© 2003 WF Cobb Truthbase.net  bcobbweb@yahoo.com 973-837-1041

Passaic County Community College NMD 104 P1      April 26, May 10,17,24 2003   9:00am-12:00pm  Hamilton Club

 

Humanity’s greatest achievements have been team efforts. This course will help you know when to use teams and how to do it with the greatest return on investment and personal satisfaction. You will learn to build a winning team on the four pillars of effective teamwork, both in class and in your personal organization, and/or home.

 

Session I. Target: If you aim at nothing you’re sure to hit it.

Content: Target setting, Educating, Recruiting and Organizing a team; Building Buy-in; Board of Directors; Authority, Ownership

B. Objectives: Participants will build “Test Teams” one within the class and another in their personal environment for targeted objectives and work towards reaching that objective throughout the course.

Session II. Expectations: Clarifying and getting “buy-in” on the target makes hitting it a pleasure

A. Content: Generating and Sustaining Commonality of Purpose; Meaningful meeting management; small group facilitation

B. Objectives: Participants will apply principles and solve problems in their “test teams”, and participate in a mock board meeting

Session III. Accountability: Since people do what’s inspected rather than expected, the leader must know how to secure commitment

A. Affirmation, Empowering team members; Resolving Conflicts; Team Functions and Techniques

B. Objectives: Participants will apply principles and solve problems in their “test teams”,

Session IV. Morale: Self-motivated teams have a contagious morale and momentum that enable the group to accomplish more than the sum of the individuals working on their own.

A. Content: Building a winning attitude and maintaining high morale

B. Objectives: Participants will evaluate the successes of their “Test Teams” and share lessons learned.

 

Management Teams, Belbin www.pdma.org/bookstore/books/mtwsf_review.html

What is the role and characteristics of the effective leader, or Chairman in Belbin's terminology: trusting, accepting people as they are, strong and morally based commitment to external goals and objectives, calm and unflappable in the face of controversy, geared towards practical realism, possessing basic self-discipline, naturally enthusiastic with a capacity to motivate others while also prone to detachment and distance in social relations. The successful "Chairman is someone tolerant enough always to listen to others but strong enough to reject their advice." This person shows approval for people who accomplish their goals, likes people who are lively and dynamic, knows how to use resources, never loses the grip on a situation, and reaches his own judgment. This leader is adept at drawing out the potential of the group and gets high marks on skill in consultation, delegation of work, and firmness of decisions. Belbin reports that leaders of project teams that had been appointed on the basis of this profile rather than on the basis of experience and seniority achieved more favorable outcomes and the most reliable results. This person played an important part in teams which encountered the usual difficulties but overcame them to finish strongly. He also cautions, "It is quite difficult to identify individuals with this gift for it belongs to some deceptively ordinary people" (pp. 48-61).

Some characteristics of winning teams: Teams with a wide spread of mental ability pulled together better than teams that were intellectually more homogenous. Members found useful jobs and team-roles that fitted their personal characteristics and abilities. There was always someone suitable for any job that came up. Team-oriented stable extroverts, well disciplined and of reasonably good mental ability, produced consistently good teams. Even without an ideal distribution of talent, winning teams recognized latent weaknesses and learned ways of operating like co-operative stable extrovert teams without actually recruiting stable extroverts. Why does the classic mixed team not prevail in the business world? "There is a natural human resistance to searching for the mixed teams as a deliberate act of policy, for like selects like and people usually create groups in their own image" (p. 104).

 

improving communication, commitment, cooperation and conflict resolution among teams and management.

 

LISTENING TIPS

Do make eye contact

Don't interrupt

Do lean forward and show interest

Don't finish other's sentences for them

Do mirror the other person's body language

Don't multi-task when listening

Reflect back

Make person feel good for having spoken

 

What they share could be as insignificant as desire to get on the next bus that will arrive at a particular stop. A team, however, is "a group of people who share a common name, mission, history, set of goals or objectives and expectations." A strategy that can help groups develop into real teams is teambuilding, "the process needed to create, maintain, and enrich the development of a group of people into a cohesive unit."

Cohesiveness This term refers to the attractiveness of group membership. Groups are cohesive to the extent that membership in them is positively valued, and members are drawn toward the group. In task oriented (e.g., learning or project) groups, the concept can be differentiated into two subconcepts: social cohesiveness and task cohesiveness. Social cohesiveness refers to the bonds of interpersonal attraction that link group members. Task cohesiveness refers to the way in which skills and abilities of the group members mesh to allow optimal performance.

Team building exercises that have a component of fun or play are useful in allowing social cohesiveness to develop. Examples include: designing a team logo, sharing information about first jobs, or participating in activities to discover characteristics that team members have in common. To develop task cohesiveness, activities that allow the group members to assess one another’s talents, strengths and weaknesses are useful.

Roles and Norms

All groups develop a set of roles and norms over time, whether or not these are explicitly discussed. Norms are the rules governing the behavior of group members. The use of explicitly defined roles enables the group to cope effectively with the requirements of the task. The roles and norms that govern cooperative learning groups are often imposed by the instructor, but that does not preclude a teambuilding exercise in which those roles and norms, as well as some that are specific to a group, are discussed and accepted.

An example of a teambuilder which would help teammates to develop effective norms would be to ask them to develop team groundrules or a "Code of Cooperation." A teambuilder which would help teammates use roles effectively might ask them to select the roles which are most needed to accomplish the task at hand and to assign those roles to team members.

Communication

Effective interpersonal communication is vital to the smooth functioning of any task group. Norms will develop governing communication - do those norms encourage everyone to participate, or do they allow one or two dominant members to claim all the "air time?" Team building exercises can focus on skill development, communication network design, and norms, but even when the exercise is focused on another issue, communication is happening. Watch it! Shape it!

There are many ways of facilitating the learning of effective communication skills. Active listening exercises, practice in giving and receiving feedback, and practice in checking for comprehension of verbal messages are all aimed at developing skills.

Goal Specification

It is very important for group members to have common goals for group achievement, as well as to communicate clearly about individual goals they may have. Some teambuilding sessions consist entirely of goal clarification exercises. The process of clarifying goals may well engage all of the issues on this list. Indeed, shared goals is one of the definitional properties of the concept "team".

A simple, but useful, team building task is to assign a newly formed group the task of producing a mission and goals statement.

Interdependence

This is the issue of how each team member’s success is determined, at least in part, by the success of the other members. The structure of the cooperative learning task should be such that it requires positive interdependence: students in a team should "sink or swim" together. Functioning independently of other group members or competing with them should lead to poor performance for the entire group. Both cooperative learning tasks and teambuilding tasks should have such a structure.

A example of a teambuilding exercise designed so that the team becomes aware of, and experiences their interdependence is "Desert Survival." In this exercise, teammates individually rank the importance of items they will need to survive after a plane crash in the desert. The team then comes to consensus on the rankings of the items. Team rankings, almost invariably, are more accurate than most individuals’ rankings.

References

Solomon, Richard, Davidson, Neil, & Solomon, Elaine (1993). The handbook for the fourth r: Relationship activities for cooperative and collegial learning. Columbia, MD: National Institute for Relationship Training.

Some of the ideas in this article were adapted the work of University Associates (now Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer www.pfeiffer.com) by Darwyn Linder. He and Susan Ledlow further refined it for use in cooperative learning workshops they offer on the ASU campus. www.public.asu.edu/~ledlow/sledlow/teambuilding.htm

 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological Needs

Physiological needs are the very basic needs such as air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. When these are not satisfied we may feel sickness, irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. These feelings motivate us to alleviate them as soon as possible to establish homeostasis. Once they are alleviated, we may think about other things.

Safety Needs

Safety needs have to do with establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world. These needs are mostly psychological in nature. We need the security of a home and family. However, if a family is dysfunction, i.e., an abusive husband, the wife cannot move to the next level because she is constantly concerned for her safety. Love and belongingness have to wait until she is no longer cringing in fear. Many in our society cry out for law and order because they do not feel safe enough to go for a walk in their neighborhood. Many people, particularly those in the inner cities, unfortunately, are stuck at this level. In addition, safety needs sometimes motivate people to be religious. Religions comfort us with the promise of a safe secure place after we die and leave the insecurity of this world.

Love Needs

Love and belongingness are next on the ladder. Humans have a desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious groups, family, gangs, etc. We need to feel loved (non-sexual) by others, to be accepted by others. Performers appreciate applause. We need to be needed. Beer commercials, in addition to playing on sex, also often show how beer makes for camaraderie. When was the last time you saw a beer commercial with someone drinking beer alone?

Esteem Needs

There are two types of esteem needs. First is self-esteem which results from competence or mastery of a task. Second, there's the attention and recognition that comes from others. This is similar to the belongingness level, however, wanting admiration has to do with the need for power. People who have all of their lower needs satisfied, often drive very expensive cars because doing so raises their level of esteem. "Hey, look what I can afford-peon!"

Self-Actualization

The need for self-actualization is "the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming." People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, esthetic experiences, self-fulfillment, oneness with God, etc. It is usually middle-class to upper-class students who take up environmental causes, join the Peace Corps, go off to a monastery, etc.

 

Each training session ends with a goal setting workshop. set S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and transforming) and have participants write a goal based on one insight they gained from the training. Next walk through a process which translates those goals into bottom line measurements. call it B.I.T.E. (benefits, impact, tasks, encouragement-support).

Benefits
Participants list several personal benefits they will receive once they hit their goal. This provides the key ingredient in goal accomplishment - motivation.

