CHAPTER 12
Team Building: A Leadership Strategy
CHAPTER PREVIEW
After studying this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Explain the importance of teamwork in an organizational setting.
2. Identify and describe common types of work teams.
3. Explain the behavioral science principles that support team building.
4. Describe the attributes of a high-performing team.
5. Describe the team-member skills that employees need.
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE
This chapter emphasizes the importance of teamwork in an organizational setting and discusses the
basic elements of the team-building leadership style. An important concept presented early in this
chapter is that interpersonal problems are less common where teamwork is evident. Team building
ensures that a job not only gets done but gets done efficiently and harmoniously. We discuss the
important contributions to team-building practices of such noted authors as Douglas McGregor, Warren
Bennis, Peter Drucker, Edwin Fleishman, Ken Blanchard, Paul Hersey, Jim Collins, and Patrick
Lencioni. Students will have an opportunity to study the characteristics of effective work teams of
various types. This section is followed by a discussion of behavioral science principles that support
team building, including two important observed dimensions of supervisory leadership that contribute
to team building: consideration and structure. The situational leadership model is then introduced.
The final section of this chapter is entitled “Teamwork: The Employee’s Role.” We believe that every
member of the work group can and should be a team builder. When group members, as well as the
group leader, are working to maintain a good relationship, conflict is less likely to surface. An
important idea presented in this section is that employees have an opportunity and an obligation to
“manage” their supervisor.
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
I. Leadership Challenges in a Changing Workplace
A. Team building: an introduction
B. Characteristics that influence team dynamics
C. Team core values
II. Common Types of Work Teams
A. Self-managed teams
B. Cross-functional teams
C. Virtual teams
III. Behavioral Science Principles Supporting Team Building
A. Influential thought leaders
46 Chapter 12: Team Building: A Leadership Strategy
B. The Ohio State Model
C. Consideration
D. Structure
E. Improving consideration skills
1. Recognize accomplishments
2. Provide for early and frequent success
3. Take a personal interest in each employee
4. Establish a climate of open communication
5. Discover individual employee values
F. Improving structure skills
1. Communicate your expectations
2. Provide specific feedback often
3. Deal with performance problems immediately
4. Coaching for peak performance
G. Situational leadership
H. Additional leadership qualities
IV. Teamwork: The Employee’s Role
A. Dynamics of leadership-team behavior
B. Employees as leaders
V. Becoming a Valued Team Member
A. Introduction: team member guidelines
1. Avoid becoming part of a clique or subgroup within the team
2. Avoid any action that might sabotage the team
3. Maintain honest, open communication among team members
4. Express your own strong beliefs, creative solutions, and ideas
B. Managing the relationship with your boss
1. Assess your own strengths
2. Develop an understanding of your boss
3. Flex your communication style
4. Be frank and candid
CAREER INSIGHT EXERCISE
Students can discuss the idea that emotions drive performance and that leaders who do not acknowledge
their own or their employees’ temperaments can’t inspire the best work from their staffs. Encourage
students to share their work experience with their bosses.
TRY YOUR HAND EXERCISES
1. This exercise will give students experience in dealing with a problem boss. They should utilize
chapter material on effective teams as well as managing the relationship with one’s boss. Students
should be given an opportunity to discuss their plan and receive feedback from class members and
instructors.
2. You may need to help students schedule these interviews. Consider establishing interview teams
made up of two students. These teams should prepare a written or oral report that summarizes
their findings.
3. Emphasize that leaders are not born with the necessary skills to be successful. Leadership skills
need to be developed with practice. Encourage students to share ideas regarding opportunities to
hone their consideration and structure skills.
Chapter 12: Team Building: A Leadership Strategy 47
4. Student responses will vary. This is a good learning activity for students who anticipate entering a
leadership position.
CRITICAL THINKING CHALLENGE
Answers to the question will vary. Students should be asked to recall specific actions and events that
developed the spirit of teamwork or enhanced team performance.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
The object of the exercise is to provide students with an opportunity to evaluate themselves as team
members. They are asked to write a goal and action plan for becoming a better team member.
YOU PLAY THE ROLE EXERCISE
Students who assume the role of Reagan Simpson need time to prepare for this challenging role-play
activity. Encourage these students to prepare a written outline of what they plan to say during the
meeting with Erin Wilson.
CASE QUESTIONS
BELOW THE SURFACE: Netflix Reinvents HR
1. Student responses will vary based on their level of comfort with team rather than individual
performance evaluations.
2. Students should describe specific steps they would take as work team members to promote the
success of the team as a whole. Students can be referred to Figures 12.5 and 12.6 and section 12-5
in the chapter for ideas.
3. Student responses will vary, but should include a rationale for their use of time off.
4. Student responses will vary. Encourage students to reflect on the best way to balance the
consideration and structure dimensions of leadership in formulating responses to the employees
they manage in this scenario.
CLOSING CASE: Virtual Teamwork: Making it Work
1. Student responses will vary. This question will encourage students to think seriously about the
major barriers to virtual team productivity.
2. Some ways to avoid information overload include:
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION EXERCISES
1. a. Review the four major styles revealed in the Ohio State leadership study and recall a
supervisor you have worked under. Plot out where you think that supervisor would fall on
the matrix. Discuss the reasons for your classification.
48 Chapter 12: Team Building: A Leadership Strategy
b. If the high-structure, high-consideration team-building style is the best, why is it not used
more often?
Note to the Instructor: Divide the class into small groups of three or four people. Have them
discuss this question and then share their insights with the whole class.
c. Participate in a debate in which one group supports the high-structure, high-consideration
management style and the other supports the low-structure, high-consideration style. When
might these styles be used? What would be the cost to an organization of either of these
styles? What type of work environment are these two styles likely to create?
2. According to Oprah Winfrey, “Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate
and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.” Share the
experiences that you have had that support this concept of empathy as a leadership strategy.
1
3. What are the major barriers to team building in an organization?
Note to the Instructor: Divide the class into small groups of three or four people each. Have them
discuss this question, and then share their insights with the entire class.
1
Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind (Riverhead Books: New York) 2006, p. 154.