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McKee Chapter 10:
TEAMS AND TEAMBUILDING: HOW TO WORK
EFFECTIVELY WITH OTHERS
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
10.1 Understand why leaders need to build great teams.
10.2 Explore and understand group dynamics.
10.3 Explain the reasons groups change over time.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Chapter 10 is focused on demonstrating what happens in groups of people, as well
as to giving the student another lens through which to view leadership and human
behavior at work.
The chapter then moves into Tuckman’s research on group and team development
and Wheelan’s Integrated Model of Group Development. From there, we study work
teams, paying special attention to various factors that enable high performance, including
roles, norms, status, power, and diversity.
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Finally, we conclude the chapter with a look at how HR can support effective
teamwork in organizations and what we can all do to be more effective group members
and leaders.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Teaching Objective: To increase awareness of the importance of strong teams in both
management and leadership functions.
I. Why Do Leaders Need to Build Great Teams?
1. It is impossible for a leader to be effective without the help and support of
other individuals and groups.
A. Groups and Teams: Where We Learn, Live, and Work
1. team – a small number of people (ideally six to ten individuals) whose
B. Groups Are Mysterious
1. Groups are complex and mysterious because people are complicated, and
it’s also partly because it is hard to understand what is going on between
and among people in a group.
II.How Do Leadership Behavior Affect Group Dynamics?
1. Kurt Lewin performed research on groups, rather than individuals
a. Lewin focused on the group environment as a primary factor in
(E).
2. Lewin defined three styles of leadership: autocratic, democratic or laissez-
faire
a. autocratic leader – tends to make decisions without input from others
III.How Do Groups Change Over Time?
1. landmark research started with Warren Bennis and Herb Shepard about
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a group’s stage of development
A. Bruce Tuckman and Mary Ann Jensen: A Five Stage Model of Group
Development
1. This model suggests that groups mature over time and that during each
stage, there are specific ways in which people deal with interpersonal
relationships and task behaviors.
a. Forming – members start to get to know one another and become
1. This model suggests that time is not the only factor that influences group
development.
a. Stage 1: Dependency and Inclusion – members are dependent on the
leader to tell them what to do
C. Group Development: A Useful but Limited Way to Explain What
Happens in Groups
1. Groups cycle through the developmental processes over and over,
engaging with each stage in a different manner depending on why they
need to revisit it.
amount and types of conflict are greater and more varied than in the past.
IV.How Do Group Dynamics Impact Team Effectiveness?
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1. Four aspects of group dynamics that affect people’s behavior and group
A. Group Roles
1. role – expectations shared by members about how a person should behave,
B. Group Norms
1. norms – informal standards for behavior that apply in specific social
situations.
1. meritocracy – system in which people are granted power, responsibilities,
and roles because of superior intellect, talent, emotional intelligence, and
other leadership competencies
2. social status – the relative standing or prestige you have compared with
D. Diverse Personality Types and Learning Styles Impact Team Dynamics
1. diversity – how to make the most of the rich and varied perspectives,
talents, and social interaction styles of all people in our groups and teams.
2. Personality tests – can helps us understand diversity in ourselves and
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a. convergers – people who like working with abstract concepts and
devising experiments to test these concepts
E. Paradoxes of Group Life
1. A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory on the surface.
2. According to scholars Kenwyn Smith and David Berg, what happens to us
in groups can be paradoxical when our group requires us to give up our
independence.
V.What Is a High-Performing Team?
1. High-performance team – a team that exceeds expectations and performs
better than other teams in similar situations.
a. small size (fewer than 12 members)
VI. How Can We Deal with the Challenges of Working in Groups?
A. The Big Six Challenges We Face in Teams
1. There are several challenges that working in groups present:
a. Membership – the degree of acceptance or inclusion in the group
b. Participation – everyone shares their best ideas in a timely manner
c. Communication – our attitude toward the group, other members,
B. Conformity and Groupthink
1. Conformity – Asch conformity studies examined independence and
conformity among individuals in a group setting.
2. Groupthink – situation in a group that is characterized by strong pressure
to arrive at consensus, a high degree of agreement and conformity, and/or
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VII. What Role Does Conflict Play in Teams?
