12.2: Identify the characteristics of effective teams

Question 1

What are the three dimensions of the Team Effectiveness Scorecard?

Answer 1

Production Output: The team meets or exceeds performance standards.

Member Satisfaction: Team members find the experience professionally and personally satisfying.

Capacity for Continued Cooperation: The team works in a way that builds goodwill and enhances future collaboration.

Question 2

Why is repeated application of team disciplines essential for effectiveness?

Answer 2

Like a long-term goal (e.g., weight loss), consistent application of team disciplines is necessary to achieve and sustain high team performance.

Question 3

Why is smaller team size often more effective?

Answer 3

Smaller teams work harder, engage in more tasks, and assume greater responsibility for outcomes.

Large teams face challenges in communication and coordination.

Question 4

What is the “two-pizza rule” for team size, and who proposed it?

Answer 4

Jeff Bezos proposed that teams should be small enough to be fed with two pizzas. Ideally, high-performing teams consist of 5-8 members.

Question 5

Why are complementary skills important for teams?

Answer 5

Effective teams require a mix of technical, task management, and interpersonal skills to succeed.

Members’ skills should complement each other to cover all required roles.

Question 6

What are the five KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) required for teamwork?

Answer 6

Conflict Resolution: Manage and minimize undesirable conflicts.

Collaborative Problem Solving: Recognize and address barriers to teamwork.

Communication: Use active listening and effective expression.

Goal Setting and Performance Management: Set challenging and accepted goals.

Planning and Task Coordination: Synchronize activities and responsibilities.

Question 7

What personality traits are associated with effective team performance?

Answer 7

Conscientiousness and agreeableness are linked to higher ratings and outcomes in teams.

Question 8

What is the “too much talent” effect in team dynamics?

Answer 8

In certain contexts, having too many highly talented individuals can hinder team performance, as it may become difficult for members to accept reduced roles for the good of the team.

Question 9

How can managers address skill gaps in existing teams?

Answer 9

Managers can strategically assign roles, develop team members’ skills, or reduce redundancies to meet the team’s objectives effectively.

Question 10

What is a “shared purpose,” and why is it important for high-performance teams?

Answer 10

A shared purpose involves a clear understanding of the team’s goals and a belief that the goals are worth pursuing.

It motivates the team, clarifies performance objectives, and enhances overall effectiveness.

Question 11

What is the difference between outcome-based goals and activity-based goals?

Answer 11

Outcome-based goals focus on specific results (e.g., winning three new accounts), while activity-based goals describe actions to be taken (e.g., developing a plan for winning new accounts).

Question 12

How do goals enhance team motivation?

Answer 12

Specific and challenging goals strengthen motivation by providing clear targets and fostering a sense of accomplishment.

Question 13

What are team norms, and why are they essential?

Answer 13

Team norms are unwritten rules or standards of behavior that guide members’ actions. They provide direction, reinforce team culture, and predict member behavior.

Question 14

What are the five teamwork process norms that underpin high performance?

Answer 14

The five norms are confidence, cooperation, coordination, cohesion, and conflict.

Question 15

What is team confidence, and how does it impact performance?

Answer 15

Team confidence is the belief that the team can succeed. Confident teams set more challenging goals, persist through difficulties, and are more likely to succeed.

Question 16

What is team cooperation, and what characterizes cooperative teams?

Answer 16

Team cooperation involves the reciprocal exchange of information in a safe environment marked by openness, mutual trust, and a willingness to challenge ideas.

Question 17

What is team coordination, and why is it important?

Answer 17

Team coordination integrates individual efforts toward team goals, ensuring efficient processing of information, minimizing biases, and focusing discussions on unique contributions.

Question 18

What challenges can uneven communication in teams create?

Answer 18

Uneven communication leads to dominant voices overshadowing others, biased decision-making, and failure to utilize unique information held by individual members.

Question 19

How can teams ensure effective decision-making and coordination?

Answer 19

Teams can use techniques like “go-arounds” to ensure everyone speaks, minimize status differences, and focus discussions on solving problems with evidence.

Question 20

What is team cohesion, and how does it affect performance?

Answer 20

Team cohesion is the shared commitment and affinity team members feel toward their group.

Highly cohesive teams value membership and strive for positive relationships, which can lead to better performance if paired with productive norms.

Question 21

How does the difficulty of joining a team influence cohesion?

Answer 21

Teams with difficult entry processes tend to have higher cohesion because the shared challenges create a sense of accomplishment and common experiences.

Question 22

How do norms interact with cohesion to impact team performance?

Answer 22

High cohesion with productive norms enhances performance, while high cohesion with unproductive norms (e.g., long breaks or bullying) lowers performance as members conform to low expectations.

Question 23

What is team conflict, and why is it important?

Answer 23

Team conflict involves disagreements among members.

Constructive conflict can improve decision-making by encouraging diverse perspectives, while unproductive conflict can harm team dynamics.

Question 24

How do high-performing teams manage norm violations?

Answer 24

High-performing teams address norm violations through subtle suggestions, direct criticisms, or reprimands to enforce norms. This creates a culture where members challenge each other without taking it personally.

Question 25

What distinguishes high-performing teams from low-performing ones?

Answer 25

High-performing teams establish and enforce productive norms, enabling members to challenge and support each other effectively.

Question 26

How do cohesive teams differ in their behavior compared to less cohesive teams?

Answer 26

Highly cohesive teams are more energetic, less likely to be absent, and happier about successes. However, cohesion must align with productive norms to result in high performance.

Question 27

What is mutual accountability, and why is it essential for high-performing teams?

Answer 27

Mutual accountability means team members are responsible for their collective performance. It builds trust, ensures members pull their weight, and motivates contributions through accountability and reward structures.

Question 28

What are the two types of team rewards, and how do they differ?

Answer 28

Cooperative Rewards: Rewards are equally shared among all team members, fostering collaboration.

Competitive Rewards: Rewards are based on individual performance, encouraging personal effort but potentially reducing teamwork.

Question 29

When are cooperative rewards most appropriate?

Answer 29

Cooperative rewards work best when task interdependence is high, as individual performance is less distinct, and collaboration is essential for success.

Question 30

What is social loafing, and how can it affect teams?

Answer 30

Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort in a group than they would alone, often due to unclear accountability or low interdependence.

Question 31

How can peer evaluations help enforce team norms?

Answer 31

Peer evaluations provide direct feedback on individual contributions, reinforcing productive norms and encouraging accountability within the team.

Question 32

What are the five key challenges of building a high-performing team?

Answer 32

Keeping the group small.

Focusing on complementary skill sets.

Setting clear, outcome-based goals.

Enforcing productive norms and managing conflict.

Matching rewards to contributions, with some cooperative elements.

Question 33

Why is discipline critical for team success?

Answer 33

Discipline ensures consistent execution of foundational principles, like setting clear goals and maintaining accountability, which are vital for achieving team potential.