In this section you will learn to:
- Encourage team members and individuals to participate in and to take responsibility for team activities, including communication processes
- Support the team in identifying and resolving work performance problems
- Promote work collaboration through individual behaviour
Supplementary materials relevant to this section:
- Reading F: Consensus Decision Making
- Reading G: Team Leadership Skills
One of a leader or manager’s central responsibilities is to facilitate teamwork and ensure that the team works effectively together. Teams are brought together in the workplace to complete tasks or solve problems in a way that could not be accomplished by people working autonomously. However, to achieve this, the team has to carry out day-to-day tasks in an interdependent manner. This means that team members need to consult with each other and work collaboratively – reaching agreements, resolving conflict, and respecting each other’s opinions. For all this to happen effectively and for the team to achieve its goals and ‘get the job done,’ a team leader must facilitate effective teamwork. Two key methods commonly used to facilitate teamwork are encouraging team member participation and developing team norms. This section of the Study Guide will outline these processes.
When it comes to facilitating teamwork, there are a number of techniques that a leader or manager might use. These techniques include, but not limited to (Herman, n.d.):
- Build diverse and inclusive teams
- Clearly define roles and responsibilities for every team member
- Build trust within the team
- Encourage clear, frequent communication
- Manage team meetings wisely
- Team members are allowed autonomy in decision-making
- Provide the team with learning opportunities
- Not afraid to reorganise team dynamics
Ultimately, a manager is responsible for facilitating teamwork within their team (Heathfield (2021). Managers should strive to develop:
- A team that is able to constantly examine itself. An effective team should be able to openly discuss what may be hindering its ability to move forward and progress towards achieving its goals. Doing so can improve its processes, practices, and the interaction of team members.
- A team with agreed upon procedures for diagnosing, analysing and resolving team work problems and conflicts. Team members should always work towards mutual resolution by not picking sides in conflicts and by not supporting personality conflicts between team members.
- A team where participative leadership is practiced. Team members should be included in decision making regarding aspects of team activities such as assigning tasks, recording decisions and commitments, assessing progress, and holding team members accountable.
- A team where members make high quality decisions together. The team must be able to work in a collaborative atmosphere resulting in high-quality decisions which have the support of team members and commitment by the team to carry out the decisions made.
In order to facilitate teamwork, it is essential to first ensure that team members are engaged and are actively participating in the group’s activities. Later in this section of the Study Guide we will outline how to develop team norms, however before these norms are developed, managers must ensure team members are aware of the importance of participation and teamwork. They may do this by:
- Encouraging active listening. Managers should encourage team members to engage in active listening when others are sharing their opinions and thoughts. Team members should be encouraged to pay attention to what others are saying, not interrupt, and provide their considered response only after hearing and absorbing other team member’s opinions.
- Leading by example. Managers should themselves remain open to suggestions and concerns from team members by actively listening and providing authentic feedback.
- Delegating problem solving tasks to the team. A great way to encourage participation is to delegate team members to work together to achieve a solution. While this is being done, the manager can monitor the process and provide support where necessary. This can foster the team members’ sense of responsibility and ownership of the team’s output.
- Encouraging team members to share information. Emphasise to team members the importance of their individual role and how it combines with other team member’s work to achieve the team’s goals.
- Encouraging trust and cooperation between team members. The relationships team members develop between themselves are as important as their relationship with their manager. It is important to pay close attention to how team members are working together and take steps to improve communication, trust, and respect in those relationships. A common way managers achieve this is to provide team building activities to strengthen team relationships. The following extract outlines some examples of team building activities designed to improve communication and build interdependence and trust.
1. Back-to-back drawing
For this team-building activity, gather an even number of people and split them into pairs. Once everyone has a partner, sit or stand them back-to-back. You can use a pen and paper or a whiteboard for this activity. One person takes the role of the speaker and the other takes the role of the listener. For five to 10 minutes, the speaker describes a geometric image from a prepared set of cards and the listener tries to draw the image from the speaker's description.