Impact
Impact - Next we calculate the financial impact achieving their goal will have on the organization. Every goal can be translated into hard numbers. Use questions like: how much time will this save?, how much inventory will be reduced?, by streamlining this area what additional projects will there be time to accomplish? and how much more efficient will I be? There are many ways to turn these questions into hard line numbers, but the easiest is employee compensation. Your company has already determined a return on investment value for it's employees - it is their hourly wage. (For salaried employees divide your annual salary by 2 to get your hourly wage, i.e. $50,000/2 = $25.00 hr). For every hour saved because of hitting that goal (based on the employee's training session) the employee is that much more productive, thus more valued to the company. Project the savings over a 12 month period to get a grand total.

Tasks
Next, I have participants break goals into specific tasks. This becomes their daily action plan for achieving the goal.

Encouragement-Support
And finally, I encourage them to share the goal with their supervising manager. The manager can then review the projected cost savings or increased productivity estimates for validation as well as offer ways to support the direct report in his/her goal. Incidentally, if the supervising manager agrees the goal will have a concrete bottom line impact of X amount it strengthens the employee's negotiating stance when review/raise time comes up. This approach also gives supervising managers (i.e. HR Directors) concrete financial projections they can relate to senior management regarding training return on investment.

Note: The industry standard for measuring training effectiveness was formulated by Donald Kirkpatrick. He explains four levels of training effectiveness in his book, Evaluating Training Programs - The Four Levels (1959). The four levels are: reaction (learner satisfaction), learning (retention), behavior (skill translation to job), results (business impact). Jack Phillips has added a fifth level in, Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs (1997). He offers a fully integrated, statistically accurate guideline to measuring return on investment. If you want to go deep into measuring ROI scientifically I recommend Phillips approach.

You can find more team building articles at www.teambuildingusa.com.

The Five Levels of Decision Making

The following are five levels of involvement leaders use when deciding who should be part of the decision making process:

Level One: Leader makes the decision alone.
This is used especially in emergency situations where immediate action is critical. Input is not helpful, quick action and immediate compliance is what counts.

Level Two: Leader makes the decision with input from key stakeholders.
The leader seeks input, usually to cover blind spots and enhance their depth of understanding around the issue to be decided. Stakeholders hold important information and not consulting them would be foolish.

Level Three: Consensus building - leader gets final say.
Leader solicits input from a variety of sources, builds consensus around a specific direction, allows the group to make a recommendation of which the leader must finally approve. This level takes considerable skill and is where developing leaders often make mistakes. Solid decision makers are well versed in the skill sets of this level.

Level Four: Delegate the decision to someone else.
The authority and responsibility are clearly shifted away from the leader (usually to a direct report). Both the leader and the direct report live with the consequences - good or bad. The leader reviews the decision, but does not change it and uses it as an opportunity for development.

Level Five: True consensus.
Leader fully delegates the decision to a group (usually a committee). If the leader is part of the committee then he/she is just one vote among many. The group processes all the decisions involved, compromises positions until everyone is in agreement.

Strong leaders understand the process decisions must go through to be effective. As leaders move higher in organizations the demand upon their time and influence also increases. The temptation to use the power of position to make things happen is high. Rookie leaders will often get caught in this trap and learn expensive lessons when decisions go bad. Hopefully you can avoid these mistakes and make effective decision by using the three questions.

 

Mr. Katzenbach is Senior Partner, Katzenbach Partners LLC, New York, NY (phone 212-213-5505).   author of Teams at the Top

Or in Doi’s words, “Pick a team from among the company misfits, and give them 100% freedom.”  The team decided (unbeknownst to top management) that instead of creating an office computer, they would create an engineering workstation.  Their excitement for the project compelled them to spend nights and weekends working, devoted to making “their dream” a reality.  In six months, they created what usually takes two years to develop--a market-ready workstation.  Within one year the product took over 20 percent of the Japanese workstation market.  It was a remarkable team accomplishment.

Doi also had to be disciplined in applying the six basics of our definition of a team: a small group with complementary skills committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and working approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

Real teams are simple enough to define and describe--but they demand consistent hard work and relentless attention to the six basics.  Many leaders today understand the basics, and the particular importance of a commitment to a compelling performance challenge.   Relatively few, however, realize the importance of continuing to ensure that all members of the team apply the essential discipline.  Instead, they rely on the instincts and goodwill of members.  When the performance challenge remains clear and compelling, such instincts can be enough.   When performance challenges are changing rapidly, however, rigorous assessment and sustained discipline become essential.  Groups become teams through disciplined action, and they sustain team performance only as long as the discipline prevails.  Team performance is characterized at least as much by discipline and hard work as it is by empowerment, togetherness, and positive group dynamics.

The collective performance results of any small working group are more about discipline than “togetherness,” empowerment or individual accountability.  But real teams require a very different kind of discipline than single-leader units. In either case, the leader may initiate the necessary discipline; but as group capabilities emerge, peer- and self-discipline come into play.  Interestingly, the U.S. Marine Corps produces some of the best examples of team performance that we have observed.  One of the reasons is the Corps’ ability to sustain a dual culture of  “command and control” along with the kind of self-control and peer-approval that bolsters performance, raises pride, and ensures real team performance where it counts.  Marines use discipline to integrate and blend real team and single-leader efforts to the ultimate benefit of accomplishing their missions better than most other major military forces.

Many team leaders find themselves victimized by applying the wrong discipline--or by simply easing-off  with respect to team basics too soon.  Hence, the group becomes less rigorous over time, and loses much of its early-acquired performance capability.  The problem can be exacerbated by increasing and confusing demands on the group. Taking team behavior for granted, by assuming performance pressures plus member goodwill will yield team performance, is dangerous.  It works only as long as the team performance challenge is clear and compelling, and the members remain vigilant in applying the basics. Perpetual self-discipline and a sense of mutual accountability that persists over time will be increasingly essential as team challenges become more varied.

 

What makes a good team leader? www.teal.org.uk/et/page5.htm

The way a team is led will have a major impact upon the success or otherwise of the team. When asked what they want from a team leader, team members will often identify several values they would want a leader to hold :

• commitment to people as well as task is the first key element.
• desire to support and serve the team as well as lead from the front.
• enthusiasm, energy, inspiration and sufficient expertise.
• willingness to shoulder responsibility rather than pass the buck
• ability to make the team come together to achieve more than a group of individuals.

(See what makes a good team member next below)

Commitment to people
Most team members are primarily concerned about relationship and about being valued as a team member, before they are concerned about the task that the team is to undertake. Feeling secure in a group environment is an important pre-requisite before individual contribtion. The good team leader is able to spend time building the team, not only when the team starts off, but when a newcomer joins an existing team.

Desire to Support and Serve
Whilst team members want to see the ability to lead from the front, they are also strongly motivated by the ability to lead from the back!  Servant leadership from the team leader is vital if team members are in turn, to want to serve each other. This is a particularly key topic for Christian leaders. There is a balance to be struck between a willingness to take on any chores that need to be done by the team, and taking an inappropriate balance of roles so that the leadership is diminished.

Enthusiasm, Energy, Inspiration and Expertise
Unsurprisingly team members want to be inspired and motivated by team leadership which has the energy and enthusiasm to fire them up.  However, they also want to feel secure that the team leader has themselves, or has access to,  the necessary expertise to lead the team in the right direction. The leader doesn't have to be the most knowledgeable of the subject at hand, but if they are not, they must encourage the input of others.

Willingness to shoulder responsibility.
Team leaders are tested under pressure. When challenges arise, as they inevitably will, the leader will need to take responsibility to ensure that they are fixed as far as possible and that the team is strengthened as a result. This does not mean that the leader should admit that issues beyond their control are in any way their fault, (although they should be honest in admitting their mistakes), but rather adopt a proactive stance to ensure the team is not deflected from its course.

Ability to achieve more as a team.
Teams only become a team once there is some synergy within the group ie the team process adds value to that which a disparate group of individuals would achieve undirected.   This is likely to require the team leader to explore leadership models that share the leadership role within the team, to have an understanding of different individuals team roles, strengths and gifts, establish a mutual accountability within the team, and to create a team envioronment which is open, fun and allows healthy and productive discussion

 

What makes a good team member?

Just as team members will have expectations of team leaders, they will also have expectations of other team members. Being a great team member can aid the team process as much as a good team leader. Here are some of the elements that make a great team member:

• commitment to the team above themselves.
• positive contribution to the team process and goals.
• enthusiasm, energy, inspiration and sufficient expertise. (it's not only for leaders!)
• willingness to take responsibility for elements of the team's work.
• delivering on commitments.  

 

Commitment to the team above themselves
The factors that made up a successful team leader included both commitment to people and a desire to support and serve.  Great team members are also servant minded : seeking to serve others before their own needs.

Positive contribution to Team Process and Goals.
Some team members may be willing to take a back seat - saying "it's the leader's role to tell us what to do!" This is symptomatic of a work group rather than a team.   Great team members will support the team leadership with suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the team process or new ideas for delivering the team goals. This can lead to the leadership being shared around, as different team members drive the process at different times.

Enthusiasm, Energy, Inspiration and Expertise
Team members don't only want their leaders to inspire and motivate them, having other team members who are also able to play this role is seen as very positive by most team members. Having a team structure which allows individual expertise and gifts to be understood and productively used by the team is very affirming to team members, and in turn, encourages their contribution. It's not only the team leader who has responsibility for developing that kind of team structure.

Willingness to take responsibility for elements of the teams work.
Arising out of the previous element, team members should be willing to run with elements of the team's work - taking away tasks from the main group to work on. These might not only be tasks, but could also include elements of team development.

