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Effective Teambuilding. Presented by Shenita Hicks August 2009. What does a successful team look like?. “It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit.” - Robert Yates. Critical Elements of a Successful Team. Shared Vision Alignment on purpose
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Effective Teambuilding Presented by Shenita Hicks August 2009
What does a successful team look like? “It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit.” - Robert Yates
Critical Elements of a Successful Team • Shared Vision • Alignment on purpose • Understanding of goals • Task focused • Commitment • Participative leadership
Critical Elements of a Successful Team • Trust • Shared responsibility • Understanding of roles • Communication • Information sharing • Responsiveness
THE ELEMENT • Communication • Why? "One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.“ -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Beginnings of Conflict • Seeking power • Dissatisfaction with management style • Weak leadership • Lack of openness • Change in leadership
Causes of Workplace Conflict • Alignment of amount of resources is insufficient • Leadership Problems • Personal Chemistry • Cultural • Generational
Generational Differences • Important aspect of diversity • For the first time in American History, there are four generations working side-by-side.
The Four Generations • Traditionalists (born 1922-1943) • Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960) • Generation X (born 1960-1980) • Nexters/Generation Y/Millenials (born 1980-2000)
Generational Facts • They all view the world differently. • Their differences can cause strife in the workplace. • They all have something to add to the workplace.
Generational Commonality • Employees of all generations have one thing in common. They need one good reason they should put their full faith in any one organization. • Trust is common, no matter the age. Adapted from: K. Tyler, Neckties to Nose Rings (2002)
Traditionalists: Great Depression New Deal World War II Korean War Industrialization Social Security Mandatory Boomers: Civil Rights Movement Sexual Revolution Cold War Space travel Assassinations Television Events and Experiences
Xers: Latchkey Upbringing Women’s Liberation Desert Storm Energy Crisis AIDS Video Game Personal Computers Nexters: School shootings Internet Child focused world September 11th Tragedy Events and Experiences
Traditionalists: Hard work Dedication & sacrifice Respect for rules Duty before pleasure Honor Boomers: Optimism Team orientation Personal gratification Involvement Personal growth Values
Xers: Diversity Techno literacy Fun and informality Self-reliance Pragmatism Nexters: Optimistic Techno Savvy Feel civic duty Confident Achievement oriented Respect for diversity Values
When Generations Fail To Communicate • May impact turnover rates • May impact tangible costs (i.e. recruitment, hiring, training, retention) • May impact intangible costs (i.e. morale) • May impact grievances and complaints • May impact perceptions of fairness & equity
Generational Feedback Feedback style and form can be impacted by generational differences.
Generational Feedback • Traditionalists – “No news is good news.” • Boomers – “Feedback once a year and lots of documentation.” • Xers – “Sorry to interrupt but how am I doing?” • Millenials – “Feedback whenever I want it at the push of a button.”
Feedback Style and Impact • Feedback styles that may appear informative and helpful to one generation might seem formal and “preachy” to another. • Feedback an Xer thinks is immediate and honest can seem hasty or even inappropriate to other generations. • Some older generations have been told that there is a time and place for feedback. Younger generations haven’t necessarily been taught this “rule.”
Generational Meaning of Feedback • Xers need positive feedback to let them know they’re on the right track. • Nexters are use to praise and may mistake silence for disapproval. They need to know what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong.
When You are interacting across age difference… • Find out not only about the seminal events that occurred as they were growing up, but also about the ways in which this event impacted the person with whom you are interacting • Avoid assuming that because people are a certain age they will act a certain way. There are some people that don’t fit • Instead of treating others as you like to be treated, find out how they like to be treated and respect them by honoring that
Conflict Indicators • Body language • Surprises • Conflicts in value system • Lack of respect • Lack of clear goals • Disagreements, regardless of issue • Withholding information
Conflict: Good or Bad? • Depends • If managed well, it can: • Help raise and address problems. • Focuses team on the most immediate issues. • Motivates people to participate. • Helps people recognize and benefit from differences.
Conflict: Good or Bad? • Conflict is a problem when it: • Hampers productivity • Lowers Morale • Causes more and continued conflict • Causes inappropriate behaviors
Conflict Management • Conflict Management is the principle that all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved, but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non productive escalation.
Common Conflict Management Strategies • Avoid it. • Accommodate it. • Compromise. • Compete. • Collaborate.
Avoiding When a person does not pursue his/her own concerns or those of the other person. Avoiding Skills Ability to withdraw Ability to leave things unresolved Ability to sidestep issues Sense of timing
Accommodating An individual neglects his/her own concerns to satisfy the concerns of the other person. Accommodating Skills Forgetting your desires Ability to yield selflessness
Compromising To find some expedient mutually acceptable solution which partially satisfies both parties. Compromising Skills Negotiating Assessing value Finding a middle ground Making concessions
Competing Pursuing your own concerns at the others expense. Competing Skills Arguing or debating Standing your ground Using rank or influence Stating your position clearly Asserting your opinions and feelings
Collaboration Involves an attempt to work with the other person to find some solution which fully satisfies the concerns of both parties. Collaboration Skills Active Listening Identifying concerns Non threatening confrontation Analyzing input
Techniques for Resolution Meet conflict head on Set goals Plan for and communicate regularly Be honest about concerns Agree to disagree Remove individual ego
Techniques for Resolution Discuss differences in values openly Communicate honestly Focus on interests vs. positions Think outside the box to develop optional solutions
Valuing Differences Information flows in all directions. Successful leaders find a way to let every generation be heard. They recognize that no one has all the answers. This appreciation of diversity allows each group to contribute and be a part of the growth of a division or organization.