Effective Teams

Question 1

Team Formation

Answer 1

• Forming - when the team first comes together. Members are anxious and there is little conflict. Members are still learning about each other, the nature of the task and the purpose of the team.
• 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.
• Norming - conflicts are resolved at this stage with tasks and responsibilities divided amongst members. There is a sense of shared expectations and mutual support and cooperation increase at this stage.
• Performing - boundaries have been set so the group can get onto the actual task. Members work together a a cohesive group and people are respected enough to get on with their task. Productivity and decision-making improve and staff morale is high.

Question 2

Team Formation Assistance

Answer 2

• Forming - team-building activities will help teams get to know one another at this stage and help ease anxieties. The team will require clear guidance from the tea leader with the vision of the team needing to be clearly communicated to all.
• Storming - The team may need mentored through problems and an open dialogue should be encouraged to help reach compromises.
• 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.
  Performing - Supervision will be required by a team leader to ensure targets are being met, with team leaders monitoring performance from a distance to ensure progress is taking place. Positive praise is encouraged and continued liaison with team members should take place to ensure they feel supported.

Question 3

Skills of Team Members

Answer 3

• 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.
• Supportive - supporting other members of the team with tasks they are doing will help team members experience a sense of belonging, this will increase morale among team members.
• Cooperation - active participation and willing cooperation will earn the respect of other team members, making them more willing to share ideas.
• Willingness to learn and develop - being willing to take on additional responsibility and leadership of projects will mean that team members can learn skills from others.
• Listening - listening to others’ ideas and views, and showing support to other team members when they speak, will foster an environment which allows sharing and debate about ideas and solutions to take place.
• Communication - team members should be able to communicate both verbally and in writing effectively, so that other members of the team clearly understand what is being communicated.
• Organised - in order to meet deadlines, team members must be able to be organised with their time and task management, prioritising work where required.
• Patient - team members will be working alongside others who have different skills and expertise, in order to avoid conflict, they may need to be patient and tactful when working with each other in stressful situations.
• Enthusiastic - team members who are willing to take on responsibility will feel empowered, which can encourage creativity and innovation in teams.

Question 4

Belbin’s Team Roles

Answer 4

• Resource Investigator - use their inquisitive nature to find ideas to bring back to the team, normally enthusiastic.
• Teamworker - helps a team to gel, using versatility to identify work required and complete it on behalf of the team.
• Coordinator - focuses on team objectives and delegates work appropriately, a good listener who gets the best out of people.
• Plant - tends to be highly creative and good at solving problems.
• Monito Evaluator - provides a logical eye, making impartial judgements where required when monitoring quality of work done throughout process.
• Specialist - brings in-depth knowledge of a key area to the team.
• Shaper - provides the necessary drive to ensure that the team keeps moving and does not lose focus or momentum.
• Implementer - plans a workable strategy and carries it out as efficiently as possible.
• Completer Finisher - most effectively used at end of tasks to polish and scrutinise the work for errors, good attention to detail.

Question 5

Team Leadership

Answer 5

• Clear direction - a clear vision shared by the team leader can make a team more productive which can lead to deadlines being met.
• Delegation - by effectively delegating tasks to employees, this will empower and motivate employees, leaders will know the strengths and weaknesses of their employees and tasks can be allocated to them that suit.
• Leading by example - team members’ skillset will improve so talent can be developed for internal promotion.
• Supervision and support - staff will feel less stressed and are more likely to be productive and meet deadlines.
• Clear communication - allows a dialogue to take place to develop the understanding of tasks, work will therefore be done to a higher quality with less misunderstanding so better decisions can take place.
• 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, as a result team members can be more focused on success, resulting in a more positive working environment, more motivated staff and increased morale can lead to lower staff turnover and lower absenteeism rates.

Question 6

Team Leadership - Staff Working Remotely

Answer 6

• Team leader can feel confident that work is progressing on time and deadlines will therefore be met.
• 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 arising.
• Tasks can be discussed, ensuring work is being completed to the correct standard.
  -Team members can be informed of deadlines or changing priorities, in order to help 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 therefore is a team leader makes contact first this can ensure the team member engages in conversation and discussion.

Question 7

Features of Effective Teams

Answer 7

• Team skills - for a team to be effective it will require a mix of skills and personalities. The longer a team is together, the more effective it is likely to be. A tea, will work as a cohesive group, pulling together and meeting targets and deadlines.
• 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.
• Team size - too few members will lead to heavy workloads or lack of skills/expertise. Too many members could leas to under-utilised staff, poor communication and management issues.
• 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.
• Leadership - the presence of a good leader helps to promote a positive atmosphere, provide good coordination and manage conflict. Poor leadership can lead to demotivated team members, conflict, lack of support and lack of challenge.
• 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 a lack of understanding.
• Shared vision - when all team members have a clear idea of what they are there to achieve and have a common direction.
• Unclear team roles - can lead to confusion and duplication of work.
• Unfair workload - may lead to tensions within the team and team members skills being under utilised.
• Support - when team members support one another whilst working on projects, this leads to better decision-making and taking more risks. Shared knowledge means there is also better coverage when there are staffing absences.

Question 8

Benefits of Teams to Individuals

Answer 8

• Greater job satisfaction leading to increased morale.
• Increased confidence in work being done so less likely to be stressed.
• Will feel more supported at work.
• Skills may increase by learning from other tea members which may lead to increased chances of promotion.
• If more productive and meet targets this could lead to higher pay/bonuses/commission.

Question 9

Benefits of Teams to Organisations

Answer 9

• Increased productivity with many members working on a task.
• Improved idea generation leads to a team being more innovative and competitive.
• Improved communication between employees and management so are less likely to resist change due to improved working relationships.
• Employees motivated working in a team which leads to reduced staff turnover and lower absenteeism rates.
• Employees more likely to take risks which leads to better decision-making.
• Employees develop increased skills which means there is increased flexibility in the workforce if someone is absent, this also reduces the cost an requirement for sending employees on external training courses.