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Working in Teams
Unit 6
Working in Teams
Unit objectives
When you have completed this unit you will be able to:
define and describe a team explain how to establish unity of direction in a team list the qualities of an effective team describe the four, basic team styles identify your own preferred team style encourage positive teamwork in your own team.
What is a team?
A team is a number of people who are working together in order to:
complete a shared task e.g. build a new ship or
increase company sales by 10% Teams can be small or large. Just two people, working together, can be a team. And hundreds of people can also be a team, providing they are all co-operating and helping one another to achieve the same result.
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For example:
the engineers, technicians, scientists, managers and
Key point
An effective team, whether small or large, consists of people who work together, co-operatively, to achieve the same end result. This end result is often referred to as:
an outcome a goal an objective.
These words all mean more or less the same. The activity that follows is designed to give you an opportunity to think about the teams to which you belong, and the common goal for each, which you share with your other team members. On the chart below note down up to four teams to which you belong (in your working life and your personal life), and the goal of each team. For example: 1. Project Team; Produce design for new brochure by 10 September 2001.
Personal activity
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2.
3.
4.
In the first part of this activity you listed the teams to which you belong and each teams goal. Now check with a colleague from the same team whether or not their understanding of the teams goal matches yours. Note the comparisons on the chart below.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
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There are, of course, no right or wrong answers to this activity because every team has its own goals and objectives. But the key question is this: For each team, does your goal match with your colleagues goal? For example, do you both think that, for team A, you are working as part of a team that intends to, say, Maximise sales and provide outstanding customer service. Or does one of you, for example, think that the teams goal is to Maximise sales, while the other person thinks that the teams goal is to, say, Provide outstanding customer service? If a team any team is going to be successful in achieving its objective, then everyone in the team must have the same understanding as to what that objective is.
Activity feedback
Key point
Establishing unity of direction is a key task for every manager. Quite simply, this means that everyone in the teams needs to know the answers to the following questions.
What does the team need to achieve, and by when? What are they, as individuals, supposed to be doing? How are they, as individuals, supposed to be doing it? How will their individual contribution help the team,
The only way to establish unity of direction to make sure everyone in the team is pulling together towards the same goal is to give your team the answers to the questions above.
Key point
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Case study
The King Motor Racing Team was competing in the Formula 4 Grand Prix. Someone called in their driver when he was leading. Nobody knew who. Nobody knew why. The driver came in, but no one was prepared. One guy went and fetched some tyres, but the guy with the jack was not there. Another guy tried to start fuel filling. Yet another asked the driver what his problem was. He didnt know. Eventually they discovered that he shouldnt have come in anyway. There had been a misunderstanding. The team lost the race.
Checklist
and do it
work together co-operatively and harmoniously in
play
understand that everyone in the team is equally
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there is often a tense, unfriendly atmosphere deadlines and targets are frequently missed just one or two people seem to find themselves doing
doing
no one really wants to be part of the team.
On the other hand, being part of an effective team can be an exciting, enjoyable and highly motivating experience.
Imagine that you are a member of an effective team a team where everyone works together to achieve the same outcome, a team that enjoys working together. List three key things which, in your opinion, the people in the team would do, for example: help one another if difficulties arise. 1.
Personal activity
2.
3.
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Activity feedback
Sharing responsibility
People in effective teams share responsibility equally, especially when things go wrong. They dont say Thats not my problem, or Thats not my job, or I dont see why I should do it; I did it last time. Effective teams pull together. People take equal responsibility for the successes as well as the failures, and take on extra tasks and obligations just because those tasks and obligations are there and someone in the team has to take responsibility for making sure they are done.
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Communicating
In an effective team, people communicate. They talk openly to one another. They share ideas and information. They make helpful suggestions. They listen to, and try to learn from, each others experiences. They discuss problems and ask for advice. They tell each other what is going on inside and outside the team, and they do not withhold information from one another.
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the office
preferences about the kinds of food they choose to eat beliefs about the dangers of smoking cigarettes.
In addition, people have different personalities. There are shy people, outgoing people, people who like a challenge, people who prefer familiar situations, people who like to take risks, people who like noise and company, people who prefer peace and quiet and so on. Research has shown that, in a team situation, people will adopt different styles of behaviour, depending on their views, attitudes, preferences, beliefs and personalities. A persons styles of behaviour are the ways in which they will react or respond to work-related situations.
