Effective Teams Flashcards
Team Formation?
Forming, storming, norming, preforming
Forming
when the team first comes together.
Members are anxious and there is a little conflict.
Members are still learning about each other, the nature of the task and the team.
How to help in Forming
Team-building activities will help teams get to know one another at this stage and help ease anxieties.
Team will require guidance from the team leader with the vision of the team needing to be clearly communicated to all.
Storming
members are ready to establish themselves and disputes and power struggles start to arise.
There is a battle for positions, authority and influence and views are more openly expressed at this stage.
How to help storming
Team may need mentored through problems and an open dialogue should be encouraged to help reach compromises.
Norming
Conflicts are resolved at this stage with tasks and responsibilities divided amongst members.
A sense of shared expectations and mutual support and co-operation increase at this stage.
how to help norming
Group discussion should be encouraged with team roles confirmed.
Good communication should be maintained to ensure everyone is continuing to work with the same shared vision.
Preforming
Boundaries have been set so the group can get onto the actual task.
Members work as a cohesive group and people are respected enough to get on with their task.
Productivity and decision-making improves and staff morale is high.
How to help prefroming
Supervision by a team leader is required to ensure targets are met, with team leaders monitoring performance from a distance to ensure progress is taking place.
Positive praise is encouraged and continue liaison with team members to ensure they feel supported.
skills of team members: motivational
Motivating other members of the team will improve morale and also ensure a more cohesive working environment, with team members helping each other to succeed and meet goals.
skills of team members: Supportive
Supporting other members of the team with the tasks they are doing will help team members experience a sense of belonging.
this will increase morale amongst team members.
skills of team members:
Co-operation
active participation and willing co-operation will earn the respect of other team members, making them more willing to share ideas.
skills of team members: organised
in order to meet deadlines, team members must be organised with their time and task management, prioritising work where required.
skills of team members: patient
Team members will be working alongside others with different skills/expertise. To avoid conflict they may need to be patient and tactful when working with each other in these stressful situations.
Belbin Team roles:
teamworker
helps the team to gel, using versatility to identify work required and completes it on behalf of the team.
Belbin Team roles:
Plant
tends to be highly creative and good at solving problems
Belbin Team roles:
specialist
brings in-depth knowledge of a key area to the team.
Belbin Team roles:
shaper
provides the necessary drive and ensures the team keeps moving and does not lose focus or momentum.
Belbin Team roles:
Implementer
plans a workable strategy and carries it out as efficiently as possible.
Belbin Team roles:
completer finisher
most effectively use at the end of tasks to polish and scrutinize for errors.
Good attention to detail.
Team leadership:
clear direction
a clear vision shared by a team leader makes a team more productive this leads to deadlines being met.
Team leadership:
delegation
by effectively delegating task to employees this will empower and motivate them.
Leaders will know the employees strengths and weaknesses so they can give them tasks that suit them.
Team leadership:
leading by example
this will improve team members skillset. This means develop their talent for an internal promotion.
Team leadership:
supervision and support
means staff are less stressed and more productive and likely to meet deadlines
Team leadership:
Clear communication
allows a dialogue to take place to help the understanding of tasks.
Therefore work will be done to a higher quality with less misunderstandings.
Better decisions take place.
Team leadership:
Reduces conflict
a strong leader who possesses good conflict resolution skills can result in less disputes and hostility by listening carefully, working with all parties and looking ahead to focus on common goals.
team members can be more focused on success = a more positive working enviroment.
more motivated staff and increased morale can lead to lower staff turnover and absentee rates.
Team leadership
Team leader can feel more confident on work progressing on time and that deadlines are more likely to be met.
tasks can be discussed, ensuring work is completed to the correct standard.
team members can be informed of deadlines or changing priorities, in order to help them manage their time.
A simple informal chat can help a team member feel part of the team.
Team members may feel shy or reluctant about making contact.
So if a team leader makes contact first this can ensure the team member engages in conversation and discussion.
Team members who work at home may feel isolated, therefore regular contact with their team leader will make them feel involved and supported, and hopefully prevent other issues upbringings such as grievances.
Features of effective teams:
Nature of the Task
how challenging and/or structured a task is and how much team members believe in it will have an effect on the success of a team.
Features of effective teams:
team conflict
personal disputes, lack of resources, conflicting goals can all lead to conflict and disagreements in a team.
A team that is unable to resolve conflict will be less effective.
Features of effective teams:
communication
strong and open communication means team members are encouraged to express their opinions, suggest ideas and are prepared to compromise.
Poor communication may result in lack of understanding.
Features of effective teams:
shared vision
when all team members have a clear idea of what they are there to achieve and have a common direction
Features of effective teams:
unclear team roles
can lead to confusion and duplication of work
Features of effective teams:
unfair workload
may lead to tensions within the team and team members skills being under-utilised.
Benefits of teams to individuals
greater job satisfaction = increased morale.
increased confidence in work being done = less likely to be stressed.
will feel more supported at work.
skills may increase by learning from other team members = increase chance of promotion.
if more productive and meet targets = higher pay/bonuses/commission.
benefits of teams to Organisations
increased productivity with many members working on a task.
improved idea generation = a team being more innovative and competitive.
improved communication between employees and management = less likely to resist change due to improved working relationships.
employees motivated working in a team= reduced staff turnover and lower absenteeism rates.
employees more likely to take risks = better decision making.
employees develop increased skills = increased flexibility in the workforce if someone is absent = reduces the cost and requirement for sending employees on external training courses.
skills of team members: Enthusiastic
team members who are willing to take on responsibility willfeel empowered. This can encourage creativity and innovation in teams.
