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Chapter 2: Teamwork, Leadership, and Business Communication

Teamwork, Leadership, and Business Communication Objectives

Introduction

Effective teamwork, leadership, and communication are what it takes to motivate and inspire others in the business world. The goal of this lecture is to help you develop communication skills that will make you an effective team player and a good leader. After completing this lecture, you will be able to answer the following questions:

· What are business teams like today?

· What do you have to offer a team?

· What makes a team work together effectively?

· What causes teams to break down?

· How can you become an effective team leader?

Learning Objective 1

What Business Teams Are Like Today

What are business teams like today?

Work teams today look very different than they did 20 years ago. Before the 1970s, companies were generally organized into divisions representing their different operations. However, this structure led to many managerial levels. It also led to duplicated roles, with each division relying on its own accountants, engineers, and so forth, and limited the ways teams across different divisions worked together. Organizations are much flatter today. In other words, there are few layers of managers, and teams are the norm.

Although teamwork can be difficult, teams are an integral part of business. The following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of working on teams:

Advantages	Disadvantages
Multiple ideas can be generated for solving problems.	Although teams can at times speed up the problem-solving process, they can also slow it down as their size grows larger.
Various talents of team players are brought to the table.	Employees who prefer working alone can become frustrated.
Employees can energize one another.	Meeting tight deadlines can be more difficult.
Teamwork can add a social element to jobs, strengthening the bonds between employees and improving their job satisfaction.	Frequently, team members don’t all participate equally on the team.
Large tasks can be more easily tackled.	If not effectively managed, teams can damage the morale of a company.

Most of the disadvantages of teams can be overcome if team members know how to communicate with one another. How you communicate with and function on a team can, in fact, make or break your career.

Many firms utilize geographically dispersed teams. A geographically dispersed team consists of members who work in different locations both inside and outside of an organization. As a result, it is a virtual team, and members must rely on technology to work together. When using technology with teams, it is important to factor in the following: the technical proficiency of the team’s members, the technology available to each member, and the goals of the team. Navigate through this guided diagram with the arrows in the upper right to learn more about the seven ways that virtual team members can communicate with one another.

Telephone Conferences

Three or more team members converse simultaneously. Participants dial one number and then punch in a code to connect to the call—or—a moderator calls all the participants and connects them to the call.

VoIP (voice over Internet protocol)

This technology transfers audio signals to digital data, which is transmitted through the Internet. This allows team members to speak directly with one another and avoid long-distance telephone charges.

Web Conferences

Team members conduct meetings through the Internet, using a Web-based application, where each member uses a separate computer with attached Webcam. The technology is ideal for small, interactive sessions. Examples include Web Train, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, Acrobat Connect, and WebEx.

Videoconferences

Two or more sites interact by two-way video and audio transmissions through interactive telecommunications technology. Video images are projected onto large screens for viewing.

Online Chat and Social Networking

Internet-based communication tools that let team members send messages and share ideas using e-mails, instant messaging software such as Instant Messenger, Google, or TokBox, and social-networking Web sites similar to Facebook.

Collaborative Writing Software

Teams use software such as Google Docs, Whiteboard, and Wikis to collaboratively create, edit, and revise written reports and documents.

Webcasts

Teams use Webcasts for formal presentations to large and dispersed audiences. They can broadcast their presentations over the Internet.

Learning Objective 2

What You Have to Offer A Team

Successful business people share a common ability to maximize their strengths, and compensate for their weaknesses. Understanding how you process information, read the signals other people are sending, and express yourself will help you succeed in teams and emerge as a leader.

Personality Spectrum

What do you have to offer a team?

Self-awareness is critical for functioning well in any group. Emotional intelligence is the ability to monitor and control your emotions, thoughts, and feelings, all while remaining sensitive to and aware of others’ feelings. Your emotional quotient (EQ) is said to measure your emotional intelligence, much like your intelligence quotient (IQ) measures your intellectual intelligence. Author Daniel Goleman claims that in business, your EQ is arguably more important than your IQ.

How can you learn about yourself and develop your emotional intelligence? There are many self-assessments available, including the Keirsey Sorter and Myers/Briggs personality tests and the VARK questionnaire. The assessment in this lecture is based on the Keirsey Sorter personality types test, which will allow you to see your own dominant strengths and your lower-scoring areas, called “growth areas.” Use the graphics below to perform a self-assessment using the Keirsey Sorter personality types test.

