Group and Team DynamicsChapter Overview Group and Team Dynamics Building Mutual Respect3. Establishing a Common Vision Lesson Overview How can you work as a team? What are characteristics of effective teams? What are the four stages of team development? How can you run an effective meeting?Quick WriteThink of a time when youve been a member of a team or group. What were the groups goals? Write down the steps the team or group went through to accomplish its goals. Were there any conflicts among group members? What obstacles did the group need to overcome to be effective?Working as a Team You might know of a sports team that has no stars, but that team wins game after game. Why? One reason is that the players and coaches work together harmoniously They put the team firstGraphic courtesy of Clipart.comWorking as a Team What exactly is a team? Its a collection of individuals who are identified by others and by themselves as a group and who work together to accomplish a common goal Each members conduct affects the actions of all the other team members Team Dynamics Team dynamics, or interactions, are complex because each member must direct his or her unique talents toward achieving a shared goal A teams leader or coach has a major influence on team dynamics One of the team leaders most important tasks is preventing distractions from interfering with the teams work Effective TeamsEvery successful team or group has five common characteristics: Goals Rules Roles Communication ParticipationPhoto courtesy of Clipart.comGoals A goal is a teams target or objective It gives team members a sense of purpose or focus When you know your target, you have a much better chance of hitting it The goal should be specific and measurable Rules Teams frequently rely on structure and rules A rule is a guideline for membership, conduct, or performance In some cases, a group makes its own rules In other cases, the group must follow external rules that govern it and other competing teams Roles One of the advantages of teamwork is specializationteam members have different roles A role is the specific job or task assigned to a team member Roles can shift; they need not be permanent But at any given time, each team member must know what his or her role is Communication Good communication is critical to effective team performance Communication should be objective, honest, and focused on the team goal, rather than on personal mattersCommunication Team leaders have particularly important roles in communication Good leaders know the value of positive feedback But a good leader also knows how to offer constructive criticism in a way that encourages performance improvement Participation Team members typically focus on performance and collective improvement To do this, members need to be interactive Participation is balanced Each members actions complement, or round out, those of the other members Members build on each others strengths and make up for any weaknessesEffective Teams Work together to reach team goals Execute tasks thoroughly Meet or exceed the standard Thrive on challenges Learn from experiences Take pride in individual and shared accomplishments Strive for continued improvement Stages of Team Development It takes work to mold a good teamit doesnt just happen naturally Conflict and resistance are natural during the early phases of a teams development Strong leadership at each stage can help minimize conflict and reduce resistance Trust and commitment are also important to a teams developmentStages of Team Development Four stages, according to Tuckmans model: ormingormingtormingtormingormingormingerformingerformingGraphics courtesy of Clipart.comForming Stage The period when team members meet and begin to create relationships among themselves and with their leader At this stage, team members defer decisions to their leader Photo courtesy of Clipart.comForming Stage Members have limited commitment to the team Members are concerned about whats going to happen in the future They have not yet developed a high degree of trust They focus on the task at hand rather than on long-term goals or results Storming Stage A period during which personalities begin to clash as members try to overcome their natural tendency to focus on their own needs During this phase, communication may be unproductive, or even damaging Storming Stage Some members may be unwilling to accept group rules or norms Some may confront each other or the leader They are still unwilling to fully trust one another Photo courtesy of Clipart.comNorming Stage The team begins to work together as a whole As a result of their leaders patience, guidance, and role modeling, team members begin to see the advantages of teamwork Trust grows as members share more and more experiences, tra