Leadership Mastery Series –Group Dynamics Workshop

Course Objectives

Reviewing the stages of team developmentUnderstanding the skills required in the stages of team developmentUnderstanding the 5 dysfunctions of a team The role of the leader within team developmentView & work through the Group Development Model The Importance of focusing on task & process behavioursEvaluate how your team is currently functioningTake away action & implementation plans

Stages of Team Development

Characteristics:

Testing expectations of behaviourSuspicion, fear & anxiety about the futureMinimal work accomplishmentAttempts to define tasks of the team

Forming – Coming Together

Stages of Team Development

Characteristics:

In-fighting, defensiveness & competition Domination by one or several team members Tension & jealousy – struggle for power & control Minimal work accomplishment

Storming – Diving in at the Deep End

Stages of Team Development

Characteristics: Sharing personal problems & discussing team dynamics New ability to constructively express emotions Establishment & maintenance of team boundaries Agreements & norms Feelings of mutual trust, respect, harmony Moderate work accomplishment

Norming – “Establishing Ground Rules”

Stages of Team Development

Characteristics:

Clear mission, vision, goals & performance expectations Capable of diagnosing & solving problems Members experience insight into personal & interpersonal processes High work accomplishment

Performing – High Input from Team

Stages of Team Development

Adjourning – Letting Go & Mourning

Team ends, either naturally or on an enforced basis

Members ‘mourn’ the loss of identity/relationships beforestarting a new team

Leader awareness that team will go through all stages again so new members can feel included

Stages of Team Development

Strategies to Move Teams Forward

Set up expectations & team attitudes earlyHow do you & team members respond to critical events?Establish code of ethics/code of conductBuild trust relationshipsDevelop positive attitude towards each other--RESPECT

Key Skills Required in Each Stageof Team Development

FORMING:Vision/DirectionValue Alignment

STORMING:Role Clarity

NORMING:Setting

Ground RulesPerformance System

PERFORMING:Continuous Learning

Boundary Management

DISCUSSION GROUP

The 4 Stages of Team Development

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model

Avoidance of Responsibility

Lack of Communication

Inattention to Results

Fear of Conflict

Absence of Trust

Stems from unwillingness to be vulnerable within the group

Team members not genuinely open with others about their mistakes/weaknesses make it impossible to build

a foundation for trust

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model:#1 Absence of Trust

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model:#2 Fear of Conflict

Teams lacking trust are incapable of engaging in unfiltered & passionate debate of ideas

Instead, they resort to veiled discussions/guarded comments

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model:#3 Lack of Commitment

Without having aired their opinions in the course of

passionate & open debate, team members rarely buy in

& commit to decisions, though they may setup

agreement during meetings

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model:#4 Lack of Accountability

Even the most focused & driven people often hesitate

to call their peers on actions/behaviours that seem

counterproductive to the good of the team

5 Dysfunctions of a Team Model:#5 Lack of Accountability

Team members put their individual needs (ego, career

development, recognition) above the collective goals

of the team

Conceal their weaknesses & mistakesHesitate to ask for help or provide constructive feedbackHesitate to offer help outside their own areas of responsibilityJump to conclusions about intentions/ aptitudes of others Fail to recognise & tap into others’ skills/experiencesWaste time & energy managing behaviours Hold grudgesDread meetings & find reasons to avoid spending time together

Members of Teams with an Absence of Trust

Members of Trusting Teams

Admit weaknesses & mistakesAsk for helpAccept questions & inputGive benefit of the doubt before arriving at a negative conclusionTake risks in offering feedback & assistanceAppreciate & tap into others’ skills/experiencesFocus time & energy on important issuesOffer & accept apologies without hesitationLook forward to meetings & other opportunities to work as a group

Teams That Fear Conflict

Have boring meetingsCreate environments where politics & personal attacks thriveIgnore controversial topics that are critical to team successFail to tap into opinions and perspectives of othersWaste time & energy with posturing & interpersonal risk management

Have lively, interesting meetings

Extract & exploit ideas of all team members

Teams That Engage in Conflict

Solve real problems quickly

Minimise politics

Put critical topics on the discussion table

Teams that Failto CommitCreate ambiguity among the team about direction & prioritiesWatch windows of opportunity close due to excessive analysis/delayBreed lack of confidence & fear of failureRevisit discussion & decisions Encourage second guessing among team members