[ Keirsey Sorter personality types test images ]

Managers and Personality Types

Knowing about the Keirsey Sorter personality types will not only help you to communicate better with your team members, but will also help you to understand and work more efficiently with people to whom you report.

There are strategies for communicating with managers, based on the different personality types in the Keirsey Sorter. Click on the headings in the graphic below to reveal them.

However people are not objects that can be easily categorized and put into boxes like nuts and bolts, sorted by size. Never assume you know everything about a person just because you think you have figured out his or her personality type.

[ Keirsey Sorter personality types chart image ]

Thinker: Give a thinker well-analyzed memos and oral summaries. Have your data and your facts handy and double check their accuracy. Do your homework, in other words.

Giver: Provide communication that is genuine and interesting. Use stories to illustrate an accomplishment or a job well done. Be willing to give feedback and acknowledgement for work being done.

Organizer: Provide solid information presented in an organized way. Proofread, prepare, rehearse, and re-rehearse your delivery. Find the most attractive and effective way to package information.

Adventurer: Be interesting, challenging, or entertaining. Use stories and humor to illustrate your message with visuals, music, and an element of surprise. Be creative and convey passion.

Learning Objective 3

Working Together Effectively in a Team

What makes a team work together effectively?

What happens when you simply do not like a team member? The fact is you are not going to like everyone with whom you work. However, liking or disliking someone is very different than working well with him or her. Regardless of your feelings, behave professionally and communicate respectfully with the person. One way to do this is to remain focused on the team’s desired outcomes.

In 1965, Bruce Tuckman, a psychologist and education specialist, attempted to explain the dynamics of groups by describing their stages of development. Tuckman maintained that the stages are necessary and inevitable for teams to go through in order to plan, strategize, address problems, and deliver results. The easy-to-remember stages are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Click on the numbers below to get a sense of what these five stages are about.

1. Forming

During a series of initial meetings, group members observe and assess one another while gauging their chances of successful teamwork.

2. Storming

A few weeks down the road, the group begins to run into some challenges. One member might have poor attendance, and another might seem disconnected.

3. Norming

The group leader calls for a meeting to discuss issues and concerns. Team members then revisit group goals and individual roles. A plan is developed for handling conflicts and communication breakdowns. Members then recommit to roles and responsibilities, and begin to build consensus.

4. Performing

After meeting and communicating regularly for about two months, the members now have a good understanding of each other’s strengths. This has resulted in the accomplishment of a major team goal. In other words, the team has now delivered what it had set out to accomplish.

5. Adjourning

The team leader now brings the team members together to congratulate them on their success. Based on their effectiveness, the leader informs them that they will be brought back together again for future projects.

A team’s size affects its ability to communicate effectively. If a team is too large, it becomes difficult for everyone to voice their opinions, and consensus can be difficult to build. If a team is too small, it often lacks the multiple perspectives that are advantageous in teamwork. According to Edward Hall, a noted anthropologist and psychoanalyst, the ideal business team has between 8 and 12 members.

One of the biggest challenges teams face is making decisions that reflect the thinking of the entire group. The graphic below shows four common decision-making models that teams use. Regardless of the model a team chooses for its decision-making process, the best communication occurs when:

· The team has a clearly defined goal.

· The need for making the decision is understood by all members.

· Supporting information has been gathered to aid in the decision-making process.

· Some time is dedicated to coming up with alternate solutions.

Many teams find it beneficial to share a common set of “ground rules,” or agreed-upon standards, for the group. Click on the headings in the graphic below to see some suggestions.

Identify Desired Outcomes

Outline the team’s goals and how you will know when those goals have been met. This will help each member be accountable to the overall objectives.

Begin with the End in Mind

Identify the end result. This will prevent members from falling off course and becoming distracted by other issues.

Define Expectations

Name attainable goals to increase motivation:

· Use an agenda every time

· Agree to work through conflict

· Start and end meetings on time

Use Diversity

Solicit different points of view and examine the pros and cons. This allows you to see the big picture when solving problems. Starting with a diverse team can make this easier.

Plan Ahead in Detail

Create well-defined action steps and time frames for completion. This is a good way to summarize a meeting and have all members on the same page.

Working on a team can be a slow process, but proper team etiquette can help teams avoid frustrations. Consider the following tips:

· Show up on time.

· Be prepared.

· Try to sit where you can see all of the other team members.

· Be courteous.

· Use polite language.

· Respect the team’s confidentiality.

