Analyzing the Team Building Phenomenon Chapter

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Team building implies activities that teams may engage in, for changing their composition, context, or competencies, thereby resulting in performance improvement. This process is a continuous meta-competency developed by great teams to enable them to assess and alter team functioning in a systematic manner. It entails consolidating team values, processes, resources, skill sets of team members, and reward systems (Jr., Dyer, & Dyer, 2013)

The Team-Building Cycle

The typical cycle of team building comprises the processes portrayed in the figure shown below (i.e. Figure 1). The first step in the process of team building is Problem recognition, triggering the start of a program. Data collection forms the core of the process, before or in the course, for ascertaining the core issues. This is followed by data analysis and diagnosis of underlying causes of the issue. Subsequently, the team suitably plans and resolves the issue. Action planning is performed and assignments are made, followed by plan execution and result evaluation (Jr., Dyer, & Dyer, 2013)

Figure-1: The team-building cycle (Jr., Dyer, & Dyer, 2013)

Data Gathering

Team building promotes independent problem solving by team members, and as accurate data is the most crucial condition for successful problem-solving, gathering precise and clear information on the problem's causes is essential. Initially, one may employ the services of a consultant, but the team must eventually develop independent data collection ability. Surveys, interviews, and collective data gathering are a few common data collection means (Jr., Dyer, & Dyer, 2013)

• Data Diagnosis/Analysis

Using all available data, the team, with its consultant and leader, should summarize and prioritize collected data, following the summary categories listed below (Jr., Dyer, & Dyer, 2013)

A. Problems that can be resolved immediately

B. Delegation of resolution of problems to others (including identifying these other people)

C. Problems that cannot be resolved and must simply be accepted.

• Action Planning

Following agenda development, the consultant and manager's roles diverge. The latter must adopt his/her usual managerial role now. Solutions should be sought for the identified problems, and action plans must be devised (Jr., Dyer, & Dyer, 2013)

• Implementation and Evaluation

For the action plans to make a difference, they should be implemented. Team leader should commit him/herself to these plans, as lack of commitment makes it difficult for the manager to effectively hold employees accountable for assignments delegated to them, causing difficulty in implementing corrective measures (Jr., Dyer, & Dyer, 2013)

Team building issues: (Mallory, 1991)

1. Fragmented team: The team may have broken up into groups, with members taking "sides" when it comes to different issues. Such polarization is caused by conflict, insufficient involvement of team leader, or the attempt of any member to assume the role of the leader.

Solutions

• The opinions and needs of different subgroups must be discussed independently.

• Team members must be asked their opinion on current team structure, and whether they prefer restoration of wholeness to the team. In case of preference for existing structure, a way must be sought to employ these smaller, new groups. If this is not feasible, the team may be overhauled and a new team instituted in its place.

• Conflict must be reduced through task changing. The team may be overtaxed, with limited resources and time to accomplish its objective.

• Leadership position must be reestablished and the leader must be more deeply involved. A team that does not follow its leader fails in accomplishing its goal.

• In case of any individual attempting to acquire power, he/she must be privately spoken to, and must be reprimanded, or made to understand, or removed.

2. Non-productivity: The required results are not achieved, at stipulated checkpoints, or when the project ends. This may be because of a communication gap and unclear team goals.

Solutions

• Members should be reminded of their purpose.

• Adequate individual and team feedback should be provided.

• Expectations must be clearly expressed.

• Periodic progress reports must be submitted by individual members.

• Appropriate "checkpoints" must be established for different stages of the project. Unproductive discussions, small talk, arguments, and unrelated personal anecdotes must be avoided.

• Members must be given appropriate information and training.

3. Unmotivated team: Lackluster team meetings with members not demonstrating initiative, owing to lacking HR skills and communication.

Solutions

• Rewards must be set (or reiterated) for collective (and not individual) goal accomplishment.

• One's faith in members must be reaffirmed and they should be praised when appropriate.

