Bailey

Chartered Engineers and Managers

An Introduction To Team Dynamics

This lecture aims to give participants an awareness of the differences between a team
and a group; the stages and methods of team development; an introduction to the
leadership dynamic within teams and an awareness of the potential sources of
dysfunction in teams.

The course has been developed to be presented as a one hour seminar and will take
the form of a discussion group.
The course is suited to all professional staff working in team environments.

This course has been developed and will be presented by:

John Bailey, B.A./B.A.I, M.Sc, M.B.A., C.Eng; Dip.Proj. Mngt., M.I.C.E, F.I.E.I.
Contents.
1.0 Some Definitions.

2.0 Stages of team development:

3.0 Team Roles.

4.0 Building Teams.

4.1 Method.

4.2 When to change a team.

5.0 Leadership in Teams.

5.1 Two Types of Leadership.

5.2 Leadership Function in Teams (and of Professionals generally).

6.0 Motivation.

7.0 Dysfunctional Teams.

7.1 Characteristics of behaviour in high performance teams.

7.2 Sources of Dysfunction.

7.3 What the leader can do.

8.0 Jazz Improvisation.

Summary.

References.
1.0 Some Definitions.
Teams and groups are different.

Teams are small numbers of people (1-20), assembled for a specific focus or purpose, and have a
specific time frame in which to achieve their goal(s). Team members will be totally committed to
achieving the team’s goals. There will be a large degree of agreement amongst team members
regarding team goals and methods. Team members will have specific functions and/or roles within the
team.
Typically, in a team, there will be a high degree of trust among members, a healthy degree of conflict,
strong commitment to team goals, a high degree of personal accountability and an emphasis on
results.

Groups tend to be larger, may have an open-ended brief, may not need total group agreement to
achieve success. There is room for minority views within a group. Members may not have (or need)
specific roles.

Note that teams require a specific purpose or goal. There is strong research to show that 95% of
project failures are due to badly defined or ambiguous project goals.
“If you don’t know where you want to go, then any road will take you there”
– The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll.

Very high levels of performance can be achieved by properly functioning teams. Teams must undergo
a development process before they achieve extraordinary performance.

2.0 Stages of team development:

Forming : Team comes together to tackle a specific task. Typically there will be a well-specified task
and timeframe for the team. Team membership can be decided with this in mind.

Storming : When the team is assembled, it undergoes a period of unrest or “storming” during which
internal team relationships and roles are established.

Norming : As the team roles and relationships are established, the team can begin to move forward to
tackle its task.

Performing : The team achieves extremely high levels of performance.

Some researchers have noted a fifth stage : mourning, as the team breaks up after its project,
members experience feelings very similar to mourning.

If the team does not go through the storming and norming phases, it will continue to act and perform
as a group.
Performance

Time

Forming Storming Norming Performing

3.0 Team Roles.
(Belbin).

Team members will have preferred ways of working and interacting within the team as well as having
specific tasks based on expertise or function. There are eight ‘team roles’:

Role. Description Allowable weakness.

Shaper: Dynamic, Challenging, Highly Strung, Can provoke others. Hurts peoples
has very strong opinions Has the feelings.
drive and courage to overcome
obstacles.
Implementer: Organising, practical, disciplined, Somewhat inflexible. Slow to
gets things done. Reliable, respond to new possibilities.
conservative and efficient. Turns
ideas into practical actions.
Co-ordinator: Calm, confident, sense of purpose, Can be seen as manipulative.
an organiser. Mature, a good Delegates personal work.
chairman. Clarifies goals, promotes
decision making, delegates well.
Team Player: Social, sensitive, people minded. Co- Indecisive in crunch situations. Can
operative, mild, perceptive and be easily influenced.
diplomatic. Listens, builds, avoids
friction.

Plant: Unorthodox, intelligent, dreamer, an Ignores details, too preoccupied to

ideas person. Creative, imaginative. communicate effectively.
Solves difficult problems.

Completer/Finisher: Painstaking, interested in detail. Inclined to worry unduly, reluctant to

Conscientious, anxious, searches for delegate. Can be a nitpicker.
errors and omissions. Delivers on
time.