Afterwards, teams discuss how they ensured their instructions were clear and how the team might apply this activity in real-life interactions. The listener can also share what was constructive about the instructions they received and what they might do differently if they were the speaker. This exercise focuses on communicating clear and consistent information, asking questions and listening.
2. Island survival
Create teams of five to 10 people. Then, read them a scenario that describes how a shipwreck stranded everyone on an island and that they discover items washing up on the shore. Give them a list of 20 items and explain that they can keep only five of them. Instruct the teams to work together to identify which items to keep. Each team then presents which items they kept and why. Not only does this activity help team members practise communication skills, but it also leads to improved cooperation and teamwork.Survival Scenario: This exercise forces your group to communicate and agree to ensure their 'survival.' Tell your group that their airplane has just crashed in the ocean. There's a desert island nearby, and there's room on the lifeboat for every person – plus 12 items they'll need to survive on the island. Instruct the team to choose which items they want to take. How do they decide? How do they rank or rate each item?
3. Zen counting
For this exercise, have your team sit in a circle facing away from one another. In no particular order, have them count from one to 10, with each member saying only one number. You can count higher if you have more team members. If someone talks over someone or repeats a number, the group starts back at one. This exercise creates stillness and encourages team members to listen closely to one another, focusing their attention on the speaker and learning to only speak after they understand the message.
4. Truth and lies
This exercise works well with five or more people. Have each person state three facts and one lie about themselves. Instruct everyone to create lies that are plausible so that they're more realistic. After someone reads their list aloud, everyone else guesses which statements are true and which are lies. This exercise can help team members share intimate information about themselves in a safe, supportive environment. Understanding the people you work with can ultimately improve communication, empathy and teamwork.
5. The barter puzzle
This activity requires four or more small groups and a different jigsaw puzzle for each one. Divide your participants into groups of equal sizes and give them each a jigsaw puzzle of the same difficulty level. Challenge each team to complete their puzzle before the other teams. To add another challenge to the exercise, you can mix pieces of different puzzles into the wrong boxes. Teams then identify the wrong pieces and communicate with other teams to get their own back.
This exercise focuses on communicating with people you're already in competition with, which can be especially challenging. It also encourages teams to work together to complete a larger goal, even if one team earns more recognition for specific achievements. The teams communicate both internally and externally to achieve the desired goals.
(Adapted from Indeed Editorial Team, 2022)
Self-Reflection
Have you ever participated in team building exercises? Did they help you connect with other employees? Can you think of some team building exercises that you enjoyed?
Over time, the members of a team will develop specific ways of interacting with each other, making decisions, and working together. For a team to function successfully, it is essential that team members engage in effective interpersonal communication with each other (as well as with other stakeholders), and effectively make decisions, assign work, and hold members accountable. This process can be facilitated through the development of team norms. Team norms essentially provide an agreed upon framework for the team’s interaction which can, in turn, lessen the potential for negative conflict and misunderstanding within the team.
Group norms are the spoken or unspoken rules that guide how team members interact, collaborate effectively, and work efficiently. Usually, group norms aren’t written down. Instead, they’re implicitly agreed upon rules and standards of behavior, guided by the surrounding company culture ground rules. These implicit values inform and shape how team members make decisions, communicate at work, or even resolve conflicts.
(Martins, 2021
Team norms are crucial to a team to help team members achieve their best performance. With team norms in place, team members can feel a sense of stability and normalcy within their team and remove any doubt or uncertainty about their team and team members. With more trust and acknowledgement that all team members are on the same page, they are able to collaborate more effectively to achieve better performance. Further, team norms can cultivate a sense of belonging among team members which empowers them to take ownership of their work and be part of the decision-making process (Martins, 2021).
The following steps provide a process a manager can follow to reach agreement on a set of norms that will guide the interaction and behaviour of team members.
