Teamwork An introduction to team roles, skills, and cohesion
Introduction Today s professional world requires that you are able to work effectively within a team and possess appropriate leadership skills. There may be challenges along the way when trying to develop positive teamwork and effective leadership skills, shower having the skills to manage these challenges can influence your success in the industry. Do you work well in a team? This article will explore various aspects of the team dynamic, including team roles, team member skills, and team cohesion. Ideas don t come from a lone head, but from collaboration in a deep sense. - Thomas Edison Teamwork Why should teamwork be important to you? The research on teamwork has been conclusive; teamwork leads to increased productivity, greater creativity and innovation, increased financial gains for companies, reduced turnover rates and absenteeism, and improved worker morale (Goleman, 1998). A study described by Daniel Midura and Donald Glover (2005) found that teamwork was the number one skill desired by Fortune 500 companies. The team structure is also widely used in the professional world. Seventy-nine percent of Fortune 100 companies reported that they used selfmanaging work teams, and ninety-one percent reported that employee work groups were being utilized (Whetten & Cameron, 2011). In today s workplace, this is a fundamental fact: Each of us has only a part of the information or expertise we need to get our jobs done. - Daniel Goleman The ability to be an effective team member is an essential component to success in the industry. Most of us are familiar with the term team, but what exactly is a team? A team is a set of interpersonal interactions structured to achieve established goals (D. Johnson & F. Johnson, 2006). In other words, a team is two or more individuals who are dependent upon each other and interact for the purpose of achieving team goals. The need for great teams is huge in the professional world (Goleman, 1998). In today s society, the technology needed to produce great work is usually available, but great teams are often in short supply. So understanding how teams function and having good teamwork skills, will give you an advantage over others in the industry.
Impressing Your Team First things first, you have to make a good impression. Joining a team can be intimidating, but making a good initial impression can help you to establish a connection with other team members.team members may quickly form their initial impression of you based on your body language, demeanor, mannerisms, and appearance. At times it can be nearly impossible to reverse a first impression. Here are some tips for establishing a good impression when joining a team: Time is of the essence - arrive to meetings a few minutes early; don t be the late team member Minimize the damage - avoid team gossip and embrace a standard policy of confidentiality Communication is key - communicate your needs to your team in a professional manner Be available - don t be afraid to volunteer for the unpopular jobs on a team Laugh - have a sense of humor "A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done." Dwight D. Eisenhower Team Roles negative roles team members can assume. They observed that team member roles usually fall into three categories: Task Roles, Building/ Maintenance Roles, and Individual Roles. Task Roles are related to getting the job done and are positive roles within a team. Team members may take on the following Task Roles: Initiator/Contributor Presents new ideas, perspectives or goals Information Seeker Looks for facts and clarification to better address a problem Opinion Seeker Asks for opinions Information Giver Supplies facts and opinions Opinion Giver Instills values and opinions Elaborator Provides references and explanations, often building on the contributions of others Coordinator Identifies the connection between ideas Orienter Clarifies ideas by integrating them with the team focus Evaluator-Critic Analyzes the team s decisions Energizer Stimulates the team to higher productivity Procedural Technician Handles mechanical tasks like supply distribution and physical accommodations Recorder Chronicles the team s decisions and progress Once a team is formed, each team member takes on a team role. Kenneth Benne and Paul Spears (2007) described the positive and
Team Roles Continued Building/Maintenance Roles are related to creating or maintaining positive teamwork. Encourager Gives positive reinforcement to team members Harmonizer Mediates team conflict Compromiser Attempts to resolve conflicts within the team Gatekeeper Keeps channels of communication open by supporting discussion Standard Setter Establishes team norms and accepted patterns of behavior Commentator Provides feedback about the teams progress Follower Passively goes along with the team s decisions Individual Roles are related to a team member s desire to fulfill their own needs and not the needs of the team. Individual Roles are dysfunctional and disruptive to building positive teamwork. The following are the negative roles a team member can take on: Aggressor Attacks the team and its members Blocker Submits negative feedback and opposition, while offering no constructive suggestions Self-Confessor Uses the team as an audience to talk about themselves Playboy/Playgirl Uses team meetings as a time for entertainment to avoid working Dominator Attempts to control the team; if unsuccessful, purposely disrupts team progress Help Seeker Misuses team meetings to gain sympathy or advice on personal issues Special Interest Pleader Disregards the team vision and presents only the case for some other group or cause There are several team roles and a team member may fulfill more than one role at a time. It is helpful to understand team roles when you are trying to create a positive team dynamic. Being familiar with team roles allows you to better understand the behaviors you see within your team. And if you find that the team dynamic needs improvement, you can intervene. Familiarity with team roles also provides ideas on what positive behaviors should occur within a team. Task and Building/Maintenance Roles are positive team roles that can improve teamwork and team success (Wilson, 2005). What role do you play when working in a team? Recognition Seeker Demands attention while ignoring team concerns