Resource Enthusiastic, curious. Extrovert, Overoptimistic, looses interest once

Investigator: communicative. Explores initial enthusiasm has passed.
opportunities. Develops contacts.

Evaluator/monitor: Prudent, discrete, judging. Sober, Lacks drive and ability to inspire
strategic and discerning. Sees all others. Overly critical.
options. Judges accurately.

A ninth role has also been established: technical Specialist. The specialist will have particular skills or
expertise needed by the team but may not suffer fools lightly. S/he will be highly gifted within a very
narrow field. The most productive way to use specialists is probably to use their services as required
and to isolate them from the team when not needed.

Team roles have obvious implications for the success of teams and how they should be set up.
Certain combinations can be particularly useful and some can be disastrous.
Shapers work most happily with a boss who does not interfere but is there to offer advice when
needed. Co-ordinators have the people skills and maturity to deal with all but the most extreme
shapers. Monitor Evaluators can also be effective bosses provided they can gain respect. Shapers
appreciate dynamic colleagues; resource investigators are ideal. Team workers are ideal sub-
ordinates as they can deal with shaper dominance. Completers can also serve a shaper well but there
may be tension due to shaper frustration with the completer. There is a strong possibility of clashes of
style between shapers and Co-ordinators, Monitor Evaluators and Plants.

Plants tend to get pushed out of organisations. A plant needs to be guided by another type, to have a
backer or champion. Co-ordinators make good bosses for Plants. Team Workers can also work well.
Shapers and Implementers tend to be intolerant of plants. Plants make stimulating colleagues and
associate well with co-ordinators, Resource Investigators and Team Workers, i.e. those in social roles.
Clashes can occur with Monitor Evaluators and other Plants. Plants will also clash with Implementer
colleagues. Implementers as sub-ordinates work well as plants, however Shapers and Resource
Investigators tend to question the Plant too much.

Specialists respond well to Team Workers, Co-ordinators and Implementers as bosses who allow
them the scope to organise their own work. Shapers and Resource Investigators will intrude too much
in the Specialist’s work. Implementers and Team Workers make best colleagues for Specialists.
Conflicts will arise with Plants either as colleagues or sub-ordinates.

Monitor Evaluators are generally low profile. ME’s should be kept away from other ME’s. They work
best for a Co-ordinator boss and worse for a shaper. Implementers and Resource Co-ordinators make
good colleagues for Monitor Evaluators. Implementers make good sub-ordinates. Plants and other
ME’s should be avoided.

Completers work well for Resource investigators, Plants and Shapers. They work least well for other
Completers. Completers are ideal colleagues or bosses for implementers but will clash with resource
investigators.

Implementers work best for Shapers and Plants. Imps also work well for Completers. Implementers
work well with Co-ordinators, Monitor Evaluators, Completers and Specialists as colleagues. They will
clash with other Imps and Plants. Implementers will make good bosses for Team Workers but will
clash with Resource Investigators and Plants.

Resource Investigators work well with most types but should avoid Completers and Specialists as
bosses or colleagues. Completers make good sub-ordinates for RI’s compensating for their inattention
to detail.

Co-ordinators have strong people skills but may have clashes of style with Shapers. CO’s are ideal
sub-ordinates for Shapers and Plants. In peer groups, CO’s seldom work well with Shapers. They
work particularly well with team Workers and Implementers. CO’s are good at managing Plants but
should avoid Shapers.

Team Workers should report to a strong Shaper and should avoid working for another Team Worker.
TW’s can work with most types as colleagues but should avoid Shapers as colleagues or sub-
ordinates. Ideal sub-ordinates for TW’s are Specialists who are self starting and don’t present any
threat to the TW.

Most people are a mixture of roles, it is the combination that will tend to influence the behavior of a
person. For example, when talking about Specialists, although they are predominantly very interested
in their area, a Specialist will be unlikely to disrupt the team - they will tend just to want to get on with
their own interests. Additionally, they may combine Specialist with one of the very socially orientated
roles such as Coordinator, which will mean that they will be good at interacting with the team and
keeping an eye on goals, but will have a great love of learning that will mean they are very enthusiastic
about their own area. The weakness here would more be a tendency to delegate any work outside
their particular area and care a little less about it.
4.0 Building Teams.

