Facilitator Manual

 

 

Group

Dynamics

 

 

INTRODUCTION TO TEAMS

 

DEFINITION:  Team -  A group of individuals who are committed to achieving common objectives; who meet regularly to identify and to solve problems; who work and interact openly and effectively together; and who produce desired economic and motivational results for business.

Common thread that holds us together -------TRUST!

 

 

TEAMWORK =

 

   INCREASE IN OWNERSHIP

 

   WIN / WIN SITUATIONS

 

   TEAM MEMBERSHIP ENABLES YOU TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE

 

   MULTIPLIES YOUR TALENTS AND ENHANCES YOUR COMPETENCIES

 

   FOCUSES YOUR WORK ON THE RIGHT THINGS

 

   CREATES SYNERGY

TEAMS FIND STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY

 

 

 

1.  EVERYONE ON THE TEAM HAS INTRINSIC WORTH

 

 

2.  EVERYONE ON THE TEAM IS AN INDIVIDUAL

 

 

3.  EACH BRINGS THEIR OWN UNIQUE DIFFERENCES

 

 

4.  EFFECTIVE TEAMS VALUE AND CONSTRUCTIVELY USE DIFFERENCES!

 

 

5.  AS A TEAM WE RECOGNIZE, AFFIRM, AND RESPECT CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALL TEAM MEMBERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE SOURCE OF TEAM STRENGTH AND VITALITY IS

SITUATIONAL BALANCE

THIS?        OR    THAT?

 

 

QUESTIONS ABOUT DIVERSITY:

WHAT DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH MORE, THIS OR THAT?

 

THIS                                                                           THAT

 

1.         A BMW                                                           A FORD TAURUS

2.         BOSTON                                                        SAN FRANCISCO

3.         A VIOLET                                                       A SUNFLOWER

4.         POPCORN                                                    BROWNIES

5.         A WATERFALL                                            A POND

6.         A FLUTE                                                        A TUBA

7.         A DOG                                                           A CAT

8.         A BASEBALL BAT                                       A BASEBALL

9.         A WAVE                                                        THE BEACH

10.       A DAM                                                           THE BRIDGE

11.       A MOUNTAIN                                                A VALLEY

12.       SUGAR                                                          SALT

13.       GO                                                                  STOP

14.       THE MOON                                                   THE SUN

15.       SUMMER                                                       WINTER

16.       RIGHT                                                             LEFT

17.       A SKATEBOARD                                         A POGO STICK

18.       A POWER BOAT                                          A SAIL BOAT

19.       WINE                                                              BEER

20.       A BIG MAC                                                    DANNON YOGURT

Team Needs Pyramid

When teams become dysfunctional, the symptoms cause most people to suspect individual relationships are the problem.  You frequently hear "I just can't get along with that team member" or "If only we didn't have to deal with that person, we could get something accomplished."  Relationships are usually not the true cause of a teams failure to perform.

The team must have clear goals and understands its purpose and direction in order to begin to achieve anything.  Next, team members must have clearly defined roles to perform and the training and tools to perform those roles.  In order to have effective meeting the team must have a leader, recorder, time keeper, and facilitator.  In addition to the meeting roles, each team must have other roles fulfilled in order to achieve the goals of the team (quality, scheduling, human resource, etc. might be required).

The team must also have clearly defined procedures and policies for operating.  Meetings, as well as day to day production all require a set of rules or framework that tell team members what is expected and how the team is to function.

The relationships of the individuals on the team are subordinate to goals, roles, and procedures, but still do play a significant part of team functioning.  Diversity is a requirement for synergistic, creative, effective teams.  Learn to appreciate the differences that each individual brings to the team and use it to the teams advantage.

Proper team management and training will solve the majority of teams problems and allow them to perform to their potential.

