Effective Teamwork

Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.

What do you like about teams?What needs improvement?

Takes too much timeRewards popularity not good ideasMany make no effort but get the credit

Get to meet new peopleListen to new ideasCheck on my thinkingHelp from othersCommitment from others

to follow up with the team’s decision

Objectives

Describe the advantages of structured group processes.Describe key structured group processes.Describe what makes teams more effective and why.Describe steps in Integrative Group Process.

How do you meet? What is your process of meeting?

Make an appointmentPeople get togetherThe issues are raised and discussedA consensus is arrived (how?)

Possible Ways to Improve

AgendaTimekeeperEvaluation

More ways to improve: Tell Members to Behave

Avoid arguing, Avoid win-lose statements, Avoid changing opinions in order to reduce conflict, Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority votes and bargaining. View differences of opinion as natural and initial agreements as suspect.

Improve the Process Not People

Nominal Group Process

1. Silent idea generations2. Round-robin sharing of ideas3. Voting and feedback to the group4. Explanatory group discussion5. Individual re-assessment6. Mathematical aggregation of revised judgments

Why it succeeds?

Postponing evaluation increases creative solutionsThinking again improvesSeparating ideas from people helps judging ideas based on their merit

Problems With Nominal Group Technique

Awkward restrictions on interactionsNot fun, participants do not have large commitment to decisions

Delphi - Inter-related surveys

1. List the options and give the reason for them2. Review the reasons, add comment and vote3. Review votes and comments and vote again

Why it succeeds

Separates evaluation from generation of ideasSeparates ideas from people and lets the group decide on the merit of ideas not who said itCan involves hundreds of people

Why it fails?

AwkwardPeople like to talkTakes time

Summary of Lessons

Postpone evaluation Do it again Meet before the meetingInstruct the group about meeting process

Integrative Group Process

Have agenda and timekeeperSelect the best, even if they disagreeMeet before the meetingDo it againVote before discussionTalk through differencesDocument group’s decision

Take Home Lesson

Post pone evaluation– What else is bothering you– Would someone else volunteer