Unit Nine Teamwork Contents 1 Brief on Teamwork

Unit Nine Teamwork

Contents 1 Brief on Teamwork 4 Words & Phrases 2 Lead-in 5 Exercises 3 Reading 6 Business Practice 7 Extension

Brief on Teamwork Teams have been around for as long as anyone can remember and there can be few organizations that have not used the term in one sense or another. It is common to hear of management teams, production teams, service teams or even whole organizations being referred to as teams. Employers stress the importance of employees working as a team and advertise for staff with the ability to work in such a way. In a general sense people talk of teamwork when they want to emphasize the virtues of cooperation and the need to make use of the various strengths of employees.

Brief on Teamwork In today's global arena, where individual perfection is not as desirable as a high level of collective performance, projects often require that people work together to accomplish a common goal; therefore, teamwork is an important factor in most organizations. Effective collaborative skills are necessary to work well in a team environment. The elements of a successful team include shared values, mutual trust, inspiring vision, complementary skills, and appropriate rewards. Successful business teamwork needs three levels of interdependence among members: Members have to communicate decisions and activities; members need to coordinate their activities; and members need to collaborate by engaging in joint problem solving and brainstorming. They need to challenge each other's ideas and work together on developing plans and managing execution.

Brief on Teamwork High performance business teamwork rests on the following aspects: Goals - what we're trying to accomplish together. Roles - who does what and how we handle overlaps and interdependencies. Process - how we run our business and how we work together. Relationships – how we communicate and influence with each other to get work done. Aside from any required technical proficiency, a wide variety of social skills are desirable for successful teamwork. They include listening, questioning, discussing, persuading, supporting, participating, and treating members with respect and so forth. For a team to work effectively, it is essential that team members acquire communication skills and use effective communication channels between one another. This will enable team members to work together and achieve their goals successfully.

Lead-in Ø 1. Discuss the following questions with your partner. Ø 2. Work in groups to choose the six most important from the list below. Don't forget to explain your choices, and you can also add your own points to the list.

Lead-in 1. Discuss the following questions with your partner. 1) Team building is the process of building a good team: one that performs well together. In order to decide the best way to embark on a team building programme, you should first be able to see the difference between a group, a team and a good team. You can test your ability to see these differences by looking at the following associated with team building, or making a good team. Only one of these defines what a good team is. Spot it and justify yourself to your partner. A group of people Synergy Sharing one aim Whole > Sum Co-operation Flexibility Working together Reporting to one boss Serving one customer

Lead-in 2) Below is a list of the differences that exist between an individual working as part of a group and an individual working as part of a team. Read through the list, mark G (for Group) and T (for Team) and then check with your partner by discussion. T ______ G ______ Members work interdependently and work towards both personal and team goals, and they understand these goals are accomplished best by mutual support. Members focus mostly on themselves because they are not involved in the planning of their group's objectives and goals. Members are given their tasks or told what their duty/job is, and suggestions are rarely welcomed. Members feel a sense of ownership towards their role in the group because they committed themselves to goals they helped create. Members work independently and they often are not working towards the same goal.

Lead-in G ______ Members are very cautious about what they say and are afraid to ask questions. They may not fully understand what is taking place in their group. G ______ Members may have a lot to contribute but are held back because of a closed relationship with each member. T ______ Members collaborate together and use their talent and experience to contribute to the success of the team's objectives. T ______ Members are encouraged to offer their skills and knowledge, and in turn each member is able contribute to the group's success. T ______ Members see conflict as a part of human nature and they react to it by treating it as an opportunity to hear about new ideas and opinions. Everybody wants to resolve problems constructively.

Lead-in G ______ Members do not trust each other's motives because the do not fully understand the role each member plays in their group. Members participate equally in decision-making, but each member understands that the leader might need to make ______ T the final decision if the team cannot come to a consensus agreement. G ______ Members may or may not participate in group decisionmaking, and conformity is valued more than positive results. G ______ Members are bothered by differing opinions or disagreements because they consider it a threat. There is not group support to help resolve problems. T ______ Members base their success on trust and encourage all members to express their opinions, varying views, and questions. T ______ Members make a conscious effort to be honest, respectful, and listen to every person's point of view.

Lead-in 1. Discuss the following questions with your partner. 3) Do you like working with a team or individually? Why? 4) Why do companies put so much emphasis on teambuilding?

Lead-in 2. If you had an opportunity to select anyone from your organization and start a new team, who would you pick? Besides the technical skills for the work to be done, what other factors would you take into consideration in selecting your team members? Work in groups to choose the six most important from the list below. Don't forget to explain your choices, and you can also add your own points to the list. communicate constructively listen actively make good presentations give orders share openly and willingly get along well with the boss like taking risks be attractive have good taste in fashion keep up on current cultural trends exhibit flexibility work as a problem-solver treat others in a respectful and supportive manner show commitment to the team have a good sense of humor

Preview: Reading In the latter part of the 20 th century, "Team Building" became recognized by many companies as an important factor in providing a quality service and remaining competitive. A team building success happens when a team can accomplish something much bigger and work more effectively than a group of the same individuals working on their own. There is a strong cooperation of individual contributions. Team building skills are critical for your effectiveness as a manager or entrepreneur. It is this point that drives the author of the following article to focus on the clash and disharmony between executives in businesses and the possible reasons for those problems. The author suggests that, in solving the problems, executives could learn a good lesson from the rowers in the boat race.

Reading Executives Must Pull Together like Rowers in the Boat Race By Stefan Stern [1] Our lesson today is taken from the Gospel, Chapter III, verses 24 -25: ''If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. '' Translation

Reading [2] It could be time for Bible boardroom. According to looselipped ''banking sources'' who unburdened themselves last week, the top team at France's biggest drugs company is split over its onoff $54 bn (£ 27. 4 bn) merger with Bristol-Myers Squibb, the US pharmaceuticals company. [3] The deal would create one of the world's largest drugs businesses. But Sanofi's chairman, Jean-François Dehecq, and its chief executive, Gérard Le Fur, are apparently divided on whether the transaction should go ahead. In spite of repeated denials by the company, its shareholders will not be encouraged by speculation that Sanofi's most senior executives disagree about this most fundamental of strategic moves. The sums of money involved are hardly trivial. Translation

