Team Beginnings BY BREENA SALWOCKI DANNY AMATO Stages

Team Beginnings BY : BREENA SALWOCKI & DANNY AMATO

Stages of Teamwork • Slow start • Takes time to � � � -Decide on the definition of the Project -Develop social reltions -Create effective operating rules

Group Development Perspective • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing • Adjourning

Project Development Perspective • Group stages based on the characteristics of the projects. • Mc. Intyre and Salas (1995) model uses changing relationships between the team and the project driver as the driver of change throughout the stages. • Mc. Grath (1990) model- Based on 4 types of functions. • Ancona and Caldwell (1990)- Based changing nature of the tasks and how they affect internal process and external relations.

Mc. Grath (1990) model 1. Inception stage - (selecting and accepting goals), problem solving, conflict resolution, and execution. Focused on planning activities and collaborating 2. Conflict resolution stage- social relations are strained because group is dealing with conflict. 3. Problem solving stage- focus on coordinating the ideas or actions of the group members 4. Execution stage- focus on coordinating the ideas or actions of the group members

Ancona and Caldwell (1990)1. Creation Stage- both internal and external. Team developing new ideas and creative solutions while organizing the team. Gathering information and building links with organizational units 2. Development stage- Internal. Team is focused on the technical details of the project 3. Diffusion- External. Project nearly complete, coordinating is transferred to manufacturing and marketing is the focus for the teams activities

Cyclical perspective • Groups can skip stages or get stuck in certain stages but still be able to find routes through them. • Try to balance the needs for task completion and relationship development.

Implications of Team Developemtn Stages • If a team is unable to build social relations and team norms at the beginning of projects then they will never get to the performing stage because they have not worked through their earlier problems (Wheelan, 2005) • All parts of the process is important and better in the long run.

Group socialization • Refers to the process by which a person becomes a member of • • • a group Individual evaluates group, group evaluates individual. Commitment is decided from both parties. Investigation stage- Individual decides if they want to join the group and if the group wants the individual to join the group. Process ends when the individual joins the group Socialization stage- determines how the individual will be integrated into the group Passive approach During maintenance stage, individual is fully committed to the group

Team Goals • "A desirable state of affairs members intend to bring about through combined efforts" (Zander, 1994) • A team with shared goals is more likely to complete its task on time and have less internal conflict • Teams often create mission statements that define their purposes and values. • Mission statements are consistent with team goals, but goals should be objective defining accomplishments that need to be completed for success

Value and Characteristics of Goals • Provide team with direction and motivation • Clear and specific • Progress toward the goal should be measurable • Moderately difficult • Challenging performance goals • Goals leads to better team performance

Hidden Agendas • Unspoken individual goals that conflict with overall group goals • Conflict is difficult to resolve because it is hidden • Focusing on group goals is an indirect approach to dealing with hidden agendas • Open and trustworthy communication enables the team to better manage its conflicts and allow members to discuss team conflicts

Group Norms • Ground rules that define appropriate and inappropriate behavior in a group • Members typically aware of rules and follow them • 4 main functions of a group: � 1. express central values, which gives sense of who they are as a group � 2. Help coordinate activities by establishing common ground and making behavior more predictable � 3. Define appropriate behavior for group members � 4. Helps group survive by creating distinctive identity • The more cohesive a group is, the more conformity there is to a group

How norms are formed • Develop unconsciously and gradually over time • Can be based on norms from previous groups to which they have belonged • Based on outside standards such as social or organizational groups • Strongly influenced by what happens early in the groups existence.

Impact of Group Norms • Allows for fairer communication, maintain respect among members, and distributes power to weaker members of a group. • Negatively, enforces conformity, which can hinder organizations perspective.

Application: Jump-Starting Project Teams • Spending time designing and launching is important. • Improves social relations, better define projects and plan a team strategy, and create team contract and articulate goals, roles, and norms. • Important predictors of long-term team success.

Team Warm-Ups • It is important to focus on developing social relations early on. • They are social "icebreakers" conducted to start team meetings • Help team members get to know one another and improve communication during the team project.

Project Definitions and planning • Everyone on the team should have the same understanding of the assignment, and should conform to the organizations intentions. • Once team agrees on a definition they must take the time to plan how they will work together • This can help promote team effectiveness. • Developing performance strategies that outline performance objectives and tactics helps direct team’s actions

Team Contracts • Proper team launch includes common goals and objectives, • • clarifying roles, appropriate team norms, and defining performance expectations An effective way to do this to develop a team contract. They are plans for how the team will manage its teamwork activities States agreements the team has reached on how to operate Valuable to get the team in the right direction.