Delivering on commitments.
If an individual is to be fully valued by the team, they must be committed to the success of the team.  If they agree to carry out action steps at team meeetings, there is an expectation that these will be carried out, unless that expectation is changed.  If at the following team meeting, the team is surprised by an individual not delivering on what they agreed, there is a danger that they will lose trust in the individual. Further occurrences of this will almost certainly move the group process backwards.  It is better to resist the pressure to deliver initially and set appropriate expectations, than to say yes, and then spend the next weeks finding ways of apologising.

 

During the early stages of a team's formation, the leader may want to introduce some activities or exercises that give opportunity for teambuilding - developing the relationships within the team. Some of these may aim soley to provide teambuilding, others will have an output of longer term value. Here are some suggestions............

• Allowing the team to develop their Mission / Vision statements together is an excellent way of building team ownership and responsibility for delivering results.
• Work together on a short-term challenge. This may be completely unrelated to the task, eg. undertaking a sponsored walk together, or painting a community building. The process of working together on a task offers a chance for the team to talk to each other, build relationships and to achieve early success.
• Have an early team meeting away from home - either going away for the day, or even better with an overnight stay. Being away from home base helps to generate team spirit.
• Have fun! A shared social event, party, hike or whatever can be a great way of allowing people to get to know one another without any pressure to get on with the task.
• Look together at successful examples of teams, and understand what they have in common. Broaden the net to consider sporting teams and business teams as well as Christian teams. Think through how their common elements can be reapplied in your team. You might even consider going together to watch a match, or to talk to a business team.
• Pray together. Praying together for the success of the team, and for each other is a powerful way of supporting one another. This can either be as a whole team, or by giving each member of the team two or three other team members to pray for (so each team member gets prayed for by two or three other members of the team.)
• Share personal experiences and expectations. Each person takes between five and ten minutes to outline why they want to be on the team, what they bring that is relevant, and what they are hoping to get out of it. No interruptions whilst they are talking, but questions allowed at the end. (This works best when all members of the group will feel comfortable participating!)
• Affirm Each Other. - Each member of the team is given the same number of cards as there are team members, less one. Each person then writes the name of another team member on the top of each card, and then briefly writes down one quality, strength or characteristic they particularly appreciate about that person. This is replicated until they have completed one for each other member of the team. All the cards are gathered together and then redistributed to the members concerned. Feedback remains anonymous.
• Roles and Tasks. - The team works out the tasks and roles needed to achieve its mission and allocates roles to team members. Then allow an open discussion to develop about what will be done independently and what will be done together.

 

These suggestions are likely to require the team to invest in a reasonable amount of time to ensure that they are working effectively, and feel comfortable with one another. This is time well invested, and is likely to pay dividends later. In addition there are a number of good ten to twenty minute teambuilding games and exercises that can be carried out at the start of a team meeting.

Pause for Thought : Even if your team has been going awhile, you may still need to spend some time on teambuilding. Do team members feel a part of the team, with a commitment to it's goals and to each other? 

 

Your Leadership Role in Teamwork

by Stephen C. Rafe

Part of your job is to help the team plan, build them into a cohesive working unit, motivate its members, including yourself, adapt your personal style to the team's needs and preferences, and communicate effectively. Let's look at each of these five skills:

Planning

Actively help them anticipate their future, set goals and objectives, and develop a plan that will get them there. Help them concentrate on tasks that will drive the team’s goals and objectives while avoiding distractions. Another important part of your job is to help each of the team’s specialists perform effectively and integrate their particular skills with those of the other members.

Planning also includes scheduling time with one or more team members to learn how well they are fulfilling expectations. Doing so enables you to remain current on all aspects of the project and consider input from all sources and angles. This timely information is critical to knowing whether to stay on the same path or shift gears.

Teamwork

Members of good teams worth together interdependently to lighten one another’s load and to make work more pleasurable. You have to consider yourself not just team leader, but team member.

One key purpose of most teams is to help the organization focus on specific objectives and help bring about and build a consensus within their area of responsibility. Good teams also contribute to improved communication and understanding. By working together toward common goals, they have the opportunity to help foster camaraderie, improve productivity, and increase members' commitment to the recommendations they make and the actions they take.

Motivating

As team leader, your members need your motivational skills both with the team as an entity, and with each of its members as individuals. Successful motivators know that good workers respond better to carrots than they do to sticks. However, much bad information continues to circulate about what actually motivates and what doesn’t. You have seen the lists: money ranks low, listening is high -- that kind of thing.

Be aware of differences in personalities and individual drives.  Different people’s needs are satisfied at different levels, and in different ways. For example, John is quiet, keeps his own counsel, and rarely interacts with others. In fact, he’s admittedly not comfortable with all the “touchy feely” aspects of team play. To him, the project is everything. It would seem logical, then, that he would respond differently from Jenny to the same motivators if Jenny is outgoing, enjoys talking things out with others, and puts people considerations as a higher priority than project concerns.

If, say, your motivator were verbal praise, perhaps John might be embarrassed at being “singled out” in front to the group to be told he did something particularly well. He might react by saying, “I’m just doing my job.” Jenny, on the other hand, might be particularly pleased to hear you praise her before her colleagues. In fact, she might use the moment to share the good feelings with the others by saying how they also contributed.

The need to affiliate is a more-fundamental drive than the need to achieve or lead. It must be satisfied -- again according to each individual’s own personality.

Team members may welcome opportunities to share leadership and that’s what makes free-form, rotating leadership a popular concept. They also like to achieve. And they like to be recognized as confident, competent and intelligent. Thus, here’s a sure-fire way to motivate them at this level: Simply give them ample opportunities to practice their leadership skills as you guide them toward actions that fulfill these criteria.

Some team members enjoy reinforcement more from what they do than from what others do. They enjoy activities that enable them to fulfill their potential, to do things for the challenge, to be stimulated intellectually, to be creative, to satisfy aesthetic needs and interests, and to acknowledge and accept reality.

These people are certainly not candidates for a happy-face, “Badge-a-Minit (c)” button reward -- or even a certificate of achievement. In fact, if the wrong person praises them, they may perceive the effort as condescending or even an attempt at being manipulative.

So, as you can see, motivating others effectively depends largely on your knowledge of each individual as well as his or her personality, style, ambitions, and personal needs.

Adapting Your Style

You are unique; you have specific skills that address your organization’s perceived needs and attracted its leaders to hire you. You also have a style of working with others that most likely has become an established pattern in your life. To the extent that your style of doing things fulfills the needs of the organization and its members, you will be successful. To the extent that it needs some fine-tuning, the good news is that you can change as long as you: 1) desire to change, 2) acquire new “tools” to help get the job done, and 3) have the opportunity to use those tools.

Communicating

Effective communication brings life and meaning into all we do. Effective communicators spend at least 50% of their time listening, 30% helping others express their views more clearly, only about 10% of their time telling others what they think, what to do, or how to do it -- and the other 10% wondering how to do it better next time.

A good leader listens "care-fully," that is, with care and fully. Once you signal through your words, voice tones, body language, and facial expression that you are ready to listen, show patience as the speaker expresses himself or herself. Do this no matter how long it takes the other person, and regardless of the importance or priority you may assign to the subject. Spend an extra minute now to listen care-fully, and you may help avoid most of the conflict or potential conflict that might otherwise occur when “nobody listens.”

Earn team members' trust by remaining open, non-defensive, and nonjudgmental to whatever they say. When supervisors ask you to take actions or positions on behalf of the team, be sure you agree only to what you can deliver appropriately. Go out of your way to provide members with both scheduled and informal opportunities to give you input and feedback. Doing this helps maintain a balance of two-way communication: When you have listened to them; they will be more likely to listen to you.

 

 

#571         Innovative Leader     Volume 12, Number 2        February 2003

How Leaders Get Buy-In

by Randi S. Brenowitz, MBA and Marilyn Manning, Ph.D.

Safe and Trusting Environment

A safe and trusting environment is a necessary precursor to achieving buy-in. This involves people’s willingness to take some risk and perhaps expose their own ignorance or their unpopular opinion.  Our survival instinct leads us to avoid or minimize risk when we are feeling unsafe.  Employees who experience their work environment as risky put a lot of energy into avoiding those risks rather than taking them.  High trust is the condition that supports and enables high risk-taking.

When team leaders are willing to ask questions and admit that they do not have all of the answers, members of the organization will be more likely to do the same.  If leaders implement and stick to team decisions, members of the group will be more willing to express their ideas.  Trust gets built over time as people trust a little and learn that it is safe to do so, then trust some more, and so on until they believe that they do not need to self-edit their ideas and comments.  When leaders model this behavior in their organizations, they are taking a key first step to building a safe environment.

Having a safe and trusting environment, however, does not mean that each member of the team agrees with everything being said by everyone else.  Some conflict is both inevitable and desirable in every team.  How this conflict is handled makes the difference in what type of environment is created.  Disagreement among team members may point to problems that were previously unrecognized, and can lead to creative solutions.  Some level of productive conflict should be encouraged, with the understanding that too much conflict can weaken trust and destroy the team.

Once a safe and trusting environment is created, people will be more willing to show their vulnerabilities, ask questions, request, and experiment with new ideas.  At that point, they are ready to buy-in -- both to the decision and its implementation.

Agreements and Norms

Another key element for achieving buy-in is a strong set of agreements and norms about how the team will behave and how the members will treat each other.  If a team doesn’t have clear, measurable agreements or norms, it should consider holding a session to develop them.   The following 4 steps may prove helpful at such a session:

1.Have each individual submit the five values that are most important to him or her in the workplace. Examples would be “honesty,” “accuracy,” “teamwork,” “risk-taking.”