TEAM NORMS THAT FACILITATE

GROUP PROGRESS

 

 

1.  SELF-ESTEEM IS PRESERVED AND NURTURED IN EACH MEMBER

 

2.  CONFLICT IS MANAGED TOWARD WIN / WIN RESOLUTIONS WHEN POSSIBLE

 

3.  THE PROBLEM BEFORE US IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE PROCESS, OUR PRESUPPOSITIONS, OR THE PROCEDURES

     (PROCESS = 94%    PEOPLE = 6%)

 

4.  ASK PERMISSION TO GIVE FEEDBACK

 

5.  PROCEED AS A TEAM IN AN ORDERLY MANNER WHICH FOCUSES ON SOLUTIONS AND NOT ON PERSONALITIES

 

6.  LISTEN WITH RESPECT

 

7.  ASSUME THAT PEOPLE ARE WELL INTENTIONED (NOT PERFECT!)

 

8.  HONESTY.  WE TRUST AND WE CAN BE TRUSTWORTHY

 

9.  LOOK FOR AND CELEBRATE WIN / WIN MENTALITY

WHY TEAMS ARE ESSENTIAL

 

 

    INCREASE IN OWNERSHIP

 

    TEAM GETS MORE DONE - MORE EFFECTIVELY

 

    DRAWS IN PEOPLE'S STRENGTH

 

    THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS.  FIVE WORKING INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT AS PRODUCTIVE AS FIVE INDIVIDUALS WORKING AS A TEAM

 

    THE TEAM CAN BE A SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT FOR EVERYONE

 

    OPPORTUNITY FOR EACH PERSON TO TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK

 

    PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

 

    CUSTOMER FOCUS

 

 

 

 

KEY WORD:  SYNERGY!

SYNERGY

 

Organizational relationships - three types of relationships are possible in an organizational setting

        Destructive:      1 + 1 < 2

        Static:                 1 + 1 = 2

        Synergistic:      1 + 1 > 2

 

Synergistic relationships produce a total effect greater than the sum of their separate efforts.   They produce a result greater than the effort & resources consumed.

 

Three types of relationships are possible among the sponsors, agents, targets, and advocates of any organizational change effort: destructive, static, or synergistic.

 

Destructive relationships consume more resources than the benefit that results from their combined effort.  The net result is less than if the individuals had worked alone.  Static relationships just about break even.  There is no gain from the combined effort but there is no loss either.  Synergistic relationships have a net positive gain from the combined effort which is greater than the sum of their separate efforts.

 

A key outcome of synergy is that while working on a task, people generate and sustain resources rather than block or waste them.

 

Organizational change can be achieved without synergistic relationships but at a much greater cost to the organization.  Synergistic relationships allow the organization to effectively deal with a greater magnitude of change without suffering the dysfunction of future shock.

 

Synergistic relationships allow the organization to take a pro-active posture and seek change rather than postpone it.  Business opportunities can be pursued with a higher probability of success.

PREREQUISITES TO SYNERGY

 

Synergistic relationships have two prerequisites:  willingness and ability.  Willingness comes from sharing common goals and a sense of interdependency.  Ability is a combination of internal and external factors, empowerment and participative management.

 

Effective teamwork results from synergy.  This requires hard work and a commitment to persevere.  Finding creative solutions to difficult problems often requires that individuals with different perspectives and skill sets cooperate.  Constructive, productive conflict is required to create the synergy to find these unique solutions.

 

Common goals and a sense of interdependency are necessary to turn diversity into a willingness to work together.  Team members must sense that they not only have the same goal but that they need each other.  Daryl Conner calls this interdependent relationship where one party "has the gun" and the other "has the bullets" a "foxhole" and says that to achieve major change you must create or exploit a foxhole situation.

 

Willingness is not enough.  Team members must be empowered to contribute to the team effort and the organization must be structured to provide an appropriate environment that fosters participation.

 

Empowerment is an internal state gained by refusing to be a victim.  Employees gain this sense when they know they "hold the bullets" (to follow the foxhole analogy).  This contributes to interdependency.