- Identify successful norms based on your past experience. Think back to a team where things worked well and then identify one to three norms that contributed to that success. When I ask executives to do this, they often say that a consistent cadence of communication or being fully present in conversations helped things work smoothly.
- Break down the norms into behaviors. Once you have an abstract list of norms, turn them into measurable behaviors. For example, one norm might be to encourage equal participation in meetings. As a team, ask yourselves what equal participation in meetings looks like. A behavior then might be that for key issues, you will go around the room and solicit input from everyone, starting with the person who’s spoken the least in that day’s meeting.
- Commit to five norms or fewer. Prioritize what you want to tackle first. It’s OK to start with just one norm, but don’t take on more than five at once. Focusing on fewer norms increases your chances of remembering them and practicing them regularly.
- Create a recurring plan. Too often executive teams spend time at an offsite coming up with well-crafted norms, only to fail to transfer them to the boardroom on Monday morning. Create a plan with owners and time lines for how you will follow through on each norm.
- Create a system of mutual accountability. Discuss how you will hold each other accountable if you don’t practice the norms you’ve agreed to. What will you do if, after repeated check-ins, there’s still no progress? What will you do if all but one of you follows through? What are other scenarios where things can stall or go off the rails, and how will you have the conversation to hold each other accountable? One team, for example, restricted the use of devices during their executive team meetings. If someone got distracted by their phone, they had to throw $5 into the “norm bucket.” At the end of the year, the team went out for drinks and donated the rest of the money to charity. In this case, creating a system to police a new behavior made it more comfortable — and even fun — to call each other out.
(Nawaz, 2018)
Example team norms
After meeting to decide on team norms, the manager should have enough information to create a document containing the team’s norms. These norms should be reviewed over time and will vary depending on the nature of the work being undertaken by the team. Team norms may also change if there is a change in the team members. Below is an example of team norms that have been developed for one team.
| Team Norms |
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Communication methods Email: It is expected that team members will utilise email often throughout the work day. All email communication related to the team’s activities should be conducted using their organisational email address. Text: Text may be used by team members to communicate. Team members have been issued with a mobile phone for this purpose. Mobile: Mobile phone communication will be necessary for team members to be in contact throughout the team’s activities. Mobile phones have been issued to team members for this purpose. Facebook: Team members are expected to maintain professional conduct and content of their social media accounts. Communication with stakeholders outside of the team should only occur through organisational email, never through personal social media accounts. Meetings: Meetings are held weekly and require attendance of the team leader and all team members. Other ‘sub group’ meetings and face-to-face meetings will be held according to need. It is expected that all team members will arrive at meetings five minutes early. If any team member is unable to attend a meeting they must inform the team leader in writing (by email) at least five hours before the scheduled start of the meeting. Any reports required for submission at the meeting by the team member must be completed and provided to the team manager before the commencement of the team meeting whether team member is attending or not. |
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Communication rules and limits Team members will communicate respectfully with each other, will not talk down to each other and will positively thank each other for their contributions. Team members will listen to each other without interrupting, hold no side in personal conflicts, and engage in no competing conversations when a group discussion is taking place. |
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Maximum length of time for responses Any communication sent between team members requiring a response must be replied to within 48 hours of the message being received. Note this does not mean that any call to action included in the email must be completed, however a response confirming message receipt and understanding is required within this 48 hour time period. |
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Meeting schedule and purpose The team manager is responsible for emailing reminders about weekly meetings a day before each meeting. These reminders will also contain an outline of what is expected to be achieved in these meetings. Meetings will run to a predefined agenda and minutes of each meeting will be recorded. Meetings will also finish on time. |
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Team communication with other employees and managers Any communication with members of the organisation who are external to the team must be conducted applying the same rules of communication contained in this document. |
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Decision making process Team members will make decisions by consensus, but majority will rule if consensus cannot be reached within 48 hours. Conflicts in decision making will be resolved directly with the persons in conflict with the assistance of the team leader if necessary. |
Strategies for gaining consensus
The final element of the example team norms outlined above concerns how the team will make decisions. This involves the team reaching consensus or agreement when making decisions about matters requiring input and opinions from team members. This unit has discussed the importance of ensuring a team operates in an environment of collaboration where team members feel comfortable to raise concerns and make recommendations or suggestions on how the team can improve its performance. It is therefore essential that a team manager establishes strategies for gaining consensus.
