1.

Team Building
"Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."
I. Answer the following questions:
a. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a team?
b. What would be the characteristics of an efficient team?
c.What two elements most often contribute to team failure?
d. What qualities do you generally contribute to a team?
II. Read the following article and match the headings with the sections 1-6:
Open communication
Common goals with challenging targets
Measuring progress against goals
Involvement of all team members
Leadership
Conflict resolution
Teambuilding involves more than throwing a few people together
Teamworking has infiltrated every nook and cranny within just about every organization. You cant get
away from teams that are supposed to be able to create something that is greater than the sum of its
parts. Or so the theory goes.
Yet, the truth about teams is that the large majority of them do not achieve the synergies they could. For
example, poor teamworking is the culprit when meetings regularly overrun, when there are frequent
arguments between team members or there is an unhealthy level of competition between individuals.
Other signs of unproductive teamworking are people not always completing tasks assigned to them or last
minute panics to meet deadlines. More often than not, ineffective teams are the result of poor planning.
There are six measures that need to be taken before you can get the most out of a team:
1 .......................................................................................
In other words, a clear reason for the team to exist. But dont think of goals as wish lists they have to
be achievable, yet challenging enough to motivate team members.
2 ...........................................................................................
Members must be able to express their opinions freely without fear of retribution, and feel that
suggestions will be taken seriously. The team might also need to agree whether politically sensitive topics
of discussion in meetings should be kept within the confines of the team or shared with other employees.
3. ...................................................................................
It is easy to think (albeit subconsciously) that a junior team member may have less to contribute than
more experienced members. This is not only demoralizing, it also makes no sense people that have
nothing to contribute should not have been selected for the team in the first place. You need to ensure that
every member has an opportunity to add his or her thoughts to discussions.
4. ..................................................................................
Disagreements are natural and, in fact, debate and discussion should be encouraged. A team made up
only of yes men can make disastrous decisions that few people honestly agreed with in the first place.
Consequently, there should be explicit rules on how lengthy disagreements should be tackled. For
example, team meetings may not be the most appropriate place for a discussion that involves only two
people, so the team could agree to certain issues being taken off line.
5. ............................................................................
Most high-performing teams (whether it is in the workplace, sports or even in a pub quiz) have leaders.
A good leader should be able to play to individuals strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. A
good leader is critical, says Gary Spellins, Managing Director of Managed Services, Lex Service plc,

which delivers a range of outsourcing solutions to the public and private sector. It should be someone
who can act as a catalyst and a constant reminder of what the team needs to achieve. The leader must,
above all, be skilled in sharing responsibility and delegating work to others, coaching them to achieve
tasks, and providing constructive feedback on how the tasks went.
6. ..............................................................................
Team members need to be able to see how they are doing against the objectives set at the beginning of
the project.
III. Find words/ phrases in the text for the following explanations:
1. to secretly enter or join (a group or an organization) in order to get information or do harm; to pass
into or through (something);
2. every part; everywhere;
3. the increased effectiveness that results when two or more people or businesses work together;
4. a person who has committed a crime or done something wrong;
5. to run or go beyond or past (something);
6. to give someone a particular job or duty;
7. a list of things that someone would like to have;
8. punishment for doing something wrong;
9. something that encloses or restrains something;
10. even though;
11. to set about dealing with something; to approach something;
12. referring to something that is sent away to be done by people outside the company.
IV. There are a number of fixed phrases in English joined with and. These are called fixed pairs.
by and large
pros and cons

give and take

touch and go

hard and fast

ups and downs

on and off
wine and dine

a.Ive been writing this report ...................(occasionally, not continuously) for the last two weeks, but it has
to be in tomorrow.
b. There isnt any .............................(strict, fixed) rule about how we are going to proceed in this
negotiation.
c.You wont win this negotiation through bullying. There needs to be some ...................(compromise).
d. Weve had a few .........................(mixture of good and bad things) in recent years.
e.It was.........................(very unsure that something will happen) whether wed get to the meeting on time.
f. If this contract is important, well have to .............................(entertain) their management team.
g. Full employment was ....................(mostly true, in general) achieved.
h. The union discussed the .........................(advantages and disadvantages) of strike action.
V. Match the following compound words with their explanations:
1. team leader
2. team effort
3. team performance
4. team dynamics
5. team effectiveness
6. team learning

a. the work done together by the team;

b. the way the team works together;
c. when people learn in teams rather than individually;
d. the results that the team produces;
e. the person in charge of the team;
f. the degree to which the team produces results.

