Chapter 20

Question 1

Effective team

Answer 1

Can be described as ‘any group of people who must significantly relate with each other in order to accomplish shared objectives’

Multi-skilled teams bring together individuals who can perform any of the groups tasks. These can be shared out in a flexible way according to availability and inclination

Multi-disciplinary teams bring together individuals with different specialisms so that their skills, knowledge and experience can be pooled or exchanged.

Question 2

Belbin suggests a well balanced group should contain the following nine character types:

Answer 2

The leader - co-ordinating (not imposing) and operating through others

The shaper - committed to the task, may be aggressive and challenging, will also always promote activity

The plant - thoughtful and thought-provoking

The monitor-evaluator - analytically criticises others’ ideas, brings group down to earth

The company worker - turns general ideas into specifics; practical and efficient, tends to be an administrator handling the scheduling aspects

The team worker - concerned with the relationships within the group, is supportive and tends to defuse potential conflict situations

The finisher - unpopular, but necessary individual; the progress chaser who ensures that timetables are met

The specialist - provides knowledge and skills in rare supply

Question 3

Tuckman 4 stages needed to weld teams together

Answer 3

Forming
At the initial stage, the group is no more than a collection of individuals who are seeking to define the purpose of the group and how it will operate

Storming
Most groups go through this conflict stage. In this stage norms of attitude, behaviour, etc are challenged and rejected. Members compete for chosen roles within the group. If successful, this stage will have forged a stronger team with greater knowledge of each other and their objectives.

Norming
This stage establishes the norms under which the group will operate. Members experiment and test group reaction as the norms become established. Typically, the norming stage will establish how the group will take decisions, behaviour patterns, level of trust and openness, individual’s roles, etc

Performing
One this stage has been reached, the group is capable of operating to full potential, since the difficulties of adjustment, leadership contests, etc should have been resolved.

One added
Dorming
If a team remains for a long time in the performing phase, there is a danger that it will be operating on automatic pilot. ‘Groupthink’ occurs to the extent that the group may be unaware of changing circumstances. Instead, maintaining the team becomes one of its prime objectives.