4.1 Method.

1.a When the project task is exceptionally demanding look for the Specialist with the relevant
knowledge first.

1.b Then look for someone (a project Manager) who can relate well to the specialist. These two
searches may proceed in tandem.

2. Now balance the team with the necessary technical disciplines and team role preferences. Casting
these roles needs to take account of seniority and functional responsibility.

3. Set the style of the team, whether work will be conducted primarily through meetings or by
individuals or small groups working in isolation and reporting to the team periodically.

4.2 When to change a team.

It makes good sense to keep a winning team. Obviously there are situations when a team is not
performing that it must be changed. There are also situations where a team may need to be changed
in advance of likely failure.

1. Identifying needs. 95% of projects that fail do so because of poorly formed goals. Key figures
at this stage should have strong goal orientation, Shapers or Co-ordinators for example.
2. Finding Ideas. Ideas are needed in order to formulate a way forward. Plants and Resource
Investigators are crucial here.
3. Formulating plans. Setting out and weighing up options using available knowledge and
experience. Monitor Evaluators and Specialists are key here.
4. Making Contacts. Champions are needed to help buy-in to plans and to persuade others of
the benefits of plans. Resource Investigators and Team Workers have roles as persuaders
and appeasers.
5. Establishing the Organisation. Implementers can turn the plan into procedures, methods
and work practices.
6. Following Through. Completers and Implementers will ensure that plans are effectively and
efficiently implemented.
5.0 Leadership in Teams.
5.1 Two Types of Leadership.
In team situations there are two types of leadership operating simultaneously: firstly, there is the single
leader, hierarchical structure familiar to most organisations and secondly there is the “real team”
leadership which is unique to high performance teams.

The single, “formal,” leader makes decisions and sets priorities based on formal positional authority.
Members of a hierarchy expect this type of leadership/direction. The single leader sets the goals and
assigns individual responsibility. The leader is also responsible for setting the pace and monitoring
results. The formal leader sets the benchmarks and standards for the group. In the final analysis the
formal leader is in control.

In team discipline decisions are made by the most appropriate individual in the group, so “leadership”
of a team will rotate around the various members, depending on the particular focus of activity for the
team at that particular moment and on the stage of the project. Goals are set and affirmed individually
and collectively. The team clearly differentiates between individual and team goals. Team goals take
precedence. The team sets the pace of work. The roles and contributions of members shift to fit
different performance-task needs. The team rigorously evaluates it’s own performance. The team is
it’s own toughest critic. Dialogue is open, non-hierarchical and focused on the performance of the
team. Teams tend to set very high standards due to the high level of commitment to the team goals.
“Groups using the team discipline thrive on clearing a bar that others would not attempt.” Members of
teams hold themselves individually and mutually accountable.

5.2 Leadership Function in Teams (and of Professionals generally).

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the
leader is a servant.” (Max DePree).
• Be specific about the what, the goals. The leader provides clear persistent statements of the
direction, goals and values of the team.
• Allow discretion about the means, the how. The leader empowers and supports the team on
implementation and action.
o Develops more and better skills so that people can handle more responsibility,
o Gets everyone to contribute their ideas,
o Gives people more discretion rather than less,
o Fosters a climate of trust, built on openness and honesty.