· If you have an issue with a teammate, talk to the person directly.

· Make a point to acknowledge team members when appropriate.

· Keep your personal business outside of the meeting.

· Avoid sending text message, e-mails, and instant messages during meetings.

· Clean up after yourself.

6. Use a Meeting Agenda

A meeting agenda is another vital way of keeping teams on track. The example below shows all the components of an effective team-meeting agenda. Navigate through this guided example with the arrows in the upper right to learn more about them.

Training Team Meeting Agenda

December 2, 2011, 9:00 A.M.–10:30 A.M. [note the items in the agenda: (start and end time, date, location, and attendees).]

Location: 2nd floor conference room

Remote members: Dial 1-800-672-2345, PIN: 2534.

Access screen-sharing at: gotomeeting.com, PIN: 2534.

Attendees: Jose Oliff, Jeff Tartun, Aaron Kneel, Amy Lassiter, Maria Dennen

Absent: Leo Kahn (Amy will send notes to Leo)

Agenda:

1. Check-in: 5 minutes

2. Review of action items from Nov. 1 meeting: 30 minutes [Review: summarizes the last meeting and previous action plans.]

· Jeff: Status on training module template

· Amy: Update on new training software

· Maria: Reporting system progress

3. Module rollout discussion: 10 minutes [Agenda items: provides structure for the meeting and assignments for the next meeting.]

4. Identify next raining topics: 10 minutes

5. Timing of Launch: 10 minutes

6. Other: 5 minutes

7. Action items for next meeting: 10 minutes

8. Open-discussion period: 10 minutes [Open discussion: allows members to bring up other relevant information.]

7. Virtual Teams

Virtual teams are increasingly common because companies recognize that the best people for projects are often in different locations. Working across geographical distances, time zones, and cultures can be challenging, but the core principles of team dynamics remain the same.

Virtual teams require extra attention to the communication process to combat the obstacles that could result from not having regular face-to-face interaction. In a face-to-face meeting, the interpersonal connections between individuals are much easier to make than through collaborative meeting software.

Working in a virtual team often means working with people who live in different parts of the country or world. People’s accents can sometimes be difficult to understand. Speak clearly, not too fast, and loudly enough for everyone to hear. Lastly, try to eliminate any background noise.

E-mail, instant messaging, and other electronic communication allow for easy communication. However, the personal touch can get lost in the mix. Taking the time to have a phone conversation can help bridge the gap that can result from electronic communication. Picking up the phone can also help when several e-mail messages have not produced the results you want.

Learning Objective 4

How Teams Break Down

What causes teams to break down?

Even the best-managed teams have problems. In this section, we will discuss problems teams can experience, and hot to use your communication skills to work through these problems.

Irving Janis, a research psychologist from Yale University, coined the term groupthink to describe the phenomenon that occurs when the members of a group “go with the flow,” or tacitly agree with one another’s ideas to avoid conflict—even when they might silently object to those ideas. Groupthink creates a false consensus.

Team conflicts can result from the following:

· power struggles

· personality differences

· limited resources

· opposing interests

· a lack of clarity regarding the roles each member plays in the group

Conflicts within teams are inevitable and can even be positive. The following tips can help you resolve conflict, regardless of its source:

· What are you trying to accomplish? Keep the outcome in mind.

· Avoid personality disputes. Focus on the problem, not the person.

· Maintain a positive outlook and attitude toward other members of the group.

· Have confidence that you will get to a win-win outcome.

The graphic below lists sources of workplace conflicts and strategies for solving them. Click on the Source button to learn about the sources of workplace conflicts. Then, click on the Strategies button to learn how to resolve them.

Conflict	Conflicts of Interest	Lack of Clarity about Roles	Limited Resources	Power Struggles	Personality Differences
Source	Individuals can get caught up in their own agendas and lose sight of organizational goals.	Team members can experience conflict when their roles and boundaries are not clearly defined.	Lack of time, money, resources, supplies, and space can cause conflict.	The need to control a project or outcome causes conflict.	Differences in personalities can result in conflict due to differing approaches and work styles.
Strategy for Resolution	Consistently remind team members how the roles they play fit into the broader mission of the organization.	Clarify what each member is expected to deliver to the team. Make sure a time frame is agreed upon and that everyone has the necessary, up-to-date information.	Include teams in resource allocation discussions so they understand why resources are distributed the way they are.	Promote an environment that fosters positive relationships. Teach team members how to effectively navigate political “minefields” or situations where conflicts are likely to occur.	Work toward understanding your own personality. Share what you know about yourself and discuss with the team how to work with people with various personalities.