Reading [4] But, of course, this sort of clash is not uncommon at the highest levels in business. ''The more senior you get, the more personal it can get, '' says Elisabeth Marx, author of Breaking Through Culture Shock and a partner in the leadership consulting team at the Heidrick & Struggles search firm in London. At moments like these reputations are at stake. [5] A public row that exposes the lack of harmony at the top is the most dramatic response to a crisis. But in practice, leadership teams reach crisis point for a number of reasons. There may be new blood at the top and an urgent need to speed up collaboration among colleagues who do not know each other well. In a global business, there can be difficultural clashes that executives struggle to navigate. Translation

Reading [6] At times of rapid change, boards may understand well that they need to start doing something differently — but what? [7] And then there are those top teams that are simply dysfunctional, pulling in different directions at the same time, failing to communicate properly, in a state of war. [8] Psychological assessment can help teams work together better. This is done by analyzing what sorts of personalities the group contains, how they are behaving towards each other and, by observing closely what is going on in the room, whether meetings are productive and so on. Translation

Reading [9] But the classic ''career ladder'' may be part of the problem here. Getting to the top in business will probably mean focusing narrowly and ruthlessly on your own discipline, in order to achieve the sort of results that will get you noticed. But upon joining the senior executive team a kind of collegiality is required. It is no longer good enough to keep your head down while driving towards your personal goals. The top team has collective responsibility for the health and performance of the organization. Translation

Reading [10] ''Your role has changed and so your behavior has to change, '' Dr Marx says. And that can be painful — especially when the stakes are high and the strategic challenges are complicated. That is why you hear so much talk about companies seeking people who are ''comfortable with ambiguity. '' At the highest level you will be asked to perform in areas that are beyond your expertise, outside your ''comfort zone, '' where not all the facts can be known. Translation

Reading [11] The successful top teams of the future will display what Dr Marx calls ''cognitive diversity'' — that is, they will have a breadth of outlook and approach. A team may appear to be diverse on the surface, ticking various politically correct boxes, but how will the team think and react? That rainbow coalition may in fact be nothing more than an army of clones. Translation

Reading [12] To witness a truly remarkable example of teamwork in action, you could do a lot worse than head to the River Thames in London this Saturday, where the 153 rd university boat race is taking place. This year, once again, the same two teams have made it to the final. (That is a suitably smug Oxbridge joke: the race is, of course, always held between teams representing the universities of Oxford. )Mark de Rond, a senior lecturer in strategy at the Judge Business School in Cambridge, has spent the past seven months observing the Cambridge University boat club at work, conducting an ''ethnographic'' study, as it prepares its team for the race on April 7. Translation

Reading [13] While I should at this point issue the standard health warning about drawing simplistic parallels between sport and business, it turns out that rowing really does offer some interesting lessons to managers who want their teams to work better together. [14] One intriguing insight is that the strongest eight rowers on paper do not necessarily form the best team. Dr de Rond says that the team is a social entity. ''The boat is so sensitive that the crew has to be perfectly synchronized. If they are not all working together it can be a massive brake on the boat. '' Translation

Reading [15] This year there has been an unusual (if limited) outbreak of democracy in the Cambridge camp, with rowers being invited to share their views as to who should be selected for the first eight. ''They might say: 'It feels better with X in the boat, ' '' Dr de Rond explains. Being highly skilled is not enough. The psychological factors — which combination of people gels best — are just as important. Translation

Reading [16] Old Father Thames provides a highly unpredictable course for the race. The river bends and turns, its currents are mysterious, the conditions on the water are at times quite unhelpful for the precision-trained athletes. [17] So, does the boat race offer the perfect metaphor for business? Not quite. The team that wins on Saturday will be the one that goes backwards the fastest. (974 words) From Financial Times Translation The end

Information Reading-related Information Sanofi-aventis is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies and number 1 in Europe. Its major therapeutic areas are cardiovascular, thrombosis, metabolic disorders, oncology, central nervous system, internal medicine and vaccines. It has about 100, 000 employees worldwide. The whole group presents in 100 countries throughout the 5 continents and has a 5. 3% market share.

Information Reading-related Information Bristol-Myers Squibb was founded by William Mc. Laren Bristol and John Ripley Myers in 1887 in Clinton, New York. In 1989, the company merged with Squibb Corporation, which was founded by Dr. E. R. Squibb in 1856. Its headquarters is in New York. Bristol. Myers Squibb is now a global pharmaceutical and related health care products company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life. Bristol-Myers Squibb's 43, 000 employees are dedicated to discovering, developing and providing innovative medicines that address significant medical needs of patients worldwide.

Reading-related Information Oxford is a unique and historic institution. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, it has existed for 900 years. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. As a leader in learning, teaching, and research, Oxford is an independent and self-governing institution, consisting of the central University and the 39 Colleges.

Reading-related Information Cambridge The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Its reputation for outstanding academic achievement is known world-wide and reflects the intellectual achievement of its students, as well as the world-class original research carried out by the staff of the University and the Colleges. The University of Cambridge consists of over 100 departments, faculties and schools plus a central administration. There are 31 Colleges in Cambridge. Information

Information Reading-related Information Old Father Thames a nickname for the River Thames in London

Reading 1. Our lesson today is taken from the Gospel according to St Mark, Chapter III, verses 24 -25: ''If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. '' — The argument of this article originates from Bible's St. Mark Gospel, Chapter III, verses 24 -25: ''If a kingdom is not united but separated from inside, the kingdom will be easily beaten and will not exist for long. If a family is not united but separated from inside, the family will not be in a good state. '' Solidarity is strength. Good team spirit and collaboration is a vital factor to a company's business success. The author used this citation from the St Mark's Gospel of the Bible to indicate theme of this article, that is, executives should work together and be perfectly synchronized to achieve the goal of the organization. Church sermons often begin with this phrasing.

Reading 2. It could be time for Bible classes in the Sanofi boardroom. —A tongue-in-cheek statement that suggests that the Sanofi boardroom could learn something from Bible. The Sanofi board members' disagreement on its merger with Bristol. Myers Squibb discouraged its shareholders and had adverse effect on the company's reputation. To avoid this situation, the Sanofi executives should learn that only if the board members are of one heart and one mind can they develop the company further and better.

Reading 3. loose-lipped ''banking sources'' —the people working in banks who are not careful about what they say or who is listening. The phrase indicates that Sanofi board members' disagreement on the merger between itself and Bristol-Myers Squibb was not supposed to be known by outsiders. But someone working in the banks and knowing this issue disclosed it.

