing to improve performance rather than simply on completing a task
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Performing Stage
Team members are thinking about long-term goals They make up for gaps in each others skills and knowledge, and they help each other learn

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Running an Effective Meeting

Good meetings are an important teambuilding tool Poorly run meetings waste everyones time

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Running an Effective Meeting

A few key points to consider:
Decide if a meeting is appropriate Define your purpose Decide whom to invite Decide when and where the meeting should occur Plan how youll record information Send out an agenda Start on time and follow the agenda
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Running an Effective Meeting

Remember, meetings can be canceled Before you take your team members away from their other activities, ask yourself if the team really needs to meet You might get feedback that indicates an e-mail will do the job just as well If you find that the key decision makers cant be there, reschedule the meeting

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Review
A team is a collection of individuals who are identified as a group and who work together to accomplish a common goal
Each members conduct affects the actions of all the other team members Every successful team or group has five common characteristics: goals, rules, roles, communication, and participation

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Review

A goal is a teams target or objective; it gives team members a sense of purpose or focus A rule is a guideline for membership, conduct, or performance A role is the specific job or task assigned to a team member Good communication is critical to effective team performance With participation, team members typically focus on performance and collective improvement
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Review
There are four stages of team development: Forming: team members begin to create relationships among themselves and their leader Storming: personalities begin to clash as members try to overcome tendency to focus on own needs Norming: team begins to work together as whole Performing: team works at its best Good meetings are an important team-building tool; poorly run meetings waste everyones time
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Summary
How can you work as a team? What are characteristics of effective teams? What are the four stages of team development? How can you run an effective meeting?

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Next
Donegroup and team dynamics Nextwell learn about building mutual respect

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