Introduction
Any discussion of leadership without reflecting upon teams, teamwork and team building can be likened to a horse without a cart. A team can be defined in countless ways, but a good working definition is offered by Mallory (1991): “A team is a collection of individuals guided by a common purpose striving for the same. With a good team, the whole is better than the sum of the parts.”
A good lesson on teamwork includes a modification of an old fable - the tortoise and the hare. Please watch the following short clip before moving on:
Watch here
Learning Objectives
Personal competencies
- Increase the understanding of personal attitudes, roles, and behaviors in teams
Skills
- Increase the knowledge and perspective of team building in regard to work, culture and dynamics
Module 4a) Teams and Team Building pt. 1
Introduction
The introduction video of the tortoise and the hare is a good illustration of the rationale for teams and teamwork. Team building has existed since the existence of humankind. Some of the major milestones include Mayo’s confirmation of the relationship between human factors and productivity, Maslow’s linkage of motivation and performance, Belbin’s self-perception inventory and description of team roles to name a few. Module 4a deals with the practical aspects of teams and team building.
Reflections
- What are the differences between groups and teams?
- Do we need teams? What are good reasons to form a team?
- What role do you typically play in teams?
- What do you consider as the three key messages in Module 4a?
Resources
*We suggest to right-click and open the resource website listed below in a different tab/window.
To advance your knowledge about teams visit the Belbin website. Here you will find interesting aspects related to individual roles in teams and how to grow teams.
Module 4b) Teams and Team Building pt. 2
Introduction
This video describes the team process of formation, adjustment, development, and reinforcement. We will discuss what some key challenges are for teams, including conflict. Thereafter the video focuses on how to resolve some of the key challenges. The last part highlights some key issues related to teams and team building and ends with describing characteristics of effective teams.
Reflections
- How can you grow in the type or effectiveness of roles you play in teams?
- Are you able to identify team behaviors relevant to your work or your teams?
- What additional key points come to your mind regarding teams in your own context?
- What do you consider as the three key messages in Module 4b?
Resources
*We suggest to right-click and open the resource website listed below in a different tab/window.
Visit the Belbin website and read about the roles in teams and the Johari Window model. This ties Module 2 - Interpersonal Skills and Module 5 - Communication & Appreciative Inquiry to what we just have discussed here in Module 4.
Supplemental Conversation
Professors Jeanette H. Magnus and Bernadette Kumar talk about the challenges and gains of diversity in the workplace. Studies have shown that diversity in the workplace related to gender, ethnicity, personality, and skills lead to advanced success. Magnus discusses diversity in the workplace. Diversity within the workplace presents challenges and advantages. Being able to identify these diverse aspects is imperative to a leader. As a leader, it is important above all to understand that different personalities will be present and will play a role in a team setting. Understanding the preferences of your team members will also be an advantage, enhancing the success of the team.