Key point
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extrovert (outgoing)
either sensing (absorbing information in a literal,
concrete way, e.g. tasting food, noticing changes in the weather) or intuitive (generating information from abstract possibilities, e.g. working out a new way to do something)
either thinking (making a decision because it is the
right thing to do, or because it is the logical thing to do) or feeling (making a decision because it feels right or because we know the decision will please someone we care about).
judging (planning ahead and working to a schedule)
or perceiving (acting spontaneously or making a decision at the very last minute). The topic of personality types is very wide-ranging and beyond the scope of this workbook. Even so, as a manager, it really is important that you have a grasp of how different personality types operate and interact at work.
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Team styles
In the book Leadership Skills for Women Marilyn Manning and Patrician Haddock have identified that, broadly speaking, when working in a team, people (both men and women) will tend to adopt one of four different styles of behaviour. These are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Traditional style Analytical style Dominating style Charismatic style
likely to form good, close relationships with other team members. They are likely to prefer to spend coffee and lunch breaks with other team members, and may arrange out-of-work, leisure activities for the team.
Because the team is so important to these people, they
expect team loyalty from other team members. Consequently, they can get very upset if other team members do not take the team seriously.
They like an easy-going, relaxed atmosphere and find
their own routines and established systems and operating procedures. They like to know where they stand and what they are supposed to be doing. They are not risk-takers, and they really dislike change.
They tend to be predictable and often patient,
preferring a secure, familiar situation. They are willing to take instructions and are usually very loyal to their organisation.
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Checklist
atmosphere.
things right for themselves, their team and their organisation. They tend to worry if things appear to be going wrong.
They are thoughtful and tend to prefer not to offer
opinions about anything until they have had time to think things through.
They have very high standards, both for themselves
and for the team, and doing a good job is very important to them.
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analyse a situation, look at it from all angles and consider all the pros and cons before they commit themselves to a course of action.
Checklist
thrive on challenge and change. They are constantly looking for new experiences, new ideas and new ways of doing things.
Because they have confidence in their own abilities,
they prefer to do things their own way, and they dislike being controlled or told what to do. They need
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risk-takers, they like to get on with the job, and often feel that any decision is better than no decision at all.
Prestige and position are often important for these
people and they tend to measure themselves and others in terms of what has been achieved. Dominating style team members are:
confident determined impatient able to see the big picture and unworried about details open to new ideas and ways of doing things.
Checklist
very important and, sometimes, work friendships are more important than the work itself.
Enthusiastic and optimistic, these people will go out of
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atmosphere, and they will do whatever they can to support other team members in times of difficulty.
They can be impulsive, and may often act without
and convince just about everyone they come into contact with. They love to network and enjoy persuading others to see things their way.
Checklist
unpopular decisions
keen to face up to unpleasant facts.
The next activity will give you an opportunity to think about your preferred team style, and the team style most often adopted by the people you work with.
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1.
How would you classify yourself? Do you think you are a traditional, analytical, dominating or charismatic style team member? Which of these styles most nearly fits your behaviour when you are working as part of a team? Tick one box only. Traditional Dominating
Team activity
q q
Analytical Charismatic
q q
2.
Now think about the teams to which you belong at work. (You may find it helpful to refer back to the activity on page 6.3.) Choose either:
the team which you lead, or the team which you consider to be your main or most
important work team. Complete the chart below by inserting the names of your team members and ticking the box alongside the team style they most usually adopt.
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My own preferred team style Name: Name: Name: Name: Name: Name: Name: Name: Name:
Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional Traditional
q q q q q q q q q q
Analytical Analytical Analytical Analytical Analytical Analytical Analytical Analytical Analytical Analytical
q q q q q q q q q q
Dominating Dominating Dominating Dominating Dominating Dominating Dominating Dominating Dominating Dominating
q q q q q q q q q q
Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic Charismatic
q q q q q q q q q q
Activity feedback
The mix of styles will vary from team to team and will, of course, affect the way in which the team functions and operates. For example, if a team consists of, say, five traditional style team members and one dominating style member, there could be problems because the traditional people want a steady, predictable work routine, whereas the dominating style person wants challenge, change and excitement. For a manager, it is important to recognise:
the different styles people adopt in a team the fact that, in most teams, the mix of styles will
not always be balanced, and may not always be what suits your style best.
