Navigating Team Dynamics

Professor Lisa Stefanac

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Lisa Stefanac
• Clinical Associate Professor of Leadership

• Booth Alum ‘09

• Teaching Interpersonal Dynamics

• 20 years experience in leadership and team

effectiveness consulting, advising and coaching

• Working with VC-backed start-ups and Fortune

50 companies across myriad industries

• Expert in Team Dynamics

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Connecting in / Getting settled
§ Turn off notifications during this learning hour together
§ Be open and ready to dig in
§ Consider having nearby a place to take notes to capture what you are learning

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Introduction to
Team Effectiveness

4
Five Drivers of Team Effectiveness

Team Assembly

Key Factors

Team Alignment Meeting Processes

Team Dynamics
Key Factors

We are agile and respond to change well. There is a high degree of trust and
psychological safety on this team.

We make good decisions.

We are a high-performing team.

Team Assembly E
O

Our team is the right size and The purpose of the team is clear.
consists of the right roles.

Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. Our team is diverse.

Team Alignment E
O

We show commitment to
decisions made. The work this team should do or not
do is clear.

We put the team first above

individual agendas.

We are unified around a clear and compelling vision.

Meeting Processes E
O

We have an effective
decision-making process.
We use pre-read materials for
important topics.

We meet often enough to do the

work of this team.

We effectively track action items and decisions made.

Team Dynamics E
O

It is easy to express contrary We reflect upon and learn from our

views in meetings. mistakes.

Everyone engages enough in We take risks and are vulnerable

conversations, and no one is sidelined. with each other.
Five Drivers of Team Effectiveness

Team Assembly

Key Factors

Team Alignment Meeting Processes

Team Dynamics
Agenda and Logistics

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Our schedule / agenda

§ Session One (1 February) – Introduction to Team Effectiveness

§ Session Two (8 February) – ROLES We Play

§ Session Three (15 February) – LANGUAGES We Speak

§ Session Four (22 February) – SYSTEMS We Operate In

§ Session Five (1 March) – Raising the Stakes

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The Goals of Navigating Team Dynamics
§ Build self-awareness and improve your
collaboration and influence
§ Deepen your ability to recognize and
create the characteristics of effective
teams
§ Teach and empower you and your team to
get out of unproductive team dynamics
§ Have fun!

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Our methodology
§ Didactic teach pieces
§ Group exercises
§ Debriefs
§ “Homework” Assignments (for certification)
§ Real world practice
§ Q&A

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Who is in the room and why?

What is one thing you are hoping to get out

of this minicourse on Team Dynamics?

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Introduction to
Team Dynamics

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01
01
 Roles are the four basic parts that
people play in conversation.

Systems are different ways of governing Languages are different ways of

the speakers in a conversation. focusing the content in a conversation.

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Least visible

SYSTEMS

LANGUAGES

ROLES
Most visible

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 Roles are the four basic parts that
people play in conversation.

Systems are different ways of governing Languages are different ways of

the speakers in a conversation. focusing the content in a conversation.

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23
Provides Direction

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Provides Completion

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Provides Correction

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Provides Perspective

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Defining the Roles
ROLES are the four main parts
that people tend to play in any
given conversation, ideally a
conversation that requires a
decision to be made. These
behavior habits are the building
blocks of conversation
sequences, regardless of the
specific content being discussed.
The four roles are Move,
Oppose, Follow, and Reframe.
Move introduces a proposal, position, or idea for
consideration. It is a new action and not one that
supports a previously raised action or challenge.
Follow supports an existing proposal, position, or idea
and often advances it or provides information that
reinforces it. Follow can support in a number of ways
– you can express agreement, share information that
builds on the idea, or ask a question that continues
the line of thought.
Oppose challenges a proposal, position, or idea and
points out limitations or provides corrective
information. The underlying intention is to provide
calibration or testing in service of making a better
decision.
Reframe reflects on the interaction and without
agreeing or disagreeing will lend perspective, bridge
views, or ask a question that helps the group make
sense of the interaction or content.
Assessing in action: The Roles

• Reflect on which Roles you believe you use the most? The least?
• Rank in order on a piece of paper (or in your mind) the four Roles (Move,
Follow, Oppose, Reframe) in sequence from your “most used” to “least used”.
• Share your self-assessment in chat (e.g. Move, Reframe, Oppose, Follow)
• Think to yourself about examples from both your work and life

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Next Steps for Next Week
§ Start to notice the ROLES in your
conversations over this week
§ Take the Team Dynamics Profile (TDP)
survey
§ Complete Assignment #1 in Canvas

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Q&A

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Thank You – see you next week