Dr. Robert Konopaske

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Texas State University Leadership
InstituteBuilding Effective Teams

• Dr. Robert Konopaske
• Management Department
• February 12, 2011

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Get ready for teamwork!

• Teams can make magic!
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vTzNACAG74QA
• U.S. organizations use teams for a variety of
  reasons
• 80 of companies with more than 100 employees use
  teams
• 90 of all U.S. employees work part of their day
  in a team
• Chances areyoull be a member of one (or more)
  teams at your work!

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Advantages of teams

• Improved customer satisfaction
• Improved product service quality
• Increased speed efficiency
• Higher job satisfaction
• Better decision making
• More creative problem solving

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Disadvantages of teams

• Initially high employee turnover
• Social loafing
• Lowered quality of group decision making
• Groupthink
• Inefficient meetings
• Domination by a few members
• Lack of accountability

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Why people withhold effort in teams

1. The presence of someone with expertise
2. The presentation of a compelling argument
3. Lacking confidence in ones ability to contribute
4. An unimportant or meaningless decision
5. A dysfunctional decision-making climate
6. Again, social loafing can be an issue

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When to use teams (or not)!
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Continuum of autonomy in work groups
Self- designing Teams
Self- managing Teams
Semi- autonomous Work Groups
Employee Involvement Groups
Traditional Work Groups
Autonomy
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Self-designing Teams

• Same as self-managing teams except
• Control and change design of team
• Control resources for task accomplishment
• Impose discipline on team members
• Hire and fire
• Divide rewards
• Decide on penalties (ex tardiness)
• Can change task of team

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Special type of team Virtual

• Geographically and/or organizationally dispersed
  coworker who use telecommunication IT to
  accomplish an organizational task
• Tips for creating successful virtual teams
• Select self-starters and strong communicators
• Keep the team focused on clear, specific goals
• Provide frequent feedback
• Periodically bring team members together use
  team building
• Improve communications ask team members for
  feedback on how well team is working

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Work team characteristics
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Team norms

• Informally agreed-on standards that regulate team
  behavior
• Powerful influence on work behavior
• Regulate the everyday behaviors of teams
• e.g., soldiering

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Team cohesiveness

• The extent to which members are attracted to the
  team and motivated to remain in it
• Cohesive teams
• retain their members
• promote cooperation
• have high levels of performance
• Promote team cohesiveness by
• Make sure all team members are present at team
  meetings
• Create additional opportunities for teammates to
  work together
• Engage in nonwork activities as a team
• Make employees feel that they are part of a
  special organization

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Team size performance A U-shaped relationship
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Team conflict

• C-type Conflict
• cognitive conflict
• focuses on problems and issues
• associated with improvements in team performance
• A-type Conflict
• affective conflict
• emotional, personal disagreements
• associated with decreases in team performance
• Both types often occur simultaneously

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Team Development Stages

• Forming 1st stage of team development get to
  know other members set ground rules
• Storming 2nd stage conflict over what should
  be done how to do it team leader nudges group
  toward team goals
• Team will be ineffective if it gets stuck here
• Norming 3rd stage informal rules members get
  used to roles group cohesion grows
• Performing 4th stage performance high b/c team
  has matured its fully functioning now

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Types of team training
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Causes of Unproductive Teams

• Power struggles
• Individual behavior
• Unequal Workload
• Lack of top management support
• Poor leadership
• Lack of focus
• Capability issues
• Groupthink
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vqYpbStMyz_I

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Team Compensation Recognition