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 BUILDING HIGH PERFORMANCE
TEAM

Realizing
Digital
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 Ethiopia
 1 Why Teams 2 What is Team

CONTENT
TABLE OF
3 Types of Teams 4 Team Characteristics

5 The Pros and Cons of Teams 6 The Stage of Team Developments

7 Team Management 8 Common Team Dysfunctions

9 How to Defuse Toxic Team

Behaviors
10 Lesson Learned About Teams

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Overview
 As business becomes more global and complex, connectivity is increasing, and the bulk of
modern work is more and more team based.

 A 2016 study by Harvard business review found that “ The time spent by managers and
employees in collaborative activities has ballooned by 50% or more” over the last two decades
and that, at many companies, more than three-quarters of an employee’s day is spent
communication with colleagues.

 Additional studies have reported that work places teams tend to achieve better results, report
higher job satisfaction, and increase profitability when tasks are complex and task
interdependence is high.

 Within companies, both public and private, teams are now a fundamental unit of organization.

 If a company wants to surpass its competition, it needs to influence not only how people work
but also how they work together
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Why Team?
 The saying “None of us is as good as all of us” the sum is greater than
the individual parts “ከአንድ ብርቱ ሁለት መድሐኒቱ”
“hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the
crags;”
I. Teams use human resources wisely and promote lean
organizational structures by combining knowledge, skills, and
abilities of employees and empowering them to achieve common
goals.
II. Teams increase creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.
III. Teams make higher quality decision and improve processes.
IV. Teamwork increases efficiency by breaking jobs down into smaller
tasks and assigning those tasks to the person or persons most
qualified to complete them.
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What is Team?
 A formal work group comprised of people who work collaboratively to achieve a common goal.
 Goals may include developing a product, delivering a service, or improving a process, to name a
few.
 Teams can be permanent or temporary and include members from one or more departments,
depending on their complexity.
 Team can range in size from a few to 100 members.
 Teams can be localized and work face-to-face or geographically dispersed and work virtually
 Regards of size or structure, all members are accountable for contributing to the goal of the
team.
 Teamwork is a synergetic way for teams to work that maximizes individual member strengths by
complimenting them with the strengths of the team.
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Types of Team
 Teams differ in function, composition, autonomy, longevity, interactivity and more.
 PERMANENT TEAM A permanent team is a type of team that has unlimited life and does not dissolve once its task is
accomplished. Instead, the team’s task work endures and repeats itself.
 SELF-MANAGED TEAM A self-managed team or self-directed team is a type of team comprised of employees who work
together to achieve a common goal under their own supervision or in the absence of an appointed leader.
“locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks”
 Organizations look at self-managed teams as a way to eliminate internal bureaucracy, flatten the hierarchy, improve
idea sharing, and reduce waste.
 Self-managed teams tend to be less costly and more productive because the team performs both technical and
management tasks.
 GROUPTHINK is team behavior that results when a cohesive group begins to think alike to maintain harmony, rather
than think critically and represent individual thoughts.
 TASK FORCE TEAM A task force team is a temporary type of team formed for a single purpose, such as completing a
project, gathering feasibility data, or finding a solution to a problem.
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Types of Team Cont.
 PROJECT TEAM A project team is a type of multi-dimensional team created for a defined period (months to years) to
achieve a specific goal, such as the deployment of new sites, expansion or upgrading and administering a corporate
event.
 VIRTUAL TEAM A virtual team is a type of project team where team members are geographically dispersed and may
seldom, if ever, meet face to-face.
 FUNCTIONAL TEAM A functional team is a type of team comprised of members from several vertical levels of an
organization’s hierarchy who perform that same function but have different individual responsibilities.
 CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM In contrast to a functional team, a cross functional team is A type of team comprised of
members from different organizational functions, divisions, or departments, that work cooperatively to solve a
problem or achieve an organizational goal.
 PROCESS IMPROVEMENT TEAM A process improvement team is a type of cross-functional team that focuses on
creating workplace efficiencies and saving costs.
 Process improvement teams require a leader who can keep the team on track and balance the
participation of all team members.
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Team Characteristics
 STRONG LEADERSHIP: One of the top reasons teams fail is poor leadership. Leadership is essential to set the team’s
direction, ensure positive team interaction, build consensus among team members, and inspire the team.
 “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John Maxwell
 CLEAR GOALS: High performing teams have clearly defined goals that clarify the team’s purpose. Effective goals are SMART
(specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound), understood by all team members, and accepted by all team
members.
 “If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his or her personal goals for the
good of the team.” Bud Wilkinson
 DEFINED ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND BOUNDARIES : Team members that fully understand what is expected of them and
the interdependence of the team make successful team players.
 Two main types of team roles exist:
 Task Roles
 Roles that focus on job-related skills and abilities.
 Team Roles
 Roles that focus on the interrelationships and dynamics of the team.
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Team Characteristics Cont.
 EMPOWERMENT: . Empowerment gives power to employees to take the initiative to solve problems that can contribute to
goal achievement. Unless empowered to act on the part of organization-to gather information, use resources, and make
decisions- a team cannot succeed.
 COHESIVENESS: Cohesiveness refers to the extent to which team members stick together and are united in the pursuit of a
common goal.
 Cohesiveness contributes to individual satisfaction b/c team members get along and posses a bond that makes it
enjoyable to work together.
 Cohesiveness also impact performance, contributing to productivity and higher quality deliverables.
 Cohesiveness can be recruiting team members with similar attitude, values, and backgrounds. It also helps to
keep teams as small as possible to make individual members feels a greater sense of accountability toward
achieving the team’s goals.
 COMMITMENT: harnesses motivation and drives initiative and collaboration. When a team is committed to achieving a goal, it
presents a united force that works in harmony. Nothing happen in a team without commitment, and commitment only occurs there
are clear goals, well-defined rolls, and accountability on the part of team members.