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Key question
beliefs which people hold, is it any wonder that some teams are unable to function effectively, or even that some teams fall apart because of differences and disagreements?
Roles
Researchers such as Dr Meredith Belbin have identified that, within a team, each individual will tend to take on the role and responsibilities of one of the following:
Co-ordinator. Co-ordinators help to keep the team
focused on the task in hand; and make sure that everyone is involved in the work.
Plant. Plants are creative ideas people who work
take an objective view of the task in hand, and are particularly good at analysing and evaluating data.
Implementer. Implementers enjoy turning ideas
into action and making sure that tasks are finished properly, on time, and within the budget.
Shaper. Shapers will drive themselves and
everyone else hard to make sure that ideas and concepts are turned into practical reality.
Resource investigator. Resource investigators are
great at communicating and networking and making sure the team has the resources it needs to do the best possible job.
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of the details and make sure that everything is done in the right way, and to the highest possible standards.
Team worker. Team workers make sure that
everyone on the team feels supported, and they work hard to ensure high morale and good team spirit.
Personal activity
List four practical things that you, as a manager and team leader, can do to ensure positive teamwork on your team. 1. 2. 3. 4.
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There are a number of practical things you can do to encourage positive teamwork. These include:
Making sure that everyone in the team knows what the
Activity feedback
teams goals are. People cant be expected to achieve something unless they know precisely what it is they have to work towards.
Letting people know how the team is doing, and how
People also need to know that you, as manager and team leader, are happy with their performance and think that they are doing well. (Constructive feedback is a great motivator.)
Accepting responsibility for the team and supporting
the team, even when things go wrong. Your team needs to know that they can rely on you not to let them down if the going gets tough. If team members know that you support them even when they make mistakes or get things wrong then, in turn, they will support one another.
Leading from the front and encouraging the team by
example. Team members will follow your lead. If you are constructive, enthusiastic, hard-working, motivated and cheerful, then they will be the same. If you arrive late and leave early, constantly find fault and criticise, complain about your organisation, then the team are likely to do the same.
Communicating openly and honestly with the team and
sharing information equally. One of the most destructive things any team leader can do is to give information to some team members, and not to others. If this happens, the people with the information feel on the team and in the know, whereas the people without the information feel off the team and left out.
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help you and your team to avoid difficulties and problems. The team looks to you for leadership and they expect you to think about what might happen, and what you will do if it does.
Being consistent and fair with everyone in the
team, and treating everyone equally. This means not having favourites. It means being prepared to spend time with certain people in the team with whom you have little in common. It also means not having private jokes with some people and not with others, and not allowing some people, but not everyone, additional expenses or other favours.
Keeping calm in a crisis. It is your responsibility, as
team leader, to maintain a calm exterior, as this will encourage your team to feel that they can rely on you in even the most difficult of situations.
Checklist
appreciation
say Thank you ask for suggestions support team members who are experiencing
and integrity.
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and professional presentations to groups of people, but are not too good at generating creative ideas
are diplomatic and discreet when handling
confidential information or sensitive issues, but have difficulty analysing problems or making decisions. Understanding your team members individual strengths and weakness will help you to:
allocate the right tasks to the right people ensure that people have the opportunity to work to
Key point
will be engaged in the kinds of work they enjoy most and do best.
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experience in order to complete a shared task. Teams operate in all areas of life and include:
sports teams who play to win a game sales teams legal teams manufacturing teams medical teams design teams emergency services teams, e.g. fire and ambulance service provision teams, e.g. hairdressing, catering,
transport etc.
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and information; listens to the others on the team; feels able to make suggestions; discusses problems and asks other team members for advice
trusts, respects and supports the other people on the team.
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TRADITIONAL STYLE These people prefer: convention These people resist: change
accuracy attention to detail precision getting things right rather than doing things
quickly
analysing the details studying the big picture slow decision making caution
a wide circle of social contacts networking outside their own organisation good working relationships, no matter what
the cost
making tough decisions accepting things as they really are rather than
as they would like them to be
People also tend to adopt particular roles when working as a member of a team. They may be:
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co-ordinators shapers plants resource investigators monitor-evaluators completer-finishers implementers team workers.
team
accepting responsibility for the team setting a good example and keeping calm in a crisis anticipating problems and planning ahead keeping the team informed about progress the
everyone equally.
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