Team Member Skills Positive team member interaction is a crucial aspect of developing an effective team. The interaction between team members can affect the team dynamic and level of success. Gerald Wilson (2005) discussed five strategies you can use to improve your participation as a team member. Let s look at strategies you can use to build positive teamwork by improving your interaction with team members. 1. Commitment to do your best Each team member enters a team with their individual knowledge, skills and talents. If each team member makes the commitment to do their best, these individual resources become team resources and increase the likelihood of the team achieving success. If team members begin to feel that you have not made a commitment to do your best, it can lead to resentment. 2. Commitment to the good of the group Have you ever been part of a team and a particular team member was only looking out for their best interest? Effective team members are motivated to achieve team goals, not individual goals. As a team member you must put team goals before individual goals. 3. Commitment to Rationality This simply means keeping an open mind when new ideas or problems are being discussed. We all have our ideas on how these situations should be handled, but as a team member you must solve issues as a group. 4. Commitment to Fair Play As an effective team member you must engage in cooperative behavior. You should avoid competing with your team members for recognition. When team members engage in competitions the focus is no longer on achieving the team goal. The focus is now on the team member s individual goal, which is attention. 5. Commitment to Good Listening This sounds simple, but you may find that it requires a lot of practice. A good team member can listen and empathize with other team members. Good listening will improve the teams cohesiveness and productivity. The strength of the wolf is in the pack. - Rudyard Kipling Team Glue Another component of an effective team is cohesiveness. Team cohesiveness is the degree to which team members feel connected to each other and the team goals. Groups with a high level of cohesiveness benefit in several ways. They result in greater task achievement, which can be a significant source of group satisfaction. Cohesiveness also enhances agreement regarding goals, decisions, and norms (Wilson, 2005). As you see, team cohesiveness is necessary for creating positive teamwork (McAtavey &Nikolovska, 2010). So how do you create team cohesiveness? One of the first steps in creating team cohesion is developing the team goals. Having clearly defined team goals helps team members have a sense of purpose and a reason to come together. Clear team goals also improves the team s productivity (Whetten & Cameron, 2011).
Team Glue Continued Team cohesion is improved when each team member has clearly defined responsibilities (McAtavey & Nikolovska, 2010). When each team member knows what they need to accomplish, it allows the team to run like a well-oiled machine. A team that runs smoothly leads to improved satisfaction and greater feelings of connection among members. A responsibility grid is a good tool to use to help team members identify their responsibilities. The grid also helps to identify the required tasks needed to achieve the team goals, which improves team cohesion. Here is an example of how a responsibility grid can help team cohesion. ROCKIN RESPONSIBILITY STUDIOS SCHEDULE RECORDING TIME Task Mike Amy Bruce INVOICE RECORD LABEL X ENGINEER RECORDING SESSION CLEAN STUDIO X PAYROLL AND BUDGETING X X X ADVERTISING & MARKETING X Industry Connection Mike, Amy and Bruce are running a local recording studio. In order to operate the studio successfully they will need to schedule recording time, get paid by the record label, engineer the sessions, keep the studio clean and updated, budget for the work provided and advertise for future sessions. Initially the group has simply performed whatever tasks they felt appropriate. Inventory went missing, projects went over budget and the studio was a mess. However, by using a responsibility grid they now can make sure that each staff member is responsible for their piece of the business. Expectations are clearly defined and they are prepared to take on new business successfully. How effective is your team? Take this assessment to examine team effectiveness. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ newtmm_84.htm Team Conflict Developing positive teamwork isn t always easy. When working in a team, some form of conflict may occur. There have been several definitions of conflict used over time. We will define conflict as a struggle involving opposing ideas, values, and/or limited resources (Wilson, 2005). Although conflict within a team is common, it is not always managed appropriately.
Team Conflict Continued Let s look at some things you should not do when conflict arises. Wilson (2005) discussed strategies that should be avoided: 1. Do not say, Communicate more More communication isn t always the answer. Team members may understand what the other is saying, but still disagree. Communicating differently is often the answer. 2. Do not blame Blaming a team member or the team will lead to defensiveness. Defensive behavior leads to poor communication, which often leads to acting out. The team members you blame will most likely blame you back. 3. Have suggestions for new behaviors. - What are you trying to achieve by confronting this team member? Hopefully your goal is to increase behaviors that will lead to achieving the team goals. Referring to the team goals should help you to create suggestions for new behaviors. confronted team member feel supported. After you have expressed the specific negative behaviors you observed, focus on the present. Discuss how you would like the team member to behave now, in the present. The past cannot be changed, so dwelling on past behaviors is not constructive. Summary Teams are now an integral part of the professional world. A study has found that teamwork is the most sought after employee skill (Midura & Glover, 2005). All members of a team assume a team role. Being familiar with team roles can help you to understand team member behaviors and improve team dynamics. Clearly defined team goals and team member responsibilities increase team cohesiveness, which is needed for effective teamwork. 4. Be prepared to listen to the other person s view. - We all have different points of view. The team member being confronted will have a point of view about their behavior. If the confronted team member feels like their point of view has been heard, they are more likely to agree to change their behaviors. Hearing them doesn t mean you have to agree with them. 5. Be prepared to be supportive. - There are several ways you can be supportive of a team member while confronting their negative behavior. Focusing on the present is one way to help the
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