Reading 4. Its shareholders will not be encouraged by speculation that Sanofi's most senior executives disagree about this most fundamental of strategic moves. — The fact that Sanofi's most senior executives disagree about the most basic strategic change will not make its shareholders happy. The merger between Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb is a very important change to Sanofi's future development and therefore will have significant effect on its shareholders. However, the fact that even the board members don't agree with each other on this may make shareholders feel uncertain and lose their confidence in the company.

Reading 5. But, of course, this sort of clash is not uncommon at the highest levels in business. —Problems like the disagreement between Sanofi's top level executives occur in many other companies.

Reading 6. The more senior you get, the more personal it can get. —The argument between high-level executives tends to be more personal. Since top level executives have the right to decide the future of the company, the clash between them may seem to be more related to their own individual perceptions.

Reading 7. A public row that exposes the lack of harmony at the top is the most dramatic response to a crisis. —An open and well-publicized disagreement between the top executives showing the lack of harmony among them is actually the most surprising manifestation of a company's crisis.

Reading 8. There may be new blood at the top. —There may be some newly promoted or assigned top executives whose perceptions and behavior pattern is comparatively fresh to other members.

Reading 9. …there can be difficultural clashes that executives struggle to navigate. — Executives may encounter difficult problems of cultural differences and they need to make great efforts to overcome them and find a way out.

Reading 10. pulling in different directions —seeking different goals. The phrase indicates that top executives with different ideas try to move the company toward competing goals.

Reading 11. in a state of war — in a state of conflicting with each other. The top executives are like opponents because they don't want give up their own ideas to reach consensus with others.

Reading 12. Getting to the top in business will probably mean focusing narrowly and ruthlessly on your own discipline. —In order to become the top executive of a company, a person's vision may narrow down to just his own division and he may even take some unpleasant actions to achieve his own goal. Top executives are usually responsible for a certain division of the company. Since everybody wants to be promoted to higher levels, those top executives will make great efforts to do their assigned business well. To achieve that, they have to pay all their attention to the target and development of their own departments and teams and sometimes may ignore the needs and target of other departments of the same company.

Reading 13. ticking various politically correct boxes —Identifying a range of ideas, cultures, or ethnicities in order to be acceptable and right by being careful to avoid offending women, black people, disabled people etc. .

Reading 14. That rainbow coalition may in fact be nothing more than an army of clones. —The apparently different groups in the company may be actually a large number of people who seem to be exact copies of one another. The ideas and attitudes of the top team members may seem to be different, but in essence, they may be almost the same.

Reading 15. it can be a massive brake on the boat —If the rowers cannot work well together, it will reduce the speed of the boat substantially.

Reading 15. The team that wins on Saturday will be the one that goes backwards the fastest. —Rowing team members face toward the rear, so as they row they move the boat forward, but they move backwards.

Words & Phrases Ø Words Ø Phrases

Words & Phrases Words merger transaction speculation clash navigate synchronize

Phrases pull together at stake can/could do worse than do sth make it Words & Phrases

Words & Phrases 1. merger n. the act of joining together two or more companies or organizations to form one larger one（尤指两公司）合并；归并 e. g. • She is an attorney who advises companies about mergers and takeovers. • The merger of these two companies would create the world’s biggest advertising firm. merge v. join together two or more companies or organizations to form one larger one 合并 Next

Words & Phrases e. g. • The company was merged into another company because it was on the verge of bankruptcy. • The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.

Words & Phrases 2. transaction n. piece of business conducted or carried out 业务；交易 e. g. • We can conclude the transaction with you right away if you agree to allow us a 4% discount. • Banks charge a fixed rate for each transaction.

Words & Phrases 3. speculation n. 1) the guesses that one makes 推断；推测 e. g. • Rumors that the oil prices are about to soar have been dismissed as pure speculation. • The speech made by Minister of Foreign Trade prompted speculation about the trade surplus. 2) the action of making a large profit by buying goods, property, and then sell them 投机活动 e. g. • He lost all his money in stock exchange speculation. • The government is cracking down on dishonest speculation in property development.

Words & Phrases speculate v. 1) guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain 猜测 e. g. • A spokesperson declined to speculate on the economic growth of the country. • Journalists are speculating about whether interest rates will be cut. 2) to buy goods, property, shares in a company etc, hoping to make a large profit when selling them 投机 e. g. • He made a fortune speculating on the London gold and silver markets. • It's risky to speculate on the stock market.

Words & Phrases 4. clash n. 1) an argument between two people or groups because they have very different beliefs or opinions 重大的分歧；争论 e. g. • The oil company’s expansion plans put it in a head-on clash with environmentalists. • There was a clash of opinions among the directors of the board. 2) a fight or argument between people 冲突；争论 e. g. • The demonstration ended in a violent clash with the police. • The clash between the sports fans and the police caused injuries. Next

Words & Phrases v. disagree seriously 不和谐 e. g. • The Government clashed with the Opposition over the cut on defense spending. • The latest statement of the company's chairman clashed with important aspects of its culture.

Words & Phrases 5. navigate v. 1) plan and control the course and position of (a ship or aircraft) 指引；指导；行进；经过 e. g. • Migrating birds can navigate by the moon. • The captain navigated the ship round the Cape. 2) find one's way around on a particular website 导航 e. g. • The magazine's website is easy to navigate. • Some search tools, such as Yahoo!, offer subject directories through which uses can navigate until they find specific topics.

Words & Phrases navigation n. the act of directing a ship, aircraft, etc. from one place to another 航行；航海 e. g. • In the past, navigation depended on a knowledge of the positions of the stars. • Mechanics discovered problems with the plane's navigation system.

Words & Phrases 6. synchronize v. to arrange for two or more actions to happen at exactly the same time 使…同步；使…配合一致 e. g. • Businesses must synchronize their production choices with consumers' need. • The sound on a film must synchronize with the action.

Words & Phrases 1. pull together work with combined effort in a well-organized way 同心协力；通 力合作 e. g. • We don't have much time, but if we all pull together we should get the job done. • All the staff in the company pulled together to get through the economic crisis.

Words & Phrases 2. at stake to be won or lost; being risked, depending on the outcome of an event 处于危急关头；冒风险；处于未定状态中 e. g. • They have to win the contract because thousands of jobs are at stake. • Thousands of lives will be at stake if emergency aid does not arrive in the city soon.

Words & Phrases 3. can/could do worse than do sth be correct or sensible in doing sth 做某事是正确的或可取的 e. g. • Corporations today could do worse than making ethnics part of the values they hold important. • As oil prices keep rising, investors could do worse than tuck some money away into oil producers specializing in alternative energy sources.

