LO2. Identify One’s Role and Responsibility Within a Team

Information Sheet 2.1: Team Roles and Objectives

TEAM is a group of people with different skills and different tasks, who work together on a common project, service, or goal, with a meshing of functions and mutual support.

A team is different from a group. A group can achieve its goal through independent individual contributions. Real-time coordination of tasks between individuals is not required. A team, however, consists of two or more people who interact dynamically, interdependently, and adaptively toward a common and valued goal, have specific roles or functions, and have a time-limited membership. During the temporal life of a team, the team’s mission is of greater value than the goals of the individual members.

What makes a team?

Common goal or purpose or objectives
Awareness of membership and commitment
Common operating norms
A need for each other/interdependence
Accountability to a higher level
Acts in unity, almost like a single organism

Common Characteristics of Effective Teams

The purpose, mission, or main objective is known and understood by all team members.
Communication in the team is open, direct and honest.
Sufficient leadership is available in the team.
There is regular review of how well the team is performing toward achieving its purpose.
There is an agreed organizational structure to the team.
Adequate resources are available to permit the team to perform its function, including skills, tools, facilities, and budgets.
Synergy exists, so the team performs in a way that is greater than the sum of its parts.

What exactly is a team Role?

Dr. Meredith Belbin, a British researcher and management consultant best known for his work on management teams, defines team role as “Our tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.” Knowing everyone’s role and being familiar with the responsibility of those roles create efficiency and flexibility. Ideas for clarifying roles of the team include:

Review team members’ roles frequently.
Relate team member expectations to the team’s overall purpose.
Clarify responsibilities when action planning.
Learn what others do on the team.
Figure out ways to help each other.

Team Building Objectives

All participants will engage in a meaningful and active exploration of the issues facing the group and how good team and leadership skills benefit all team members. Particular attention will be paid to objectives set out by the client; some examples are:

Giving the team an opportunity to have some fun together.
Emphasizing leadership skills as integral to great teamwork
Exploring ways the team sees your organization’s mission and values applied in their day- to-day work lives. Thus, it is important to identify the role and objective of team from available sources of information.

On-The-Job Actions of Successful Teams

Seeking opinions and input before finalizing decisions or plans.
Being available to help teammates.
Volunteering information to teammates who need it.
Providing contributions on time.
Acknowledging other team members contributions to those outside the team.
Being non-defensive and receptive to ideas, opinions, and needs of teammates.
Considering the impact of the team’s plans on the rest of the organization (administration, accounting, etc.).
Not criticizing teammates when they are not present.
Coming to meetings prepared.
Expressing appreciation for helpful teamwork extended by another.
Identifying and helping with loose ends, even in someone else’s area of responsibility.
Keeping teammates advised of changes, developments and new information.
Being supportive of the team’s objectives, once they are set.
Pitching in when the whole team needs help in meeting a deadline, even if it is outside of your area of responsibility.
Trusting the team to be able to develop consensus, even though it takes extra time.

Why Use Teams

More knowledge and skill is brought to the problem.
Information flow is more effective.
More people are aware of the full breadth of the problem.
Meetings are more productive and goal-oriented.
Better decisions are made.
Team problems are identified sooner and more clearly.
Team members learn from each other.
The team becomes more cohesive and develops a stronger sense of belonging to the organization.
Overall morale improves.
More is accomplished than is possible by equivalent individual efforts.
Productivity and time savings are achieved by eliminating duplication of efforts.
Absenteeism and missed deadlines are reduced.
Team members understand organizational issues better.
Management work is shared.
Teams set and achieve tougher goals than individuals.

Common Misconceptions

Teams don’t need leadership.
Teams must have a say in all decisions.
Some groups cannot be teams.
“Talking teamwork” will make it happen.
Managing teams is more difficult than traditional management

Information Sheet 2.2: Team Structure and Parameters

Team structure

Team structure refers to the composition of an individual team or of a multi-team system. Team structure is an integral part of the teamwork process. A properly structured team is an enabler for and the result of effective communication, leadership, situation monitoring, and mutual support. Proper team structure can promote teamwork and ensuring that all team members commit to their roles in effective teamwork. It is important to identify and recognize the structure of teams, because teamwork cannot occur in the absence of a clearly defined team.

Individuals within a team all have unique skills and strengths. It is only when the contributions of all team members are valued that teams will function efficiently. Any individual team member can play a number of different roles within the team. Roles are predetermined behaviors expected of people in a group. Some roles will feel natural – “I’m always the one who . . . There will be other roles, however, which may be difficult, e.g. Chairperson or Presenter. Try and gain experience in at both natural and difficult roles in the group.

There are four main types of roles:

Dysfunctional roles
Task roles
Functional roles
Maintenance roles

Task roles

The more clearly the task roles are defined, the better the chosen team member will be able to perform the task. If a task role is too narrowly defined, however, the team may miss out on the opportunity to capitalize on the skills and talents of that team member. When a team has the right mix of tasks that are well differentiated and integrated, group members develop a sense of cohesion and team spirit, and each can see where their particular role fits with the objectives of the group as a whole. Some of the tasks you may need to do include:

Developing an understanding of particular technical knowledge
Obtaining references and taking notes
Doing calculations
Analyzing data
Devising graphs and tables
Preparing designs
Building a prototype
Writing sections of reports
Preparing presentations

Functional roles

In order for a group of people to function as a team, members must find ways to interact with each other beyond just performing their task roles. These ‘functional’ roles help the group to achieve its goals. Each team member can adopt one or more functional roles as needed.