 

Participative management is a philosophy and a method for managing human resources in an environment where employees are respected and their contributions solicited, valued, and respected.  Responsibility and authority is delegated appropriately and boundaries are clearly defined.

 

 

THE SYNERGISTIC PROCESS

 

 

Synergy develops in four stages: interaction, appreciative understanding, integration, and implementation.

 

For the process to begin, team members must be brought together and allowed to interact.  Interaction requires that sponsors, agents, targets, and advocates:

•   communicate effectively       •   listen actively

•   generate trust & credibility

 

Beyond interaction is appreciation - the capacity to understand, value, and use diversity.  There must be a balance between the rational, critical-thinking process and the creative, intuitive, merging process.  The four steps necessary for appreciative understanding are:

•   create an open climate          •   delay negative judgment

•   empathize with others            •   value others

 

Integrating divergent perspectives is the next stage of the synergistic process.  Arriving at the "best" solution is not always a quick or painless process.  To achieve integration the team must learn to:

•   tolerate ambiguity                  •   be persistent

•   be flexible                               •   be creative

•   be selective

 

Implementation harnesses the momentum generated by managing the human capacity to work as a team.  Managing this valuable resource requires.

•   standardization                       •   monitoring and reinforcement

•   team focus                             •   continuous updating

 

Traditional Management Model:

EMPLOYEE
 

EMPLOYEE
 

EMPLOYEE
 

EMPLOYEE
 

SUPERVISOR

 
 
:


Self-Directed Team Management Model

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Traditional Management Model
Strengths:

Self-Directed Team Model l
Strengths:

·        Control oriented

·        Involvement oriented

·        One person responsible

·        Promotes ideas and suggestions

·        Widely accepted

·        Everyone is responsible

·        Quick decisions

·        Continuous improvement

·        Little employee training

·        Access to training

 

·        Productivity

Weaknesses:

Weaknesses:

·        Inhibits input and creativity

·        Requires extensive planning

·        Shields employee from responsibility

·        Resistance from front-line & middle managers

·        Limits communication

·        Initial loss of productivity

·        Promotes helplessness

·        Training costs

·        Fast decisions - slow implementation

·        Slow decision making

·        Slow in emergencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:  Implementing Self-Directed Work Teams
KEY COMPONENTS OF FACILITATING

WORLD CLASS PERFORMANCE

 

 

 

 

 

MANAGING FOR

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

 

 

 

YOUR

LEADERSHIP

 

 

 

 

CUSTOMER

SATISFACTION

 

 

 

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

TOOLS

 

 

 

 

TEAM EFFECTIVENESS

 

 

 

 

FACILITATING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IS A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH WE ARE EMPOWERED AND EMPOWER OTHERS TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AS DEFINED BY OUR CUSTOMERS

STAGES OF TEAM EVOLUTION

 

                                               Member Behavior                                                     

Underdeveloped GroupTraditional Teamwork   Self-Managed Teamwork

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

                                0-6 Mos.

 

Interaction

 

                                6-9 Mos.

Team Facilitator  Control

Appreciation

Team Member Control

9 Mos. - 1 1/2 Yrs.

 

Integration

 

                                1 1/2  - 2 Yrs.

 

Implementation

Traditional Group Leadership       Traditional Teamwork               Super Leadership

                                                     Facilitator Behavior                                             

 

As the team matures, members gradually learn to cope with the emotional and group pressures they face.  As a result, the team goes through four fairly predictable stages:  FORMING, STORMING, NORMING, & PERFORMING.

  FORMING (Groups of individuals)

    Groups exist for administrative purposes

    There is little trust and mutual respect

    People look to authority for direction

When a team is forming, members cautiously explore the boundaries of acceptable group behavior.  Like hesitant swimmers, they stand by the pool, dabbling their toes in the water.  This is a stage of transition from individual to member status, and of testing the leader's guidance both formally and informally.

 

          Forming includes these feelings. . .

 

                 Excitement, anticipation, and optimism.

                 Pride in being chosen for the team.

