Unit I Assignment

BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Summarize the determinants of high-performance teams. 1.1 Discuss the four Cs of team performance. 1.2 Explain how each of the four Cs contributes to improved performance.

4. Explain the importance of teamwork in an organization.

4.1 Explain the two types of self-directed work teams and the three generic team types. 4.2 Discuss how an organization's context of culture, structure, and systems supports teamwork.

Reading Assignment Chapter 1: The Search for the High-Performing Team Chapter 2: Context: Laying the Foundation for Team Success Please use the Business Source Complete database in the CSU Online Library to read the following article: Warrick, D. D. (2014). What leaders can learn about teamwork and developing high performance teams

from organization development practitioners. OD Practitioner, 46(3), 68-75.

Unit Lesson This unit begins with a brief history of team building. The first efforts to improve organizations came from T- groups (training groups) and from the National Training Laboratories in Silver Spring, Maryland. Participants in T-groups learned to communicate in a more open and honest manner, accept responsibility for their behavior, and engage in relationships based on equality rather than on hierarchy or status. In 1968, Campbell and Dunnette conducted a study of the impact of T-groups on organizational performance. They concluded that while T-groups did help individuals become more comfortable with their ability to manage interpersonal relationships, T-groups had virtually no impact on organization or team performance. The team-building paradigm was created to shift from an unstructured T-group to a more focused and defined process for training a group in collaborative work and problem solving.

UNIT I STUDY GUIDE

The Foundation for Team Success

BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

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The four Cs of high-performing teams were developed as a platform to build effective teams. The first C is context, or the organizational environment. According to Dyer, Dyer, and Dyer (2013), questions to consider in relation to the first C include the following.

 How important is effective teamwork to accomplishing this particular task?

 What type of team (e.g., task team, decision team, self-directed team) do I need?

 Do my organization's culture, structure, and processes support teamwork? The second C is composition, or the skills, attitudes, and experience of the team members. According to Dyer, et al. (2013), one should consider the following questions.

 To what extent do individual members have the technical skills required to complete the task?

 To what extent do they have the interpersonal and communication skills required to coordinate their work with others?

 To what extent are individual team members motivated to complete the task?

 Is the team the right size? The third C is competencies, or the formal and informal processes that are independent of individuals. According to Dyer, et al., (2013), some of the most important competencies are as follows.

 Can they clearly articulate their goals, metrics, and the means required to achieve them?

 Can they conduct effective meetings, make effective decisions, and effectively communicate, including giving and receiving feedback?

 Can they build trust and commitment to the team?

 Can they resolve disputes or disagreements? The fourth C is change. Management teams need to change and adapt to be effective over time (Dyer et al., 2013). At the conclusion of this unit, students should understand the context of a team and the importance of the four Cs in the design and building of high performing teams When designing high-performing teams, one must realize that conflict can arise and must be dealt with immediately. If no action is taken to address or resolve conflicting issues, team morale, motivation, and productivity can decrease.

BSL 4060, Team Building and Leadership 3

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

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High-performing teams consist of members whose attitudes, skills, and competencies will enable them to achieve team goals. As these team members build effective relationships, they are more likely to successfully communicate, make decisions, and set goals that will benefit the organization as a whole. Therefore, their objectives are accomplished, and members become more cognizant of his or her strengths. Weaknesses are also identified, and changes are made in order to improve team performances (Dyer et al., 2013). In most organizations, if employees are constantly complaining or resigning, there is an obvious reason for discontent. In some cases, the problems stem from above. Leadership is huge in instilling faith and support in the hearts of members. In addition, team members like to know that their supervisors are willing to do the same work as they are asked to perform, that they are honest in their delivery of information and feedback, and that they are vision-oriented to create opportunities for each team member to excel in various respects and to contribute successfully to the team’s milestones. When laying the foundation for team success, it is imperative that leaders know the steps necessary to build an effective team, understand the importance of rewarding team members for their work, and continuously being offered team development opportunities. Supervisors must always ask themselves this question: “Does the organization’s context of culture, structure, and systems support teamwork?” Click the link below to view an interactive tutorial from MyCourseTools on the qualities inherent in a good manager and some important management theories. You may have to copy and paste the link into your browser if you are not able to access it by clicking. http://www.http://www.pearsoncustom.com/mct-enterprise/asset.php?isbn=1256689785&id=12190 Click on the link below to view an interactive tutorial from MyCourseTools on group behavior. http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pls/pls_mycoursetools/fufillment/mct_1256689785_csu/org_behavior/lesso n_06/default.htm

References Campbell, J., & Dunnette, M. (1968). Effectiveness of t-group experiences in managerial training and

development. Psychological Bulletin, 70, 73-103. Dyer, W. G. Jr., Dyer, J. H. & Dyer, W. G. (2013). Team building: Proven strategies for improving team

performance (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.