2. As a group, prioritize the values and choose 3-5 everyone can agree to.

3. Discuss each value and why it’s important.

4. Identify which behaviors and actions reinforce this value, and which behaviors can undermine it or are non-reinforcing.

For example, “respect” may be one of the values agreed to by the team. It is needed to build loyalty and mutual trust, key ingredients in getting buy-in.  We can reinforce respect by seeking others’ input regarding decisions that may affect them. On the other hand, we undermine respect when we change direction without giving others an explanation.

It may prove to be more manageable to set only a few ground rules at a time and then to build from there. When the team keeps its focus, the chance for success is greater. Consider asking your team: “What are the behaviors our team needs to focus on for the next quarter?” When a team fully participates in defining and enforcing the norms, a new level of ownership and buy-in is possible.

Readiness and Follow-up

When decisions are reactive and not well planned, you may find yourself stuck in a defensive cycle.  Many employees view rushed decisions as a threat and become defensive, reacting with a range of behaviors from blaming to avoidance. On the other hand, when a decision-making process is well planned, your team can function much more productively.

The following steps should help you get your team open to and ready for the decision-making process. Your team may resist participating because they are suspicious or fearful of the impact or risk in certain decisions. Part of readiness is alleviating fears as much as possible.

1. Establishing Benefits and Needs

Work with the team to identify major issues, articulate timelines, and asses resources needed to come to closure.

2. Readiness

Discuss past decisions and learnings.  What has worked well and why? Which have failed and why?  Make sure you give people ample time to talk about resistance and fears as well as what they expect from you and from each other. You may want to consider inviting your boss to a team meeting to articulate his or her vision for the organization and to help set the groundwork for the decision-making process.

3.  Congruence

You should relate decisions to the mission and values of the team and organization. Mission-driven organizations are more efficient and achieve a higher level of buy-in than rule-driven groups.

4.  Communication and Follow-up

No one likes surprises, so open lines of communication, both formal and informal, are essential for assuring buy-in. Formal communication forums include staff meetings, regular management team meetings, all hands meetings, internal newsletters, and one-on-ones.

These are opportunities to keep everyone informed, to celebrate successes, to offer some skill building, to hold open dialog, and to let people know how and when you have used their ideas.

Shared Decision-Making Process

When people participate in decision making, they are more likely to buy-in to it fully.  The time lost in collective decision-making is regained at the implementation stage. 

The most common form of collective decision-making is consensus.  Consensus is a mutual agreement among members of a group where all legitimate concerns of individuals have been addressed.  It is not a unanimous vote, but rather an agreement to move forward with a decision each member of the group can support even if they think it might not be the best possible decision.  Consensus building can foster creativity and innovation, cooperative attitudes, improved interpersonal communications, and increased accountability.

Trust is a crucial factor in building consensus. It is advisable to have as safe and trusting an environment as possible before embarking on a move toward shared decision-making. 

In order for shared decision-making to stick and for people to be willing to buy-in, it is essential that all the right people be involved in the process.  To asses who must participate in the decision-making process, ask yourself the following questions:

Who must implement this decision?

Who is impacted by this decision?

Who has the most knowledge about the topic being decided upon? 

Who can sabotage the decision once it is made? 

Who are the key stakeholders in this decision?

Consensus requires a commitment to the process, active participation of the group leader and all group members, creative thinking, and open-mindedness. It takes time; therefore, consensus is not the best way to make insignificant decisions. Rather, it can be highly effective for those decisions that have significant impact on the work of the group where buy-in is essential.

Summary

Achieving buy-in is not a singular event.  Rather, it is a continuing process that includes the elements described above.  Ongoing solicitation and implementation of the team’s ideas promotes participation and can positively impact morale, productivity, and level of ownership and buy-in

 

 

 

Team Building

Conflict Resolution

Communicating for Success

Problem Solving

Employee Motivation

Risk Taking

Team Productivity

Benefits of Corporate Team Building at TLC

Team members will be given the opportunity to actively discover the endless possibilities of your business. Their physical involvement in the curriculum provided by the TLC staff will demand teammates to positively confront barriers that have negatively impacted the corporation in the past. The facilitation process will bring the team to a positive light and allow all teammates to understand how their commitment to the team impacts all involved. The entire team will work through the Team Leadership Center's seven stages of team building.

 

Team Formation:

How is it formed?
What is the common ground?
What is in it for each individual?

 

---

Team Unity:

What are the personal outcomes versus team outcomes?

Team Trust & Respect:

What do team members truly belief about the team?
How do members deal with conflict?

Team Resources:

How do I contribute?

Team Standards:

Commitment
Congruency
Investment
Practice

Team Purpose/Outcome:

What do the team members really want?
Team evaluation

Team Collaboration:

Collaborative leadership is gained

 

Our staff will assist each member of your team in better understanding what role they play as a team member, what resources they bring to the table, discovering their potential as a team member as well as what their commitment to the team means to them personally and professionally. Our programs are designed to focus on a variety of common problems found in the workplace. Whatever your area(s) of concern we will assist you in making a change:

Team Building

Conflict Resolution

Communicating for Success

Problem Solving

Employee Motivation

Risk Taking

Team Productivity

Benefits of Corporate Team Building at TLC

Team members will be given the opportunity to actively discover the endless possibilities of your business. Their physical involvement in the curriculum provided by the TLC staff will demand teammates to positively confront barriers that have negatively impacted the corporation in the past. The facilitation process will bring the team to a positive light and allow all teammates to understand how their commitment to the team impacts all involved. The entire team will work through the Team Leadership Center's seven stages of team building.

Team Formation:

How is it formed?
What is the common ground?
What is in it for each individual?

Team Unity:

What are the personal outcomes versus team outcomes?

Team Trust & Respect:

What do team members truly belief about the team?
How do members deal with conflict?

Team Resources:

How do I contribute?

 

Team Standards:

Commitment
Congruency
Investment
Practice

Team Purpose/Outcome:

What do the team members really want?
Team evaluation

Team Collaboration:

Collaborative leadership is gained

 

tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/teams/student/roles.html

Flexibility  Whatever role you may have, it is still important that the entire team provide input on every facet of the project. For instance, if you were a "writer", it is perfectly acceptable for a "graphic artist" to evaluate and comment on your work. He or she may provide a unique perspective that will enhance your work. The same would be true for the "graphic artist" or any other member of the team.

 Leader Most teams will have a leader, and this is a very important position because he or she is responsible for the management of the entire project. However, it is important not to have too "heavy" a hand, or team morale may be lowered.

A leader is typically responsible for setting a base agenda, facilitating meetings, and monitoring progress with communicating with members as needed. But all actions must be agreed to by the team. Although you may suggest a course of action, you must be sure the team agrees to it. If the team wants to go in another direction, you should be willing to compromise.

If your team is looking for a way to organize, these are some other roles that can be used, especially when formulating and testing ideas. Again, it suggested that you be flexible with these roles. Teams can rotate them or combine them in one person, for instance, a recorder/summarizer.

Initiator - Someone who suggests new ideas. One or more people can have this role at a time.

Recorder - This person records whatever ideas a team member may have. It is important that this person quote a team member accurately and not "edit" or evaluate them.

Devil's Advocate/Skeptic - This is someone whose responsibility is to look for potential flaws in an idea.

Optimist - This is someone who tries to maintain a positive frame of mind and facilitates the search for solutions.

Timekeeper - Someone who tracks time spent on each portion of the meeting.

Gate Keeper - This person works to ensure that each member gives input on an issue. One strategy to do this is to ask everyone to voice their opinion one at a time. Another is to cast votes.

Summarizer - Someone who summarizes a list of options.

 

Meeting Ground Rules

Teams often develop ground rules that extend to how they want a meeting conducted. Some possible team ground rules are:

Be prepared for the meeting.

Come to the meeting on time.

Start and end meeting on time.

Value the diversity of team members.

Support the team concept and process.

Maintain POSITIVE group dynamics.

Make decisions by consensus of all necessary team members.

Participate in the meeting. Don't be a lurker.

Keep records of your own work and the team's compiled work.

Listen and have an open mind.

 

Self-Check

Evaluate the meetings with the intent of improving future meetings. Ask yourselves the following as a team (or you as a member).

Was the purpose of the meeting clear?

Did the ergonomics of the room help or hinder the meeting process?

Was jumping to conclusions allowed? Did the group help to suspend judgment and explore alternatives?

Did the group use conflict in a positive way to differentiate ideas?

Did the group work toward consensus?

Did the team leader document the interaction when the process seemed ineffective?

Did the group insist on action commitments (what is to be done, by when and who)?

Did the group identify a follow-up processes?

 

Brainstorming

When faced with a challenge, whether it be creative or managerial, how often does your

group act on the first solution suggested rather than explore alternatives?

And out of those times, how often do you realize, two weeks down the road, that there are

better, more effective or more innovative ways of doing things?

This kind of myopia happens to groups all the time. Often, in groups, we try to solve our

problems as quickly and painlessly as possible. Sometimes we do this because of

deadlines or a lack of interest in the project and often we do it because we are not

comfortable enough in the group setting to propose different ways of doing things. One

way to combat this timidity is by brainstorming.

Brainstorming is a quick, effective method of idea generation that allows groups

members to share a variety of ideas in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. It allows a

number of ideas to be presented before the group so that the most promising

alternatives can be examined and the best solution found. Brainstorming can be used

to generate project themes, group duties, presentation methods, solutions to complex

problems and just about any other challenge a group may face.

Before the brainstorming session begins:

• Make sure all group members understand the problem at hand.

