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Understanding Groups and Teams

Reflective Questions to guide this lecture Part 1: Exploring what is Groups and Teams?

1.  What is a Group? What is a Team? Does it matter if they are the same or different?

2.  Why do we need teams? Why are there different types of teams? 3.  What makes successful teams? (Tuckman & Jenson’s Framework;

Gersick’s Punctuated Equilibrium Model)

4.  What are the key components of Group Structure? (Members Roles, Member Goals, Norms, Conformity, Cohesiveness, Size, Leadership Positions)

Part 2: Effective Groups and Teams

1.  How do we identify and resolve team conflict? (Peterson and Harvey, 2009)

2.  How do we achieve Team Effectiveness? (Mathieau and Rapp, 2009)

Team

Group

Group or Team •  A group is 2 or more people with a common goal, but there is no

psychological contract between them - the outcomes are less dependent on all the members working together and there is usually no shared responsibility and accountability for outcomes.

•  A team is 2 or more people psychologically contracted together to achieve a common goal in which all individuals involved share at least some level of responsibility and accountability for the outcome.

Why do we need teams?

Virtual Teams •  A team of people who work together largely through computer-

based rather than face-to-face interactions.

adjourning

5

norming

3

performing

4 forming

1

storming

2

Group development 1 – Tuckman and Jensen (1977)

adjourning

5

norming

3

performing

4 forming

1

storming

2

Group development 1 – Tuckman and Jensen (1977)

Group development 2– Punctuated equilibrium

First meeting

Deadline

Inertia

Punctuated equilibrium Urgency

P er

fo rm

an ce

High

Low Time

Group Structure – Member roles – Member goals – Norms – Conformity – Cohesiveness – Size – Leadership positions (Topic 8)

Member Roles

1. Task Accomplishment

–  Clarifying

–  Diagnosing

–  Initiating

–  Evaluating

–  Opinion seeking

–  Information gathering

–  Summarising

What do you mean when you said...?

What do you think if we try this approach?

Who knows about...?

I think the problem with that idea is...

Okay, so then today we finished X, and at the next meeting we will be covering Y and Z, is that right?

–  Encouraging

–  Gate keeping (even participation from everyone)

–  Expressing feelings

–  Following

–  Compromising

–  Harmonising

–  Setting standards

Who else has felt frustrated that our meetings never start on time?

Tiffany, we haven’t heard your ideas yet..

I think that’s a great idea, let’s see if we can develop it.

Why don’t you two listen to each other before getting upset, you have a lot in common

I’ll let Amber do the artwork if I can have final say on the layout

Member Roles 2. Maintaining Group Member Satisfaction

–  Attacking

–  Blocking

–  Dominating

–  Withdrawing

–  Special pleading

–  Clowning

Let me take care of this.

That’s the stupidest idea yet.

Hey, that reminds me of something really funny I saw on You-tube! It will just take a minute for me to find it

If you ask me neither of those ideas are going to work.

Member Roles

3. Self oriented or hindering

Member goals •  Why is each member in the

group?

•  Are they in the group by choice or requirement?

•  What does each person want to accomplish in the group?

•  How do the goals of each member align with the other member goals?

Group Norms Definition: Norms are rules that determine what we

say or do in a group situation.

– Implicit (unspoken) – Explicit (written or spoken— “the rules”)

Examples in groups:

How do norms develop?

Five factors that can determine the speed of norm formation.

1.  Individual characteristics

2.  Clarity of the norm

3.  The number of people who have already conformed to the norm

4.  The quality of the interpersonal relationships within the group

5.  The sense of group identification

Conformity and Groupthink Groupthink definition: “the illusion of agreement”. Certain group characteristics encourage group

think, such as:

Group size

•  Problems when a group is too small

•  Problems when a group is too big –  “Social loafing” –  Why does social loafing

occur?

Group Processes

Group decision making

Team conflict According to Peterson &

Harvey:

•  What are the negative aspects of team conflict?

•  What are the positive aspects of team conflict?

•  When does conflict occur?

Peterson & Harvey conflict classification Source of conflict a

Type of team conflict b

Possible resolution c

1. Differences in info, background, skills

Task based Easiest to address: share information

2. Differences in values

Relationship based

Most difficult to address: people reluctant to change their values. Compromise is needed

3. Differences in interests/goals

Process based Ensure a fair and transparent process. May involve discussions of deeper, underlying priorities & assumptions.

Effective Teams Mathieau, J & Rapp, T 2009, ‘Laying the Foundation for successful Team

Performance Trajectories: The role of Team Charters and Performance Strategies.’ Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 94, No.1, pp. 90–103.

The authors look at team activities and divide them into two categories:

–  Task work: What the team is doing? –  Team work: How the members work together?

Team work + Task work = Team effectiveness

Team work planning Team contracts are good because they:

– Prompt team members to consider the team mission & objectives

– Help identify important stakeholders for successful team functioning

– Identify team member strengths, weaknesses & working styles

Team contract:

– Outline roles and responsibilities for each member

– Specify how the team will function, and how the task will be accomplished

– Determine how performance will be evaluated – Can facilitate later team processes, as there

are guidelines in place – Can help minimise dysfunctional interpersonal

processes

Questions every new team should answer

1.  Where and when should we meet? 2.  How long should our meetings last? 3.  What should we do if a member can’t attend a meeting? 4.  How will we follow up to ensure each member is doing his or her

assigned work? 5.  Who is going to organise the agenda for the meeting? 6.  How will we manage conflict? 7.  How will we make our decisions, for example, by majority vote or by

consensus?

8.  What is our mission statement? What are the goals or desired outcome of our team?

9.  What other guidelines do we need to develop?

Task work •  To improve task work, the team can develop a Performance

Strategy.

•  A performance strategy is a deliberate set of plans for what it is the team intends to do, and should include goals and tactics, as well as alternative courses of action.

•  A high quality performance strategy is Proactive strategy— planning for future events.

•  A low quality performance strategy is a Reactive strategy— responding to events, not planning for them.

•  The strength of forward planning the strategy is that the team has a template to refer to, rather than creating one ad- hoc.