You may find yourself taking on such roles as:

Coordinator: draws together the various activities of team members.
Initiator: proposes solutions; suggests new ideas, a new definition of the problem, or new organization of the material.
Information seeker: asks for data; requests additional information or facts.
Information giver: offers facts or generalizations, relating own experience to illustrate points.
Opinion seeker: looks for options about something from the team; seeks ideas or suggestions.
Opinion giver: offers a view or belief about a suggestion, regarding its value or its factual base.
Goal setter: helps the group to set goals.
Deadline setter: makes sure that deadlines are set and met.
Progress monitor: makes sure that the group is progressing according to plan.
Evaluator: measures decisions against group goals.
Clarifier: tries to see how an idea might work if adopted.
Summarizer: restates suggestions after the group has discussed them; outlines related ideas or suggestions; provides a precise of the ideas.
Decision pusher: helps the group to come to closure; makes sure that decisions are reached.
Planner: prepares timelines and schedules; organizes.
Spokesperson: speaks on behalf of the group.
Troubleshooter: asks the ‘what if’ questions.
Diagnosor: determines sources of difficulty; decides where to go next; eliminates blocks.

Maintenance roles

As well as the functional roles that assist the group to achieve its tasks there are group maintenance roles which help the team grow and strengthen. These roles support and maintain group life and activities. You may find that your personal skills lend themselves to one or more of the following maintenance roles:

Encourager: is friendly and sincere; praises others; is warmly responsive to others, and their ideas; is accepting when people offer contributions.
Gatekeeper: makes sure that every member of the group has a chance to be heard.
Standards setter: expresses standards for the group to use in its discussions; reminds the team to avoid actions which don’t fit these standards.
Consensus tester: checks for agreements, for example ‘I think we are all feeling the same way’.
Mediator: conciliates; harmonizes.
Tension reliever: helps eliminate negative feelings.
Listener: is able to listen empathically and hear what others have to say.
Volunteer: offers whatever is needed.

Dysfunctional roles

Unfortunately sometimes you may find either yourself or other team members take on roles that are disruptive to genuine efforts to improve team effectiveness and satisfaction. Some of these roles include:

Being aggressive
Blocking or nit-picking
Competing
Clowning or joking to disrupt the work of the group
Withdrawing
Being sarcastic or cynical
Blaming
Taking all the credit
Dominating
Manipulating.

When group members take on dysfunctional roles, this can lead to very ineffective team behaviors. Examples of these behaviors include team members being late to agreed team meetings, or team members not doing the work they were supposed to do. You might have two hour meetings where nothing was accomplished or one student tells everyone else what to do while other students say nothing. Such behaviors inevitably cause team conflict, which needs to be addressed quickly and effectively to get the group back on track to working effectively and collaboratively.

You have responsibilities as a team member. Your actions must always reflect the highest possible standards of business conduct and ethics. You’re expected to use good judgment, integrity, and common sense in making work-related decisions and to be accountable for your actions. And you’re expected to respect your fellow team members, treating them with courtesy, respect, and professionalism.

Therefore, individual role and responsibilities within the team environment and of other team members are identified and recognized. Reporting relationships within team and external to team are necessary for the accomplishment of the roles and discharging the responsibilities of individuals within the team.

Information Sheet 2.3: Team Development

Team Development Stages

Forming

People are cautious, guarded, wondering.
Little visible disagreement.
Lack of identity.
Little investment in the group.
Watching to see what is expected of team members and what is acceptable from team members.

Storming

Conflict occurs.
Work is in fits and starts and not very productive.
High level of frustration and/or confusion.
Pairing and cliques develop.
Beginning development of identity, purpose, and interest.
People take risks and get to know one another.

Norming

Developing goals, roles, and relationships.
Learning to appreciate differences in people.
Conflict is about issues, not egos or people.
Communication is open and clear.
Sense of belonging develops.
Progress is beginning to be made.
Work becomes enjoyable.

Performing

Team acts on common goals, with synergy, high morale, and high productivity.
Easy shifting of roles from one to another.
Differences are valued.
Team members look out for one another’s interests.
Spontaneous, collaborative efforts.
Sharing of all relevant information.
Conflict is frequent, but leads to problem solving.

Team Development Tasks

Define team purpose.
Review performance against purpose.
Define a team vision, a long term view of where the team wants to be in the foreseeable future.
Discuss the team’s work norms and traditions.
Assess the current stage of team development and identify barriers to further development.
As a group, define the roles of team members.
Create team plans.
Evaluate performance to the plans.
Develop a process to obtain useful feedback from outside sources (customers, management, and other groups)
Participate as a team in a team skill learning event.
Participate as a team in a challenging or enjoyable experience (cruise, bike trip, outdoor challenge, charitable fund raiser, etc.).

Team Development Don’ts	Team Development Do’s
► Over talk ► Sing your own honor ► Power plays ► Use authoritarian communication ► Public criticism ► Preoccupied with the pyramid	► Straight talk ► Manage conflict ► Honor commitments ► Permeable work boundaries ► Affirm and celebrate ► Apply collective wisdom ► Appreciate differences