                 Initial, tentative attachment to the team.

                 Suspicion, fear, and anxiety about the job ahead.

 

          . . . and these behaviors. . .

 

       Attempts to define the task and decide how it will be accomplished.

       Attempts to determine acceptable group behavior and how to deal with the group problems.

       Decisions on what information needs to be gathered.

       Lofty, abstract discussions of concepts and issues; or, for some members, impatience with these discussions.

       Complaints about the organization and barriers to the task.

 

Because there is so much going on to distract members' attention in the beginning, the team accomplishes little, if anything, that concerns its project goals.  This is perfectly normal.

 

  STORMING (Confusion about roles and team status)

    There is selective sharing of ideas

    People test the levels of trust & mutual respect

    Pecking orders and politics exist

    Sources of leadership are not defined

    Questions are posed about management's commitment to teams

Storming is probably the most difficult stage for the team.  They begin to realize the task is different and more difficult than they imagined, becoming testy, blameful, or overzealous.

Team members are still inexperienced and have not acquired new problem solving skills, they try to rely on their personal and professional experience, resisting any need for collaborating with other team members.

          Storming includes these feelings. . .

       Resistance to the task and to quality improvement approaches different from what each individual member is comfortable using.

       Sharp fluctuations in attitude about the team and their chance of success.

 

. . . and these behaviors. . .

       Arguing among members even when they agree on the real issue.

       Defensiveness and competition; factions and "choosing sides".

       Questioning the wisdom of those who started this project and appointed the other members of the team.

       Establishing unrealistic goals; concern about excessive work.

       A perceived "pecking order"; disunity, increased tension, and jealousy.

 

Again, the many pressures will mean team members have little energy to spend on progressing towards the team's goal.  But they are beginning to understand one another.

 

  NORMING (Developing into a team)

    Decision-making process is developed

    Team rituals are established

    Team roles are being refined

    Behavior is influenced by team membership

    Team building and team development activities occur

    Commitments are made to team mission, vision, goals, objectives and strategies

As team members get used to working together, their initial resistance fades away.  They start helping each other stay afloat rather than competing with one another.

During this stage, members reconcile competing loyalties and responsibilities.  They accept the team, team ground rules (or "norms"), their roles in the team, and the individuality of fellow members.  Emotional conflict is reduced as previously competitive relationships become more cooperative.  In other words, the team members realize they are not going to drown, they stop thrashing about and start helping each other stay afloat.

          Norming includes these feelings . . .

       Acceptance of membership in the team.

       Relief that it seems everything is going to work out.

. . . and these behaviors. . .

       A new ability to express criticism constructively.

       An attempt to achieve harmony by avoiding conflict.

       More friendliness, confiding in each other, and sharing of personal problems, discussing the team's dynamics.

       A sense of team cohesion, a common spirit and goals.

       Establishing and maintaining team ground rules and boundaries ("the norms").

 

As team members begin to work out their differences, they now have more time and energy to spend on their work.  Thus they are able to at last start making significant progress.

  PERFORMING (Empowered team)

    Accountable for process ownership, evaluation and improvement

    High level of trust and mutual respect

    Team spirit and support

    Team leader's presence or absence does not affect team's results

    The team becomes self-evaluating, self-motivating and more effective

As team members become more comfortable with each other, and better understand the project and what is expected of them, they become a more effective unit with everyone working in concert.

By this stage, the team has settled its relationships and expectations.  They can begin performing - diagnosing and solving problems, and choosing and implementing changes.  At last team members have discovered and accepted each other's strengths and weaknesses, and learned what their roles are.  Now they can swim in concert.

 

          Performing includes these feelings . . .

 

       Members having insight into personal and group processes, and better understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses.

       Satisfaction of the team's progress.

 

. . . and these behaviors. . .

 

       Constructive self-change.

       Ability to prevent or work through group problems.

       Close attachment to the team.

 

The team is now an effective, cohesive unit.  You can tell when a team has reached this stage because they start getting a great deal of work done.

