TEAMWORKING SKILLS
- Communication: Effective communication is vital for team success. Members should be able to express themselves
clearly and actively listen to others. - Collaboration: Members should collaborate effectively to achieve shared goals, provide mutual support, and solve
problems collectively. - Conflict resolution: Team members may have different perspectives or opinions, leading to conflicts. Resolving conflicts
effectively is necessary for team success. - Flexibility: Team members should be adaptable and flexible, willing to take on different roles and responsibilities as
required. - Goal orientation: All team members should be focused on achieving the shared goals and objectives of the team, and
work collaboratively to achieve them. - Time management: Effective time management skills are important to ensure that the team meets deadlines and stays
on track. - Leadership: Effective team leadership can help to motivate and inspire team members, set clear goals and expectations,
and guide the team towards success. - Trust and respect: Trust and respect are essential for effective team collaboration. Team members should be able to
trust each other, be respectful of different opinions, and work towards shared goals. - Creativity and innovation: Teams can benefit from creative and innovative ideas, and team members should feel
comfortable contributing their ideas and suggestions. - Continuous learning: Effective teamworking skills require continuous learning and development, both individually and
as a team, to adapt to changing circumstances and new challenges
WHY DOES TEAMWORK MATTER?
- Teamwork is a core skill required for most jobs and is seen as vital for organizational success.
- It brings benefits like creativity, problem-solving, and a sense of belonging.
- Genuine teamwork is difficult to achieve due to personality clashes, dysfunctional teams, free-riding, conflicts, and
counter-productive actions. - Effective teamwork requires a lot of effort and takes time to develop.
- Team members must be able to communicate effectively, trust each other, and be committed to achieving shared
goals. - They must also be able to collaborate, respect each other’s opinions, and have a positive attitude.
- Good leadership is also important for building effective teams and resolving conflicts that arise.
- Building a strong team culture is critical to achieving long-term success, and team members must be willing to work
together to achieve common goals. - The benefits of teamwork can be significant, but it requires hard work, commitment, and a willingness to work together
to achieve success.
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS AND TEAMS
Groups:
* Focus on individual goals and performance
* No clear leader or structure
* Communication is informal and spontaneous
* Members may not have complementary skills or shared accountability
* Decisions are often made by the leader or through consensus
Teams:
* Focus on collective goals and performance
* Clear leader and structure
* Communication is formal and planned
* Members have complementary skills and shared accountability
* Decisions are made through collaboration and consensus-building
In summary, while both groups and teams involve individuals working together towards a common goal, teams tend to be more
structured, collaborative, and focused on collective achievement.
BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK
- Achieves tasks that cannot be achieved alone: Teamwork allows individuals to combine their strengths and expertise to
achieve more than they would be able to on their own. The team can tackle complex projects and tasks that require
different skills and knowledge. - Creativity: Teams bring together different perspectives and ideas, which can lead to more creative and innovative
solutions. Brainstorming and collaboration can help generate new ideas and improve existing ones. - More satisfying jobs – social interaction: Working in a team can provide a sense of belonging and connection with
others, which can increase job satisfaction and overall well-being. Team members can form relationships and bonds
that extend beyond the workplace. - Shared knowledge and skills: Each team member brings their own unique set of skills, knowledge, and experience to
the table. By sharing and combining these resources, the team can accomplish more and learn from one another. - Mutual emotional support: Team members can provide emotional support to each other, helping to alleviate stress and
anxiety associated with work. This can help to create a positive and supportive work environment. - Alternative perspectives: In a team, there are often different perspectives and viewpoints on a problem or issue. By
considering and evaluating different perspectives, the team can make better decisions and develop more effective
solutions. - Not reliant on a single individual: Teams distribute the workload and responsibility among the members, reducing the
risk of failure if one member is unable to contribute. - Most tasks require it: In today’s complex and dynamic work environment, many tasks require collaboration and
teamwork to be completed effectively and efficiently.
BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK
BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK TO EMPLOYEES:
- Improved job satisfaction due to better working relationships and social interaction
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth and development
- Enhanced sense of belonging and social support
- Reduced stress and workload through sharing of responsibilities
- Opportunity to learn from other team members
- Increased motivation and engagement in the work
BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK TO ORGANIZATIONS:
- Improved productivity and efficiency due to sharing of workload and division of labor
- Enhanced creativity and innovation through collective input and diverse perspectives
- Increased job satisfaction and employee retention, leading to lower turnover rates and recruitment costs
- Reduced absenteeism and improved health and well-being of employees
- Improved decision making and problem solving through pooling of knowledge and skills
- Improved quality of work and customer satisfaction due to greater attention to detail and reduced errors
- Improved adaptability to change and ability to handle complex tasks or projects
PROBLEMS OF TEAMWORK
- Social loafing: When members reduce their effort because they believe their individual contribution will not make a
difference. - Free-riding: When members do not contribute to the group but still reap the rewards.
- Infighting: When members of a team engage in conflicts or disagreements that hinder the team’s progress.