• Ask group members to take the time to generate some ideas individually.

• Write these ideas down before discussion begins so that good ideas are not lost

in the shuffle.

During the brainstorming session:

• Elect someone to be the recorder who writes down all of the ideas presented.

• Invite everyone to share his or her ideas with the group.

• Allow time for discussion of suggestions so that members can build off of each

other's ideas, or "hitchhike."

• Write down all ideas so that they may be reviewed after the session is over.

• Do not decide on any solution until all members have had a chance to share all

of their ideas.

Tips for effective brainstorming:

• Don't be judgmental of others' ideas. This behavior increases group tension and

may intimidate group members from sharing their own ideas. Even the craziest,

most unrealistic solutions can work or produce another idea that may work.

• Practice good listening skills by concentrating on the person speaking and his or

her ideas rather than just thinking about what you plan to say next.

• Try to encourage creativity and innovative thinking in order to generate the

widest range of new ideas and maximize your chances of finding the best

solution. One way to encourage creativity is to ask everyone in the group to

come up with the most outlandish, yet ideal solution they can think of. When

you start discussing these ideas, you may find that they aren't as outrageous as

they seemed.

• Do not claim ownership of ideas. Allow other people to "hitchhike" in order to

make the most out of every suggestion.

• Everyone in the group should participate, even if they don't think they can come

up with any ideas. Once the discussion starts they may be able to offer valuable

contributions to the conversation by building off of others' ideas.

• Don't stop too soon. Some people take longer than others to get used to the

brainstorming process so you need to provide enough time for them to acclimate

themselves.

• Be as honest as possible when discussing the feasibility of solutions so that you

don't get stuck trying to make a creative but impossible idea work for you.

• Set realistic time limits for your brainstorming session so that you have time to

finish the project when you have found a solution. Some types of limits include:

allowing everyone to offer three ideas; giving ideas until the recorder has filled

up one side of one sheet of paper; placing someone in charge of keeping time so

that you only brainstorm for ten minutes. There is an unlimited amount of time

limiting techniques, and no one way is the best. It is important to set your limits

based on what works best for your group.

• There are no 'wrong' ideas. The only bad solution is silence.

After the brainstorming session:

• Review all of the ideas presented during the brainstorming session and decide

which alternatives are the most reasonable and appealing to the whole group.

• Discuss the merits and feasibility of each solution.

• Perhaps each person in the group can take a solution and develop a case for

how and why your group should use it.

• Since you took the time to brainstorm, don't just settle on any solution.

Carefully review your choices so that your decision is informed and well-thought

out.

• Once you have decided upon your solution, or solutions in some cases, it's time

to get to work on making your ideas realities.

 

 

Conflict

Have you ever been in a group where you have not been able to work with someone?

Have you ever held back your comments because you were afraid of causing conflict?

What is conflict?

• Conflict is an inevitable part of life.

• Conflict signals a need for change.

• Conflict can be positive and productive. If people express their feelings and

needs in a positive and constructive way, it reduces anxiety and prevents

escalation of conflict.

Is conflict negative?

The answer depends on how it is handled. Conflict in teams is not only inevitable, it can

be healthy as well. It can be a way of resolving differences and responding to issues that

are causing friction between group members. Conflict can bring on innovation and

direct the group in ways that members would not have anticipated earlier.

However, conflict can also be something that tears a group apart and that increases

tension among members.

How does conflict occur?

Think back to a time when you were in a group setting, this can be for a class project or

an organization that you belonged to. What situations do you remember experiencing

conflict in? How did it begin?

Conflict may occur:

When expectations are not stated from the very beginning

• Members may assume that everyone shares common goals and meanwhile, they

work towards different things.

When members are having difficulty scheduling meetings

• This needs to be taken care of at the very beginning. The group needs to decide

when everyone in the group can meet. The easiest way to do this is to make a

schedule with classes and other activities logged in. Compare and determine

available time slots.

Ideally, it would be great if everyone could make it. However, there may be times

when one member cannot make the meeting. What are you going to do then?

Options:

o Not have the meeting

o Have the meeting and have the notes emailed to the absent member

When members are not listening to each other

• Members are enthusiastic about their own ideas and are thinking about how to

articulate their own thoughts rather than listening to what is being said by other

group members.

Often members do not take the time to restate and clarify what is being said. Instead,

they are anxious to express their own ideas.

When members may have different ideas of commitment levels

• They could talk about how much time that they want to allocate per week.

When members have different goals for where they would like to see the project

head

• If this situation occurs in the very beginning, you could discuss the desired end result. If members have different goals, then what can you agree on? What
resolution would suit all parties while keeping in mind the requirements?

• If this becomes a problem in the middle of a project, then the group needs to
refocus.

It is never too late to review the purpose of the project. A group needs to look at time constraints and prioritize its time investments.

To avoid some of the problems, think about the following things

when the group first convenes:

Take the time to deal with expectations.

Members may want to skip this part because it does not show immediate results and is often not graded. For example, the point of the group may be seen as solely task oriented; anything that is not contributing to that end goal may be considered unnecessary.

However, taking the time to resolve these issues could save a lot of effort and frustration in the future.

How to do this?

At the first meeting, have each person speak about what they expect the project to be.

Write it down. Let each person say what commitment level that they are willing to give.

This way, people know from the very beginning what they can expect from each other.

When expectations are not being met, these are options to consider:

• The team leader or another member of the team can meet with the team member separately.

o Do not meet with the member in a group setting, he or she may feel that you are attacking them.

o Ask them what is going on, do they need help?

• Sometimes the problem is that the member does not realize that they are doing something wrong. This person may be bogged down with other work and does not know how to effectively manage his or her time. Or, this person may feel overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be done and is avoiding dealing with the reality of it.

• Talk to the TA and ask him or her to intervene.

Methods of dealing with conflict:

When the team is trying to resolve a conflict, it is important to strive toward a "win-win resolution." Conflict need not result in "winners" and "losers."

There are two recommended methods to deal with conflict:

• Compromise:

o This strategy emphasizes both parties giving up something they want in order to reach middle ground.

o This is a good method to use when both parties are willing to listen to the other's position.

o A group member may want to talk to both members separately to isolate what the misunderstanding is and then bring the two members to work it out.

• Mediation:

o This method calls on a third neutral party to assist the members in reaching an agreement.

o This is completely voluntary. Mediation assumes that the parties know their positions the best and enables them to come up with their own solution.

When trying to resolve a situation, focus on things you can change.

• You can't change someone's beliefs or values.

• You can change tasks or plans.

References

Olshak, Richard T. (1997). Training peer mediators in the college and university setting:

A participant's guide. Normal, IL: Campus Judicial Consulting, Inc., The Illinois State University.

Woods, John. (1997). 10 minute guide to teams and teamwork. New York, NY: Alpha Books.

 

Tips for setting project goals:

• Brainstorm all of the steps necessary for finishing this project (i.e. researching

topic, selecting areas of interest, taking photos, writing sections).

• Decide upon the format (i.e., a group presentation, a paper, a slide show) of your project, if one is not assigned by the professor in order to subdivide tasks.

• Create a timeline that will allow you to finish the project in the time allotted.

• Assign a deadline for each section of the project.

• Decide who will be in charge of making sure each section is completed by the

deadline.

• Write down this timeline and make sure all members have a copy so that

everyone can see where the group should be at any given time.

• At the start of each meeting, ask members for an update of where they are in

terms of accomplishing their goals in order to make sure everyone is on track.

Things to remember:

• Challenging goals are effective because they drive group members to work

harder and achieve more; however, they require a high amount of commitment

from members in order to accomplish them.

• If goals are too challenging, in other words impossible, they will be detrimental to the group because they will drastically affect the morale and confidence of the members.

• Don't be afraid to confront people who are not adhering to the goals set by the group. They may have good reasons for not pulling their own weight or they may just be lazy. Either way, the group cannot function effectively if all members are not contributing.

• Goals are important as they provide structure but they are just guidelines. Some situations require that you renegotiate your goals and you, as a group, must be flexible enough to do so in order to successfully complete the tasks at hand.

Tension and defensiveness are increased when:

• People are kept from expressing their ideas

• Group members refuse to listen to or acknowledge the validity of other opinions

• People feel they are being judged or evaluated

• People act or talk with superiority

• Individuals do not trust the group enough to share their feelings or thoughts

• Ideas are misconstrued due to a lack of clear, open communication

• An individual's verbal and nonverbal cues are not congruent

Feedback

When was the last time someone commented on one of your ideas and made you feel really good? How about really bad? Now think about the last time you responded to someone's ideas. Did you do so because you felt the need to support or degrade them or did you do it without even realizing it?

Feedback is when we respond to comments made by others. Very often we do it out of habit, without even realizing it. If used properly, feedback allows group members to provide verbal and nonverbal support for each other, clarify ideas, increase each other's confidence, promote group closeness and refine communication skills. If used improperly, it can also be detrimental, causing us to become defensive or withdraw from group discussion.

Feedback is helpful when it:

• Immediately follows the comment or idea

• Does not degrade the person

• Focuses on positive aspects of the idea

• Suggests improvement rather than criticizes

• Describes ideas rather than judges them

• Pertains to that particular situation (does not use words such as "always" or

"never")

Feedback is detrimental when it:

• Judges the person or idea

• Is made in an attempt to control the conversation

• Evaluates the person or idea

• Is intended to make the other person feel inferior

• Is intended to increase your own standing within the group

• Focuses on negative aspects of idea

Listening

Have you ever thought you were listening to someone speak only to realize when they are finished that you have no idea what they just said? Or are you usually on the other end, always having to repeat the things you say in order to get your point across? Did you ever notice that sometimes you don't 'listen as well as you hear?'