 

Reprinted from The Team Handbook

CHARACTERISTICS

OF

AN EFFECTIVE TEAM

 

Shared Purpose and Goals:

Team members have a strong commitment to a shared purpose and the achievement of cooperative goals.  Getting the job done, whatever it is, has top priority.  Tasks are clearly understood and accepted by all.  A sense of urgency, excitement, and purpose permeate the working atmosphere.

 

Open Communication:

Team members communicate openly and frankly with each other.  Each is skilled in giving and receiving constructive feedback.

 

Trust:

A climate of trust and understanding has been developed.  Team members actively and sincerely listen to each other.

 

Full Participation:

All members of the team participate in the problem solving and decision making process.  Members use facilitating skills to ensure the involvement of the whole team.

 

Confrontation and Differences:

Team members confront each other's assumptions in ways which do not close off further contributions.  They are wary of reaching agreement prematurely.  Differences are regarded as a healthy and necessary part of the problem solving process.  They are resolved through negotiation and collaboration.

 

Challenging and Cooperating:

Team members are capable of using both challenging and cooperating behaviors at the appropriate times.  No one gives in simply to avoid conflict, but once ideas are fully aired, team members support each other.

Unity and Cohesion:

A cohesive bond and commitment exists between individual team members and the team as a whole.  An investment of personal values has been made by each member.  This strong unity is the basis for the energetic support of organizational objectives and goals.  Ground rules are clear.

 

Balance of Performance and Process:

Team members fulfill their task and performance requirements.  At the same time, they maintain the team's interpersonal relationships by openly discussing and improving team processes.

 

Clarity of Purpose/Common Goals:

When discussion is completed, team members feel responsible and committed to the successful implementation of the team's decisions and objectives.

 

Shared Leadership:

The appointed leader strongly desires an effective team and takes the time needed to develop one.  In working sessions, the leadership role may shift to whoever has the expertise, without the appointed leader feeling threatened.  Power and authority are shared when possible.  Much of the decision making will be by consensus.

 

Evaluation of Effectiveness:

The team is capable of periodically evaluating its own effectiveness as a team.  It recognizes the need to continually sense problems which hinder its effectiveness, collect objective data to precisely define the problem, analyze data and modify methods of operations.  The team has made a strong commitment to its own growth and maturity.

 

Task Differentiation - Team vs. Individual:

Team members recognize those situations where it is appropriate to work on tasks independently, in pairs or as a team.  When working as a team, members strive toward a synergistic result by consciously applying team effectiveness concepts and skills.  High quality individual contributions are expected and welcomed.  Individual talent does not go unrecognized.


ROLLER COASTER OF HIGHS AND LOWS

 

 

Every team goes through cycles of good times and bad times.  The duration of these highs and lows will vary for each team, depending on how quickly they progress, work through obstacles or problems, and so forth.  Team members should know that such cycles are normal and do not indicate whether the team will ultimately be successful.

 

Knowing about the typical stages as a team passes through - forming, storming, norming, and performing - should relieve much of the fear team members have about the project's success.  It is also helpful to be aware of the roller coaster of highs and lows every team experiences.

 

A team's mood usually reflects its fortune:  With every step forward, the future looks bright and team members are optimistic.  But no matter how well a team works together, progress is never smooth.  As progress swings from forward to stalled, and then from stalled to backward, the team mood will swing too.  These swings are only partly linked to the stages of growth, and usually the changes are unpredictable.

 

The team begins with hopefulness and optimism.  These positive feelings may last a while, but usually change to boredom and impatience as the project gets underway and members feel overwhelmed when they realize just how much they have to learn about quality improvement.  Somewhere in here the storming starts.

 

When they finally begin collecting data, team members again feel encouraged - at last they are making progress!  Rarely does this elation last:  since few people are experts in scientific methods the first time out, team members almost always uncover mistakes in data collection procedures, and realize they must go back and do it again.  The mood swings down.  Recovery comes as the team learns from experience, makes another attempt, and gathers good, reliable data.