Words & Phrases 4. make it to be successful in a particular activity 做某事成功了 e. g. • More and more women have made it to the top in the business world. • He devoted his time to computer programming and made it as an IT engineer.

Exercises ØComprehension 1. Answering questions 2. Filling blanks ØCritical Thinking ØVocabulary 1. Writing sentences 2. Rewriting 3. Filling blanks ØTranslation 1. English to Chinese 2. Chinese to English

Comprehension Exercises 1. Answer the following questions with your partner. 1) Why did the author say that it could be the time for Bible classes in the Sanofi boardroom? 2) Identify some of the possible reasons given by the author for a crisis point of the leadership teams. 3) Why could ''career ladder'' be a problem for the harmony of a company's leadership team? 4) What does ''comfortable with ambiguity''mean? 5) What are the most important factors mentioned by the author to be considered in forming a successful boat race team? What other factors might there be?

Comprehension Exercises 6) What could be inferred from ''its shareholders will not be encouraged by speculation that Sanofi's most senior executives disagree about this most fundamental of strategic moves''? 7) According to the author, is it right to draw simplistic parallels between sport and business? Why or why not? 8) What can executives learn from the rowers in the boat race?

Exercises 2. The text can be divided into three parts. Put down the paragraph numbers and main idea of each part. The main idea of the last part has been done for you. Paragraphs Main ideas Parts Paragraph Main ideas s I Paras ___ - ______________ I Paras 1 - 4 Clash at the highest levels like the disagreement _______ between Sanofi’s chairman and chief executive is common in business. ______________ Paras 5 -___ The - lack ______________ of harmony at the top of a company II II Paras may be caused by a number of reasons. ___11 ______________ and business arethe notsame, the sport and business are not Paras - Though IIIIII Paras 12 ___ - Though same, can executives can interesting learn somelessons executives learn some ___17 interesting lessons from rowers in the boat race.

Critical Thinking Exercises 1. What are the characteristics of effective teams? List at least five points. 2. Team dynamics are the unseen forces that operate in a team between different people or groups. Team dynamics can strongly influence how a team reacts, behaves or performs, and the effects of team dynamics are often very complex. Suppose in a small team of six people working in one office there are two people who have a particularly strong friendship. This friendship is therefore a team dynamic as it is a ''natural force'' that may have an influence on the rest of the team, and can be manifest in various ways, either positively or negatively. Identify some positive and negative effects of a strong friendship in a team. 3. The following is a small selection of classic team quotes that can be used to motivate or encourage. Try to explain the meanings of them, and add some more as possible as you can. �There is no "I" in "Team". �Together Everyone Achieves More (an acronym for TEAM ). �Many hands make light work. �A dwarf on a giant's shoulders sees the further of the two. �It's not our preferences that cause problems; it's our attachment to them. �No man island.

Exercises Vocabulary 1. Fill in the blanks with the proper forms of the words or phrases given below. pull together on-off speculation collaboration synchronize career ladder merger transaction at stake collegiality

Vocabulary Exercises career ladder 1) Information technology professionals are being forced to climb a _____ with the bottom rungs missing. 2) IMF executive director said that Iran had weathered the impact of Washington persuading leading European banks to stop dollar transactions ______. synchronize 3) Businesses must ______ their production choices with consumer choices. 4) Having been colleagues for 3 years, the members in this department have really got inside each other’s headsets and have learnt how to pull together ________ as a team. collegiality 5) Our work environment emphasizes _______ and the sharing of specialized knowledge and expertise both to deliver outstanding services to our clients and to foster professional growth of our attorneys.

Vocabulary Exercises merger 6) Time Warner’s ______ with AOL, the deal that came to symbolize the misplaced dotcom exuberance, eventually led to a $54 bn write-down. at stake 7) With profits ______, the company must consider all the factors to develop a new corporate strategy to turn the company around. on-off 8) After months of _______ negotiations, Spain’s Telephonic this week became a reference shareholder in Telecom Italia. collaboration with the Institute of 9) The company is building the centre in _______ Offshore Engineering. speculation that’s been going on over a tablet and the way 10) With all the ______ Apple has aligned itself with partners, it’s just crazy enough to be true.

Exercises 2. Rewrite the following italicized parts by using the appropriate words or expressions from the text. 1) Mr. Smith wanted to relieve himself of the worry by telling the problem to the prosecutors. unburden himself 2) The board confirmed that the company would be allowed to move forward with new schemes as long as the sales figures could be achieved. go ahead 3) Now the indiscreet colleague is in trouble after she showed the meeting minutes to the visitor with unknown identity. loose-lipped 4) Many problems have stemmed from the uncertainty and doubtfulness of the system’s specification, which has meant different manufacturers have sometimes produced incompatible equipment. ambiguity

Exercises 5) These adjustments may sound unimportant but, if they make readers feel that the company really is at home in their country, they are surely worthwhile. trivial 6) Postbank not only has a load of retail customers but is also looking for a partner to bring it the necessary skill and knowledge in packaging new financial products that Deutsche Bank would clearly provide. expertise 7) Both of us have annual leave but we can’t have the days off the same time. make it 8) UK has been much more vocal than other countries on issues like rooting out corruption and getting rid of improper and abnormal elements within the government itself. dysfunctional 9) Successfully merging two banks requires attacking costs determinedly and firmly. ruthlessly 10) He is the right candidate for the job because he has a wide range of a breadth of experience in the business.

Exercises 3. Study the following groups of words, and then choose the proper words to fill in the blanks. Change the form when necessary. 1. speculate, speculation, speculator, speculative speculation a. AT&T said it ''did not comment on rumor or ______. '' speculate b. Many in the industry also ______ that the CME's search for cost savings will also lead them to cull administrative jobs c. Beijing is reluctant to lift interest rates further for fear of attracting speculative capital inflows and complicating further its problem in managing ______ domestic liquidity.

Exercises 2. collaborate, collaboration, collaborative, collaborator a. Collaborative ______ approaches involving companies, governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and communities are the key to attaining ''glittering rewards'' for developing economies. collaborators his dream finally b. With the joint efforts of Edward Smith and his ______, came true. c. Sergio Marchionne, Fiat chief executive, has also said that the group could look for collaboration ______ with whichever company became the new owner of Jaguar and Land Rover.