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Team Characteristics Cont.
 MUTUAL TRUST: Trust is an essential component of a successful team that builds slowly over time. Leaders and team
members that model behaviors, such as open communication, thoughtful listing, and respectful feedback, contribute
toward building trust. Trust is not given automatically; it is earned. Leaders show trust by being consistent in their actions,
persistent in their resolve, and honest in their interactions.
 DIVERSITY: A high-performance team benefits from diversity in geographic, age, gender, culture, skillsets, interests, and
more. A diverse team offers multiple paths to team success and challenges team members ideas and strategies which can
lead to more innovative and creative solutions.
 A downfall to diverse teams is social loafing.
 Social loafing is the tendency of a team member to exert less effort in a large, diverse group than when working
 Social loafing Social loafing can be counteracted by individual accountability and ensuring that all members
participate and contribute.
 RISK TAKING: High functioning teams must be willing to take risks to explore a full range of ideas or solutions. Teams that
don’t assume some level of risk often find they are standing still. Risk taking promotes out-of-the-box thinking and leads to
greater innovation.

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Team Characteristics Cont.
 OPEN COMMUNICATIONS: Effective teams communicate clearly and continuously using established communication
channels to keep all members informed and engaged.
 Team members that participate in the process by sharing ideas and information can connect quickly with teammates
to increase collaboration.
 Behaviors such as transparency, thoughtful listening, respectful feedback, and mutual trust support “Open
Communications” where team members feel safe to share thoughts and ideas without being judged, as well as critique
ideas honestly and openly.
 Open communication facilitates better decision-making and acceptance among a team.
 QUALITY ORIENTATION: A quality orientation in teams requires a corporate culture that supports quality as an
organizational objective. With a top-down commitment to quality, teams strive for quality deliverables and put forth a
unified effort to work for the good of the team.

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The Pros and Cons of Teams
 TEAM DYNAMICS
 The behavioral relationships that influence how teams work together.
 Good team dynamics, demonstrated by respectful interaction, complimentary collaboration, and a unified effort, energize a team and
create synergy.
 Bad team dynamics, manifested in conflict, competition, and independent effort, contribute to low levels of performance.
 Underperforming teams constantly falter when it comes to formulating decisions.
 Underperforming teams may succumb to the following ineffective behaviors:
 Rubber Stamping
 Agreeing with all suggestions made by a key member of the team
 Groupthink
 Following the group to maintain harmony rather than putting forth individual thoughts or ideas.
 Teams that underperform tend to have problems with coordination and motivation, all of which can destroy the benefits of collaboration.
 Strong leadership is required within team in order to handle unresolved conflicts.
 In self-managed teams, conflict can be handled by clear ground rules for how the team will work together and how any conflict will be
managed.
 Teams should be formed only when they can effectively use human resources-their expertise and their perspectives-to achieve a common
goal.
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The Stage of Team Developments
 Teams don’t happen overnight; they take time to form workgroups routinely go through recognizable stages on the path to
becoming high performing team.
 Understanding the stage of team development is essential for any manager trying to build an effective team.