- Groupthink: When a group prioritizes conformity and agreement over critical thinking and alternative viewpoints.
- Unconscious group dynamics: When team members unconsciously adopt certain roles and behaviours that can hinder
productivity. - Lack of clear roles and responsibilities: When team members are unsure of what is expected of them or what their
specific tasks are.
These problems can lead to a lack of real teamwork and hinder the success of the team and organization. It is important for
teams to address these issues and work towards creating a productive and collaborative environment.
HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS
High-performance teams are groups of individuals who collaborate and share the responsibility of achieving a common goal or
completing a task. Some of the characteristics of high-performance teams include:
* Clear goals and objectives: The team has a clear understanding of what they are trying to achieve and what success
looks like.
* Trust and communication: The team members trust each other and communicate effectively.
* Complementary skills: The team members have a range of skills that complement each other.
* Accountability: The team members hold each other accountable for their actions and decisions.
* Openness to feedback: The team members are open to giving and receiving feedback.
* Creativity: The team members are open to new ideas and are willing to take risks.
* Leadership: The team has a clear leader who sets the tone for the team and provides guidance and support when
needed.
To create a high-performance team, it is important to focus on building strong relationships among team members, providing
clear direction and support, and promoting open communication and collaboration.
PREVENTS GOOD PERFORMANCE
Problems:
* A lack of conviction that a team can work better than other alternatives
* Personal styles and capabilities make teams risky
* Weak organizational performance ethics
* Size – too large prevents common purpose forming
Solutions:
* Complementary skills
* Common purpose
* Common approach
* Mutual accountability
A SUCCESSFUL TEAM?
Working group:
* No significant performance goals that require members to become a team.
* Members interact only to share information to complete personal tasks.
* Not considered a real team.
Pseudo-team:
* Potentially significant performance but not focused on collective targets.
* Members may be interacting for personal gains rather than for team goals.
* Not considered a real team.
Potential team:
* Making progress but needs more focus on aims and purposes.
* Members have a common goal but not fully committed to a common approach.
* Not considered a real team.
Real team:
* Small number of members with complementary skills.
* Committed to a common purpose, goals, and approach.
* Mutual accountability among members.
* Considered a real team.
High-performance team:
* Real team with deeply committed members to each other’s personal growth and professional success.
* High enthusiasm and energy levels.
* Event-driven histories and personal commitment.
* Achieve exceptional results.
* Considered the ideal type of team.
TEAMWORK PERFORMANCE
Katzenbach and Smith’s teamwork performance curve includes four stages:
1. Pseudo-Teams: The initial stage of team development, where individuals are not yet working together and may not see
the value in teamwork.
2. Potential Teams: In this stage, individuals start to collaborate and become more focused on common goals.
3. Real Teams: At this stage, the group of individuals has become a team that is committed to common goals,
complementary skills, and mutual accountability.
4. High-Performance Teams: At this final stage, real teams become high-performing by achieving outstanding results,
having a strong sense of purpose, and mutual trust and respect among team members.
The curve suggests that team performance can increase as teams move through each stage. However, if teams don’t progress
beyond the pseudo-team stage, performance will suffer. To develop high-performing teams, organizations must provide the
necessary support and resources for team members to develop trust, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose.
IMPLICATIONS
- Teamwork requires deliberate effort and is not easy to achieve.
- It’s important to distinguish between a group and a high-performance team, which requires commitment,
complementary skills, and a shared purpose and approach. - Building a high-performance team takes time and requires investment in training, development, and skills.
- Successful teamwork is linked to organizational success and can lead to benefits such as increased creativity, job
satisfaction, and problem-solving. - Organizations should recognize the importance of teamwork and provide the necessary resources and support to foster
effective teamwork.
BELBIN’S TEAM ROLES
- Belbin identified nine team roles, each with its own set of strengths and allowable weaknesses.
- These team roles include: Plant, Resource Investigator, Coordinator, Shaper, Monitor Evaluator, Teamworker,
Implementer, Completer Finisher, and Specialist. - The roles are categorized into three groups: action-oriented roles (Shaper, Implementer, Completer Finisher), peopleoriented roles (Coordinator, Teamworker, Resource Investigator), and thought-oriented roles (Plant, Monitor Evaluator,
Specialist). - The roles can be assessed using a psychometric test, which provides insight into each team member’s preferred and
secondary team roles. - The goal is to have a balanced team with a mix of different team roles, which can help to improve team effectiveness
and performance
PROBLEMS WITH BELBIN
- The use of questionnaires and personality tests can be seen as too simplistic.
- Labelling individuals as a particular type can limit the individual’s development.
- There is a risk of over-interpreting the team roles, leading to stereotyping and pigeonholing.
- The categories may be culturally specific and not applicable in different cultural contexts.
- The Belbin team role system is trademarked, which has led to criticism of it being driven by commercial interests.
- Some researchers have questioned the reliability and validity of the ascribed team roles.