“One way I know if I am performing well is to look into my musicians eyes. The eyes never lie. If the
eyes are shining, then I know that my leadership is working. Human beings in the presence of
possibility react physically as well as emotionally. If the eyes aren’t shining, I ask myself, ‘what am I
doing that’s keeping my musicians’ eyes from shining.’” Ben Zander, Conductor, Boston Philharmonic
Orchestra.
• Build Trust. The basis of all professional/client relationships is trust. Similarly the basis of team
relationships is also trust. Team members expect leaders to be open, honest and to deliver on
their promises. Leaders are expected to listen and take account of opinions received. Leaders
are expected to behave with integrity.
• Work on leadership specifics. General leadership skills, relationship building, dealing with
conflicts, communication, planning and organising work, decision making are all important in
any leadership role.
• Accept people’s differences. People tend to function in different ways. The Belbin Team role
preferences described above is just one way of profiling. Other indicators look at how people
prefer to relate to others, how people prefer to gather and use information, how people prefer
to make decisions and how people prefer to organise themselves and their work.
• Be aware of your own preferences. If you know your own preferences and biases then you will
be able to build and enhance relationships with others.
• Adapt leadership style to different situations. Obviously the captain of a sinking ship must
convey a greater sense of urgency than the director of a government department. A more
explicit direct command style is appropriate in the case of an immanent emergency than may
be the case in the government department where a strongly consultative style might be more
important.
6.0 Motivation.
The main drivers of professionals are not money, status, power, fame or fear. They tend to be
within the heart and soul of the individual. Therefore a carrot and stick approach will not work for
any appreciable length of time. The internal drivers of the individual must be aligned with the goals
of the project or organisation.
A number of things can be done to help motivation of individuals:

a. Demonstrate your own drive for results.

Provide a clear sense of direction and set challenging goals. Monitor results from the team
and individuals frequently. Give positive feedback, help people to learn from mistakes.
Develop the processes that will deliver first class performance. Celebrate accomplishments
with team members and challenge them to do better. Convey a sense of enthusiasm for the
work. Reserve time to help assignments that hit unforeseen difficulties. This means real hands
on time – not just giving platitudes. Encourage team members. Bring people together to
generate ideas and solve problems. Keep people focused. The main thing is to keep the main
thing the main thing.
b. Give recognition for performance.
Recognise excellence in service, meeting deadlines, technical accomplishments, going the
extra mile. Let senior colleagues know. Publicise achievements in company magazines etc.
Be sensitive to where individuals are comfortable receiving accolades. Don’t forget support
staff.
c. Increase responsibility.
Give people ownership of their work, if necessary help them develop the skills or confidence
necessary to take increased responsibility.
d. Provide interesting, challenging work.
People should be doing work with which they are only just comfortable. Give challenging work
to people early in their careers, but provide support when people are “drowning not waving.”
Spend time in supervision and support. Skill development is important. Make sure that people
know the reason they do what they do.
e. Emphasise the interdependence of work tasks.
Show how each task supports the general effort. Involve everyone in planning assignments so
they see the interconnections. Include support staff, good admin. Is essential.
f. Encourage ideas.
Allow everyone to contribute. Use brainstorming or creative problem solving sessions. Be
open to any contribution. Provide time for idea generation and evaluation. Implement good
ideas.
g. Create an enjoyable work environment.
People who enjoy their work will be more productive, more effective, more efficient. If you
want your people to go the extra mile, then make the effort to develop and maintain an
enjoyable working environment.
h. Inspire people to provide outstanding service.
Create a virtuous circle of positive expectations. Expect people to perform well. Lead by
example. Reward excellence. Use positive, optimistic language. Build on the ideas of others.
Encourage others to build on yours. Encourage people to be impatient with the status quo.
i. Play to people’s passions.
As far as possible assign work to people who enjoy the particular type of work. Some people
enjoy presentations, some hate them.
j. Keep in mind the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic rewards.
Badly handled, extrinsic rewards (pay, conditions etc), will strongly de-motivate, but
improvements in conditions won’t lead to improvement in performance.
Intrinsic rewards are personal to each individual. They are based on an individuals values and
what provides a sense of satisfaction and/or achievement for the individual.
7.0 Dysfunctional Teams.

7.1 Characteristics of behaviour in high performance teams.

1. Members trust each other.
2. They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas.
3. They commit to decisions and plans of action.
4. They hold each other accountable for delivering against those plans.
5. They focus on the achievement of collective results.