 

The pattern is different for each team.  Team members' attitudes depend on both the speed of progress and the resistance or encouragement they receive from the guidance team and their departments.

 

TEAMS NEED A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT AND PROPER "DIET" TO DEVELOP NORMALLY. 

 

PREREQUISITES FOR TEAM DEVELOPMENT INCLUDE:

 

    7 plus or minus two members.  An ideal size for most teams is 5 to 9.  Larger teams have difficulty meeting, coordinating activities, and regulating "air time" in discussions.

 

    Clear Charter from the manager to whom the team reports, including expectations about specific results to be attained, the time-frame for the work, the method of measuring team performance, and the team's authority to use resources and take action.

 

    Access to a meeting room with tables and chairs, quiet enough for conversation, with appropriate meeting aids such as flip-chart, and/or overhead projector.

 

    Defined reporting relationship, in which the team is accountable to a specific manager who reviews the team's progress against agreed-upon milestones and provides resources and support needed for team tasks.

 

    Location:  Ideally, members working areas in same building close together.

 

    Team Composition:  Member's knowledge, skill, ability, and experience appropriate for the team assignment, preferably diverse.

 

    Mechanism for Reward and Recognition of Team Accomplishments within the organization, and for individual contributions to teamwork.  (Ideally, teamwork is part of every individual performance review.)

 

THIRTEEN KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL TEAM DEVELOPMENT

 

Teamwork and team development are nifty sounding terms with which hardly anyone quarrel.  Beyond the buzz works, however, lie some murky waters in which many groups have run aground.  How do you know a good team when you see one?  Listed below are thirteen "ingredients" of successful teams:

1.  Background Conditions are Right

Be sure the boss and other key managers want a team and understand what a team is.  Teams require the freedom to act; they must have quite a bit of responsibility.  Is the boss willing to delegate the responsibility?  Someone on the team must be personally accountable for the mission.  At first, this seems unfair, but as the team develops, everyone is responsible; people pull together and get the job done.  Make sure that someone in the clouds (upper management) does not think teams are a fad or subversive to company policy.

2   Need is Present

Key question:  Is the task mission suited to teams or individual contributors?  Is the proposed mission suffering from low production, work role ambiguity, confused responsibility, ineffective meetings, lack of creativity, increasing costs, etc.?  Could flexibility add a new dimension to the mission?  Could more openness and sincerity motivate and energize the team?  Would communication with other units and teams add to effectiveness?  Is the task mission fluid and changing?  Is the group often called on to learn new skills and take on new ideas and projects?  If the answer to many of these questions is "yes", then the need probably exists for team development and teamwork.

3.  Clarify Member Expectations

People understand many different things when you say team.  Do members expect the team to always work in peace and harmony?  Do they expect their boss and the people in the organization to instantly respect their team and its mission?  Do they think the team will solve all problems which come its way?  Do they expect the team to provide a lot of help for their personal work and assignment?  Initially, the answer to many of these questions will be "no."  It is important that team members and others understand the reality of teams.

4.  Commitment Level of Members Clarified

People may want to be a team and the mission calls for teamwork, but the individual team members assembled are not committed to the team mission.  This happens a lot when team members are pulled from various departments and have split responsibilities.  If some members are 100% committed to the team mission and other members are only committed 40% or 20%, then a problem will arise.  Unless the team members discuss the situation and agree to increase commitment from the 20% members, or to live with commitment levels as they exist, then disharmony and conflict will plague the team.

5.  Openness, Honesty, Leveling Achieved with Significant Success

Once the decision is reached to form a team, one of the first challenges will be to develop openness and honesty among members.  If some team members have old wounds and conflicts from the past, these wounds will need to be "lanced and drained".  If members are not skilled at being open with their thoughts and honest with their perceptions, these skills will have to be developed.  Achieving openness, honesty, and leveling takes time, however, an expectation of openness must be set initially to achieve it later.  Most teams will not accomplish this naturally; it requires some specific training and skill development in the beginning.