While each team has their own process to reach consensus, all teams typically make decisions through discussion by expressing their thoughts and resolving any differences. It may sound simple, but each team member will have their own perspective and sometimes it may be difficult to reach a common ground. This is when a team leader’s role is important as they need to facilitate this process so that the team can gain consensus. Below is an outline of the process to reach consensus (Seeds for Change, 2020):
Stage 1: Introduce and clarify the issue
Share background information. Work out the remit of the discussion - i.e. what questions do you need to decide about now?
Stage 2: Open out the discussion
Make space for everyone to share their needs and opinions before launching into trying to solve the problem. If the ideas come up already, you could hear them briefly, then park them for the next stage.
Stage 3: Explore ideas in a broad discussion
Come up with lots of different ways forward. Explore the pros and cons of different options. Identify key concerns, needs and objectives.
Stage 4: Form a proposal
Look for a solution that meets everyone’s most important needs. This might involve weaving together elements of different ideas.
Stage 5: Amend the proposal
Look for changes that will make the proposal even stronger.
Stage 6: Test for agreement
Clearly state the proposal and check whether there is real agreement. Starting by asking for who is against the proposal makes it easier for people to voice their concerns. E.g.:
Any blocks?
Any stand-asides?
Any reservations?
Do we have consensus?
If you have a block, or too many stand-asides you will need to go back a stage, and amend the proposal further, or create a new one.
Stage 7: Work out how to implement the decision
Work out what needs to happen, by when, and who will do it.
Self-Reflection
Why do you think managers develop and document team norms for their team? What benefits will this have to team performance? What are some challenges you think managers may experience when developing team norms?
Reading F – Consensus Decision Making
Reading F is a guide that provides an introduction to consensus decision making. The guide also looks at some strategies and skills to facilitate the process to reach consensus and conditions that could allow consensus to be reached easier within a team.
One of the most difficult aspects of a team manager’s role is improving the performance of the team and making it more productive. Maintaining consistent performance across the team can be problematic as team members may be working on different tasks, because of staff turnaround, or because team members may have different levels of experience. However, consistent team performance must be achieved as failing to do so can significantly impact the team’s ability to remain on schedule and achieve its goals.
In the first section of this module, you learned how to develop a team performance plan. Generally, work performance problems will come to the attention of managers and the team because the team fails to provide what has been agreed to in this plan. This could be related to key performance indicators, goals, or outputs. The most common teamwork performance problem is if teams do not achieve their key performance indicators. However, it is also possible that a team will fail to reach its goals despite reaching its key performance indicators – for example, a team that is failing to work together collaboratively.
Team performance discussion
The best way to resolve team performance issues is to conduct a team performance discussion and then develop a team performance improvement plan. The most effective team performance discussions are ‘two-way’ conversations where team members and managers can exchange views, ask questions, and reach agreement about:
- What has not gone according to plan and why?
- What is not on track and how the team will get back on track?
- What can be done better?
- What areas of performance require improvement?
- What management can do to support improvement?
- What follow-up will be required?
The following steps outline how to conduct a team performance meeting:
- Step 1: Make it clear that it is the performance of the team that is being discussed
Do not focus any blame on individuals within the team. Ensure the team realises that the performance issue being discussed in this situation relates to overall team performance and that the only way to improve performance in this area is for the team to take collective responsibility and ensure measures are taken to ensure performance is improved. - Step 2: Be specific
While being careful not to single out individuals, be as specific as possible about the performance issue being addressed - Step 3: Discuss why this presents a problem for the organisation
Ensure the team realises the reasons why the performance problem must be addressed. If necessary, demonstrate to the team how this problem is affecting the team’s goals or organisational goals. - Step 4: Allow the team the opportunity to suggest how to resolve the issue
Avoid dictating to the team the actions that will need to be taken to resolve the performance problem. Clarify with the team both your and the organisation’s expectations of their performance and give them the opportunity to come up with suggestions on how the performance issue may be resolved.