7.2 Sources of Dysfunction.

There are typically five areas of dysfunction:
1. Absence of trust among team members. This generally comes from their unwillingness to be
vulnerable within the group. Team members who are not open to each other about their
mistakes and weaknesses, make it impossible to build a foundation of trust. Lack of trust can
lead to…
2. Fear of Conflict. When there is lack of trust, teams cannot engage in unfiltered passionate
debate of ideas. They resort to guarded comments and veiled discussions. Lack of healthy
conflict will lead to…
3. Lack of Commitment. Team members cannot commit to decisions without passionate airing
of opinions and honest debate. They will simply feign agreement during meetings. If there is
no real commitment and buy-in, team members will tend to…
4. Avoidance of Accountability. When team members are not committed to a clear plan of
action, they will not call their peers to account for actions and behaviour which seem to be
contrary to the goals of the team. Failure to hold one another accountable inevitably leads to…
5. Inattention to Results. When team members put their personal (or divisional) needs or
ambitions above those of the team, then the goals of the team, almost certainly, will not be
achieved.
7.3 What the leader can do.
1. Absence of trust. The most important thing a leader can do is to demonstrate vulnerability. S/he
must create an environment where vulnerability is not punished. This requires the leader to risk losing
face in front of the team.
Other measures include all the usual team building exercises, 360 degree feedback, and use of
personality profiling when building the team.
2. Fear of conflict. Leaders must show restraint when team members engage in conflict and allow
resolution to occur naturally. Premature intervention prevents members from developing coping skills
for dealing with conflict themselves. It also leaves them hungry for resolution that never occurs. The
leaders ability to personally model appropriate conflict behaviour is essential.
Other tools include allowing team members to “mine” for hidden and unresolved conflicts during
meetings and exposing them to daylight. Simply acknowledging team members discomfort with a
particular conflict and reminding them that the conflict is good for the team is important. Obviously
conflict should remain on subject and should not be allowed to become personal in any way.
3. Lack of Commitment. The two greatest causes are the desire for consensus and a need for
certainty. The leader must be comfortable with the prospect of making a decision that ultimately
proves to be wrong. In most cases it is more important to be to be decisive than to be right.
Other tools include reviewing decisions at the end of meetings so that everyone knows what has been
decided and what action is needed. Setting deadlines for decisions and adhering to these deadlines
forces teams to commit. Contingency and worst case analysis can reduce the fear of a wrong
decision.
4. Avoidance of accountability. The leader must encourage a culture of accountability within the
team and serve only as the ultimate arbiter of discipline when the team itself fails.
5. Inattention to results. Leader must maintain an emphasis on the team goals and the achievement
of milestones and intermediate goals. Emphasising team goals and aligning individual agendas with
the team goals during team building cannot be overemphasised.

8.0 Jazz Improvisation.

• At any time in the performance, know who the leader (soloist) is, and where you are in the
piece.
• The soloist should listen to and build off other members of the band.
• Know the rules in order to know how and when to break them.
• Experiment as a group, or as an individual.
• Expect occasional train-wrecks, recover and move on.
• Do not play the same solo over and over, practice new approaches and styles in familiar
pieces. Incorporating the unexpected is the essence of great jazz.
[Brown & Eisenhardt, 1998, Harvard Business School press].
Summary.
1. Teams and groups are different.

2. Teams go through various stages before achieving high performance.

3. There are definite team “roles” as well as hierarchical positions.

4. When building a team choose the specialist first and build around
him/her.

5. Different team roles will be required of the leader for different activities.

6. Team leadership can/should change depending on circumstances.

7. Leadership is a choice not a function of position.

8. Dysfunction in teams stems from issues of trust, conflict, commitment,

accountability and/or results focus.
References.

1. Management Teams. R.M. Belbin.

2. Team Roles at Work. R.M. Belbin.

3. Beyond the Team. R.M. Belbin.

4. www.belbin.com R.M. Belbin

5. The Wisdom of Teams. Katzenbach & Smith.

6. The Discipline of Teams. Katzenbach & Smith.

7. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Patrick Lencioni.

8. Leading the Professionals. Geoff Smith.

8. Brown & Eisenhardt, 1998, Harvard Business School press.

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10. The 8 . Habit. Stephen Covey.