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MODULE – 5
Models of Team Dynamics
 1. Tuckman Team Model
 “Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development,” proposed by psychologist
Bruce Tuckman in 1965, is one of the most famous theories of team
development. It describes four stages that teams may progress
through: forming, storming, norming, and performing (a 5th stage was
added later: adjourning). According to McCahan et al., the stages move
from organizing to producing, and although the stages appear linear, in fact
teams may move backwards to previous stages, depending on events that
may influence the team and the communications strategies that they use.
Some teams can also stall in a stage and never fully realize their
potential. Figure 4.2.1 outlines these stages. Please refer to the McCahan et
al. text[2] for a more complete discussion.

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2. GRPI Model

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 Developed by organizational theorist Dick Beckhard in 1972, the GRPI
model is another model that focuses on helping leaders understand why
their teams might not be achieving peak performance.
 Goals: teams need a solid and shared understanding of what they’re
working toward together.

 Roles: teams need to know who’s doing what, without ambiguity or a lot of
overlap between responsibilities.

 Processes: teams need to understand how decisions are made and how
work gets accomplished.

 Interpersonal relationships: teams need to understand and respect each

other’s communication styles and work approaches.
The GRPI model is organized like a pyramid and is designed to move from the
top to the bottom as you try to understand where things are going wrong –
almost like a checklist.
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3. The Lencioni Model

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 Patrick Lencioni's 2005 book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" lays out a
work team effectiveness model based on the causes of dysfunctions,
conflicts, and political maneuverings in a workgroup. He mapped out five
qualities effective teams do not want. To know your team's dysfunction is to
understand how to cure it.
The five dysfunctions are:
 An absence of trust: If team members are afraid to be vulnerable or afraid
to ask for help, then they won't turn to their teammates for assistance.
 A fear of conflict: If everyone tried to preserve peace at all costs, there
wouldn't be any dynamic conflicts that result in productive ideas.
 A lack of commitment: If people aren't committed to their work or team,
then they won't follow through on their decisions or deadlines.
 Avoidance of accountability: This is another drawback of the fear of
conflict where no one wants to hold others accountable for their work.
 Inattention to results: If personal goals become more important than the
success of the group, no one will monitor and optimize team performance.
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4. The Katzenbach and Smith Mode

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 After studying teams across several companies and their various work
challenges, authors Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith unveiled this team
effectiveness model in 1993. Their book, "The Wisdom of Teams," lays out
their model of efficient teams in a triangular diagram with the three points
representing the larger deliverables of any team: collective work products,
performance results, and personal growth.
 To reach these goals, productive teams must have three necessary
components. These make up the sides of the triangle:
 Commitment: Teams are committed when they have a meaningful
purpose, specific goals, and a common approach to their work
 Skills: Team members need skills in problem-solving, technical skills to
accomplish their craft, and interpersonal skills to enhance teamwork
 Accountability: Team members must have personal and mutual
accountability

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5.The T7 Model of Team Effectiveness

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 In 1995, Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger developed the T7 Model
to define the factors that affect team effectiveness. They identified five
internal and two external factors, all starting with "T," hence the name.
The internal team factors are:
 Thrust: A common objective or goal
 Trust: The knowledge that your team has your back
 Talent: Skills to do the job
 Teaming skills: The ability to function as a team
 Task skills: The ability to execute tasks
The external team factors are:
 Team leader fit: Whether the leader works well with the team
 Team support from the organization: How the organization enables the
team to work
For a team to be high-performing, all five internal factors must be present.
However, no matter how complete the internal factors are, if leadership and
organizational support are lacking, the team's effectiveness will be
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hampered
6.The Hackman Model of Team Effectiveness
J. Richard Hackman suggested a new team effectiveness model in his 2002 book,
‘Leading Teams: Setting the Stage for Great Performances’. Hackman identified
five conditions that are believed to increase the likelihood of a team working
effectively. These conditions are:

 Real team: This is defined as teams where everyone has a defined role with rights
and tasks to carry out. For example, your team may have a clear document which
captures everyone’s roles and responsibilities.
 Compelling direction: The team has a clear direction or end goal that they are
working towards. This may be set out as a series of smaller goals that help to
motivate the team.
 Enabling structure: For a team to be truly effective, it needs to be supported by a
structure, workflows and processes that allow work to be completed as it needs to.
 Supportive context: An effective team needs access to the tools, resources and
support that’s required to deliver a project or reach a goal.
 Expert coaching: Teams with access to a coach or mentor have a greater 11
probability of working effectively, as they can access expert help when it’s
needed.
7. The LaFasto and Larson Model
 In 2001, Frank LaFasto and Carl Larson developed a team effectiveness model they
coined 'Five Dynamics of Team Work and Collaboration'. Through researching 600
teams in various organisations, they made a model of what an effective team looks
like, which consisted of five elements for team effectiveness.

