Team Characteristics Flashcards
Team
two or more people who work interdependently over some time period in order to accomplish common goals related to some task-oriented purpose
Input-Process-Output (IPO)
framework used to describe what
Team Development Models
- Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development
- Punctuated Equilibrium Theory
Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
- Adjourning
Forming (Tuckman’s Stage 1)
Members orient themselves by trying to understand their boundaries in the team
Storming (Tuckman’s Stage 2)
Members remain committed to ideas they bring with them to the team
Norming (Tuckman’s Stage 3)
Members realize that they beed to work together to accomplish team goals and consequently they begin to cooperate with one another
Performing (Tuckman’s Stage 4)
Members are comfortable working within their roles and the team makes progress toward goals
Adjourning (Tuckman’s Stage 5)
Members experience anxiety and other emotions as they disengage and ultimately separate from the team
Punctuated Equilibrium Theory
Initial meeting -> inertia -> punctuated equilibrium -> process revision -> inertia
- Initial Team Meeting: members make assumptions and establish a pattern of behavior that lasts for the first half of the projects life
- Midway Point: members realize that they have to change their work model fundamentally to complete it on time “Whoa our time is almost up… things get serious”
Team Interdependence
the way members of a team are linked to each other
Types of Team Interdependence
- Goal Interdependence
- Outcome Interdependence
- Task Interdependence
Goal Interdependence
members have shared vision of team goals and align their personal goals with that vision
Outcome Interdependence
members are linked in terms of outcomes they receive
Task Interdependence
the degree to which team members interact with and rely on each other for the information, materials, and resources to accomplish team tasks
Team Interdependence
the way members of a team are linked to each other
Types of Task Interdependence
- Pooled Interdependence
- Sequential Interdependence
- Reciprocal Interdependence
- Comprehensive Interdependence
Pooled Interdependence
group members complete their work assignments independently, then this work is ‘piled up’ to represent the group’s output (everyone does their own work and combines at the end)
Sequential Interdependence
different tasks are done in a certain order and the group is structured so that each member specializes in a task (each person works on their step to give to the next)
Reciprocal Interdependence
members are specialized to perform specific tasks and members interact with a subset of other members to complete the team’s work (some people work with some other people)
Comprehensive Interdependence
each member had a great deal of discretion in what they do and with whom they interact through the course of the project (everyone works with everyone)
Pros/Cons of Task Interdependence
Efficiency vs. Coordination
Efficiency (pooled and sequential)
– Pro: more efficient in coordination and communication
– Con: Less capable of adapting to new situations because of lack of member communication and knowledge
Coordination (reciprocal and comprehensive)
– Pro: more capable of adapting to new situation because of high interaction
– Con: Spend more time on communication and coordination - decreasing productivity
Team Composition
Who makes up the team
- size, roles, ability, personality, diversity
Team Size
4-5 people is ideal
- Jeff Bezos “if we can’t feed the team with 2 pizzas its too big”
Options: more the merrier – too many cooks spoil the pot
Member Roles
Task Roles
Team Building Roles
Individualistic Roles
Task Roles (Member Roles)
‘Task Performance’
- Initiator/Contributor
- Coordinator
- Orienter
- Devil’s Advocate
- Energizer
- Procedural/Technician
Team Building Roles (Member Roles)
‘Citizenship Behavior’
- Encourager
- Harmonizer
- Compromiser
- Gatekeeper/Expediter
- Standard Setter
- Follower
Individualistic Roles (Member Roles)
‘Counterproductive Behavior’
- Aggressor
- Blocker
- Dominator
- Recognition Seeker
- Self-Confessor
- Slacker
Member Personality
- Agreeable (more cooperative, trusting, promote positive attitudes about the team, smooth interpersonal interactions)
- Conscientious (dependable, work hard to achieve goals)
- Extraverted (perform effectively interpersonally, positive, optimistic)
Warning about Member Personality
Too Agreeable – enhance harmony but lose task performance increase group think
Too Extraverted – power struggles, unproductive conflict b/c assertive and dominant personalities
Member Ability
Aside from general cognitive ability - team success depends on the structure of the task
Types of Task Structure
- Disjunctive
- Conjunctive
- Additive
Disjunctive Task Structure
The entire group needs to come up with a single solution
- Highest member ability determines team performance
Ex. Quiz Team
Conjunctive Task Structure
Each member of the group needs to contribute for the groups success
- Lowest member ability determines team performance
Ex. relay race
Additive Task Structure
All members’ contributions are added together
- All members’ ability are added up to determine team performance
Ex. climbing a mountain or tug-o-rope
Team Diversity
degree to which members are different from one another in terms of any attribute that might be used as a basis for categorizing people (race, gender, nationality, age, expertise, experience, personality, ability, values/beliefs)
Value in Diversity Problem Solving Approach
More diversity stimulates exchange of knowledge and information - which fosters learning among team members
- diversity is GOOD especially for ethnicity, expertise, personality, and attitudes
Similarity Attraction Approach
People tend to be attracted to those perceived as similar and avoid interacting with those dissimilar
- diversity is BAD especially for race and culture
Surface-level Diversity
diversity based on OBSERVABLE attitudes
- Gender
- Race
- Age
- Ability/Disabilities
(small negative relationship with team performance or no relation)
Deep-level Diversity
diversity based on attributes that are inferred with experience
- Values
- Attitudes
- Beliefs
- Personality
(positively related to team performance)
Characteristics of an Effective Team
- 4-5 people
- deep level diversity
- comprehensive task interdependence
- mix of personalities
- task and team building roles
- Tuckman’s Theory