Exercises 3. navigate, navigation, navigator, navy navigators are considering buying six new warships. a. The_____ Navy b. Modern, clean and easy to ______, the airport's main drawback for business travelers is the often intrusive and lengthy security check. navigation c. The world's largest maker of car ______ equipment fell sharply after telling analysts that its sales were slowing.

Exercises 4. cognizance cognition cognitive a. The study also investigated ______ and motivational changes emerging from another experimental program for business juniors at the same school. cognizance of any protest unless b. The government has in the past not taken ______ there has been some show of violence. cognition c. The present invention relates to a technique for adding ______ to business processes at any given step of a business transaction.

Exercises 5. dysfunctional functionary a. The company gives the highest priority to ensuring that essential business functions ______ can continue under any untoward or adverse circumstances. b. Like a car with an engine that can't fire on all cylinders, a business that's dysfunctional may move forward for a while. But eventually it stops running. ______ functionary difficult c. This landmark legislation makes life for a government ______ but I think that is worthwhile for the greater good of the country.

Translation Exercises 1. Translate the following sentences into Chinese. 1) In spite of repeated denials by the company, its shareholders will not be encouraged by speculation that Sanofi's most senior executives disagree about this most fundamental of strategic moves. 2) And then there are those top teams that are simply dysfunctional, pulling in different directions at the same time, failing to communicate properly, in a state of war. 3) But the classic ''career ladder'' may be part of the problem here. Getting to the top in business will probably mean focusing narrowly and ruthlessly on your own discipline, in order to achieve the sort of results that will get you noticed. 4) But upon joining the senior executive team a kind of collegiality is required. It is no longer good enough to keep your head down while driving towards your personal goals. 5) The top team has collective responsibility for the health and performance of the organization.

Exercises 2. 1) In the past, teamwork was only used for some special projects, but now it has become the norm of a business. 2) In the commercial society which is full of challenges, there likely to be all kinds of clashes inside a company. The internal row may put the development of the company at stake. 3) Teamwork has become an essential element for the survival and success of a business. 4) A business is just like a giant ship which carries a team as a whole. The team will continuously go ahead to success if it gels, with good collegiality and collaboration， and all departments pulling together and being synchronized to achieve the common goal. 5) In the case of the individual employees, the scientific application of teamwork will bring their expertise into full play and make them reach their personal development goal.

Business Practice ØBusiness Practice 1. Solving Conflicts 2. Notice

Solving Conflicts Business Practice Conflict situations are a normal part of everyday life. Routinely we hear some businesspeople say “There is always one or two people who make it difficult for the rest of the team. ” It seems that in the midst of conflict there are many obstacles to overcome. Frustration and difficulties can bog down even the most successful leaders. Look at the following situation: Richard was the Department Manager of Finance and Accounting for ABC, a prominent mid-Atlantic manufacturing company. Now he has responsibility for a large new project. Several members that don’t usually work well together have to collaborate for the project to succeed. The issues with the team members are as follows: �Crystal continually leaves work early without notifying Richard or her teammates. � Betsy is frequently absent, and just about everyone, including one of the company’s owners, accused Betsy of having extra-martial affairs.

Solving Conflicts Business Practice Jane refuses to try any new assignment and insists that she is overworked even though her in-basket is never full and her desk never has more than one stack of paper on it at any given point in time. Rachael refuses to do any filing, but ardently supports Richard. Crystal and Jane have formed a hardened alliance against Rachael because Rachael never says anything negative about Richard and because they suspect Rachael of "informing" on them to Richard. Lois is a wallflower and just stays out of the way. “They are all acting like a bunch of children. They think this is a game!” Richard growled into the phone as he related the details of the unfolding situation. “With all these antics going I’m being compelled by our Human Resources Director to have a meeting, but I feel that all I would be doing would be putting gasoline on the fire. ” “This is our busy time; we don’t have time for this nonsense!” Richard’s ten-year career with ABC has led him to become the key insider supporting the president by handling complex financial matters, but now the president is considering removing him for his lack of team building focus and poor people management skills. Richard’s position looks bad, so he has called for a conflict consultant….

Business Practice Work in pairs. You are Richard and the conflict consultant. Discuss the issues and consider: �Why do you think Richard’s team will not simply just do their jobs? �Where do you think Richard should begin reconciling broken relationships? �What steps of “progressive discipline” do you think Richard should implement? Against which team members? When you have finished, compare your resolutions to the conflicts with those of other 2 pairs to get the relatively better ones and report to the whole class.

Business Practice Language hints Expressing your feelings What I concerned is… My concern is …… main Making suggestions One thing you could do is …How about/What about…… Resolving the conflict How do you think we should deal with this? … Identifying the real problem What’s really bothering you? … Expressing satisfaction Good/Excellent choice. Yes, would be very helpful…… that Expressing dissatisfaction I don’t think that would be helpful. I don’t think that would do much good. … Stating common goals We’ve all got objective/goal. … the same Reviewing the situation Let’s meet next week/time and see how things are going on. …

Notice Business Practice Notices are effective means of written communication to reach a large audience. They are often used to: inform people of changes of plans, give instructions or issue warnings, announce social events, report on matters of general interest to employees, advertise posts for internal appointments, remind staff of new procedures, require signatures of staff of agreement or disagreement with some proposed policy of action, etc. Notices require a clear heading at the top, followed by the main body that falls into short paragraphs. The name and position of the writer usually appear in a notice, and the date is indicated at the bottom. But if the time of the information has already been made clear in the notice itself or the readers know it clearly, the date can also be omitted.

Notice Business Practice Though often carried in newspapers or by e-mail, their style is much more formal and serious than that of memos. The heading or opening should be eyecatching and stimulating. Information must be presented in a clear and concise way, and the tone of notices is usually rather formal and impersonal. Generally, there are four types of notice: A poster notice can provide information on when and where a particular activity is going to take place, commonly used inside a company, such as a meeting notice, holiday notice, etc. A leaflet notice contains more information and is often used as a way of promotion. A mail notice may be the most efficient way to provide information to the public as it is very quick, economical, and easy to send. Signs make people be aware of something and it is commonly used in public places such as stations or airports. The simplicity is most appreciated for public signs.