Teams that Commit

Create clarity around direction and prioritiesAlign entire team around common objectivesDevelop ability to learn from mistakesTake advantage of opportunitiesMove forwardChange direction

Teams that AvoidAccountability

Create resentment among team members who have different standards of performanceEncourage mediocrityMiss deadlines & key deliverablesPlace undue burden on team leader as sole source of discipline

Ensure poor performers feel pressure to improveIdentify potential problems quickly by questioning one another’s approachesEstablish respect among team members who are held to same high standardsAvoid excessive bureaucracy around performance management & corrective action

Teams that Hold EachOther Accountable

Stagnate/fail to growRarely defeat competitorsLose achievement-oriented employeesEncourage team members to focus on own careers & individual goalsAre easily distracted

Teams that Are NotFocused on Results

Teams that Focuson Collective Results

Retain achievement-oriented employeesEnjoy success & suffer failure acutelyBenefit from individuals who suppress own goals/interests for good of the teamAvoid distractions

Effective Teams Need to Focuson Tasks & Process Behaviours

GROUP DEVELOPMENT MATRIX

Interdependence

Cohesion

Conflict

Dependency

PROCESS

BEHAVIOURS

Stage 1

ImmatureGroup

Stage 2Frac-

tionated Group

Stage 3

SharingGroup

Stage 4

EffectiveTeam

Group Synergy

Orientation

TASK

BEHAVIOURSOrganization Open Data

FlowProblemSolving

Orientation:

Learn tasks & how to perform their roleWhat are the organisation’s standards, systems & criteria?Group expectationsFollowing direction from their leaderThe group’s need to work togetherTheir KPI’s, performance plans & reviews

Task Behaviours

Organisation:

Task Behaviours

Make choices about how it will organise the workMembers make agreements on their meeting proceduresEffective decision-making procedures put in placeConflict management processes put in placeMay have leadership concerns

Open Data Flow:

Task Behaviours

Freely share information by all team membersFreely open up with each otherShare facts, feelings, opinions, intuition or whatever data they haveFreely volunteer information & respond openly to requestsArchive optimal task functions

Problem Solving:

Task Behaviours

Remove barriers by exchanging information & data

Decision making & goal attainment carried out, ensuring efficient & effective procedures utilised

Stage 1: Immature Group

Process Behaviours

Looking at leadership & directionLearning & meeting organisation’s expectationsExpect low productivity & much leader connectivenessPositive expectations but concerns about tasks/each other

Stage 2: Fractured Group

Process Behaviours

Struggle for leadershipIncomplete communicationArgumentsTaking things personallyExperiencing discrepancy between initial hopes/expectations & realityDissatisfied with being dependent on leaderMembers seem confused, may express concern about competenceDip in morale

Open and honest communicationCohesionOpen exchange of feelings, facts, etc. Shares information/ideas, but neither effective nor efficientCreates comfortable environmentMutual trust & respectEnjoy working on tasks togetherIncreased self-esteem (in their competence)

Process BehavioursStage 3: Sharing Group

Process BehavioursStage 4: Effective Team

Problem solversInterdependenceHigh productivityConsistent high level of performanceConfident about achieving accomplishmentsProvide support to all membersFocused on achieving goalsStrong feeling of pride & carries out tasks with increasing effectiveness/efficiency

HANDOUT:HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR TEAM?

The Role of the Leader:Absence of Trust

Demonstrate own vulnerability firstMay lose face in front of the team--subordinates take same risk

Create an environment that does not punish vulnerabilityMust be genuine

The Role of the Leader:Fear of Conflict

Demonstrate restraint when team engages in conflictAllow resolution to occur naturally

Personally model appropriate conflict behaviour

The Role of the Leader:Lack of Commitment

Must be comfortable with the prospect of making a decision that may turn out wrong

Constantly push for closure around issues/adherence to schedules set by team

The Role of the Leader:Lack of Accountability

Must be willing to serve as the ultimate arbiter of discipline when team itself fails

Make it clear to all that accountability has NOT been relegated to a consensus approach, but to be a shared team responsibility

Must not hesitate to step in when necessary

HANDOUT:ACTION PLAN

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