One tool a manager might use to help the team reach agreement on how to address a performance issue is to perform a gap analysis. A gap analysis is used to compare where an organisation or team is now and where it wants to be. A team leader could use a gap analysis in this meeting by providing the team with a copy of the analysis with the current situation and the desired situation completed, then allow the group to discuss ‘the gap’ or ‘how we are going to get there.’ The following is an example of a gap analysis.Current Situation: Where are we now?
The Gap: How will we get there?
Desired Situation: Where do we want to be?
It is now March 2016 and only 15 of the new websites pages have been developed.
Our team has failed to reach the key performance indicator of having 25% of the new websites pages completed by February 30 2016.
The team needs to work more collaboratively in order to reduce duplication of work.
The team needs to work faster and more efficiently.
We need to meet our next key performance criteria which is to have 50% of the new websites pages developed by May 30 2016. - Step 5: Document the actions the team has agreed to take to resolve the issue in a team performance improvement plan
It is important to document any actions that the team agrees to take in relation to resolving the performance problem. The best way to record this information is in a team performance improvement plan. An example of a team performance improvement plan is included on the following page.Team Performance Improvement Plan Performance improvement period: 01/03/2016 To 30/05/2016 Performance will be reviewed on: 30/05/2016 Team member responsibilities Management responsibilities - Work more collaboratively
- Work more efficiently
- Avoid duplication in code creation
- IT manager to work more closely with the team. She will now attend all weekly team meetings.
- A new web developer will be hired to assist the team meet it’s KPI’s.
- Step 6: Reach agreement on how progress against this plan will be monitored and get team members to sign the action plan
It is essential to not only reach agreement on how the performance problem will be resolved but also on how performance against the team performance plan will be monitored. The team should also be involved in monitoring this progress.
An effective team leader should be a role model from whom team members draw inspiration and seek advice and guidance. This may seem like a daunting prospect to an inexperienced manager, but knowing the difference between qualities of a good leader and a poor leader can help them to practice the desirable and positive traits of a leader. Being a role model is an essential attribute of a leader because it allows you to lead by example.
In many ways the team you lead is a reflection of you. If you are disorganised or impatient and aggressive with people, often your team members will mirror that behaviour in the workplace. If you are unethical, then your team members may act unethically also. However, if you are calm, treat people with respect, and act ethically then that will be the model of behaviour that team members follow. Whatever rules, guidelines, and policies are set out in the team charter or other organisational documents, you as a manager will reinforce these rules by your actions.
An effective manager must accept the fact that their behaviour is always under the microscope. However, leading by example is also a highly effective management tool which managers can use to their advantage. It is a skill that is not only essential, but is also not too hard to master, and it can make managing a team an easier task. So what behaviours should an effective team manager practise? Please read through the following list that outline some important behaviours that should be practiced by team leaders.
Be honest.
Research shows that only 20% of people trust business leaders to tell the truth, a shockingly low number for organizational trust. Now more than ever before, honesty is a crucial responsibility for success as a leader. A successful leader is honest, and will expect their employees to be honest too. If employees feel like their leader is honest with them, they are much more likely to be honest in return. A business leader who exhibits honesty will encourage their employees to trust them, so when they give them information or ask something of them, they will do the right thing with it. This is an important element for a great company culture and organizational success. In years past, honesty and integrity were the mark of organizational success—now as standards slacken being honest in business is more valuable than ever.
Be confident.