Business Practice Study the following samples and then do the exercises according to directions. Sample 1: Notice of poster type

Business Practice Sample 2: Notice of leaflet type

Business Practice Sample 3: Notice of mail type Dear Staff, Windows Cleaning Please be informed that we have arranged Strong Plus Ltd. to come to clean all the glass windows of the Staff House between 9: 00 am to 5: 00 pm as scheduled below: Rooms on 9/F— 11/F 16 Dec 08 Rooms on 6/F— 8/F 17 Dec 08 Rooms on 3/F— 4/F 18 Dec 08 Rooms on 1/F— 2/F 19 Dec 08 Please note that the cleaner will require access to your rooms in order to do the cleaning. To facilitate the cleaners, please remove any obstacles that are placed next to the windows. Neither the cleaner nor Staff House will be responsible for any loss or damage of personal properties if you fail to co-operate. Thank you for your attention and we apologize for any inconvenience that may cause. Regards, Rocky Tang (Mr. ) Manager

Sample 4: Notice as public signs Business Practice 1. As mentioned in the above oral exercise, Richard referred to a consultant to solve the conflicts. To get the whole picture of the situation, the consultant asked Richard to notice all team members of a meeting in Meeting Room 503 at 2’o clock Friday afternoon. You are Richard and write this notice now.

Sample 4: Notice as public signs Business Practice 2. The following is a notice on DUKO Christmas party which is in a letter format. Can you make it in poster format? Dec 10, 2008 DUKO CHRISTMAS PARTY Dear all staff of DUKO, We wish to invite you to the DUKO Christmas party at Multi-functional Hall in Staff House starting at 7: 30 pm on Sunday, 21 st December 2008. You may bring up to one friend. Please bring a small gift (suggested price HK$20) to be swapped between others. See you at the party. Staff Relations

Sample 4: Notice as public signs Business Practice 3. The following notice is not well done. Please revise it. Dear residents, We will close the Staff House Office during Chinese New Year holidays and we will open again on 4 Feb 09. Only a few staff will be on duty during the holidays; thus, we can not offer the room cleaning services. We will resume it on 4 Feb 09 also. If there is any emergency, you can call our duty staff at the Service Counter at 2249 1428 or 2249 1528 for assistance. Regards, Rocky Tang (Mr. ) Manager

Business Practice 4. Miss Sophia Rossi has been appointed to be Personnel Manager by the board of directors. As a secretary of the Managing Director's Office, you are asked to write a notice to staff of your company and announce this news.

Notice Business Practice As one of the most commonly used practical writing, notice is used to provide information to the public. The information provided can be various, from a Saturday inner football match, a lecture on Cross-cultural Communication to the change in partnership, office removal, even to the caution on the thieves and safety regulations in workshop. With different information provided, notice can be divided into two types: the notice giving full message of information and the notice giving warning or an instruction. Notice may be sent in many different ways: posted up on the notice board or bulletin board, advertised on the newspaper, or sent as a letter or e-mail. Generally speaking, they are in four formats: format of poster, format of leaflet, format of mail and notice as public signs.

Notice Business Practice Notice of poster type should be: eye-catching in layout (the heading is usually in the middle in boldfaced words, the main information should be made distinct, sometimes a picture related may be attached); clear in content (the information should be complete and clear); brief in language (incomplete sentences, phrases, special symbols and imperative are preferable). Notice in a format of leaflet should be: eye-pleasing (to attract people to read it in depth); reader-friendly(simple sentences are preferable). Tips for writing a mail notice: Separate line is more appreciated. Passive voice is more often used. Positive tone is better valued. Imperative sentence is preferable.

Sample answer 1 Business Practice Notice All members of the Finance and Accounting Department are required to meet at Meeting Room 503 on Friday, July 11 at 2: 00 p. m. to discuss something about the collaboration for the success of the new project. Richard Hanks Manager

Sample answer 2 Business Practice As this notice is asked to be written into a poster, the main information (the event, time, and place) is put into dark words to catch the readers’ attention and inform them effectively.

Sample answer 3 Business Practice Passive voice rather than active voice should be used in the notice. The suggested revision: Dear residents, Please be informed that the Staff House Office will be closed during Chinese New Year holidays i. e. from 31 Jan to 3 Feb 2009. The office will be opened again on 4 Feb 2009. In addition, there will only be limited amount of staff on duty during the holidays; thus, room cleaning services will not be available. Services will resume on 4 Feb 2009 also. In case of emergency, please call our duty staff at the Service Counter at 2249 1428 or 2249 1528 for assistance. Wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year! Regards, Rocky Tang (Mr. ) Manager

Business Practice Sample answer 4 NOTICE It is hereby announced that upon the decision of the board of directors Miss Sophia Rossi is appointed Personnel Manager. The Managing Director’s Office Jan. 21, 2009

Extension Ø Business Expressions Translating Describing a team player's character Picking out the odd adjective Ø Critical thinking

Business Expressions Extension 1. Translate the following Chinese expressions into English. 优势互补 团结一致 优化组合 人才搭配 强强联手 分 合作 资源配置 群策群力 齐心协力 众人拾柴火焰高 各尽所能 集体观念 我行我素 个人主义 (of two companies) have complementary advantages / mutual supplement ______________________ unite as one ______________________ optimal regrouping ______________________ talent collocation ______________________ win-win co-operation ______________________ work in cooperation with a due division of labors / share out the work and cooperate with one another ______________________ the distribution / allocation of resources ______________________ work and pull together; club ideas and exertions ______________________ make concerted efforts ______________________ When everybody adds fuel, the flames rise high. / Great things may be done by mass efforts. ______________________ way each does his/her best ______________________ collective spirit ______________________ persist in one's old ways (no matter what others say) / do things one's own ______________________ individualism ______________________

Extension 2. Adjectives below could be used to describe a team player's character. Decide whether they are positive, neutral or negative. Mark √ before positive ones, ×before negative ones and △before neutral ones. imaginative √imaginative confident √confident aggressive △aggressive ambitious △ambitious practical √practical cheerful √cheerful hard-working √hard-working sociable √sociable crafty ×crafty sensitive ×sensitive naïve √broadminded curious △curious punctual √punctual broadminded √naïve generous √generous loyal √loyal strong-minded √strong-minded sensible √sensible thoughtful √thoughtful motivating √motivating self-controlled √self-controlled moody ×moody intelligent √intelligent stubborn ×stubborn adventurous △adventurous charismatic √charismatic trusting △trusting modest √modest reliable √reliable tolerant √tolerant

Extension 3. There are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Pick out the odd adjective out that describes the feature either favorable or unfavorable to the teamwork. 1) A. moody B. friendly C. polite D. active 2) A. shy B. timid C. nervous D. courageous 3) A. easy-going B. ill-tempered C. tolerant D. perseverant 4) A. outgoing B. extroverted C. laid-back D. well-coordinated 5) A. introverted B. changeable C. self-effacing D. open-minded