1. Researcher Karen Jehn conducted a study in organizations and found that
conflict involving relationships had negative consequences for both
A. Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict
1. Functional conflict – involves allowing or encouraging differences of
B. Sources of Conflict
1. There are three different levels of conflict: intrapersonal, interpersonal,
and group.
a. intrapersonal – conflict is experienced inside a person.
2. Sources of Conflict in Groups
a. Resource conflict
b. Cognitive conflict
C. Trust: The Basis for All Conflict Resolution Strategies
1. A cohesive group requires a great deal of trust among its members.
D. Conflict Management: Negotiating to Find the Win–Win
1. Conflict Management – successful conflict management strategies rely
on negotiation, a conflict resolution method in which both parties give,
take, and make concessions to achieve a concordant solution to a conflict.
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VIII. How Can HR Support Effective Team Performance?
1. HR can take on many important responsibilities when it comes to
1. Provide training and development to team leaders about how to set up and
lead teams.
2. Pay attention to the personal transitions in and out of teams, especially at
the leadership level.
B. Resonant Team Building: You Can Do It!
1. What visions are shared among the members?
IX. What Can We All Do to Create and Sustain Resonant Teams?
A. Listening to What People Actually Say
1. Concentrate – do not be distracted. Focus your attention fully on the
person (what is being said, what is not being said, body language,
everything).
2. Listen empathically – focus on the person and the emotions that underlie
B. Active Listening
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1. Active listening – the process of attending and responding what people
say more deeply and consciously in order to really understand what they
mean.
C. Leading a Resonant Team
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion Questions for Objective 10.1:
1. Think about the best and worst groups you have ever led or been a part of. For each
group, describe the members, the group’s purpose, and what the group achieved. In your
opinion, why was one group “best” and one “worst”?
Suggested Answer:
2. Success is rarely, if ever, dependent on one person, no matter how good a leader that
individual is. Do you agree with this idea? Why or why not? Support your response using
examples from your own experience.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Most students will agree with the statement that success is
Discussion Questions for Objective 10.2:
1. Have you ever been part of a group that was led by an autocratic leader? How did you
react to this person? What was the impact on your group’s performance?
Suggested Answer:
2. Why do you think people often adopt a laissez-faire approach to leading groups?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. A laissez-faire leader remains at a distance from the
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Discussion Questions for Objective 10.3:
1. Think about a group that you have belonged to for a long time. What stage of
development do you think this group is in? Explain your answer in terms of member–
leader relationships, conflict, and communication.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.
2. Review the things to consider when building a resonant team in Exhibit 10.4. Now,
think about a work or school team you belong to (or a group of friends). Which of these
factors are most important for you to work on in this group? Why?
Suggested Answer:
Discussion Questions for Objective 10.4:
1. Describe a situation in which you realized an implicit norm was in place because you
broke the unspoken rule of how to behave. How did you feel? What did other people do
or say? How did this scenario affect your self-awareness and your empathy toward other
group members?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. One common response is proper attire for a particular event
2. How does your social status affect how you interact in groups? What sources of
power do you use most effectively? What sources of power do you respond to in the
most positive way? Please explain your answer.
Suggested Answer:
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Discussion Questions for Objective 10.5:
1. Imagine you have to assemble a self-directed, diverse team to assess the current
environmental sustainability efforts on your campus. How would you go about selecting
team members? How many team members would you need? Who would you want on this
team? How would you establish goals and norms?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Self-directed teams are becoming more common in
2. Using Katzenbach and Smith’s six points about high-performance teams, analyze a
team with which you are currently involved.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. According to Katzenbach and Smith, attributes of high-
performance teams include the following:
Discussion Questions for Objective 10.6:
1. Consider the “big six” common challenges in groups. Of the six, which are you most
likely to have problems with? Why do you think you do this? Can you think of some
strategies to overcome this problem?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. The big six challenges we face in teams:
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2. How could you serve the role as “devil’s advocate” in a group without being
destructive or hostile toward other group members and their opinions?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Using emotional intelligence in playing the role as a devil’s
Discussion Questions for Objective 10.7:
1. Describe a functional conflict in which you were involved. How do you know it was
functional? Now, do the same analysis for a dysfunctional conflict in which you were
involved.
