Chapter 7
Building, Leading and Managing Teams
Dr Shaun de Wet
Chapter 7
1. Session content diagram
2. Groups and teams
3. Team development
4. Belbin’s team roles
5. High performing teams
6. Distributive leadership
7. Inter-group and intra-group conflict
8. Summary diagram
Footnote 2
Group and teams
Opening discussion:
• Why is the attention given to teamwork in the corporate setting?
Footnote 3
Section 2: Group and Teams
Group and teams
Schein suggests that a group is any number of people Types of groups
who: • Formal groups: These are used by organisations to carry out
• interact with one another, tasks, communicate, and solve problems.
• are psychologically aware of one another; and • Informal groups: Individuals join groups to meet their social
• perceive themselves to be a group. and security or safety needs.
• Reference groups: Individuals do not currently belong but
want to join.
• Self-directed and autonomous groups: Encouraged to
manage their own work and working practices.
Footnote 5
Group and teams
Work teams
• A work team is a formal group with a leader and a
distinctive culture geared towards a result.
• Multi-skilled team: Members have various skills, enabling
greater flexibility of work patterns.
• Multi-disciplinary team: Members have different skills,
knowledge and experience. Such teams can solve problems
from cross-disciplinary perspectives.
Footnote 6
Group and teams
Benefits with groups Teamwork does have several potential drawbacks:
• Increased productivity • Conformity: Individuals are presumed to agree with the
majority against better judgment.
• Synergy
• Abilene paradox: Group members accept an idea they don't
• Improved focus and responsibility
like, the belief that everybody else supports it.
• Improve problem-solving • Groupthink: A strong culture of self-belief means that ideas
• Greater creativity generated by the group are not critically evaluated.
• Increased satisfaction • Risky shift: Individuals recommended high-risk strategies, and
they usually would be because accountability is diluted across
• Increased motivation
the whole group.
• Improved information flows
• Delays
• Intergroup conflicts
Footnote 7
Section 3: Team Development
Team development – Stages in groups (Tuckman and Jensen, 1977)
1 Forming 2 Storming
This is the initial stage where the group comes together. Members are As the group starts to assert individual identities, conflict and
polite and cheerful but also somewhat anxious as they do not fully competition can emerge, leading to some degree of storming.
understand their place in the group or its dynamics. They depend on Members challenge authority and resist control by group leaders.
the leader for guidance and direction. There is little agreement on There are conflicts between members' natural working styles.
team aims other than those from the leader. Individual roles and Members question the worth of the group's goal and resist taking on
responsibilities are unclear. tasks. This is often the most challenging stage for the group, but it is
necessary for growth.
3 Norming 4 Performing
Gradually, the group moves into the Norming stage. Members The group finally reaches the Performing stage, where it is motivated
reconcile competing loyalties and responsibilities. They accept the and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent,
group, group rules, and each other. Agreement and consensus largely autonomous, and able to handle the decision-making process without
form among the team, who respond well to facilitation by the leader. supervision. Disagreements occur but are resolved within the team
Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted. Big decisions are positively. The team is more strategically aware; it knows clearly why it
made by group agreement. Smaller decisions may be delegated to is doing what it is doing.
individuals or small teams within the group.
Footnote 9
Team development – Stages in groups (Tuckman and Jensen, 1977)
5 Adjourning (Added later)
Tuckman later added this fifth stage in 1977 with Jensen. This stage
involves the termination of task behaviours and disengagement from
relationships. A planned conclusion usually involves recognition of
participation and achievements. For temporary teams, such as project
teams, adjourning is important as it ensures tasks are wrapped up,
and individuals can move on to new endeavours.
Footnote 10
Section 4: Belbin’s Team Roles
Belbin’s team roles
Plant Resources- Co-ordinator Shaper Monitor-evaluator Team worker
investigator
Introverted but Sociable, Presides and co- Highly strung, Analytically Supportive,
intellectually extrovert, relaxed; ordinates. dominant, (rather than understanding,
dominant and source of new Balanced, extrovert, creatively) diplomatic;
imaginative; contacts, but not disciplined, and passionate about intelligent; popular,
source of ideas an originator; good at working the task, a spur to dissects ideas, uncompetitive
and proposals but explores through others. action. spots flaws; and mild.
introverted. opportunities. Mature and judges accurately.
confident.
Footnote 12
Belbin’s team roles
Implementer Completer-finisher Specialist
Practical Attends to details Dedicated,
organiser, turning and delivery; knowledgeable,
ideas into tasks; conscientious and and single-
trustworthy and anxious. minded.
efficient, but not
excited.
