4. Groups & Teams

Question 1

Group vs. Team (Definition Group and Team)

Answer 1

• Group = Two or more people who interact with each other to accomplish certain goals or meet certain needs (e.g. through sharing resources or communication) –> Goals of a group are not necessarily aligned and do not have to be the same
• Team = a group whose members work intensely with each other to achieve a specific, common goal or objectives

! all teams are groups but not all groups are teams !

Question 2

Contributions of Groups and Teams (Advantages of of Groups and Teams (2))

Answer 2

–> Groups and Teams can help organizations gain competitive advantages

• Making use of the synergy from employees in a group producing more or better output than employees working separately –> division of labor to accomplish goals
  
  • Bounce ideas off one another (= synergy effects)
  • Correct each other’s errors
  • Bring more new ideas to bear on problems

–> accomplish projects beyond the scope of individuals

• Members of groups, and particularly teams are often better motivated and satisfied than individuals
  
  • Team members are more motivated and satisfied than if they were working alone
  • Teams provide needed social interaction and help employees cope with work-related stressors

Question 3

Group Dynamics: Size (Group Size Effects (2), Rational Small Teams, Example)

Answer 3

Group size affects how a group performs

• Normally, small groups (2 to 9 members) interact better and tend to be more motivated than larger groups depends on the specific task
• Larger groups can be used when more resources are needed, and division of labor is possible

! As team size increases, coordination and communication costs increase as well !

–> small teams make it easier to communicate more effectively rather than more; with bigger teams, it’s the quality of communication that suffers, not the quantity

Example: Two-Pizza Teams (Amazon)

• Jeff Bezos: “If you can’t feed a team with two pizzas, it’s too large.”
• as group size increases, the links start to get unwieldy:
  
  • taking two-pizza team size of e.g. 6 equals 15 links between everyone
  • a team of 12: increase to 66 links
  • A small business of 50 people: 1.225 links

Question 4

Group Dynamics: Leadership (Necessity of Leadership, Responsibility of a Leader, Qualtities of a Leader (4))

Answer 4

Every group/team needs a leader to take responsibility for tasks, failure, decision- making, motivation, inspiration, aligning goals and preventing principle-agent problem

• A leader should have a vision, commitment, and drive to achieve the group’s goals
• The leader must motivate and inspire the members of the group
• The leader must be flexible, adaptable and should be capable to face all types of situations including challenges and failures

Important qualities of a leader:

• Effective communication & proper planning
• Motivation
• Experience and knowledge
• Integrity

Question 5

Stages of Group Development (5 Stages)

Answer 5

1. Forming
   = Group members get to know each other and reach common goals
2. Storming
   = Group members disagree on direction and leadership; managers need to be sure the conflict stays focused (= intragroup conflict) ends when a clear hierarchy and leadership is established
3. Norming
   = Close ties and consensus begin to develop between group members ends when a common group/team culture has developed
4. Performing
   = group begins to do real work stage is completed once work is done
5. Adjourning
   = only for task forces that are temporary

Question 6

Motivating group member to achieve organizational goals (Factors of Motivation (2), Definition Individual Compensation)

Answer 6

• Members should benefit when the group performs well – rewards can be monetary or in other forms such as special recognition
• Consider individual motivations and goals and possible conflicts with group goals
• Individual compensation
  = a combination of both individual and group performance

Question 7

KPMG: Group Leadership in Daily Work (5 Factors, Essential for Daily Work (1))

Answer 7

• Communication is key
  = in the fast-moving daily project work a precise and concise way of communication is a crucial characteristic for all team members
• Goal Setting
  = all of our team members should have a clear and common understanding of the next project goals, optimally for the end of the business day; each of the team members should be aware of his or her responsibilities and next tasks
• Feedback
  = to guide the team members, the team leader provides feedback frequently this does not only ensure the quality of results, but also enables the team members to improve their work in the future
• Give the chance to learn and improve
  = each of our team members has the opportunity to improve their professional knowledge or skills by being challenged through the current work the team leader provides the room for these improvements
• Being open for questions and proposals
  = as suggested by various agile project approaches, results are questioned and reviewed frequently in order to provide room for improvements the project leaders are receptive for proposals and welcome questions
• Radiate confidence and calmness in stress situations
  = a project lead should radiate calmness in stress situations to assure the team members’ confidence and avoid mistakes

