CHAPTER SIX
Developing Effective Teams
I. Lecture/discussion on teambuilding
A. Effective/ineffective team members
B. Team structure
C. Team leadership
II. “The Deep Dive”
A. Purchase the ABC “Nightline” program aired on 7-13-99 entitled “The Deep
Dive.” It is available from ABC by calling 1-800-505-6139 or 1-800-CALL-
ABC or online at ABCNewsstore.com. Tape number is N990713-01. Cost is
about $50.
A. This is an excellent 25-minute videotape on IDEO, “The Innovation Company.”
III. Juggling Teamwork
A. Purchase the “Juggle: The Passing Zone Method” tape of Owen Morse and Jon
B. This is an unconventional tape for demonstrating principles of teamwork, but
Morse and Wee are extremely popular as motivational speakers and entertainers
and are often booked to discuss teamwork in their unique manner. The tape is
very amusing. Collaborative interdependence is critical in their work. They keep
raising the goal to a more challenging level. This is just a fun way to introduce
teamwork (even though this is not a small group but merely a pair working
together).
IV. “The Straw Platform” Teamwork Exercise
A. Purposes:
1. To provide an opportunity for creative problem solving.
2. To create teamwork.
3. To illustrate the importance of cooperation on an interdependent task.
4. To show leader emergence, leadership styles, role emergence, and norms in
groups.
B. Time required: 75 minutes
C. Instructions
1. Goal
a. Build a platform of some type with 4 supporting arms each attached to the
platform and connected to table or desk tops. The challenge is to support
the platform (a horizontal, flat structure of about 4-6 inches square) so it
can sustain as much weight placed on it as possible. Small weights used
b. Clear out a large space in the center of the room. The platform will be in
the center of the room, and the connected arms will form an “X” shape
with the platform in the middle of the “X.” Each of the four arms should
extend about 4 feet from the platform and connect in some fashion
(usually taped) to the 4 tables or 4 desk tops. The platform and the
c. The platform must be about 3 feet off the ground (about waist high). The
platform may swing from the arms above the ground, be supported by a
d. Some groups realize that building a column of straws taped together to act
as a support under the center portion of the platform where the weight
will be placed to test its strength is an effective design. Occasionally a
2. Procedure
a. Time limit: 50 minutes for design and construction
b. Brainstorming: Divide the class into 4 teams. Have each team spend
about 5-10 minutes on brainstorming ideas for designing the structure.
c. The class will be given 300-400 straws (your choice) and two dispensers
of scotch tape. If possible, make half of the straws straight plastic and half
plastic flex straws.
d. Have each team report its best ideas for a design to the entire class (about
5 minutes). Write ideas on board. Have class briefly discuss, debate the
pros and cons, then decide on a final design.
e. Assign each team a specific task to complete (e.g., one team could work
on the platform construction, two teams could share the task of
D. Processing
1. The entire procedure for designing and constructing the straw platform
should take about 50 minutes. Allow about 20 minutes to process the exercise
(next class if 50-minute class periods).
2. This is a very dynamic and sometimes raucous exercise. Groups often
become extremely tense, energetic, and enthusiastic about this challenging
goal. Note the team dynamics that take place during the exercise for later
discussion.
3. Points
a. Discuss how successful the groups thought they were. Could they have
been more successful? How? What would have had to happen for the
class to be more successful? If they were very successful, why did they do
so well?
b. Discuss the importance of clear goals for teams to be successful. Did each
team clearly understand its task and how it fit together with the project as
a whole? Was the design clear to everyone?
c. Discuss how a challenging goal is necessary for teamwork to flourish.
Did the class accept the task as challenging? Did the overall goal motivate
the class? Were all participants seemingly committed to the successful
accomplishment of the task? If not, how did this affect the overall team
performance?
d. What kind of team talk took place? Was there any cynicism expressed
(“It’ll never work”)? Was there any optimistic attitude evident (“We can
beat the record; come on”)?
e. Did team leadership emerge or did you have to designate leaders for each
team? Did teams assign roles to team members to coordinate the work?
What informal roles emerged (information giver, devil’s advocate,
clarifier, coordinator, director, isolate, clown etc.)
f. Note that “the basic structure of all teams is collaborative
interdependence” (p. 155 text). Analyze in what ways this was exhibited
during the exercise.
4. VARIATION: Videotape the exercise and show portions to the class when
processing the exercise. This can be done best by stretching the exercise over
two class periods (one for building the bridge and testing the results and one
class for processing the exercise).
V. Show a clip from Cool Runnings
A. Cool Runnings is a movie based on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team’s
quest to compete in the Olympic winter games. Start the clip, which runs about
B. Points
1. The bobsled team has to have a high level of cohesiveness, collaborative
interdependence, have members with complementary skills, and work as a
unit to achieve a challenging goal.
2. Note team identity issues that arise. How does the team establish an identity?
3. What difficulties must be overcome?
4. Discuss team empowerment.
5. Discuss team leadership.
EMPOWERED TEAMS
1. Teams set their own goals and rules
2. Team members often set their own work schedules
3. Teams usually design their own work space
4. Work space is divided relatively equally among members
5. Members devise and embrace rules for appropriate
member behavior
6. Teams as a whole are accountable for team performance
TEAM GOALS
EXHIBIT COMMITMENT TO GOALS
DIMENSIONS OF TEAM
EMPOWERMENT
GROUP POTENCY
MEANINGFULNESS