Extension 6) A. cooperative B. collaborative C. domineering D. interactive 7) A. retarded B. reserved C. reticent D. articulate 8) A. innovative B. indifferent C. passive D. impersonal 9) A. adaptable B. hostile C. passionate D. enthusiastic 10) A. creative B. farsighted C. conservative D. competent 11) A. haughty B. arrogant C. proud D. humble 12) A. original B. queer C. weird D. odd

Specialized Reading Extension 1. Read the first part of the passage concerning a four-stage model in team development and do the multiple-choice questions. Teamwork is the concept of people working together cooperatively, such as a football team. Projects often require that people work together to accomplish a common goal; therefore, teamwork is an important factor in most organizations. Effective collaborative skills are necessary to work well in a team environment. Many businesses attempt to enhance their employees' collaborative efforts through workshops and cross-training to help people effectively work together and accomplish shared goals. Aside from any required technical proficiency, a wide variety of social skills are desirable for successful teamwork, including listening, discussing, questioning, persuading, respecting, helping, sharing, participating and so forth.

Specialized Reading Extension The forming-storming-norming-performing model takes the team through four stages of team development. This model was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965, who maintained that these phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to deliver results. In the first stages of team building, the Forming of the team takes place. The team meets and learns about the opportunity and challenges, and then agrees on goals and begins to tackle the tasks. Team members tend to behave quite independently. They may be motivated but are usually relatively uninformed of the issues and objectives of the team. Team members are usually on their best behavior but very focused on themselves. Mature team members begin to model appropriate behavior even at this early phase. Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase.

Specialized Reading Extension The forming stage of any team is important because in this stage the members of the team get to know one another and make new friends. This is also a good opportunity to see how each member of the team works as an individual and how they respond to pressure. Every group will then enter the Storming stage in which different ideas compete for consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept. Team members open up to each other and confront each other’s ideas and perspectives. In some cases storming can be resolved quickly. In others, the team never leaves this stage. The maturity of some team members usually determines whether the team will ever move out of this stage. Immature team members will begin acting out to demonstrate how much they know and convince others that their ideas are correct. Some team members will focus on minutiae to evade real issues.

Specialized Reading Extension The storming stage is necessary to the growth of the team. It can be contentious, unpleasant and even painful to members of the team who are averse to conflict. Tolerance of each team member and their differences needs to be emphasized. Without tolerance and patience the team will fail. This phase can become destructive to the team and will lower motivation if allowed to get out of control. Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible but tend to still need to be directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behavior. At some point, the team may enter the Norming stage. Team members adjust their behavior to each other as they develop work habits that make teamwork seem more natural and fluid. Team members often work through this stage by agreeing on rules, values, professional behavior, shared methods, working tools and even taboos. During this phase, team members begin to trust each other. Motivation increases as the team gets more acquainted with the project.

Specialized Reading Extension Teams in this phase may lose their creativity if the norming behaviors become too strong and begin to stifle healthy dissent and the team begins to exhibit groupthink. Supervisors of the team during this phase tend to be participative more than in the earlier stages. The team members can be expected to take more responsibility for making decisions and for their professional behavior. Some teams will reach the Performing stage. These high-performing teams are able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or the need for external supervision. Team members have become interdependent. By this time they are motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is channeled through means acceptable to the team.

Specialized Reading Extension Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. The team will make most of the necessary decisions. Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. Many long-standing teams will go through these cycles many times as they react to changing circumstances. For example, a change in leadership may cause the team to revert to storming as the new people challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team.

Specialized Reading Extension 1) Which of the following is Not mentioned as the skill necessary to work well in a team environment? D A. Collaborative skills. B. Technical proficiency. C. Social skills. D. Collective operation. B 2) According to Bruce Tuckman who put forward the model, ______. A. the first phase is inevitable and indispensable B. the second phase is the stage to face up challenges C. the third phase is to plan work and deliver results D. the fourth phase is to adjust opinions and find solution B 3) In the forming stage, the team members ______. A. more often than not behave very independently B. seem to need to be directed by the supervisor C. are usually have a high motivation D. are at their best and self-centered

Specialized Reading Extension A 4) During the storming stage, the different ideas ______. A. are competing with each other for consideration B. bring about painful experience to most team members C. can be constructive, but they will lower motivation D. will be on display and be evaluated in great detail B 5) The conspicuous feature of the norming stage is that ______. A. many team lose their creativity at this stage B. motivation is full developed with dissents tolerated C. supervisors become most participative of the four stages D. team members adjust themselves and abide by the shared norms C 6) In the performing stage, different opinions will be ______. A. stifled even though they are healthy and constructive B. tolerated as long as they do not cause confrontation C. expected and allowed if they are conveyed by acceptable way D. acclaimed even if they challenge the existing norms and dynamics of the team

Extension 2. Read the second part of the passage about the roles of successful teams and judge the True or False statements. Meredith Belbin (1993) basing on his research proposed several roles that successful teams should have: The Shaper is full of drive to make things happen and get things going. In doing this they are quite happy to push their own views forward, do not mind being challenged and are always ready to challenge others. The shaper looks for the pattern in discussions and tries to pull things together into something feasible, which the team can then get to work on. The Plant This member is the one who is most likely to come out with original ideas and challenge the traditional way of thinking about things. Sometimes they become so imaginative and creative that the team cannot see the relevance of what they are saying. However, without the plant to scatter the seeds of new ideas the team will often find it difficult to make any headway. The plant's strength is in providing major new insights and ideas for changes in direction and not in contributing to the detail of what needs to be done.

Extension The Resource Investigator is the group member with the strongest contacts and networks, and is excellent at bringing in information and support from the outside. This member can be very enthusiastic in pursuit of the team’s goals, but cannot always sustain this enthusiasm. The Implementer is well organized and effective at turning big ideas into manageable tasks and plans that can be achieved. Such individuals are both logical and disciplined in their approach. They are hardworking and methodical but may have some difficulty in being flexible. The Team Worker is the one who is most aware of the others in the team, their needs and their concerns. They are sensitive and supportive of other people’s efforts, and try to promote harmony and reduce conflict. Team workers are particularly important when the team is experiencing a stressful or difficult period.

