PD103: Professional Skill Development

LESSON 3: TEAMWORKING
BSMA Fourth Year, Second Semester

Teamwork- the combined effective actions of a group.

Team spirit- feelings of camaraderie among the members of a team.

Groups and Teams

Group- A group is more than just a collection of individuals sharing physical space. It's about unifying
concerns and interactions between members that cause individual people to form a group.

Characteristics of a Group
● Consists of two or more people
● Involve interaction between the people
● Require people to be aware that they are members of a group
● Need people to acknowledge their interdependence and the fact that their individual goals are
complementary
● Have some unifying concept, goal, or objective

Team- a team implies a deeper level of cooperation and cohesion.

Characteristics of a Team
● Communication- ease and flexibility of interaction between group members
● Cooperation- people are comfortable working with and supporting the other members
● Cohesion- members agree about the goals of the team and appreciate that they need to work together
to achieve them

The Tuckman model ( explored later in this chapter) explains how groups become effective teams through
different stages. In this chapter, we'll learn about these methods and research behind creating successful
teams, making it easier to understand how they achieve their goals.

Informal work groups- also known as social networks, develop organically within the organization without
direct management intervention. They form due to employees' shared interests, concerns, or social
interactions. These groups may originate during non-working occasions, such as lunchtime discussions or
social events after work.

Benefits of an Informal Work Group

● Facilitate cross-organizational communication
● Improve collaboration
● provide additional insights into the formal work activities
● contribute to a positive working environment

While informal groups can be advantageous, their informal nature poses challenges for organizational leaders
seeking to influence or harness their potential benefits. However, proactive leaders can leverage social
network analysis diagrams to understand the dynamics of these groups and identify opportunities for
collaboration and teamwork, which in turn helps to build the cohesion and coordination of a team.

Remote teams- are characterized by members who are not collocated, often working from widely dispersed
locations. Communication primarily occurs through electronic mechanisms, and physical discussions or
meetings are rare.

Challenges
● Different range of views, perspectives, and beliefs
● Different time zones
● Different languages

Virtual teams- Virtual project teams, unlike permanent remote teams, are both remote and temporary. They
bring together members from different functional areas and dispersed locations to collaborate on specific
projects. However, managing these teams introduces significant complexities due to integration challenges and
cultural disconnects.
As a manager of a virtual project team, here are three suggestions to navigate the complexities
effectively:
1. Select the Right People- Members must operate with a high degree of autonomy and self-leadership.
They should be self-motivated, capable of managing time effectively, and delivering performance
without constant supervision.
2. Build Trust- Trust is crucial in virtual teams and can be fostered through regular social interactions. A
'rich picture' map of the team, including names, photos, contact data, and brief biographies, helps
create familiarity and trust among members.
3. Communication- The frequency and quality of communication are vital for building trust. Develop a
communication plan considering available technology (phone, email, Skype, etc.) and individual needs.
Establish a 'Code of Conduct' to streamline communication and avoid delays or misunderstandings.

Team roles- One of the major factors in generating the ‘team’ is that the individuals work together in a
collaborative way. If a team is to work effectively, the team members need to have a range of different skills.
People have natural talents and these are manifested as behavioral preferences when performing their work.

Belbin’s team role- People have natural talents and these are manifested as behavioral preferences when
performing their work., consist of four functions
● Intelligence
● Need for dominance over, or domination by, other people.
● Extroversion or Introversion
● Define Your Unique Value Proposition

Eight Team Roles

1. Implementer (IMP)
2. Coordinator (CO)
3. Shaper (SH)
4. Plant (PL)
5. Resource Investigator (RI)
6. Monitor- Evaluator (ME)
7. Team worker (TW)
8. Completer Finisher (CF)
9. Specialist (SP)

Individuals preferences- A person’s preferred team role can be identified through the completion of the
Belbin self- perception questionnaire (Belbin, 2010a;2010b ).

