1

Teaming Skills for SuccessTeaming Skills for Success

Donald Heer10/14/09

Adapted from Terri Fiez, Director, School of EECS

2

Outline

Why Teams?

Life Cycles of Teams

3

Why Teams?

4

Teams Can Outperform Individuals

Complex tasks

Creativity needed

Path forward unclear

More efficient use of resources needed

Fast learning required

Task/process cross functional

5

Learning from the Geese Analogy

When each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

6

Goose Falls Out of Formation

When goose falls out to seek more favorable conditions rest of flock leaves space open as encouragement.If a more favorable conditions are found, flock reforms around the “loner”.If not, the flock slows its pace to allow the “loner” back into position.

7

“Loner” Stays Out

No effort is made to return, flock closes ranks.

Loner either tires from drag/resistance and tag onto end of “V” or will be lost to flock.

8

Goose Rotation

When a goose gets tired, it rotates back in the flock and another goose takes over the point.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those in front to keep up their speed.

Honk, honk

9

Sick/Wounded Goose

Two other geese fall out to follow and protect sick/wounded goose.

Stay with goose until recovers or can not longer continue.

Then launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their flock.

10

Life-Cycles of TeamsFour Stages Teams go throughEach stage (and how it is managed)

impacts the team’s effectiveness

Forming Storming

Performing Norming

11

Time Life-CycleStage Characteristics

(Relationship Issues)

Task Leadership Style

Forming Testing, Dependence,

Accommodating

Orientation Directive; Expert

Storming Intra-team conflict, competing, differentiating

Organization Selling, Encouraging; coach

Norming Development of team cohesion; mutuality

Reconciliation

Acceptance

Cohesion

Supportive facilitator (work with “we”)

Performing Functional role, relatedness, collaborating

Synergistic, Problem solving

Delegation

Consultant

12

Team Life-Cycle: Forming

Anxious, excited, fearful, anticipation

Who are the others?

What’s going to happen?

Will I have an influence?

Will I be accepted?

How will we function?

Polite communications

Leader-dependence

Conformance

Attempts to determine how to deal with group problems

Attempts to define the task and potential solutions

Attempts to determine acceptable group behavior

Feelings Behaviors

“Members of a team want to know that they have a chance of being successful,And that someone has a plan and enough information to get them off to a goodStart toward that success.”

13

Leadership Response to Forming

Leadership Strategy: Get team Oriented Stress personal

responsibility for contributing interdependently

Stress assisting others & effective relationships

Positive confrontation Build trust and role clarity Provide structure, specificity

& next steps

Suggested TacticsInitiate introductionClarify task/goals & product or servicesDefine general operating proceduresMake assignmentsState & give examples of your expectationsSet expectations that integrate with the work, NOT add to itReward conformityOrganize the groupSolicit questions & give as much information as necessary to get everyone oriented

14

Team Life-Cycle: Storming

Why should I conform?I don’t want to take personal responsibilityI’d rather just keep doing the things I’m confortable doing…Status quoResistance to changeSelf-centeredness & self-interest

Arguing, positioningCounterdependence & independenceChallenge authority of leadershipCriticizingComparingComplainingCompetingStyle differences clash, especially on the diagonalAttempt to differentiate from the group & create autonomyDefensiveness

Feelings Behaviors

15

Leadership Response to Storming Stage

Leadership Strategy: organize, coach, & encourage Accept storming behaviors

as natural Help members establish

their autonomy & individualism

Coach in problem solving & conflict resolution that uses team goals as the denominator

Strive to get team members to commit to each others success

Suggested TacticsSolicit issuesConfront individual & team issuesListen, reason & negotiate (win-

win)Use a consistent model for

problem solvingUse goals as the basis for

solutionsEnsure operating structure &

principles are understoodGive members encouragement

one-to-one or privatelyClarify roles & contributions of

respective membersCoach & model desired approach

to problem solving & collaboration

16

Team Life-cycle: Norming

Sustained optimismSense of common purposeSense of achievement

Conflict avoidanceLeader-dependence change to member-dependenceProcedures imposed internallyMutually establishedAcceptance of team membershipConstructive criticismPeacekeepingCollaborationOwnership of taskNorms & principles are adhered to & monitored

Feelings Behaviors

“Once they’ve got their issues addressed and their roles clear, they needOpportunities to go to work—collaboratively—and have a few successes.”

17

Leadership Response to NormingLeadership Strategy: facilitate the work & continue building Create & facilitate team

efforts where appropriate Move toward greater

participation & team operation of the work

Foster & reward collaboration

Strengthen relationships

Suggested Tactics:Create opportunities for collaboration & successReward collaborationAcknowledge in private the growth & efforts of individualsSolicit ideas from the teamShare decision making as appropriateCreate opportunities for dialogueKeep activities in the context of the workEmploy mehtodologies that safely force participation & contributionPull team into participation in assessing the team’s effectiveness & making improvements

18

Team Life-Cycle: Performing

Feelings Personal commitment to

each other High trust, regard, &

respect Ownership of goals &

role Synergy, pride &

gratitude

Behaviors Support & assistance to

each other High dependability Heightened productivity Excellent role execution Effective management of

controversy & conflict Balanced task &

relationship concerns“…Then, get out of the way. An effective targeted team doesn’tNeed a leader meddling in the work; they need a leader who is out aheadOf them removing barriers, garnering support, touting theirAchievements, and verifying the strategic direction.”

19

Leadership Response to Performing Stage

Leadership Strategy: Provide organization air-cover & be a consultant to the team Hand-off more of the

ownership & operations to the team

Maintain effectiveness & productivity of the team

Provide organization “air-cover”

Act as consultant on major issues

Promote the team’s capabilities & achievements

Suggested Tactics Delegation Create opportunities for team

to dialogue Share leadership Effective use of team

members’ compensating strengths & expertise to your own

Eliminate impending barriers for the team

Obtain support & resource for the team

Publicize team’s accomplishments

Periodic reality checks of strategic directions/efforts

20

Exercise

Get into teamDiscuss what stage your group is in for

team formationDiscuss issues that prevent you from

moving on to the next stage