An effective leader will display confidence and lead by example. Confidence is a skill you can develop, and in turn encourage in your organization. When they walk into difficult projects or tight deadlines confident that they will be successful, the team will follow their lead. Employees want to feel that their leader is fearless and ready to take on anything—they want someone who is sure they will be successful in charge. So confidence is key for exceptional leaders. Particularly when it comes to making decisions, confidence is important for positive leadership. Good leaders are confident in their choices and move forward, leading their team right along with them.
Keep communication channels open.
Open communication means there are less misunderstandings and issues on a team. Good communication skills are key in leadership that is impactful. When leaders have open communication, the team knows exactly what is expected of them, when things need to be done, and the process. Bad communication can create problems that go unresolved, missed deadlines, improper strategy, and more. This often is an indication of poor leadership. Good leadership involves being specific about requests to ensure that team members know they can talk to their leader about anything. Communication channels need to go both ways so employees can connect with their leader if there is an issue and know they’ll be heard.
Address issues.
In any organization, issues are going to arise. This can be professional or personal issues—either way good leaders need to know how to address these issues. Problems should be dealt with immediately, not pushed back to a more convenient time. Good leaders know that they need to take issues seriously, not make employees feel like they should handle it on their own or not bother about it. They have the ability to make employees feel heard and respected—self-assurance is an important part of being a real leader. Leadership also involves being open-minded, and utilize positive leadership behavior to help everyone feel at ease. Leadership that addresses problems quickly, professionally, and fairly get more respect from their employees.
Make decisions.
Good leaders aren’t afraid to make decisions, especially hard ones. They avoid delaying decisions or letting their personal views intervene. They look at things carefully, research well, try and see every angle, and make a decision and then stick to it. This will directly influence employee behavior. When a leader seems to be swayed after making a decision, it can be an issue. But if a leader isn’t willing to get feedback before making a decision, that can also be an issue. A good leader finds the balance of making sure they fully understand the choice, and then sticking to it when they make it. They don’t shy away from these choices, but rather take them head-on and show their employees that they are confident and sure.
Provide objective feedback.
Good leaders don’t let personal thoughts or feelings get involved with their team. Their feedback is objective and professional, helping the team know exactly what to expect and where they can improve. Good leaders understand that feedback is essential for growth, so they aren’t afraid to help their employees improve. But their feedback is always based on their work performance and how it impacts the team. Straightforward, honest, open communication helps team members receive this kind of feedback well, and be excited about opportunities for growth and development in the workplace.
Reward achievement.
There are many benefits to recognizing and rewarding employee achievement at work. Employees see that their behavior is appreciated and are more likely to repeat it, others see that they can get rewarded for good work, it increases productivity and morale, and helps employees see that you care about their contribution. Rewards can happen through verbal praise, a gift, or even a bonus or raise. Good leaders understand that positive reinforcement is a great tool for helping employees grow and continue good actions. They work to set up reward systems that are fair for the organization, and be sure to keep their eyes open for any opportunity to reward their students. Leadership traits that focus on helping employees thrive are important to develop, to enhance motivation and create a positive culture.
(Western Governors University, 2020)
It is understandable that not every leader possesses these traits from the first day they start their leadership role. If you have trouble modelling these behaviours or do not think that you possess them, it is important that you are eager to learn and develop these skills and traits to be an effective leader. Then, you can aim to incorporate and apply these behaviours into your role so they can be emulated by team members. Further, when there is a positive role model, your team members are more likely to work collaboratively towards the common goals. Otherwise, there may be distrust and suspicions within the team and hinder work collaboration progress.
Self-Reflection
Do managers in your workplace act like role models? Do they display the same behaviours as they expect from employees? How does this impact team effectiveness?
Reading G – Team Leadership Skills
This reading looks at the team leadership skills that can assist leaders accomplish their leadership tasks, as well as looking at shared leadership work teams.
In this section of the Study Guide, you learned about the importance of facilitating effective teamwork. You learned about methods of encouraging team member participation, how to develop team norms, how to manage team performance, and how to be an effective role model for your team.