VI. Meredith Belbin has identified the following types of team members or team players. Read them
and next fill in the gaps in the statements 1-8 given:

A the implementer converts the teams plan into something achievable;

B - the co-ordinator is a confident member who sets objectives and defines team members roles;
C the shaper defines issues, shapes ideas and leads the action;
D the plant is a creative and imaginative person who supplies original ideas and solves problems;
E the resource investigator communicates with the outside world and explores opportunities;
F the monitor evaluator sees all the possibilities, evaluates situations objectively, and sees what is
realistically achievable;
G the team worker builds the team, supports others and reduces conflict;
H the completer meets deadlines, corrects mistakes and makes sure nothing is forgotten.
1. Implementers are always .in final results.
2. Coordinators tend to .. a leading, organizing role.
3. Shapers tend to follow what other people say.
4. Plants can be useful in .. new ideas when the team has run out of steam.
5. Some resource investigators might love to take of opportunities.
6. Monitor evaluators are good at seeing all of a problem.
7. Team workers may help to . arguments between members.
8. Completers are good at . things on time.
VII. Study the typical stages of team life. Then read what members of a team working on a design
project say and think at what stage of their work it could happen:

forming: the group is anxious and feels dependent on a leader; the group tries to discover how it is
going to operate and what the normal ways of working will be;
storming: the atmosphere may be one of conflict between members, who may resist control from any
one person; there may be the feeling that the task cannot be achieved;
norming: at this stage, members of the group feel closer together and the conflicts are forgotten;
members of the group will start support each other; there is increasingly the feeling that it possible to
achieve the task;
performing: the group is carrying out the task for which it was formed; members feel safe enough to
express differences of opinion in relation to others;
mourning: the groups work is finished, and its members begin to have pleasant memories of their
activities and achievements.
6

We had such a great

time working
together
Were rally making
progress now and we
get on so well
together
Were beginning
to get to know
each other better

Well never finish

this.
Do you remember that
time we worked until 3
in the morning?

Im new here I dont

even know what we are
supposed to be doing?

9
Who does Jane think she
is, taking over and
behaving as if she is in
charge?

We need to appoint
a leader.

10

I know weve had

arguments, but can I
help you with this?

I can see what were

supposed to be doing
now.

VIII. You are one of the most senior members of the sales team. The team is not functioning very well
at the moment, and morale is low. The sales manager is concerned, and asked you to organize a
meeting with your team and discuss the problem, and then to present the findings.
Use the notes below and your ideas to prepare the presentation (2-3 minutes):
explain why you think the team is not functioning properly
put forward one or two ideas how the situation could be improved.
Problems
team members are competing with each other
too focused on personal achievement
no responsibility for mistakes

Solutions
clarify team goals
focus more on group results,
less on individual success

IX. Translate into English:

Cred ca veti fi de acord cand spun ca nimeni nu face team building DOAR pentru a creea un mediu armonios de lucru.
La urma urmei, o "gasca de prieteni" nu este mai eficienta decat o echipa bine consolidata. Scopul acestor programe
este de a INTEGRA talentul, abilitatile si creativitatea membrilor grupului. Se sconteaza, astfel, ca atingerea
obiectivelor comune ale echipei se va face prin interactiunea punctelor forte ale membrilor ei.

Aceasta nevoie a aparut si ca urmare a unor fenomene ce se manifesta pregnant in mediul de afaceri
contemporan:
1. Natura sarcinilor - activitatile companiilor nu se mai bazeaza pe sarcini simple, repetitive, unde indivizii
(si nu echipele) exceleaza. Pentru realitatile existente, echipele sunt proiectate astfel incat sa gestioneze
activitatile si procesele complexe, ce necesita generarea de solutii multiple, efort combinat, expertiza in
multiple domenii profesionale etc.;
2. Calitatea deciziilor - prin diversitatea personalitatilor membrilor ce o compun, o echipa poate genera mai
multe idei decat orice membru luat separat astfel incat decizia (alegerea uneia dintre solutiile optimale
identificate) se va lua dintr-un spectru mult mai larg de posibile solutii;
3. Asumarea riscurilor - nu cred ca exista dubii asupra faptului ca echipa genereaza o puternica stare de
siguranta in randul membrilor sai. Astfel, afinitatea fata de risc (calculat) ce caracterizeaza o echipa este mult
mai mare decat cea demonstrata de indivizi. Prin urmare, companiile, nevoite sa fructifice oportunitatile ce
apar pe piata, mizeaza pe comportament de echipa in detrimentul supra-responsabilizarii indivizilor;
4. Motivarea - n-am intalnit nici o firma care, macar la nivel declarativ, sa nu promoveze o politica de
"motivarea angajatilor". In acest sens, este bine stiut faptul ca un mediu socio-profesional armonios
reprezinta un factor motivational puternic pentru majoritatea oamenilor (fiinte sociale, de altfel). Asadar,
existenta echipei influenteaza intr-un mod pozitiv moralul indivizii ce-o compun, determinandu-i sa
performeze mai efficient.