 Team members: Your talent is your greatest asset, so choosing the right employees
is key. Do team members have the proper skills and capabilities to work in a team
environment? For example, you can select and build the right team by creating a
skills matrix or reviewing the effectiveness of individuals against previous projects.
 Team relationships: Similar to the importance of interpersonal relationships in the
GRPI model, the right team building behaviours are key to maximising team
capabilities.
 Team problem solving: When any group has good team connections and
interactions, high levels of trust foster productive conflict resolution and problem-
solving skills. Absence of trust can have the opposite effect.
 Team leadership: An effective, proactive team leader that moves team members in
a compelling direction is critical in any team effectiveness model.
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 Team organisation environment: Collaborative work methods and organisational
culture support team commitment and accountability.
Types of Team building
1. Activity Based Team Building
 Activity based team building is about getting your team working to achieve
a common goal. It normally takes place out of the office and is typically
designed to push team members out of their comfort zones and challenge
them.
 Often activity-based team building is physical in nature.
 An activity-based type of team-building exercise gives your employees a
break from the daily usual work routine. It helps the team to step out of
their comfort zone. Here, the team members indulge in various mental or
physical activities carried out both indoors and outdoors.
 Organizing team lunches and company outings enhance communication
amongst team members. It connects them personally and discovers hidden
traits. Outdoor activities need the teams to step out of the office, which is
not feasible at all times. Indoor team-building games such as a Foosball
tournament or a scavenger hunt are an excellent mood booster too! 13
2. Problem-Solving Team Building
 Problem solving team building is designed to challenge your teams on an
intellectual level. Often, it involves your team having to solve a puzzle, or a
series of puzzles, to ‘win’ the game. This type of team building activity is
particularly good at getting teams to assess each other’s strengths and apply
them to a task.
 Problem-solving activities can improve communication, interpersonal
relationships and mend differences to reach a common goal. The team
leader must identify and analyze the problem. Then they must determine the
best course of action to take.
 Team members must take part with an open mindset and assess different
ideas and solutions. This will make them have a deeper understanding of
the team’s strengths and weaknesses as a whole.

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3. Skills Based Team Building
 Skills based team building is designed to focus on a skill or set of skills.
These could be communication, problem solving, decision making, or
adaptability. It can also extend to trust building activities, which aims to
strengthen bonds between team members for more effective work
relationships.
 Skills based team building usually blurs into other types of team building
activities too, as many require participants to use certain skill sets to
succeed.

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4. Communication-based Team-building Technique
 The key to any social networking is communication.
 Perfect for a new team with all new members, a communication-based
team-building approach can be a great ice breaker. These types of group-
building activities for the workplace allow the team to get to know their
colleagues a little better and share a personal bond. It can help break
communication barriers, improve interpersonal skills and build trust
among the employees.

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5. Team Bonding
 While all the above types of team building are focused on developing teams
professionally, team bonding activities promote better social relationships
between colleagues. These types of activities are usually organized just for
fun but can vary widely in their execution.
 On a simple scale, team bonding activities can take the form of a team meal
or after-work drinks. But they can also be more structured too. For
example, many of our team building activities are designed to help
colleagues let their hair down and have a fun day away from the office.

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6. Personality-based Team-building Technique
 A workplace can be a mix and match of all sorts of personality. Hence,
managers need to identify and nurture the various personality types.
 Team leaders can carry out a personality test, such as the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI). Then they can coordinate tasks accordingly to
bring out the best in all the group members. It helps employees to know
their coworkers on an individual level. They are able to appreciate the
uniqueness everyone brings to the table.
 Some may perform better working with a large group of people, while the
rest may prefer small groups.
 Managers can assign tasks according to personality types. It will lead to
better understanding and increased effectiveness in the team.

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7. Value-based Team-building Technique
 Millennials and Gen Y employees believe in social welfare. They believe in
giving back to society.
 A value-based team-building activity is a win-win situation for both the
organization and the employees. Organizations can merge their CSR goals
along with some outstanding team bonding experiences. It can give a
meaningful experience to the employees by contributing to society and
positively impacting the lives of those in need.
 The activities can range from environmental, philanthropic, human rights,
or economic responsibility. Events like charity cycling, cooking for a cause,
and the welfare of the street dogs are some of the activities that your team
must try. Such activities have also proven to boost employee engagement,
employee morale, and job satisfaction. It can also act as a key factor in
attracting young talent to the company.

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Team Design Elements
 TEAM SIZE
 The most effective teams have the right number of members. One popular
rule is that the optimal team size is somewhere between five and seven
people. In reality the optimal team size depends on a few things. We know
that larger teams are typically less effective because members consume
more time and effort coordinating their roles and resolving differences
 A team this large is too difficult to coordinate, and team members lack
cohesiveness;
 Although companies usually need to break up large teams, they also run
into trouble when teams are too small to accomplish their objectives. The
general rule is that teams should be large enough to provide the necessary
competencies and perspectives to perform the work, yet small enough to
maintain efficient coordination and meaningful involvement of each
member.

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TEAM COMPOSITION
 Effective team members possess valuable skills and knowledge for the
team’s objectives and can work well with others. Notably, research suggests
that high-performing team members demonstrate more cooperative behavior
toward others and generally have better awareness of others’ needs and
views.
 Another important dimension of team composition is diversity. Teams whose
members have diverse knowledge, skills, and perspectives are generally more
effective in situations involving complex problems requiring innovative
solutions. One reason is that people from different backgrounds see a
problem or opportunity from different perspectives. A second reason is that
they usually have a broader knowledge base.

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 TEAM ROLES
 Every work team and informal group has various roles necessary to assist the
team’s task and maintain its smooth functioning. A role is a set of behaviors
that people are expected to perform because they hold certain positions in a
team and organization. Some roles help the team achieve its goals; other
roles maintain relationships so the team survives and team members fulfill
their needs. Many team roles are formally assigned to specific people, but
several are taken informally based on each team member’s personality,
values, and expertise.
 These role preferences are usually worked out during the storming stage of
team development. However, in a dynamic environment team members often
need to assume various roles temporarily as the need arises.

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 TASK CHARACTERISTICS
Teams are more effective when their tasks are well structured because
a clear structure makes it easier to coordinate work among several
One task characteristic that is definitely important for teams is task
interdependence: the extent to which team members must share
common inputs to their individual tasks, need to interact while
performing their work, or receive outcomes (such as rewards) that are
partly determined by the performance of others.
The higher the level of task interdependence, the greater the need for
teams rather than individuals working alone. Employees tend to be
more motivated and satisfied working in teams when their tasks are
highly interdependent—but only when team members have the same
job goals, such as serving the same clients or collectively assembling
the same product.
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