Conflicts can also arise because of the behaviors of the team members. Toxic team members prevent a team from reaching its potential. Click through the numbers at the bottom of the page to learn more about “toxic” team members.

1. The Lone Ranger

A highly competitive introvert who prefers to work alone, and who becomes easily impatient with others. Often the entrepreneurial type.

2. The Know-It-All

Doesn’t really listen to team input. Is already convinced of having the right answers. Often intimidates others with this attitude.

3. The Passive-Aggressive

Blames others rather than taking personal responsibility. Retaliates for perceived affronts by stalling, withholding, and indirectly sabotaging.

4. The Intimidated

Continually compares himself or herself negatively to other team members. Becomes easily intimidated by those perceived as smarter or more talented.

5. The Gossip

Gossips about others in order to feel better, stronger, or more powerful about himself or herself by comparison.

6. The Taker

Often takes credit for the work of others.

7. The Slacker

Avoids volunteering for assignments out of lack of belief in himself or herself. Does the minimum required.

8. The Seat Filler

Resembles the slacker, except that he or she does nothing rather than the minimum required.

Fortunately, there are conflict-resolution steps to take when team breakdowns occur. Click through the eight steps in the diagram below to learn about working through team conflicts and impasses.

1. Calm Yourself

· How: Take a deep breath, and refrain from raising your voice. Remind yourself to relax.

· Why: This clears your thinking and helps you control your emotions.

2. Restore Order

· How: Take a “timeout.”

· Why: This stops the fight and contains the damage.

3. Hear People’s Stories

· How: Ask the person to “Help me understand your concern.”

· Why: This gathers information and defuses tension among people.

4. Listen Carefully

· How: Make eye contact and don’t interrupt people.

· Why: This honors the need for people to be heard.

5. Create Alternate Solutions

· How: Ask, “How could we resolve this?”

· Why: This moves the discussion from accusations to solutions.

6. Agree on a Solution

· How: Ask, “Would this work for you?”

· Why: This moves the discussion to resolution and brings closure.

7. Test the Solutions

· How: Ask, “Are you sure this will work for you?”

· Why: This ensures clear communication.

8. Agree to Disagree

· How: Suggest temporarily tabling the discussion, allowing other ideas and solutions to emerge.

· Why: This gives people a chance to clear their minds, cool off, and gather more information for problem solving.

When conflict abounds and tensions run high, bringing in an outside mediator, such as someone from human resources, can be helpful. Although working in teams can be difficult, its rewards are many. As Henry Ford once said:

“Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Learning Objective 5

Becoming an Effective Team Leader

How can you become an effective team leader?

According to Dr. Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education, “A leader is an individual (or, rarely, a set of individuals) who significantly affects the thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors of a significant number of individuals.” More formally, leadership can be defined as the ability and process of motivating people to move toward a common goal. As Microsoft founder Bill Gates puts it, “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”

All leaders have detractors and supporters. Detractors are the people who do not support the leader and can be derisive or coercive. Supporters are the people who show their commitment to the leader by meeting deadlines, coming up with ideas, and creating an environment that is affirming of the leader’s goals and vision.

You can develop leadership attributes by studying good leaders around you and by joining teams with effective leaders. Once you see leadership skills in action, try them out. Think about how to improve a product or procedure and discuss it with your manager. Leaders are not born. They are made.

Every team has a leader, and that leader could be you. Click on the parts of the diagram below to learn about the six elements of effective leadership.

Ability to Influence

Leaders garner support for causes by influencing others. They motivate others to embrace a vision, do their best work, and become part of a solution.

Exemplary Behavior

Leaders model best behaviors and take responsibility for their actions. The “walk their talk” and demonstrate how to do things, rather than simply telling others what to do.

Follow-Through Skills

Effective leaders consistently deliver on their promises. They meet deadlines and follow through with their commitments.

Positive Self-Identity

The best leaders are self-aware. They understand their strengths and weaknesses. They believe in themselves and what they can contribute to a cause.

Values

Leaders possess values that reflect the team’s best interests. They look to these values to inform and guide their actions.

Vision

The best leaders hold fast to a vision of what is possible. They inspire others through this vision to work toward a common goal, despite obstacles met along the way.