Footnote 13
Section 5: High Performance Teams
High performance teams
Peter Vaill (1989) Identified that high-performing teams Peters and Waterman – successful teams
have five common characteristics: 1. The numbers should be small.
1) Clarity of purpose in near team objectives. 2. The team should be of limited duration.
2) Commitment.
3. Membership should be voluntary.
3) Team is focused on the task.
4. Communication should be informal and unstructured, with
4) Strong leadership.
little documentation and no status barriers.
5) High levels of creativity and the generation of new ways of
5. It should be action-oriented.
doing things.
Footnote 15
High performance teams
Building the team and improving effectiveness Measuring team effectiveness
• Team building exercises - designed to develop group members • The task of the team leaders is to build a successful or
and their ability to work together effective team.
• improved communication
• building trust The criteria for team effectiveness include:
• social interaction a) Task performance: Performance of the task and
organisational goals.
b) Team functioning: Constructive maintenance of teamwork
and managing the demands of team dynamics roles and
processes.
c) Team members satisfaction: Performance of individual
development and relationship needs.
Footnote 16
Section 6: Distributive Leadership
High performance teams (Extra)
Definition: Key characteristics of distributive leadership include:
• Shared Responsibility: Leadership tasks and responsibilities are
• Distributive leadership, also known as distributed
distributed among team members. This allows different individuals to
leadership, is an approach in which multiple individuals take the lead on specific aspects of a project or organisation based on
within an organisation or team share leadership their strengths.
responsibilities rather than concentrating leadership on • Collaboration: Team members work together closely, often engaging in
a single person. collective problem-solving and decision-making. The emphasis is on
pooling knowledge and skills to achieve the best outcomes.
• This model emphasizes collaboration, shared decision-
• Flexibility: Leadership roles can shift depending on the situation, project
making, and the distribution of tasks based on phase, or the unique needs of the team. This fluidity allows teams to
expertise, skill, or situational needs. adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
• Empowerment: Team members are empowered to take initiative and
contribute to the leadership process, fostering a sense of ownership and
accountability.
• Mutual Influence: Rather than a top-down approach, distributive
leadership encourages mutual influence among team members. Leaders
and followers can switch roles as needed, promoting a dynamic and
responsive leadership environment.
Footnote 18
High performance teams
• Distributed leadership (shared leadership) is a form that • Distributed leadership is a strategic approach to
distributes the role of leading the team among several leadership that is inclusive, empowering, and capable of
team members, with power no longer residing solely enhancing organisational effectiveness and agility.
with the appropriate leader. • It recognises and utilises the leadership potential within all
• This approach effectively allows team members to organisation members (or teams), leading to a more
leave each other as they interact over time. dynamic and collaborative work environment.
The creation of a distributive leadership approach can be
encouraged by the presence of three elements:
• All team members clearly understand the team's main
objective (shared purpose).
• The degree of social support (emotional and psychological)
that team members provide each other.
• The level of involvement team members have in deciding how
the team meets its objectives (voice).
Footnote 19
Section 7: Inter-group and Intra-group Conflict
Inter-group and intra-group conflict
• Inter-group (between two or more groups) and intra-
group (within a group) conflict
• Inter-group: A behaviour between organisational
groups when participants identify with one group
and perceive that the other groups may block their
goal achievement.
• Inter-group conflict requires three ingredients:
• Group identification
• Observable group differences
• Frustration
Footnote 21
Managing inter-group conflict
Confrontation Third part Intergroup Member Superordinate
consultants training rotation goals
• Parties in conflict directly • An expert third-party • A special training of • Individuals become Top management creates
engage with one another consultant can be group members may be submerged in the values, goals that require
to try and work out brought in from outside required. attitudes, problems, and cooperation between
differences. the organisation to try • A strong intervention that goals of the other departments.
• Negotiation is used as a and mediate. has shown positive department to Goal congruency
bargaining process. results understand their views.
• Not consistently
successful and no
guarantees of reaching a
resolution
Footnote 22
Group and teams
Closing points discussion:
• Being able to work together and navigate different personalities
to achieve an objective is a vital skill set that must be mastered!
• Don't create moral hazard to other group members - become an
asset to them!
Footnote 23
Thank you!
Questions? NB!
• Do the end of chapter OTQ questions 1 to 10!
• Do the case study style questions 1 and 2!
Footnote 24