1 FORMING
The team is Just coming
together and ground
rules are being set
3 NORMING
Members start to form
close relationships and
being to work together
5 ADJOURNING
Group members
complete their goals and
conduct assessments of
accomplishments

2 STORMING
Members resist control
by group leaders and
ignores rules previously
4 PERFORMING
Members work together
following rules set in
order to accomplish their
set goal

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The Stage of Team Developments Cont.
1. FORMING
I. The forming stage marks the start of the team.
II. Little task work occurs during the forming stage; rather the focus is on laying the groundwork for the team. Specifically:
A. The team’s task is disclosed (scope, goals, objectives, and boundaries).
B. Resources are defined (time, equipment, leadership, and personnel).
C. Individual member roles and responsibilities are assigned.
D. Norms and a schedule for teamwork are established.
2. STORMING
I. During the storming stage, the initial excitement begins to subside, and members start to push against the boundaries established during
forming.
II. Storming is the stage where many teams fail.
III. Leaders can make a large impact during the storming stage by refraining from taking sides, and helping the team to understand that conflict is
healthy and inevitable.
3. NORMING
I. In the norming stage, the team works through its issues and begins to incorporate patterns of acceptable behavior to accomplish the work.
II. Leadership can serve as an effective role model and coach by modeling effective norming behaviors--participation, proactivity, commitment, etc.-
-to exert a positive influence on the team.

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The Stage of Team Developments Cont.
4. PERFORMING
I. In the performing stage, the team has overcome its differences and the focus shifts from destructive behaviors to constructive
ones.
II. Much of a leaders focus in the performing stage can be delegated to concentrate on developing team members.
5. ADJOURNING
I. The adjourning stage marks the completion of the task. The team, if temporary, may disband, or if permanent, may take a
break before starting on another assignment.
II. Leaders are responsible for debriefing the team to acquire positive and negative feedback that can be used to enhance future
team effectiveness.

The stages of team development are different for every team. Not all teams go through all of the stages or
pass through a stage at the same rate.

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TEAM MANAGEMENT
 Team management can assume a wide variety of management styles that range from “command and control” to “engage and create” to
“recognize and reward”.
 No one management style can overcome a toxic team.
 A toxic team is one that is trapped in a self-reinforcing cycle of negative behavior, beliefs, and emotions.

COMMON TEAM DYSFUNCTION

 The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, identified five common dysfunctions of teams:
1. Absence of Trust: In the absence of trust, team members cannot be vulnerable within the group, they are reluctant to admit their
mistakes, weaknesses, or openly share that they may need help.
2. Fear of Conflict: Teams that lack trust are incapable of engaging openly and passionately in discussions about key issues, ultimately
choosing to avoid conflict.
3. Lack of Commitment: Without conflict, team members may experience difficulty making decisions because the input to decision-
making does not consider all opinions or represent all thoughts.
4. Avoidance of Accountability: When teams don’t commit to a clear plan of action, accountability wanes. Team members become
reluctant to call out their peers on actions and behaviors that may seem counterproductive to the overall good of the team.
5. Inattention to Results: Team members naturally tend to put their needs (ego, status, recognition, etc.) ahead of the collective goals of
the team when they aren’t held accountable.
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HOW TO DEFUSE TOXIC TEAM BEHAVIORS
 A four-step process can serve as a roadmap to identify and resolve toxic behaviors.
1. Identify toxic behaviors and their impact.
A. Toxic behaviors can include any behaviors that are bothersome, disrespectful, counterproductive, or interfere with goal achievement by a team.
B. Toxic behaviors that are not addressed run the risk of demotivating the team and damaging the organization’s reputation for producing high-quality
products.
2. Engage in crucial conversations that claim and assign responsibility.
A. Toxic behavior is addressed by the leader or another team member who initiates a crucial conversation about the behavior and its impact.
3. Select appropriate interventions
A. Interventions can be proactive (before dysfunction occurs) or reactive (after dysfunction occurs)
B. Proactive interventions include:
 Carefully selecting the right mix of team members or developing employee skills in communication, conflict, resolution, and problem solving.
C. Reactive interventions include:
 Review and reinforce ground rules with the team.
 Reiterate a shared vision and goals.
 Employ a neutral third party to facilitate the team.
 Remove the toxicity.
4. Implement and Monitor
A. Recognize that disagreements should not ravage a team, and that differences of opinion, respectful debate, and constructive conflict can
make for a healthy team.
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LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT TEAMS
1. Some teams are doomed from the start
A. Not all teams are meant to be, so be sure there is a good reason to assemble a team, and choose team members wisely.
B. Recognize when a team’s dysfunction is beyond repair and adjourn the team, rather than allow it to spiral out of control.
2. Engagement drives success
A. Team members who feel left out tend to remove themselves from the team, or become uncooperative and independent.
B. Managers should include team members in team decisions from the start to ignite engagement within the team.
3. Trust your team and get out of their way
A. Trust is critical to a healthy and productive team relationship.
4. Don’t rush decision-making
A. Decision-making is a process that takes time.
5. Handle conflict directly
A. Explore conflict in a constructive, win-win manner.
6. Don’t be afraid of taking calculated risk
A. Without taking some calculated risks, nothing new will result, which defeats the purpose of a team

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 Thank You

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