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 10

Virtual team members often do all of the following:

Call one another E-mail one another Go to lunch together Use the same software

· True

· False

False: Correct

That is correct. Virtual team members often communicate via phone or e-mail and often use the same tools, including software. They do not often go to lunch together because they are usually geographically dispersed.

Question 2 of 10

All of the following are advantages to teamwork except:

· Energizing one another

· Tackling large tasks

· Multiple ideas

· Meeting tight deadlines

Meeting tight deadlines: Correct

That is correct. Meeting tight deadlines can actually become more difficult when working with a team.

Question 3 of 10

Match each of these descriptive phrases with the term that best fits it:

Genuine stories	Adventurer manager
Well-analyzed memos	Organizer manager
Visuals and music	Giver manager
Rehearsed delivery	Thinker manager

Correct:

Genuine stories	Giver manager
Well-analyzed memos	Thinker manager
Visuals and music	Adventurer manager
Rehearsed delivery	Organizer manager

That is correct. Thinker managers like well-analyzed memos, and giver managers enjoy genuine stories. Organizer managers appreciate a rehearsed delivery, and adventurer managers enjoy visuals and music.

Question 4 of 10

The ability to monitor and control your emotions, thoughts, and feelings, while remaining sensitive to and aware of others’ feelings, is called self-awareness.

· True

· False

False: Correct

That is correct. This is actually a description of emotional intelligence (EQ). Self-awareness primarily involves and understanding of how you process information, express yourself, and read the signals that other people are sending.

Question 5 of 10

Choose the decision-making model that works best in emergency situations:

· Authoritarian

· Majority Rules

· Consensus

· Group Deciders

Authoritarian: Correct

That is correct. Authoritarian decision making is the quickest decision-making model of them all, and is therefore well suited to emergency situations where time is of the essence.

Question 6 of 10

Match each descriptive phrase with the term that best fits it:

Revisit roles	Forming
Assess one another	Storming
Run into challenges	Norming
Congratulate team	Adjourning
Accomplish goal	Performing

Correct:

Revisit roles	Norming
Assess one another	Forming
Run into challenges	Storming
Congratulate team	Adjourning
Accomplish goal	Performing

That is correct. Forming includes assessing one another, and storming includes running into challenges. Norming includes revisiting roles, and performing includes accomplishing goals. During adjourning, congratulations are in order!

Question 7 of 10

Drag the eight steps of conflict resolution so that they are rearranged in proper sequential order:

1. Calm Yourself

2. Test the Solutions

3. Hear People’s Stories

4. Listen Carefully

5. Create Alternate Solutions

6. Restore Order

7. Agree on a Solution

8. Agree to Disagree

Correct:

1. Calm Yourself

2. Restore Order

3. Hear People’s Stories

4. Listen Carefully

5. Create Alternate Solutions

6. Agree on a Solution

7. Test the Solutions

8. Agree to Disagree

That is correct. Establishing calm and restoring order are steps 1 and 2 of the conflict resolution process. Then comes step 3: hearing people’s stories and step 4: listening carefully. After that comes step 5: creating alternate solutions, step 6: agreeing on a solution, and step 7: testing the solutions. Finally, resolve to “agree to disagree,” which is step 8, the final step in the conflict resolution process.

Question 8 of 10

Groupthink creates a false consensus because:

· Members can’t form a majority

· Members only tacitly agree

· Members don’t have a vote

· Members are openly hostile

Members only tacitly agree: Correct

That is correct. Groupthink occurs when members tacitly agree to avoid outer conflict, but might be silently objecting within.

Question 9 of 10

Leaders need to be:

· Influential

· Intellectual

· Wealthy

· Beautiful

Influential: Correct

That is correct. Although some leaders may also be wealthy, beautiful, and/or intellectual, they really only need to be influential.

Question 10 of 10

The best leaders hold fast to a ______________ of what is possible.

· Goal

· Objective

· Value

· Vision

Vision: Correct

That is correct. The best leaders hold fast to a vision of what is possible, and inspire others with this vision even when obstacles are in the way.

Teamwork, Leadership, and Business Communication Summary

Summary

This lecture has discussed key concepts related to the following learning objectives:

· Explain what business teams are like today. (Textbook reference: see pages 30-31)

· Assess what you have to offer a team. (Textbook reference: see pages 31-36)

· Discuss what makes a team work together effectively. (Textbook reference: see pages 36-46)

· Identify what causes teams to break down. (Textbook reference: see pages 46-49)

· Describe how you can become an effective team leader. (Textbook reference: see pages 49-52)