Review Questions
- Identify and describe the phases of the cycle of dysfunctional teams.
Team Project: In the first stage, the team launches a project and begins to engage in its various tasks and activities. Team Problems: In the second stage, the team starts to experience various problems with its functioning that the team and team leaders may or may make any attempts to address. Failure to Evaluate Team and Develop Action Plan: The critical part of this process is what does not occur in most teams: A systematic and in-depth evaluation of the team that identifies what it is doing well, its opportunities for improvement, and its need to develop an action plan for enhancing team effectiveness and performance moving forward. Reduced Team Effectiveness and Performance: The gap in team effectiveness continues to reduce the effectiveness and performance of the team as the root causes of the team's problems have not been addressed.
2.Identify and describe the potential benefits of team-based performance evaluation systems.
Potential benefits of team evaluation systems include the following: Team members know each other's performance better than managers and supervisors and therefore evaluate each other more accurately. Peer pressure is a powerful motivator for team members. The team solicits and reviews numerous opinions within and outside the team and does not depend on one person's opinion. Team members see each other's work on a regular basis, improving the accuracy of their observations, which enhances the face validity of the feedback. Team evaluation supports the development of assessment skills among team members who are evaluators. Since members recognize that team members will be evaluating their work, they often show increased commitment and productivity. Team members become more aware of performance standards and behavior requirements because they are accountable for maintaining them.
- Identify and describe the potential drawbacks of team-based performance evaluation systems.
Potential drawbacks of team-based performance evaluation systems include: They are time consuming, which may create resistance to participate in the process from managers and team members if they feel it is a waste of time or that the amount of effort required does not justify the benefit. Also, it can be difficult to distinguish between the contributors of the team and those of individual members since tasks are often interdependent and integrated with one another.
Another drawback is that some team members do not feel comfortable evaluating other team members. Many workers have been conditioned to view the performance evaluation process in a more traditional sense, where managers evaluate team member’s individually without feedback from others. Also, extensive training is required for team members to develop the knowledge and skills required to provide feedback effectively.
- Identify and describe general characteristics of effective team performance evaluation systems.
Trust and respect between management and teams. If trust and respect are missing, it will be difficult to obtain valid and useful feedback to enable teams to enhance their effectiveness. Team members may be more concerned with shielding themselves from managers who may take retaliatory action against them if their performance or other actions are viewed in a negative light by management.
Agreement about goals, procedures, and timing of the team evaluation process. To ensure efficiency in implementation of the process, there must be a formal and systematic process defined for all parties involved.
Clear and well defined performance objectives for the team and team members. Also, open and active exchange of information will result in a clear understanding of the functioning of a team and how to enhance its effectiveness. Respect between peers on a team is necessary to gain buy-in for the team evaluation process.
- Identify and describe the elements of 360-degree feedback systems.
The process begins with management making fundamental decisions about appropriate performance measures and targets for teams. Next, decisions must be made about the structure of the feedback process in terms of which sources of feedback will be collected for team members, team leaders, and the overall team itself. Once the feedback questions and sources have been finalized, the questions are usually incorporated into an electronic survey. All organization members--not just team leaders and team members--must be educated about the new system's objectives and benefits. Team members should receive in-depth training on how to interpret feedback, facilitate discussion of feedback with others, and develop action plans for using the feedback to enhance team effectiveness in the future.
Using the 360-degree feedback process leads to the generation of a formal analysis and report that provides comparisons between different sources of feedback. After the feedback reports for team leaders, members, and/or the overall team have been generated, trained facilitators from either the firm's organizational development or human resources function, or external consultants, need to meet with all teams to process the feedback to facilitate interpretation of results and to ensure that the teams develop a balanced perspective on the results.
- Identify and describe common mistakes when using a 360-degree feedback system.
Having no clear purpose. Using the process as a substitute for managing a team member. Not conducting a pilot test of the system. Not involving key stakeholders in the design of the system. Not evaluating effectiveness. Having insufficient communication to teams about the system. Compromising confidentiality of feedback from raters. Not clarifying the use of the feedback for teams. Not giving teams sufficient resources to make the process work. Not clarifying who owns the feedback. Unfriendly administration and scoring of feedback for teams. Linking the system to other systems without a pilot test. Making it an event rather than a process.
- Identify and describe guidelines for effective team feedback sessions.
Set a mutually agreeable time to hold a discussion after all materials have been received. Warmly greet the team member to establish rapport and reduce his or her anxiety about the process. Explain how the feedback session will proceed; ask for suggestions from the team member so he or she understands how the process will be conducted and provide an explanation to help reduce uncertainty about the process. Ask open-ended questions to encourage a two-way discussion. Be willing to listen to the team members' explanations. Use concrete examples of the member's performance to explain reasons for the team's rating in order to enhance the validity of the performance feedback.
In areas needing improvement, discuss behavior that can be changed and the specific improvements desired. Stress specific improvement goals rather than focusing on past mistakes because maintaining a positive focus will enhance the receptivity of the team member to performance feedback. Reach agreement on specific performance-improvement goals as it is important that the team member understands and buys into specific performance improvement goals. Summarize discussion points. Explain the next steps in the process. Schedule follow-up coaching sessions to review the team member's progress.
- Define a team audit and identify the issues that need to be addressed when conducting a team audit.
A team audit examines the relationship between the team and its organizational environment. Issues that need to be addressed when conducting a team audit include whether management demonstrated an understanding of how the team worked, whether management determined the impact across the organization of the changes associated with the team, whether management spent sufficient time to ensure that the organization was ready for the transition to teams, whether management helped to develop a team vision that provided, and if the team possesses an effective culture based on evidence of satisfying team experiences; organization-wide success stories about teams; and team spirit, confidence, and a can-do attitude.
- Define a tree diagram and describe the steps for creating a tree diagram.
A tree diagram lays out a roadmap of actions that can be taken to support the achievement of specific goals. The steps for creating a tree diagram include: (1) State the desired goal of the team. Write this in a box on the far left side of the diagram. (2) Identify a set of general action steps that would help the team achieve the stated objective. Write each of these general action steps in a box to the right of the goal box and draw lines connecting them. (3) List more specific action steps that the team could take to successfully implement each general action step. Write each of these action steps in a box to the right of the general action steps and draw lines connecting them.
- Define an accountability diagram and describe the steps for creating an accountability diagram.
An accountability document is a summary table that lists the names of individuals who are responsible for the successful execution of each action step in a tree diagram. This tool is highly beneficial in ensuring the effective linkage between action plans and responsibilities. The steps for creating an accountability diagram include: (1) List the action steps associated with the achievement of a desired team goal. (2) Decide who will be accountable for each action step. (3) Assess the resources team members will need to successfully implement their action steps. (4) Discuss the accountability document at team meetings on a regular basis. Individuals who are accountable for each action step should provide brief progress reports to the rest of the team. The team leader should document evidence of progress and impact associated with each team member's activities.
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