Listening is very different from hearing. Hearing is a passive physical process involving sound waves and the inner ear. Listening is an active physiological process in which we analyze and interpret what we hear. In order to engage in effective, productive, interactive discussion, we must actively listen to the ideas of the other group members in order to provide feedback and formulate intelligent, informed arguments. We can easily become good listeners by avoiding negative listening behaviors.

Listening is hindered when we:

• Jump to conclusions before a person has finished speaking

• Focus on how people are communicating rather than what they are
communicating

• Concentrate on our own responses before the other person is done speaking

• Allow ourselves to go off on mental tangents

• Make the choice not to listen

Listening is aided when we:

• Concentrate on what a person is saying rather than how they look or talk

• Make mental connections between our own lives and the ideas being presented

• Listen with an open mind rather than assuming the person speaking is wrong or uninformed

• Focus on the ways in which we agree with the speaker rather than the ways we disagree

• Remind ourselves to provide the speaker with positive feedback

• Restate, in our minds, what we think the person is saying in our own words

• Remember how frustrated we feel when people don't listen to us

What is a group?

What is a team?

Is there is a difference between the two?

Before reading any further, try to answer those questions. Here are our answers:

• A group is 5-6 people who are working together to accomplish a project.

• A team is a group that shares common goals and realizes that members are
interdependent.

• Is there a difference between them? Think back to a time when you were

working on a project or activity with other people.

It is a common mistake to assume that group members automatically signify a team.

Placing people together in a group is only the beginning of the team formation process.

This process takes the effort of everyone involved.

A model of group development by Barry Tuckman was designed to explain how groups formed and evolved. Though every group may not follow this exact pattern of development, this model reduces the complexity and ambiguity of the process. There are four stages of development (Michael Reynolds, Groupwork in Education and Training Ideas In Practice, 1994, British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data, pg. 50-51).

Forming: This is when the group comes together.

• Members get to know each other

• Expectations are discussed

• Members become more familiar with the project

For example, a professor selects groups of five people to work collaboratively on a project.

Storming: This is when the honeymoon period is over, and the group begins to experience conflict. Members realize that they do not agree on certain issues and have not resolved them.

• There is still ambiguity over each other's roles.

• At this stage, members may begin to resist working together and want to work independently.

For example, member A and B do not agree on how to execute a project. They do not understand exactly what their assignments are and how they fit into the whole group.

Why can't they just work alone?

Norming: At this stage, groups are able to speak about their concerns and
expectations.

• Members may be used to each other and feel comfortable expressing their
concerns.

For example, after wanting to work independently, the group meets and begins to understand how their specific duties are complementing each other.

Performing: Groups are able to perform. They make progress on their project.

• Members take advantage of each other's strengths. Conflicts are focused on
problems, not people and enhance the quality of the project.

For example, members understand how they are interdependent. They see that in order to complete their project, they have to work together.

Reference

Woods, John. (1997). 10 minute guide to teams and teamwork. New York, NY: Alpha

Books.

Group Problems

Do you feel as though your groups spend more time dealing with problems than working on the project?

Have you ever noticed that many of your groups seem to suffer from the same conflicts?

You aren't alone. Every time people with different backgrounds, ideals and values get together to work on a project, especially one which carries great importance such as a graded class assignment, problems are bound to arise. Luckily, many of these problems are easy to solve if you are willing to take the time to deal with the issue rather than ignore it in an attempt to complete the project as quickly as possible.

Many of the common problems that groups face can be avoided if you spend time when you first get together discussing your project goals and group expectations. By putting your deadlines and goals in writing, you will have a quick and easy reference to help you deal with many of the problems you may encounter. If everyone knows what is expected of them, then they will be able to meet those expectations, thereby avoiding possible conflicts over who is supposed to do what by when.

Some problems, however, will arise throughout your project no matter how well
prepared you are. It is important that you take the time to deal with them rather than allow them to disrupt your group. Some common problems that groups face are discussed below.

Frustration over size of project

• Often at the start of a project a group is overwhelmed by the amount of work
necessary to complete the project.

• Usually at this point group members are thinking of the project as an individual endeavor rather than a group one. They may not realize that the work will be broken up and much easier to handle than they think.

Dealing with frustration:

• Start by breaking up the project into its different components (i.e. the
presentation, the report, etc.).

• Brainstorm all of the tasks that will need to be completed in order to finish the
project.

• Set tentative, but realistic, deadlines for the completion of these different parts.

• Divide the project up so that group members can determine their individual
responsibilities.

Arguments over what the group should be doing

• Group members often have different ideas about how the project should be
handled. If the group is united by common goals and ideas, members will work
more efficiently and productively.

• If, as a group, you have broken the project into manageable parts, assigned
responsibilities and set goals, these arguments should not arise.

But if these issues do arise:

• Deal with them immediately rather than ignoring the problem.

• Listen to each idea.

• Discuss what each idea means for the group and the group project.

• Do not refuse to listen to an idea on the basis of who is making the argument.

• As a group, decide which ideas best fit into the goals the group has developed.

• Find the course of action which is best for the group and make sure everyone in the group is aware of what that plan is.

• Don't waste time debating that you don't have time to finish the project. Learn to choose which ideas are worth debating.

Unbalanced participation from group members

• If the group discussion is dominated by one or two individuals, the group will
lose its most valuable commodity--the variety of opinions and ideas expressed by its members.

• While some people are naturally more talkative or comfortable in group situations than others, everyone in the group should be encouraged to participate and no one should be allowed to control all of the group's encounters.

Ideas for balancing participation:

• When your group has a problem that needs a solution, try brainstorming as a
way of inviting everyone in the group to participate.

• Try teambuilding activities in which success requires participation from all
group members in order to draw out the quieter members.

• Try teambuilding activities that will help your group become more familiar and
comfortable with each other. This may open up lines of communication and put
members more at ease talking to and sharing ideas with each other.

• Assign someone the role of gatekeeper during each meeting. The gatekeeper's job is to make sure everyone is given a chance to speak and that no one person dominates the conversation. The gatekeeper can ask people for their opinions or ideas directly, ask everyone in the group to share one idea or employ any other tactics that will keep participation on an even level.

Frustration over lack of progress

• When a project takes a long time to complete, group members often feel as
though the end will never come and that they haven't accomplished anything.

• This frustration may also occur when the group comes across a problem they
are having trouble solving.

Dealing with frustration:

• If you have made a list of all of the tasks necessary to complete the project, you can go through that list and check off the things that have been completed.
Then the group members can see how much they have accomplished.

• If you haven't made a list, ask each member to list two things they have done for the project so far and two things they still need to do. Someone in the group can then record all of the things the group has accomplished and all of the things they still need to do.

• If your group is really frustrated, step away from the project for a few minutes.

Play a game or do a teambuilding activity for 15 minutes to get your minds off of
the project. Then, you can come back to it refreshed and relaxed.

Resistance to being a team

• There are many reasons why group members may be resist being part of a
group. They could have had negative group experiences in the past. They could
be afraid the group will reject their ideas. They may not feel comfortable
speaking in front of strangers. They may not trust that the other members will
do their share of the work. They may simply feel groups are a waste of time.

• People who are resistant to working in a group may agree to any idea the group has in order to get the project done quicker.

• When people in your group resist the idea of being part of the group, they
usually withdraw from the group, work on their own, and keep their ideas to
themselves. If this happens, the group loses a valuable resource.

Tips for combating resistance:

• Teambuilding activities that allow members to get to know each other are good for increasing comfort levels within the group.

• By setting deadlines and asking everyone to give an update of their section of the project at each meeting, group members are able to keep track of each other. This ensures that everyone is doing their part of the work and helps those members who are afraid they will have to do all of the work.

• Try teambuilding activities in which one member is blindfolded and forced to
rely on another member in order to increase levels of trust within the group.

• If many of the people in your group have had negative group experiences, have everyone list two positive things about working with groups. Discuss how you can incorporate those characteristics into your group.

• You can also have each member name one thing that went wrong with a
previous group and discuss how you can avoid having the same problem arise
within your group.

• Establish norms that ensure each member the opportunity to speak openly and candidly without threat of criticism and ridicule.

Tangents and divergent conversations

• Although forming new friendships can be a great benefit of group work, if group members focus more on socializing than working, the project will suffer.

• It is important that you maximize the time you have together by staying on topic rather than going off on tangent conversations.

Tips for managing tangents:

• If you find your group spends more time socializing than working, you should
try writing up an agenda for each meeting.

• By deciding, as a group, what issues you want to deal with at the meeting, you can all be aware of how much you need to accomplish during the meeting, which may help deter tangent conversations.

• Have someone in the group play the role of meeting facilitator. This person will
be in charge of bringing up agenda items, watching the time and, most importantly, keeping the conversation focused.

Too many opinions, not enough facts

• Often when people feel strongly about something they will state their personal opinions as facts.

• While opinions can be very useful to a group, they must be regarded as
subjective and you must recognize that everyone may not necessarily agree.

• It is important that your group is objective and critical when dealing with
opinions so that you do not act on false information.

Telling fact from fiction:

• Institute a group norm where everyone must back their opinions with facts or
sources.

• Assign someone the role of devil's advocate. This person is in charge of
questioning statements and giving opposing viewpoints so that other group
members are forced to make sound arguments and think through their
statements.

Unclear understanding of the assignment

• If your group does not understand the assignment, arguments over your course of action can arise.

• Extra work may result if everyone does not clearly understand the assigned
project and individual responsibilities.