Missing roles- Experience has also shown that a team lacks a role, other members often step in to cover the
gap.

Using Belbin In Practice- The Belbin roles can be very useful to identify the gaps and the actions required to
address the gaps

Margerison- McCann Team Management Systems

Four key questions looking at how people prefer to:
● Relate with others
● Gather and use information
● Make decisions
● Organize themselves and others

Four scales based on managers Work Preferences

● Relationships
● Information
● Decision-making
● Organization

Team Management Wheel

Margerison and McCann Team Management Wheel
1. Report- Adviser
2. Creator- Innovator
3. Explorer- Promoter
4. Assessor- Developer
5. Thruster- Organiser
6. Concluder- Producer
7. Controller- Inspector
8. Upholder- Maintainer

Three types of Linking

● Internal Linking (Coordinating)
● External Linking (Representing)
● Informal Linking

The Relevance of Team Roles

Understanding the roles and ensuring sufficient balance are good bases for building a high-performing team.

TEAM DEVELOPMENT
TUCKMAN MODEL - One of the most popular models for team development was defined by Bruce Tuckman
(1965). The “Tuckman Model” sets out the four stages of group formation.

1. FORMING - This stage is characterized by politeness. The group has been formed and everyone is
feeling their way.
2. STORMING - This stage is characterized by people testing the limits of what they can do and how they
can behave.
3. NORMING - Once at this stage, the group has found ways of working together. The leadership issues
have been settled and norms of behavior agreed.
4. PERFORMING - This is the stage of where a group is an effective, high performing team, which can
only happen if the group has worked through the previous three stages.
5. ADJOURNING - The reasons for the group formation no longer prevail so it starts to break up. This
stage is characterized by disengagement, anxiety about what happens next, positive feelings of past
achievement and sadness of parting.

MANAGEMENT AND TEAM BUILDING

ADAIR’S MODEL OF GROUP NEEDS - John Adair developed a model showing the three elements to be
addressed when leading and developing a successful team (Adair, 2011).
ADAIR’S MODEL
THE TASK - ACHIEVE THE WORK OBJECTIVES - Firstly, achieving the work objectives set for the team.
This requires a clear definition of the task in hand.
THE INDIVIDUAL – MENTOR AND SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS: Secondly, mentoring, development and
support of the individual team members. While there has to be a focus on achieving the task set for the team,
this can only be achieved if the individual team members are encouraged to develop required knowledge and
skills, and are encouraged to do so.
THE TEAM – BUILD TEAM SPIRIT AND CAPABILITY - Thirdly, building the capability of the team.
●Tangible Aspects - include structure, lines of communication and standards.
●Intangible Aspects - involved in dealing with people

TANNEBAUM AND SCHMIDT CONTINUUM OF MANAGEMENT STYLES

The management style is also an important factor in team development. Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1973)
proposed that the style adopted by the manager is dictated by four factors.
- The needs of the subordinate
- The needs of the manager
- The demand of the situation
- The culture of the organization

1. ANNOUNCES DECISION - The left-hand side of the model represents the most directive management
style. The ‘tell’ style involves the manager making a decision and advising the team.
2. ‘SELLS’ DECISION - Moving to the ‘sell’ style, the model shows that the manager is still largely in
control of the decision.
3. INVITES QUESTIONS - Here, the manager presents the ideas regarding the decision and invites
questions from the team.
4. PRESENTS PROVISIONAL DECISION - The manager has made a decision, but it is not finalized until
the team members have given their reactions.
5. GETS SUGGESTIONS - The manager invites suggestions from the team prior to deciding, but reserves
the right to make the final decision.
6. GIVES OUT PROBLEMS - At the next level, the manager defines the problem and the parameters to
be applied when deciding on the solution, and delegates responsibility for the decision to the team.
7. PERMITS DECISION - Ultimately, the model shows where complete freedom and responsibility is
delegated to the team.