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. Functional conflict involves allowing or encouraging
differences of opinions among team members in order to yield better group outcomes. A
2. Analyze a conflict you have witnessed in school or at work. What were the reasons (or
sources) of the conflict?
Suggested Answer:
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Discussion Questions for Objective 10.8:
1. Have you ever participated in a retreat with fellow workers, a school group, or another
organization? Where did you go? What happened? How did the experience impact the
relationships of the group members? If you had planned the retreat, would you have done
the same thing or something different?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary.
2. Imagine yourself as an HR professional. How can you set an example when it comes to
team building?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. As an HR professional, you can engage in activities that
Helping with Team Building
1. Provide training and development to team leaders about how to set up and lead teams.
2. Pay attention to the personal transitions in and out of teams, especially at the
leadership level.
Resonant Team Building
1. What visions are shared among the members?
Discussion Questions for Objective 10.9:
1. The next time you’re with a group, consciously monitor your listening habits. Do you
concentrate? Jump to conclusions? Judge people? Do you really empathize? Review the
sections on listening and active listening, and note one or two areas where you can
improve your listening skills.
Suggested Answer:
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2. Think of your favorite musical group. Explain how they function (or fail to function)
as a resonant team during a live performance or music video.
Suggested Answer:
END OF CHAPTER ACTIVITIES: EXPERIENCING LEADERSHIP
Leading in a Global World: Building a Global Management Team
Organizations worldwide are recognizing that their workforces are becoming
more multicultural every day as they hire people of every race, nationality, religious
background, and age group. For instance, more than 200 nationalities currently live and
work in the United Arab Emirates, so organizations within the country are learning to
adapt to this diversity. Organizations are beginning to realize that diverse multicultural
teams require multicultural leadership.
Imagine you are the newly appointed human resources director of a major global
organization. You have been tasked with designing a program to develop and train
multicultural team leaders—people who can lead teams of people from many
backgrounds. As you plan your program, craft an outline of the different components that
may be involved: What resources will you need? Who will you need on your planning
team? How do you propose to launch the program?
Once you have an outline, answer the following questions:
1. What are the qualities of a typical multicultural team?
2. What demographic and other aspects of diversity should impact your choice of
candidates? What leadership qualities are you looking for in your candidates?
3. What are some of the major obstacles on the path to success?
Suggested Answer:
Student responses will vary. According to Katzenbach and Smith, attributes of high-
performance teams include the following:
1. Small (fewer than 12 members)
Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Do You Believe In Miracles?
What does it take to create a high performance, resonant sports team? One of the
key ingredients is emotional intelligence. Without self-awareness, self-management,
social awareness, and relationship management, players often compete against each other
in addition to opposing teams.
The 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team was a high performing, resonant team.
Against overwhelming odds, the U.S. defeated the USSR 4–3 to win the gold medal.
Statistically, the odds were against the U.S. team in their gold medal match. The
average age of the Soviet team was 29 years to the U.S. team’s 22 years. The Soviet team
had also won four gold medals in a row and was coming off a 21-game winning streak.
Additionally, many members of the Soviet team played professional hockey in the USSR.
Despite the odds, Herb Brooks managed to create a high-performance team that achieved
what is considered to this day a sports miracle.
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3. What were three sources of conflict or three of the “big six” challenges on the team
and how were these resolved?
4. What role do emotions like loyalty, pride, and passion play in creating a highly
effective team? How did Coach Brooks leverage these emotions in his players?
5. Are Coach Brooks’ results repeatable? If so, what elements of his coaching style or
methods would be useful for other coaches?