Dealing with ambiguity:

• At your very first group meeting, discuss the assignment to make sure everyone understands the task at hand.

• If you have any questions, one or two group members should contact the instructor or the TA to clear up confusion before you begin working.

Uninteresting topic

• In order to successfully complete a project, group members need not completely devote themselves to it. However, they must have at least enough interest to motivate them to do their share of the work.

Studying as a Group

Have you ever noticed that you understood material better after discussing it with
someone?

Have you wondered if you could benefit from studying in a group setting?

Methods for group studying

People who study in groups tend to do better in class exams. People benefit from discussing ideas and learn from others with strengths and weaknesses in relation to the topic. When you discuss things with other students, it becomes more evident how well you understand a topic.

There are different methods by which students can form study groups and assign roles.

• Each person can learn a section and teach it to the group.

• Each person can learn all the material and can form questions for each group
member.

• Each person can take turns talking about a section. At the end, people can jump in with facts that may have been left out.

Relating acquired and new knowledge

Learning new information can, at times, be overwhelming. It is important for students to be able to relate the concepts that are being examined with past experiences and blocks of relating information (Novak and Gowin, p. 6). This makes the new material easier to understand. It is also a way for students to develop ownership of the material.

The more personal connections that are made, the more control that students have over their learning (Reynolds, p. 17). By building connections, students remember material for a longer time period.

For example:

In a class examining organizational structures, the topic at hand is bureaucratic
organizations. The focus is on theorist Max Weber who defined bureaucracy as the most efficient way to run an organization. To better understand the theories, relate them to your own or someone else's experience working in a large organization. Evaluate Weber's perspective against your own.

Teambuilding

Have you ever found yourself in a group that didn't click, that didn't seem to get along or that didn't accomplish anything, and you couldn't figure out why?

Did you ever notice that when you are friendly with the people in your group, the project seems to go a lot smoother?

Sometimes groups just don't work, not because no one in the group cares about the project, but because they aren't comfortable working with each other. Open lines of communication, trust, and a willingness to come together are all essential ingredients of any effective group.

One way that group members can become familiar with each other is by teambuilding.

Teambuilding involves group activities designed to increase levels of trust and comfort within the group. Although these activities are often facilitated by an outsider, there are hundreds of teambuilding activities that you can, as a group, engage in on your own.

The goal is for the group to talk on a more personal level and to feel more comfortable and open with each other.

Some teambuilding activities you can use:

Tree Huggers

This activity takes place outside and requires blindfolds.

Group members pair up, and one person from each group is blindfolded. The nonblindfolded person leads the other to a tree. The blindfolded individual can then feel the tree (hug it), trying to commit it to memory. They are then led back to the starting point, and the blindfold is removed. That person then attempts to find 'their' tree. Once they do, everyone returns to the starting point and trades places.

Human Camera

This activity takes place outdoors and requires blindfolds.

Group members pair up, and one member is blindfolded. The non-blindfolded member leads the blindfolded member to something they find interesting and places them in front of it much like a camera. The blindfold is then removed, and they talk about why that view was chosen. Group members then trade partners and do the activity again.

Boundary Breaking

This activity can take place anywhere with any number of group members.

Group members sit in a circle. They then take turns asking the group questions.

Answers must follow a few basic rules:

• You cannot steal anyone's answers.

• You cannot debate anyone's answers.

• You cannot comment on anyone's answers.

• Members can pass to think about an answer, but they will have to answer before the round proceeds. In other words, everyone must answer.

Sample questions:

• What's the best movie you've ever seen?

• What's the most beautiful thing about people?

• What do you do on a free afternoon?

• What is the greatest problem in the U.S.?

• If you could smash one thing, what would it be?

• What do you look for in a really good friend?

• What gives you the most security?

• What is your greatest fear?

• If you could paint a picture of anything, what would it be?

• What do people like best about you?

• How do you feel about fast food?

• What is the most common topic of discussion between you and your friends?

• What is one thing you could never give up?

• What is the best advice you ever received?

• What cheers you up?

Who here...?

This activity requires a large open space.

Group members stand in a circle and remove one shoe, placing it in front of them. One shoe is removed from the circle, and one person volunteers to ask the question "Who here...?". Everyone who can answer 'me' to that question has to run out from behind their shoe and find an open shoe. Whoever is left without a shoe asks the next question.

Questions can include anything, from 'who here rode their bike to the meeting' to 'who here is failing a class' to 'who here has traveled to another country,' etc.

Pass the Chicken

This activity takes place outdoors.

This game is just like "tag" or "it." However, the catch is that home base, or goal, is an object that can be thrown around, such as a rubber chicken.

Developing your own teambuilding activities:

• Your group should only engage in activities that everyone in the group feels
comfortable with because it is important that everyone participates.
• Activities should take into account the number of group members.
• Activities that get your body moving are great for getting your mind moving as
well.
• Activities can be great for getting group members to interact in new and
interesting ways; it may be all your group needs.
• A quick activity at the start of every meeting may be useful in order to set an
open and friendly tone for the meeting.
• If you have a specific problem, you can devise activities that address the issue
directly. For example, if you find your ideas are dull, you may want to play a
game that encourages creativity. If you think that people in the group are
holding back ideas or opinions, you can play a game that requires everyone to
talk. If one person seems to be dominating the group, you can play a game that
requires everyone to participate equally in order to succeed.
• Games such as tag, I-spy, red rover or tug-of-war may be all you need to
energize your group both physically and mentally.

Reference

3M Meeting Network Community Forum Meeting Advisor is a virtual space designed to share strategies to organize and manage effective meetings.

(http://www.3m.com/meetingnetwork/interact/meeting_advisor.html).

 

Working as an Effective Team

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you could produce a great project, if only you could be more organized?

Have you ever found that your group meetings were unproductive? where no one seemed to know what to do?

Working effectively in a team is a skill that can be learned and developed.

Holding effective meetings:

Effective meetings enable members to cover relevant information and make progress on the project in an organized fashion. Read on for some important tips on how to run effective meetings:

Make sure that each member is able to give a status report on the progress of his or her area.

Forming an agenda

• An agenda is a road map during the meeting; it lets teams know what topics will be covered during the meeting and how much time is allotted for each issue.
• The agenda for the next meeting should be created after each meeting, when
everyone is present to contribute what needs to be covered at the next meeting.
• Send the agenda to all team members before the next meeting.
• When the meeting is in progress and issues emerge that were not accounted for in the agenda, the facilitator can ask the team if they would 1) like to cover the issue at that point or 2) wait till the end of the meeting.

Taking notes

• Document problems and decisions that are discussed at each meeting (Scholtes, The Team Handbook).
• Documentation is extremely important because it enables members to track
their progress.
• Members who missed the meeting can review the notes.
There are many different methods of taking notes during a meeting. You may even want to use something that you have used in previous meetings. The following method was adapted from Peter R. Scholtes suggestions for note taking from the book, "The Team Handbook." If you choose to use this method, you may want to adapt it later on.

Project Team Members & Role for the current meeting:

Date: _________

Name and Role_________________________________________

Name and Role_________________________________________

Name and Role_________________________________________

Name and Role_________________________________________

Goals (For the project, the ones that you agreed on at the very beginning)

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Review the agenda:

• At the end of a meeting, you should go over things that you need to cover at the next meeting.
• The recorder should send the tentative agenda to all group members.
• Rank the items to be discussed and set a tentative time limit for each item. i.e.
Status reports (20 minutes)
• Status report: Where are members in their projects?
• Review how the group is doing on a whole, where is it now? Are you on schedule with the due dates and the dates that you decided on at the beginning?
• After everyone has given their status reports, make a list of items for an "action list and a "future list." What tasks are top priority? What items do you need to set target deadlines for?
• Make a tentative agenda for the next meeting.

Making a time line

• Time lines enable team members to chart and assess their progress in
accordance with set dates.

Assigning Roles

Members can play different roles during a meeting. These roles enable all members to take an active part in the group process. Consider rotating the roles from meeting to meeting.

• Facilitator: Leads the meetings and makes sure that all relevant topics are
covered.
• Time Keeper: This person makes sure that the team sticks to at time limit.
• To do this, the group should allocate each agenda item a specific amount of
coverage time.
• Record Keeper: This person takes the meeting notes.
• Gate Keeper: This person makes sure that everyone has had a chance to
contribute and be involved.
• Devil's Advocate: This person in this role finds weaknesses in the group's ideas and questions them. This role serves the purpose of preventing a "groupthink" mentality where everyone agrees with an idea. It gives the team other points of view.

Processes of breaking up a project into manageable parts:

Have a checklist:

• Make a checklist of all the necessary components of the project; remember the goals that your group has discussed.
• Each person should be assigned a section. This can be based on personal
experience of the person or interest. Discuss the possibility of setting a due date for each person's research or work.

Make a time line:

• A time line will help guide you and make the process seem more manageable.
i.e. bibliography, outline

Make note of all the due dates for rough copies or drafts for your projects:

• If there are no established dates, have the group set some to help them stay on track. Or ask the professor or TA to help.

During the middle of the project:

• List the necessary components of the project (this can be done by the sections that everyone was assigned).
• Talk about how far along everyone is.
• For those who are having difficulty: what do they need to progress quicker? Do they need members to actually help them become more organized or help them find resources?

 

Dear Meeting Advisor,

My team is frustrating me. How do I get teammates to follow through with the action items they agreed to? Thanks.

