Teams and teamwork

Manuel E. Contreras

KNL/SDIMarch 2009

This presentation does not represent the official position of the Inter-American Development Bank or its member countries. It was developed for training purposes only. The author gratefully acknowledges the comments of Christel Steinvorth and Gabrielle Vetter to a previous version. The usual caveats apply.

Contents

• What are we speaking about?

• What is a team?

• Four lenses:– Skills, accountability and commitment– Characteristics of high performance teams– Team performance model– Five dysfunctions of a team

• Where is your team?

Is it an organizational unit, a work group or a team?

VPS

KNM SCL INE

Division A Division B

© endostock – Fotolia.com

Seemingly effortless and yet powerfully compelling …Seemingly effortless and yet powerfully compelling …

© Steven Pepple - Fotolia.com

1. A small number of people

2. With complementary skills

3. Who share a common

purpose and goals

4. A commitment with a

common vision of progress.

5. And mutual responsibility

What is a Team?What is a Team?

Source: Katzenbach & Smith, 1993

Team building is not about getting everyone Team building is not about getting everyone to see things the same way. to see things the same way.

An effective team leverages each team An effective team leverages each team member’s member’s unique wayunique way of of seeing, thinking seeing, thinking and actingand acting in order to illuminate all in order to illuminate all possibilities, minimize risk and produce possibilities, minimize risk and produce effective resultseffective results..

Source: Katzenbach & Smith, 1993

Focusing on Team BasicsFocusing on Team Basics

Performance Results

Skills

Skills

Accountability

Accountability

CommitmentCommitmentCollective Work Products

PersonalGrowth

* Problem solving

* Technical/functional

* Interpersonal

* Mutual

* Small number of people

* Individual

* Specific goals

* Common approach

* Meaningful purpose

Source: Katzenbach & Smith, 1993

Ten characteristics of a high performance team

Clear Goals

Defined Roles

Open and Clear Communications

Effective Decision Making

Balanced Participation

Valued Diversity

Managed Conflict

Positive Atmosphere

Cooperative Relationships

Participative Leadership

Source: Biech (2008)

© 1991-2004 Allan Drexler and David Sibbet

Inattentionto

RESULTS

Avoidance of

ACCOUNTABILITY

Lack of

COMMITMENT

Fear of

CONFLICT

Absence of

TRUST

Source: Lencioni, 2005

The five dysfunctions of a team

And what about cross-functional teams?

• What happens in a matrix structure?

• Do these conceptual frameworks or lenses apply?

• If so, how?

Working with allies, Working with allies, enemies and other enemies and other strangersstrangers

Issues in cross-functional teams

• Empowerment through a greater need to clarify team’s authority

• Team leadership with greater process skills

• Boundary management: flow of info to and from all stakeholders (vertical and horizontal)

Questions to evaluate team Questions to evaluate team behaviorbehavior

1. Was there a “compelling” shared sense of direction?

2. Was the team task clear? 3. Were roles and responsibilities clearly

defined?4. Was there trust among the team

members?5. Was conflict acknowledged and managed?6. Did learning take place?

So, where is your team?

Four lenses: Skills, accountability, commitment Areas for improvement (building blocks) Stage of development Dysfunctions

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Bibliography

Biech, E. (ed). The Pfeiffer Book of Successful Team-Building Tools. 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA, Pfeiffer, 2008.

Hackman, R. J. Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performance. Cambridge, MA. Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

Katzenbach, J.R. and Smith, D.K. The wisdom of teams. New York, Harper Business, 1993.

Lencioni, P. Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a Team. San Francisco, CA., Jossey Bass, 2005.

Parker, G.M. Cross-functional Teams: Working with Allies, Enemies, and Other Strangers, John Wiley and Sons, 2002

Web Resources

Effective Team Model

Leading a Team of Strangers