Team Building

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Team Building

• KTeam Summer Institute June 6, 2005

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What is a Team?

• According to Merriam-Webster, a team is a number
  of persons associated together in work or
  activity.

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Lets get to know each other a little better!
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Three Card Poker

• Everyone gets a card
• Dont turn it over until you are told to do so
• After you turn over your card, make the best 3
  card hand you can by joining two others

• Highest card
• Two of a kind
• Three of a kind
• Flush (three cards from the same suit)
• Straight (7,8,9)
• Hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades

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What do we know about teams?

• Together everyone achieves more
• There is no I in team
• Individual effort applied to a common good

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Good teams dont just happen

• There must be trust
• There must be a common goal
• There must be commitment
• There must be communication
• There must be respect for others

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Why have teams?

• Sometimes the job is too big for one person
• Two heads are better than one
• Three heads are better still
• Draw from the strength of others

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Whats in the box?

• Teams will move to one of the boxes.
• All members of the team will look in the box for
  15 seconds.
• When the signal is given, remove the lid but NO
  TALKING.
• Go back to your seat and list as many items as
  you can remember.

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Whats in the box?

• How many items did you list individually?
• Next, divide into your teams, compare your lists,
  and compile a new one.
• How many items did you list as a team?

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Whats in the box?

• Did other team members notice things you didnt?
• Was the team able to compile a longer, more
  detailed list than you did by yourself?
• What are some of the benefits of working as a
  team?

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Effective Teams

• Have good communication skills
• Handle controversy constructively
• Assess and improve team effectiveness

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Why do teams fail?

• Poor communication skills
• Failure to handle controversy
• Failure to respect diversity of the group

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Effective teams need effective communication
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Effective communication

• Communicate to transmit information, thought, or
  feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or
  understood

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Miscommunication

• Occurs when people interpret the same facts of
  experiences differently

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For instance

• That restaurant is too expensive?
• How much is too expensive?
• I will email it to you soon.
• When is soon?
• I waited for you a long time!
• How long is a long time?
• He drives too fast!
• How fast is too fast?

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The way to overcome miscommunication is to listen.

• Listening for understanding is the key to genuine
  communication
• Use welcoming body language
• Ask open-ended questions
• Repeat or paraphrase
• Clarify your perception
• Indicate acceptance/support

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Speaking of communication

• Everyone stand in a circle
• Toss the koosh around
• If the koosh comes to you, start by saying
  Speaking of then continue the thought of the
  person who just tossed you the koosh
• Finish by telling something about yourself and
  then toss the koosh to someone else

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Dealing with Controversy

• The best way to deal with controversy is to learn
  how to handle it.

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Destructive ways of handling Controversy

• Avoid controversy completely
• Withdraw from participation
• Create stalemates
• Destroy team with dissention

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Constructive ways of handling Controversy

• Ensure member equality by agreeing on a Code of
  Conduct and monitoring the teams behavior
• Respect team members diversity
• Learn to understand your own and others
  controversy behaviors
• Identify and deal with controversial issues

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Guidelines for constructive Controversy

• Ensure member equality by agreeing on a Code of
  Conduct and monitoring the teams behavior

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Sample Code of Conduct

• Meetings will begin and end on time
• Discussions will focus on the task
• Everyone is expected to contribute
• No one will be allowed to monopolize the
  discussion
• Ideas, not personalities, are discussed
• Diversity will be respected and valued

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Monitoring

• The process monitor sometimes called the task
  master or keeper of the rules has the
  responsibility for reminding team members of the
  rules they agreed on in the Code of Conduct

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Guidelines for Constructive Controversy

• Respect team members diversity

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Respecting Diversity

• Prejudice and intolerance have no place in a work
  or learning environment
• Cultural, racial, gender, and personality
  differences can add unique perspectives to a team
• Effective teams deal with differences openly and
  with respect

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Guidelines for Constructive Controversy

• Learn to understand your own and others
  controversy behaviors

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Who am I ?
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Responses to Controversy

• Supportive tries to understand where others are
  coming from. Encourages and shows respect for
  others. Expresses appreciation and interest
• Constructive seeks to clarify differences
  between ideas. Contributes information and
  opinions to the discussion. Seeks best solutions
  to problems.

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Responses to Controversy

• Aggressive cannot tolerate ideas different from
  own. Views a discussion as a contest of wills or
  a measure of power. Refuses to compromise.
• Defensive does not readily share opinions and
  ideas. Becomes upset and angry when someone
  disagrees with him or her. Tends to dislike and
  sometimes insults those who disagree.

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Guidelines for Constructive Controversy

• Acknowledge and deal with controversial issues

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Dealing with Controversy

• Use landmines Surfacing problems to discuss
  potential problems
• Deal with it in a timely manner
• When its done its done.

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Sometimes Controversy turns into Conflict
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The four Rs of Conflict Management

• Reframe
• Think through the problem and develop a win/win
  solution
• Consider how it can be productive
• Commit to behaving responsibly
• Recognize
• Core issues (contextual, relationship, person)
• Your emotional response

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The four Rs of Conflict Management

• Respond
• Be proactive
• Anticipate and prepare
• Be sincere
• Set the tone
• Seek to understand first
• Accept responsibility for your behavior and
  emotions
• Reflect
• Analyze what happened
• Consider what did/did not work
• Decode what to do differently the next time

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Good Luck with Team Building!