While team meetings are critical to a team's success, the work done by members between meetings is essential to moving any project forward. There are three things you can do to prevent sandbagging from happening in your team:

1. During meetings, write agreements on a board or flipchart for everyone in the team to see. Instead of telling your teammates what to do, ask them. Have each teammate say what it is that they will be accountable for and by when. Then, go down the action item list and identify how each task, once completed, will contribute to the projects progression. When people see how their contribution is vital to the projects success, they'll be eager to follow through.
2. Before the next meeting, send out an agenda and restate the action items from the previous meeting. We're all human and sometimes a reminder helps.
3. If your teammate broke an agreement, call him or her on it, and do it without being overly critical. Simply state the agreement as you remember it and the impact the broken agreement has had on the project. Then either ask what he or she can do at this point to get it done or brainstorm a new solution together. Finally, make a new agreement. Don't forget to ask them to let you know sooner if they are unable to follow through with this new agreement.

Before escalating the broken agreement to a supervisor, do all that you can to align your teammates' motivations with your team's outcome. Always remember that people do their best work when they are motivated from the inside.

Good Luck! The Meeting Advisor

 

http://www.tms.com.au/tms07.html  Understanding work preferences is a critical component in developing individual, team, and organizational performance. The Team Management Profile Questionnaire (TMPQ) is a 60-item assessment focused on enhancing understanding of an individual's approach to work.

Based on the responses to the TMPQ, the Personal Team Management Profile provides constructive, work-based information outlining an individual's work preferences, based on the Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel, and the strengths that an individual brings to a team.

The Personal Team Management Profile highlights an individual's major and 2 related areas of work preferences on the Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel.

 

Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel

 

http://www.csudh.edu/Extension/Online%20Learning/virtualprojManagement.html The learner will be assisted in acquiring leadership skills unique to virtual teams. Setting the Stage for Success * Recognize the importance of successfully leading virtual teams. * Identify several fundamentals of leadership theory as they apply to managing virtual teams. * Choose examples of businesspeople as true leaders, especially as this applies to virtual teams. * Distinguish between effective and ineffective methods of leadership in virtual teams. Instrumentality Versus Manipulation * Recognize the benefits of leading virtual teams through instrumentality. * Identify various functions of traditional models of leadership. * Identify various functions of the emerging models of leadership. * Match several principles of Chaos Theory with their applications to leading virtual teams. * Distinguish between instrumental and manipulative management of virtual teams. Transactional Versus Transformational Leadership * Recognize the value of transactional, transformational and situational leadership as applied to virtual teams. * Identify key characteristics of the Transactional Model of leadership. * Identify the key characteristics of the Transformational Model of leadership. * Identify the key characteristics of the Situational Model of leadership. "Less" Versus "More" in the Virtual Team World * Recognize the critical importance of the unique and varied roles required to provide successful leadership for virtual teams. * Distinguish between the roles of Director and Mentor in leading virtual teams. * Distinguish between the roles of the Producer and the Facilitator in leading virtual teams. * Distinguish between the roles of the Coordinator and the Innovator in leading virtual teams. * Distinguish between the roles of the Monitor and the Team Builder in leading virtual teams.

 

 

Team leadership differs from traditional top-down leadership in the following ways (Bradford, 1976, as adapted by Yukl, 1989):

1. Responsibility for group effectiveness is not on the leader's shoulders but is shared by the group.
2. Control over the final decision is not held by the leader but is best left to the group.
3. The importance of one's position and power are de-emphasized in team leadership.
4. The leader perceives the group not as a set of individuals but as an "interacting and collective team."
5. The task-oriented functions of the team are not performed only by the leader but are shared by the entire group through its new roles.
6. Group maintenance functions are not performed systematically but are emphasized and shared by the group as a whole.
7. Socioemotional processes and interactions, while mostly ignored by leaders in top-down settings, are observed closely by team leaders.
8. Expressions of members' needs and feelings are not discouraged but are encouraged by team leaders and are dealt with openly in meetings.

LISTENING TIPS

Do make eye contact

Don't interrupt

Do lean forward and show interest

Don't finish other's sentences for them

Do mirror the other person's body language

Don't multi-task when listening

Reflect back

Make person feel good for having spoken

 

 

Physiological Needs

Physiological needs are the very basic needs such as air, water, food, sleep, sex, etc. When these are not satisfied we may feel sickness, irritation, pain, discomfort, etc. These feelings motivate us to alleviate them as soon as possible to establish homeostasis. Once they are alleviated, we may think about other things.

Safety Needs

Safety needs have to do with establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world. These needs are mostly psychological in nature. We need the security of a home and family. However, if a family is dysfunction, i.e., an abusive husband, the wife cannot move to the next level because she is constantly concerned for her safety. Love and belongingness have to wait until she is no longer cringing in fear. Many in our society cry out for law and order because they do not feel safe enough to go for a walk in their neighborhood. Many people, particularly those in the inner cities, unfortunately, are stuck at this level. In addition, safety needs sometimes motivate people to be religious. Religions comfort us with the promise of a safe secure place after we die and leave the insecurity of this world.

Love Needs

Love and belongingness are next on the ladder. Humans have a desire to belong to groups: clubs, work groups, religious groups, family, gangs, etc. We need to feel loved (non-sexual) by others, to be accepted by others. Performers appreciate applause. We need to be needed. Beer commercials, in addition to playing on sex, also often show how beer makes for camaraderie. When was the last time you saw a beer commercial with someone drinking beer alone?

Esteem Needs

There are two types of esteem needs. First is self-esteem which results from competence or mastery of a task. Second, there's the attention and recognition that comes from others. This is similar to the belongingness level, however, wanting admiration has to do with the need for power. People who have all of their lower needs satisfied, often drive very expensive cars because doing so raises their level of esteem. "Hey, look what I can afford-peon!"

Self-Actualization

The need for self-actualization is "the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming." People who have everything can maximize their potential. They can seek knowledge, peace, esthetic experiences, self-fulfillment, oneness with God, etc. It is usually middle-class to upper-class students who take up environmental causes, join the Peace Corps, go off to a monastery, etc.

 

Each training session ends with a goal setting workshop. I briefly explain how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, achievable, recorded and time-bound) and have participants write a goal based on one insight they gained from the training. Next I walk them through a process which translates those goals into bottom line measurements. I call it B.I.T.E. (benefits, impact, tasks, encouragement-support).

Benefits
Participants list several personal benefits they will receive once they hit their goal. This provides the key ingredient in goal accomplishment - motivation.

Impact
Impact - Next we calculate the financial impact achieving their goal will have on the organization. Every goal can be translated into hard numbers. Use questions like: how much time will this save?, how much inventory will be reduced?, by streamlining this area what additional projects will there be time to accomplish? and how much more efficient will I be? There are many ways to turn these questions into hard line numbers, but the easiest is employee compensation. Your company has already determined a return on investment value for it's employees - it is their hourly wage. (For salaried employees divide your annual salary by 2 to get your hourly wage, i.e. $50,000/2 = $25.00 hr). For every hour saved because of hitting that goal (based on the employee's training session) the employee is that much more productive, thus more valued to the company. Project the savings over a 12 month period to get a grand total.

Tasks
Next, I have participants break goals into specific tasks. This becomes their daily action plan for achieving the goal.

Encouragement-Support
And finally, I encourage them to share the goal with their supervising manager. The manager can then review the projected cost savings or increased productivity estimates for validation as well as offer ways to support the direct report in his/her goal. Incidentally, if the supervising manager agrees the goal will have a concrete bottom line impact of X amount it strengthens the employee's negotiating stance when review/raise time comes up. This approach also gives supervising managers (i.e. HR Directors) concrete financial projections they can relate to senior management regarding training return on investment.

Note: The industry standard for measuring training effectiveness was formulated by Donald Kirkpatrick. He explains four levels of training effectiveness in his book, Evaluating Training Programs - The Four Levels (1959). The four levels are: reaction (learner satisfaction), learning (retention), behavior (skill translation to job), results (business impact). Jack Phillips has added a fifth level in, Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs (1997). He offers a fully integrated, statistically accurate guideline to measuring return on investment. If you want to go deep into measuring ROI scientifically I recommend Phillips approach.

You can find more team building articles at www.teambuildingusa.com.

The Five Levels of Decision Making

The following are five levels of involvement leaders use when deciding who should be part of the decision making process:

Level One: Leader makes the decision alone.
This is used especially in emergency situations where immediate action is critical. Input is not helpful, quick action and immediate compliance is what counts.

Level Two: Leader makes the decision with input from key stakeholders.
The leader seeks input, usually to cover blind spots and enhance their depth of understanding around the issue to be decided. Stakeholders hold important information and not consulting them would be foolish.

Level Three: Consensus building - leader gets final say.
Leader solicits input from a variety of sources, builds consensus around a specific direction, allows the group to make a recommendation of which the leader must finally approve. This level takes considerable skill and is where developing leaders often make mistakes. Solid decision makers are well versed in the skill sets of this level.

Level Four: Delegate the decision to someone else.
The authority and responsibility are clearly shifted away from the leader (usually to a direct report). Both the leader and the direct report live with the consequences - good or bad. The leader reviews the decision, but does not change it and uses it as an opportunity for development.

Level Five: True consensus.
Leader fully delegates the decision to a group (usually a committee). If the leader is part of the committee then he/she is just one vote among many. The group processes all the decisions involved, compromises positions until everyone is in agreement.

Strong leaders understand the process decisions must go through to be effective. As leaders move higher in organizations the demand upon their time and influence also increases. The temptation to use the power of position to make things happen is high. Rookie leaders will often get caught in this trap and learn expensive lessons when decisions go bad. Hopefully you can avoid these mistakes and make effective decision by using the three questions.