–> essential: communication, taking responsibility, continuous on-the-job learning

Question 8

KPMG: Chances within the Team (5 Chances)

Answer 8

• Synergies
  
  • Each of our team members has individual strengths
  • Contribute to the team
• Quality
  
  • Team size of 3-5 enables reviewing results frequently
  • Making improvement proposals
  • Discovering new approaches and strategies
• Improvement/Personal Growth
  
  • Diverse strengths and expertise enables team members to learn from each other –> improving professional and personal skills
• Support
  
  • Supporting each other especially during demanding project phases
• Connecting
  
  • Depending on the project’s nature, the teams vary
  • Sometimes working alongside with colleagues from other service lines
  • Expanding one’s network within the company

Question 9

KPMG: Challenges Whithin a Team (4 Challenges)

Answer 9

• Conflict of interest
  
  • One major challenge of each project
  • Example: While the engagement manager has an eye on the project’s cost controlling, an associate focuses on their development, which could result in spending more hours on a task
• Communication
  
  • Communicating concisely and precisely especially while dealing with several projects simultaneously
• Responsibilities
  
  • Clear understanding of each team member’s responsibility
  • Individual field of responsibility should be communicated clearly beforehand
  • Area of responsibility depends on the respective project manager
• Multiple projects / unavailability
  
  • Coordinating multiple projects is demanding for the respective team, as well as for the individual
  • It can occur that a team member is currently not available due to their involvement in another project

Question 10

KPMG: Chances with the Client (4 Chances)

Answer 10

• Creating value
  
  • Greatest chance for the team is to create substantial value by solving the problem and meeting the client’s needs
• Synergies
  
  • Both parties rely on each other’s knowledge
  • By working closely together with the client, we gain insight information –> crucial to customize the solution to the client’s needs
• Establishing long-term business relationships
  
  • By gaining trust, we establish a long-term relationship
  • Basis for follow-up projects
• Improvement / Enabling growth
  
  • We draw on our expertise and experience in order to help the client improve their reporting, processes…
  • On the other hand, we do still learn and improve through each project

Question 11

KPMG: Challenges with the Client (4 Challenges)

Answer 11

• Expectations
  
  • Aligning the client’s expectations and the possibilities given
  • Ideally, expectations are aligned in kick-off meeting
• Politics
  
  • Considering the client’s internal politics as hierarchies / reporting lines
  • Guiding questions
    
    • Who has the lead on the client’s side?
    • Who is our sponsor?
    • Who is our sponsor’s supervisor?
    • Who should get the results first?
    • Who is responsible for which workstream?
• Anticipating
  
  • Anticipating the client’s needs before they even know
  • Anticipating upcoming conflicts and problems
• Sensing non-verbal
  
  • Technically, we are external partners
  • Clients might not speak up openly in front of us
  • Sensing non-verbal signs can indicate issues or needs

Question 12

Remote Team Dynamic (3 Factors)

Answer 12

• Collaboration via MS Teams
  
  • Frequent team but also one-on-one meetings
  • Efficiency of professional meetings (goal orientation, stick to relevant discussion points)
• Managers and partners set a good example
  
  • Have “open office doors” now on MS Teams
• Strengthen relationships through casual interactions and implementing teambuilding time
  
  • Virtual coffee
  • Daily stand up/weekly check-ins
  • Virtual Christmas party

Question 13

KPMG: Tips for better Teamwork

Answer 13

• Shared Goals
  
  • At KPMG there’s a common understanding of goals o KPMG pursues shared goals with energy and passion
• Open communication
  KPMG believes in communication which is
  
  • Honest and transparent
  • Respectful
  • Regularly
  • Providing feedback
• Shared Mindset
  
  • KPMG strives to create a culture of belonging
• Trust
  
  • KPMG allows for mistakes and perceives them as an opportunity to learn
  • Open door policy
• Support
  
  • Team leaders support changes
  • Team leaders focus on individual strengths
  • Team leaders support with individual’s development issues
• Psychological Safety
  
  • Team members should feel safe to speak up