8. Team Dynamics

Question 1

Coaching P. 100

Answer 1

A process by which a more experienced individual helps enhance the existing skills and capabilities that reside in a less experienced individual.

Translate the theoretical learning into applied learning.

Particularly useful in providing guidance regarding team conflict and facilitation issues.

Question 2

Mentoring P. 100

Answer 2

Help provide guidance, wisdom, and a possible road map to career advancement.

Question 3

Conflict Management P. 103

Answer 3

1. Venting emotions.
2. Resolving issues.
   - Avoid (when issue cannot be resolved profitably)
   - Accommodate (when keeping the peace is more important than solution)
   - Compromise
   - Compete (least desirable means)
   - Collaborate (based on data, fact, and trust)

Question 4

Intervention P. 103.

Answer 4

An intervention is an action taken by a leader or a facilitator to support the effective functioning of a team or work group.

Question 5

Conditions for Intervening P. 104

Answer 5

• A participant is not listening or paying attention or is distracting other participants.
• One or more side conversations are taking place.
• Participants are interrupting one another.
• Personal attacks, discourtesy, or incivility is occurring.
• The discussion is drifting off track.
• Violation of team norms or ground rules occurred.
• Violation of organization policy has occurred.

Question 6

Meeting Management P. 105

Answer 6

• Form agenda committee.
• Publish timed meeting agendas.
• Publish project timeline.
• Publish actions assigned.
• Publish reminders of assigned actions.
• Maintain “parking lot” list.
• Starting on time.
• Require pre-work.
• Ensuring that the right people and resources are available.
• Assign prescribed roles.
• Create the team norms.
• Conduct in-meeting process checks.
• Conduct end-of-meeting process check.

Question 7

Team Decision-Making Methods P. 107

Answer 7

• Consensus building
• Nominal group technique (NGT)
• Multivoting
• Force-field analysis

Question 8

Consensus Building P. 108

Answer 8

• Integrate and summarize complex ideas to the satisfaction of the group.
• Gain buy-in to the purpose of the meeting from all members.
• Link people’s ideas together.
• Record ideas on a flip chart so group members can see how they have contributed.
• Draw out everyone’s input into a clear goal and objective.

Question 9

Nominal Group Technique (NGT) P. 108

Answer 9

• Ideas
• Prioritize by ranking
• Summarize ranking total for the idea

Question 10

Multivoting P. 109

Answer 10

• Ideas

- Prioritize by 100 points allocation

Question 11

Force-Field Analysis P. 110

Answer 11

Technique for analyzing the forces that aid or hinder an organization in reaching an objective.

Driving forces (increase) and Restraining forces (reduce)

Question 12

Obstacle: A person or group dominates the discussion

Answer 12

• Ask each person for one comment or reaction
• Ask dominating people to summarize their positions
• Ask their ideas first or adopt the “no judgments allows”
• Request in making sure all voices are heard

Question 13

Obstacle: A person or group is reluctant to participate

Answer 13

• Welcome and express appreciation every comment
• Form small subgroups
• Make action assignments, with brief reports at the beginning of next meeting.
• Request in making sure all voices are heard

Question 14

Obstacle: A tendency exists to accept opinions without data

Answer 14

• Emphasize the importance of basing decision on facts from the first meeting onward.
• Raise questions about data.

Question 15

Obstacle: Groupthink (seek consensus too early or members are more concerned with avoiding a conflict)

Answer 15

• Provide full opportunity for the expressions of all views.
• Seek out dissenting views
• Ask individuals to play devil’s advocate by opposing early consensus.
• Be sure a preliminary written conclusion includes dissenting views.
• Ensure that the team ground rules call for multiple alternatives to be examined.

Question 16

Obstacle: Team members begin to air old disputes

Answer 16

• Make sure ground rules state the need for a fresh start, keeping history in the past.
• Have a printed agenda.
• Assign team members the job of collecting data regarding the issue in dispute.

Question 17

Obstacle: The team is floundering because it has lost sight of its goals and objectives.

Answer 17

• Make sure goals and objectives are clear and well understood at the first team meeting.
• Start meetings by revisiting goals and objectives.
• Use graphics based on PERT and Gannt Charts.
• Bringing an outside voice.
• Consider using a facilitator.

Question 18

Obstacle: The team is rushing to meet its milestone without a thorough study or analysis.

Answer 18

• (Sub-optimizing) Encourage the team to study a far-ranging list of approaches and solutions.
• (Unintended consequences) When a change is studied, be sure it is clearly communicated to all who might be impacted. Actively seek input regarding possible unintended consequences.
• (Missing root causes) Try toggling the root cause on and off and observe whether the problem is toggling also.

Question 19

Obstacle: The team becomes troubled over the issue of attribution

Answer 19

• If an idea comes from outside the team, that should be acknowledged.
• If an idea was advanced before the team was formed, that should be acknowledged.
• If ideas and concepts developed was responsible by a person or group, that should be acknowledged.

Question 20

Obstacle: The team digresses too far from its goals and objectives.

Answer 20

• Assign and individual or group to follow through on a side topic.
• Set a specific time as a deadline beyond which no effort will be spent on the topic.