Extension The Resource Investigator is the group member with the strongest contacts and networks, and is excellent at bringing in information and support from the outside. This member can be very enthusiastic in pursuit of the team’s goals, but cannot always sustain this enthusiasm. The Implementer is well organized and effective at turning big ideas into manageable tasks and plans that can be achieved. Such individuals are both logical and disciplined in their approach. They are hardworking and methodical but may have some difficulty in being flexible. The Team Worker is the one who is most aware of the others in the team, their needs and their concerns. They are sensitive and supportive of other people’s efforts, and try to promote harmony and reduce conflict. Team workers are particularly important when the team is experiencing a stressful or difficult period.

Extension The Completer is the one who drives the deadlines and makes sure they are achieved. The completer usually communicates a sense of urgency, which galvanizes other team members into action. They are conscientious and effective at checking the details, which is a vital contribution, but sometimes get ‘bogged down’ in them. The Monitor Evaluator is good at seeing all the options. They have a strategic perspective and can judge situations accurately. The monitor evaluator can be overcritical and is not usually good at inspiring and encouraging others. The Specialist provides specialist skills and knowledge and has a dedicated and single-minded approach. They can adopt a very narrow perspective and sometimes fail to see the whole picture. The Finisher is a person who sticks to deadline and likes to get on with things. They will probably be irritated by the more relaxed members of the team.

Extension ______ T The shaper is to push things in feasible direction. F ______ The plant usually contributes to the detail of what needs to be done. ______ F Compared with implementer, the resource investigator is more enthusiastic. T ______ The team worker is able to coordinate people's relationship within the team. F ______ The completer is more effective than the finisher in making team members meet the deadline. T ______ The monitor evaluator may fail to inspire and encourage team members. F ______ The specialist plays the most important role as a professional in the team. T ______ The finisher can be very impatient with the relaxed team members.

Extension 3. Discuss the following questions with your group members. 1) The most important characteristic of a highly-effective team is that the members all strive to accomplish the team goals. What's the best way to communicate clear, realistic, and measurable goals, so everyone can contribute into building plans that are supportable by all? 2) Perhaps the most difficult part of building a winning team is building momentum, encouraging positive, informal interaction between team members when you are not present. How can you accomplish this? 3) What are some of the problems that can rip the team-building process apart?

Thank you!

Lead-in 1) Most of these terms are features of good teams. For example, the expression 'whole > sum' is used when they are working well together. But this isn't true of a bad team, where collective performance sometimes falls short of what you might expect given the quality of individuals. The Apollo Syndrome is a good example of this - where highly intelligent people often perform worse when working together than 'less able' members. The Apollo Syndrome is just one of sixteen team complexes that can inhibit collective performance.

Lead-in The important phrase in the above table is ''sharing one aim''. It is having a shared goal that distinguishes a group from a team, and without understanding and commitment to that goal, all other attempts at building better performance will have limited value. It is therefore of the highest priority to have a firm foundation of: �there being a common goal for which everyone has shared responsibility; �everyone understanding that goal and feeling committed to it.

Comprehension Exercises 1) Why did the author say that it could be the time for Bible classes in the Sanofi boardroom? The St Mark's Gospel tells people that a group should not be divided against itself if it is to stand, while a severe disagreement inside Sanofi boardroom seems to indicate that the board members don't understand the concept in this reading from the Bible. Therefore the author joked that Sanofi boardroom need a Bible class.

Comprehension Exercises 2) Identify some of the possible reasons given by the author for a crisis point of the leadership teams. the lack of harmony, difficultural clashes, pulling in different directions at the same time, failing to communicate properly, etc.

Comprehension Exercises 3) Why could ''career ladder'' be a problem for the harmony of a company's leadership team? Because in the ''real'' corporate world, individuality is rewarded more often than team participation. One who wants to climb his ''career ladder'' may usually focus more on his own achievements rather than that of the whole team.

Exercises 4) What does ''comfortable with ambiguity'' mean? It means to work well even when there are doubts and disagreements within the group.

Exercises 5) What are the most important factors mentioned by the author to be considered in forming a successful boat race team? What other factors might there be? a. all the rowers collaborating well; b. individual rower's personal skill and expertise.

Exercises 6) What could be inferred from ''its shareholders will not be encouraged by speculation that Sanofi's most senior executives disagree about this most fundamental of strategic moves''? Sanofi's shareholders may lose confidence in the company and sell their shares.

Exercises 7) According to the author, is it right to draw simplistic parallels between sport and business? Why or why not? No. Because sports and business are actually two different areas. But business executives can learn some interesting lessons about teamwork from a boat race.

Exercises 8) What can executives learn from the rowers in the boat race? Top executives can learn from the boat race rowers that all members should collaborate and be perfectly synchronized to make the business successful. Otherwise, even if each individual is highly skilled, the goal could hardly be reached.

Exercises 1. The following are eight characteristics of effective teams identified by some expert: © The team must have a clear goal. Team goals should call for a specific performance objective, expressed so concisely that everyone knows when the objective has been met. © The team must have a results-driven structure. The team should be allowed to operate in a manner that produces results. It is often best to allow the team to develop the structure. © The team must have competent team members. This can be taken to mean that the problem given to the team should be one that the members can tackle given their level of knowledge. © The team must have unified commitment. This doesn’t mean that team members must agree on everything. It means that all individuals must be directing their efforts towards the goal. If an individual’s efforts is going purely towards personal goals, then the team will confront this and resolve the problem.

Exercises © The team must have a collaborative climate. It is a climate of trust produced by honest, open, consistent and respectful behavior. With this climate teams perform well. . . without it, they fail. © The team must have high standards that are understood by all. Team members must know what is expected of them individually and collectively. Vague statements such as “positive attitude” and “demonstrated effort” are not good enough. © The team must receive external support and encouragement. Encouragement and praise works just as well in motivating teams as it does with individuals. © The team must have principled leadership. Teams usually need someone to lead the effort. Team members must know that the team leader has the position because they have good leadership skills and are working for the good of the team.

Exercises 2. The positive effect of a strong friendship in a team: The friends communicate a lot together; It naturally results in other members being drawn into the discussion; It can result in a good ‘social’ feel to the group; It makes people enjoy being in the group; It improves motivation and commitment. The negative effect of a strong friendship: It causes the other four people to feel excluded; It means they are less likely to include the two friends in decision making; It means that there are likely to be two sub-groups; It means that information may not flow across the whole group, but only within the subgroups; It means that miscommunication may lead to misunderstanding and poor collective performance.