• Members must be given hope and similar examples of success cited.

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• Commitment should be sought from team members.

• More and equal responsibility must be delegated to members.

4. Resentment/misbehavior: Hostility among members is a common issue, owing to one or few difficult persons or someone with a mindset highly divergent from the group mindset. The leader may be considered weak.

Solutions

• A one-on-one talk with the difficult individual helps. If the issue is solved, the person may be retained on the team, and if it is not he/she may be removed.

• The leader can talk with other members (separately or collectively) about this individual's behavior and the reason behind it.

• In case of removal of the individual, togetherness must be quickly reestablished by honestly explaining the reason for such decision.

5. Presence of a domineering (or even an overly quiet) person: Both scenarios cause an imbalance. The former monopolizes meetings and forces others to accept his/her view, while the latter hardly participates. This happens because of inadequate team monitoring by the leader. The domineering person may be singularly creative, knowledgeable, or experienced compared to others. Meanwhile the quiet individual may be unassertive, unsure of personal abilities, or intimidated by fellow members.

Solutions

• Everyone must be equally complimented/praised (particularly the shy individual), and equal participation by all must be sought.

• The assertive individual must be privately requested to separately approach the leader and voice his/her opinions and ideas, while the quiet individual must be encouraged to participate more actively. Neither individual must be criticized.

• Members must clearly understand and follow the discussion format and all must be allowed to answer questions without inhibitions.

• Individual members' contributions must be carefully balanced and leveled out through gentle interruptions (requesting specific members for additional information).

• The unassertive individual must be privately asked the reason for his/her non-participation, and their problem must be resolved or the individual replaced.

• Members should not be allowed to criticize one another.

6. Over-dependency on leader: Members cannot proceed without the leader's direction and constantly approach him/her for direction and advice, even for trivial matters. This may be because of over-involvement of leader and non-empowerment of team members.

Solutions

• Team objectives and leadership function must be reaffirmed.

• Solutions should be sought and encouraged from members without reliance on the leader.

• Meeting setting/forum and mood must be altered (e.g., casual, off-campus meetings must be organized) to eliminate problematic authority levels within the team. The leader must only initiate discussions, after which he/she must assume an equal position within the group.

7. Arguments and conflicts: Team discussions result in unconstructive disagreement and arguments, with members holding grudges against one another. The suggested solution to the issue under consideration may threaten personal interests or the leader may be failing to assert sufficient power.

Solutions

• Team goal must be evaluated. In case of sensitive issues like benefits, wages, and working conditions, extreme personal bias may lead to conflict. An alternative means must be sought for project completion.

• Past (often irrelevant) differences must first be resolved before members can work together as a team. Further, non-cooperation must result in removal from the team.

• The chosen methodology must be evaluated for potential favoritism and other related detrimental practices.

• Team members' feedback on leader performance must be sought and necessary changes made, if the leader is perceived as weak.

Case Study- Fixing a Crisis (Success Stories, n.d)

The Need: About 1500 employees of a large manufacturer went on strike, resulting in production loss amounting to 2.5 million dollars a day, to the controlling firm. Team Results was approached for solutions. Based on an established correspondence to the controlling firm, speedy discussions with top executives, and no identifiable cause, it was concluded that this scenario ensued because of some subtle, rapidly destabilizing team dynamics issue requiring practical investigation as well as correction.

The Solution: A specially-chosen set of major opinion leaders were invited to a two- and- half-day personalized productivity-improvement initiative whose focus was diagnosing, identifying, and correcting these destabilizing issues. Proprietary, well-established, and fun techniques were used for dynamics investigation, and teams' "survival terrains" were mapped with diligence. Team Results successfully identified and addressed the cause of the issue-- a complex cultural instability sparked by a very small event. Back-channel tactics for defusing future instabilities were created and implemented.

The Results: Plant workers returned. It has been six years now, and no such incident has resurfaced in the company. Workforce retains high confidence levels and past instabilities were….....

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