6.  Members are Able to Relax, Have Some Fun, But Produce

One of the reasons teams work so well is that people like working with each other in a positive and confident manner.  When people enjoy working together, they normally have some fun and relax.  This relieves stress and tension.  If the team is always "all business", it is not likely to be productive.  If your team does not get off a good belly laugh occasionally, then your team needs to loosen up.

7   Conflict is OK and Well Managed

When people are honest and speak their mind, there is normally disagreement.  When disagreement and conflict occur, they must be managed so people can rise above them.  People must have confidence that they can leave the meetings and still be friends or at least respect fellow team members.  Do not be deceived in thinking you can have a good team process without conflict.  Conflict will occur in productive teams and occur often.  The trick is to anticipate conflict and develop some skills managing it.  Differences can be constructive.  Being able to manage differences liberates a lot of energy for work and achievement.

8.  Core Mission, Goals are Established

The team has to reach a consensus on its core mission.  This sounds deceptively simple.  It can easily take hours.  Once established, however, and everyone agrees to support it, the core mission of the team will make future decisions easier and agreement more fruitful.  Goals follow from the core mission.  Goals will basically map out the areas in which the team has responsibility in loose global terms and then tightened into crisp performance statements.  Goals can always change, and often should change.  The trick is for the group to agree to change them and marshal the resources required to meet the new goals.

9.  Roles and Responsibilities Established and Clarified

After you know what your goals and tasks are, the next job is to identify who has the initiating responsibility for the goal or the task, who needs to be consulted, who needs to be informed, who had approval/veto power for the task, and who is responsible for executing the task.  Again, this sounds deceptively simple, however, teams spend much time ironing out different facets of responsibility for tasks.  Here the issue of boundary and boundary management arises.  To identify clearly the roles and responsibilities of the team relative to other areas, some negotiations with these areas are necessary.  This can be one of the most rewarding things a team does, because it sharpens lines of accountability and makes tasks clear.

10. Operating Principles Established

This is an essential item for any team.  It is here the team establishes how it will make decisions, what role the team leader or team manager will play, how much information team members get and when they get it, how the team makes decisions, how it establishes agendas, who can have input into agendas, how to handle absentees, how to handle late arrivals, how long meetings should last, who is responsible for the facilitating process, whether there should be rotational leadership, which team member is responsible for tasks assigned to it, who answers criticisms about the team's efforts, etc.  Once a team has developed a well thought out set of operating principles through a consensus process, the team will ordinarily be effective.

11. Plan For Making It Last

Teams are like trucks.  They require periodic maintenance.  Various team processes like decision making, facilitation, leveling, and honesty all required periodic checks and tune-ups to stay sharp.  A rededication to operating principals, missions, goals, responsibilities, etc. is also needed from time to time.  Unless a team develops a concrete plan for auditing its process and maintaining itself, it is likely to become rusty.

12. Team Functions Confidently and Completely

Eventually, teams have to work and work well.  A team needs to be able to conduct its business quickly, efficiently and productively.  It needs to have short, crisp meetings.  It needs to have some fun.  This kind of competence provides one of the most important sources of reinforcement for a team.  Like individuals, teams know when they have done a good job and find this satisfying in itself.  Eventually, the team has to work.

13. The Team Is Recognized and Rewarded As A Group For Its Achievements

Teamwork can be fun, effective, and satisfying; but eventually a team may need something more.  It may need to have a formal recognition of its productivity.  It needs some form of recognition associated with its achievements.  This may not happen immediately, not even in the first year or two, but eventually most teams need to have some recognition if they are to be effective over a long period of time.

 

     Team recognition  may come in the form of:  awards, dinners, mentions in the plant newspaper, T-shirts, cups or gift certificates.  Something involving family is also great.  Rewards boost the team's morale and make it feel special and appreciated.  Managers and bosses need to pay attention to this and devote special attention to it.