| With over 25 years of research and
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| | input and support. It is frustrating to
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| experience, we have observed countless
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| | be a team member when fight or flight
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| groups struggle with activities in our
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| | behavior is exhibited. Unless the team
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| Team Building Seminars. These groups all
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| | is organizationally mandated to remain in
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| had the same common denominators, whether
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| | existence, this dissatisfaction and
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| they were strangers or intact work teams,
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| | frustration among the members will cause
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| that became apparent during the first
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| | it to perish.
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| activity in which they were asked to work
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| | StereotypingNew groups are particularly
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| effectively together.At least four issues
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| | susceptible to this struggle when
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| were found to inhibit these start-up
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| | individual differences recognized and
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| groups from functioning as a team:Task
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| | taken into consideration, or
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| fixation, process blindness
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| | generalizations about motives and
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| Power struggles
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| | behaviors are made about the members of a
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| Fight versus flight
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| | group?The first common stereotypical
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| Stereotyping
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| | behavior to emerge, that we observed, was
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| Task Fixation, Process
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| | in male/female roles. More often that
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| BlindnessIndividual members justify any
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| | not, females are given a secondary role,
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| behavior as okay if it contributes to
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| | are not allowed to perform physical tasks
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| achieving the end-product - successful
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| | like lifting other, and are listened to
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| completion of the tasks needed in
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| | only as a last resort. A more subtle
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| achieving the goal. Little or no concern
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| | stereotyping occurs when physical size is
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| was exhibited for how the group
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| | equated with strength, balance, and
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| functioned during the (teambuilding) goal
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| | athletic agility. Often, the largest
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| - the process. We were able to magnify
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| | male is often forced into the position of
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| this view by placing time limits on
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| | lifting, carrying, or pulling others even
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| performance of our exercises within the
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| | when activities in later exercises prove
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| team building seminar.With this view, any
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| | this stereotype, equating size with
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| means justify the end, like sacrificing
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| | strength, is false.We are constantly
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| team members, forming sub-groups to the
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| | amazed, after only a brief introduction,
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| exclusion of others, or not getting the
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| | how quickly generalizations are made
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| commitment of all team members, are
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| | about individuals. These stereotypes
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| justified under the rubric of getting the
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| | serve as blinders and keep the group from
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| task accomplished: "We had to do that to
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| | using all the resources available to the
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| get the job done." Who can argue with
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| | team.Action Items for Start-Up
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| success, even if there were casualties
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| | Teams1. Jointly define how the group will
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| along the way? You can, if you were one
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| | function.The challenge for a new group is
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| of the casualties.In a new group that is
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| | to establish a way of operating that will
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| fixated totally on task success,
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| | allow process issues to be noticed,
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| individuals focus on their own needs to
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| | discussed, and taken into account as the
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| the exclusion of the needs of others.
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| | group works on the tasks to be
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| There is no support, recognition that
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| | accomplished. New groups could
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| individual differences are a potential
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| | profitably invest time in talking about
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| benefit, deferring of egos,
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| | some key issues:How should we function as
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| brainstorming, seeking commitment, or
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| | a group
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| flexibility. However subtle or covert,
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| | How should we make decisions
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| selfish competition is justified as
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| | What do we expect from one another
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| necessary to expedite the achievement of
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| | How will we monitor our process so that
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| the goal.
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| | it doesn't become a problemGroups that
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| Power StrugglesInternal conflicts
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| | become cohesive and maintain effective
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| generally make up part of the dynamics
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| | teamwork balance attention to tasks and
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| when establishing a new group.
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| | to process issues. Effective team
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| Leadership: do we need a leader, who is
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| | members do not fixate on either; they
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| going to lead, or will we follow the
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| | monitor both and openly discuss needed
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| appointed leader? Teams asked to perform
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| | improvements.2. Create a win-win
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| leaderless tasks or act as a volunteer
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| | atmosphere.When teams are functioning
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| group struggle most with issues of
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| | effectively, disagreements or differing
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| leadership. In many of our team building
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| | views are explored not to declare any one
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| seminars, groups explain that many of our
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| | view the winner, but to seek the best
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| exercises would have been easier if we
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| | decision. A team, where the free flow of
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| had appointed a leader. Yet, after
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| | information is promoted, creates not a
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| having experimented with appointing a
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| | win-lose environment but an environment
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| leader, we observed the group's behavior
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| | encouraging discussion that leads to
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| remained the same. The only difference
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| | better decisions than any of the original
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| is that one person, the leader, becomes
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| | positions presented.The group will go
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| frustrated by his/her inability to get
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| | through a phase when power struggles
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| the groups cooperation and the battle for
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| | predominate unless the leader or a team
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| influence and power still
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| | member establishes a mode of operation
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| continues.Dominant individuals scramble
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| | and has courage to point out when power
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| to be recognized and gain influence with
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| | struggles are occurring within the
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| others. Disagreements over ideas quickly
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| | team.Functioning teams realize that
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| are positioned as win-lose alternatives.
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| | leadership can shift from one to another
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| Accepting my ideas mean rejecting yours.
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| | member of the team depending on the task
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| We have seen high-achieving executives'
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| | at hand. The designated leader knows
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| egos keep them from "dimming their
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| | that leadership can be shared or
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| headlights" and deferring to other team
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| | transferred without any loss of
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| members.Who's in and who's out is another
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| | power.3. Manage fight or flight
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| conflict which often exists as part of
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| | behavior.Teamwork means managing fight or
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| the dominant-individual struggle.
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| | flight behaviors so they do not become
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| Cliques, groups within groups, and "We"
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| | counterproductive. All members take the
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| versus "Them" are terms used to describe
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| | responsibility for monitoring these
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| this situation. In new groups this
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| | behaviors and focus the group's attention
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| struggle is fostered by the need to find
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| | on resolving them when they occur.4. Test
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| someone who will support your
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| | out your assumptions about team
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| (teambuilding) ideas. Once found, the
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| | members.Teamwork demands clarity with
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| divisiveness of positions or lobbying for
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| | regard to what each member wants, needs,
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| a majority vote starts. The "outs"
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| | and is willing to do. No assumptions are
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| resent the "ins" and will resist their
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| | made or left unchecked. Profitable time
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| ideas, sabotage their plans, or simply
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| | can be spent discussing each team
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| refuse to be fully functioning members of
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| | member's answers to these three
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| the team.
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| | questions:A. What should other team
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| Fight or FlightLikewise, in many of our
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| | members do more of because it helps me be
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| team building seminars, the following
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| | a more productive team member?B. What
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| fight or flight behaviors were
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| | should other team members stop doing
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| observed:Unwillingness to listen to
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| | because it hinders my productivity and
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| others
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| | contribution as a team member?C. What
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| Fear of speaking up or fighting for a
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| | should other team members start doing
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| position
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| | because this will help me be a more
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| Low trust in other members, causing
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| | active and contributing member of this
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| withdrawal
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| | team?An effective team building seminar
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| Taking the task too lightly
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| | will clarify the various roles of team
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| Little group planning
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| | members and prevent stereotypes and
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| Non-involvement
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| | assumptions from determining the group's
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| Silence as preferable to
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| | behavior.If you would like to learn more
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| vulnerabilityRegardless of the behavior,
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| | about a Team Building Seminar, and how it
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| the result is the same: the team loses
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| | can help your team operate more
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| resources, energy, and creativity.
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| | effectively, please contact a CMOE
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| Decisions are made and plans are
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| | Regional Manager. You can reach them at
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| implemented with less than total group
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| | (801) 569-3444.
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