GROUP FORMATION
- Forming: The first stage is characterized by the group coming together and getting to know one another.
At this stage, there is a lot of politeness and socializing as group members try to establish their roles and
responsibilities. - Storming: In this stage, conflicts and tensions arise as group members start to express their opinions and
ideas. This can be a difficult stage, as people may disagree and there may be power struggles and
personality clashes. - Norming: During this stage, the group starts to resolve their conflicts and find ways to work together.
They establish norms and rules for how they will operate and begin to develop a sense of cohesiveness. - Performing: The group is now working together effectively and achieving their goals. They are able to
collaborate and make decisions as a team, and are productive and efficient. - Adjourning: This is the final stage, where the group disbands after achieving their goals. There may be
feelings of sadness or loss as the group members say goodbye to each other.
TUCKMAN’S THEORY ASSESSED
Strengths:
* Helps in understanding the process of team formation
* Helps in understanding that team development is not always a smooth process
* Based on some empirical research
Weaknesses:
* Assumes a linear process to team development, which may not always be the case in practice
* The boundaries between stages are often blurred
* It is debatable whether teams have to go through all these stages to be successful
* The theory may be culturally specific and not applicable to all teams.
UNCONSCIOUS GROUP DYNAMICS
- The psychoanalytic movement suggests that organizations are psychological places where unconscious behavioural
patterns drive the functioning of the group. - Collective defences against insecurity can result in negative outcomes, such as scapegoating and groupthink.
- Group dynamics can result in regression, or a reversion to an earlier stage of development, leading to irrational
behaviour. - Unconscious group dynamics can be influenced by individual psychology, organizational culture, and external factors.
- Psychoanalytic theories can be difficult to apply to the workplace and may not be widely accepted in organizational
theory
SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY
- Social identity theory explains that individuals have two identities: personal identity and group identity.
- Personal identity is related to individual beliefs, whereas group identity relates to belonging to the team or group.
- People tend to align their roles or team membership with a stronger group identity.
- De-individualization occurs when people become psychologically intertwined with the group’s fate, and individual goals
become subordinate to group goals. - This leads to a shared sense of responsibility and commitment towards team goals.
- Managers play an important role in promoting a sense of “I” as well as “we” identity in teams.
- Encouraging individuals to identify with the team, highlighting shared goals and objectives, and promoting team spirit
can lead to better team performance.
BAY OF PIGS FIASCO
- In 1961, the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba was an attempt by the US to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government. However, it
turned out to be a major failure, with most of the invading force killed or captured. - Irving Janis, a social psychologist, questioned how such a decision could have been made by a group of highly intelligent
individuals. - Janis conducted an analysis of the decision-making process leading up to the invasion and concluded that the group
involved had fallen victim to what he called “groupthink.” - Groupthink is a phenomenon in which members of a cohesive group prioritize consensus and unanimity over critical
thinking and evaluation of alternative courses of action. - In a groupthink scenario, individual members self-censor themselves to maintain the appearance of unity, and
dissenting opinions are discouraged or suppressed. - Janis identified several symptoms of groupthink, including a perceived invulnerability, collective rationalization, and
stereotyping of out-group members. - Janis argued that the best way to avoid groupthink was to promote diversity of thought and encourage constructive
criticism within the group. - The Bay of Pigs fiasco serves as a classic case study of groupthink in action, and its lessons have been applied to many
different contexts, including business, politics, and military strategy.
EMPOWERMENT CONTINUUM
The empowerment continuum is a tool that helps managers identify how much decision-making power and control they should
delegate to employees. It is a spectrum that ranges from low empowerment, where managers make all decisions, to high
empowerment, where employees are fully autonomous and make all decisions themselves. The continuum includes the
following five levels:
➢ Directed empowerment: Managers give employees limited decision-making power but still have the final say.
➢ Consultative empowerment: Managers solicit employee input and feedback before making decisions.
➢ Participative empowerment: Managers delegate decision-making power to employees but still retain some control.
➢ Self-managing teams: Employees are given complete control over decision making within their team.
➢ Autonomous empowerment: Employees are fully autonomous and have the power to make all decisions without
managerial oversight.
The empowerment continuum is useful for managers who want to balance the need for control with the benefits of employee
autonomy and involvement. It is important to note that not all employees or situations are suitable for high levels of
empowerment, and managers should carefully consider the needs of the organization and employees when deciding where on
the continuum to operate.
A MORE SUBTLE FORM OF CONTROL
- Management of tasks shifted to the team
- Work intensification
- Surveillance by your peers
- Control by management through the team
- Groups create conformity
- Acceptance of authority without questioning
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INTRODUCTION, ETHICS, CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY16
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ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY14
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ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE24
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PERSONALITY21
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COMMUNICATION13
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GROUPS, TEAM21
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ORGANISATION DESIGN19
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MOTIVATION21
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SOCIAL ORGANISATION37
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CHANGING THE ORGANISATION8
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LEADERSHIP15
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RATIONAL WORK DESIGN12
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PERCEPTION4