Suggested Answer:
Members of great teams manage through ego and conflict
“This clip, from the Disney movie “Miracle,” illustrates that members of great teams
Miracle – Team Building
“Herb Brooks pushes the team nearly to the breaking point after a lack luster performance
against Norway. He relents only after Mike Eruzione shows the first sign of becoming a
(Herb Brooks) America’s Coach: Life Lessons & Wisdom for Gold Medal Success
“A look at Herb Brooks coaching philosophies and how they are interrelated to running a
business and living a successful life. The quotes come from Ross Bernstein’s book on
Herb Brooks entitled America’s Coach: Life Lessons & Wisdom for Gold Medal
Three of the “big six” challenges on the team here appears to be emotions, participation,
and communication. Coach Brooks was phenomenally successful in aligning the
emotional intelligence of his team with a focus on pride, loyalty, and passion. Students
should have a lot of fun researching this on You Tube as well as coming up with “their”
formula on how it can be repeated.
Learning objective: Describe how we can create and sustain resonant teams; describe
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Leading with Critical Thinking Skills: Calendar Challenge
Our emotions, the ways we communicate, and our level of participation can have a
positive—or challenging— effect on a group. If we know what to look for we can
become better team players and/or help others to improve their team skills.
1. Individually, create a calendar of colors for the months. Assign a color to each month
and provide a justification for that color. For example, “July is Red because it is the
hottest month.”
4. Debrief the exercise by having the observer share input about where communication
broke down, who participated and who didn’t, which emotions were displayed, and how
influence was managed.
Suggested Answer:
Ethical Leadership: Is All Fair in Business and War?
Conformity and groupthink are major challenges for teams, particularly in
situations that may present themselves as ethical dilemmas. Sometimes, the easiest
solution is to conform or to justify a questionable decision.
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reveal his source. He assures the team that the numbers inside are very legitimate. Your
company can certainly use this contract. What does your team decide to do with the
envelope?
When consensus is reached, discuss the following questions:
1. Did the team find itself conforming at any point in the discussion? Did the team find it
4. Was there conflict in the group? If yes, was it functional or dysfunctional? Was the
issue of using the competition’s bid numbers resolved to all team members’ satisfaction?
If not, why not?
Suggested Answer:
ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING MATERIALS
VIDEOS:
• Members of great teams manage through ego and conflict
“This clip, from the Disney movie “Miracle,” illustrates that members of great teams
• Miracle – Team Building
“Herb Brooks pushes the team nearly to the breaking point after a lack luster performance
against Norway. He relents only after Mike Eruzione shows the first sign of becoming a
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• (Herb Brooks) America’s Coach: Life Lessons & Wisdom for Gold Medal
Success
“A look at Herb Brooks coaching philosophies and how they are interrelated to running a
business and living a successful life. The quotes come from Ross Bernstein’s book on
• Teamwork Don’ts |Leila’s House of Corrections
“High-functioning teams don’t usually happen easily or naturally. Learn how to tie a
diverse team together by giving everyone time to get to know each other, recognizing that
• Team Hoyt, Dick and Rick Hoyt Today Show Story
“The Today Show did a special called Today’s Real Heroes on Father and Son, Dick and
INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES
1. Show the video clips (above) from Miracle. Explain to the class that the US team was
expected to lose. Russia was an unbeatable team. Russia lost the gold medal to the US
2. Ask the class to think of a team they have played on in high school or college and
TEAM EXERCISE
1. Teams need to be not only cohesive, they must also be creative. Break the class into
teams of 4-6. Each team has been given the task of defining their organizational
division. Each team is given an index card with a 4 letter acronym on it, such as
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Divide the class into groups of three or four. Pick a song on YouTube, ideally a Karaoke
version (with words of the song). Each group will memorize a part of the song (you can
prepare copies of a lyric sheet ahead of time, if you want). Have the different teams sing
their parts and everyone sings the chorus. Depending on the song chosen, students can
clap their hands or what have you. Some examples of songs for this team exercise are:
– We Will Rock You (The Queen) (It is easy, short, great chorus, and students can clap
their hands for rhythm)
– We Are Family – Sister Sledge
2. Ask students to work in pairs. Each student will make some gesture with their hands
or other part of their body (touching ones hair with both hands, simulating a sneeze or
a yawn, rowing, writing, reading, etc.) The other student has to mirror the gesture.
Both team members repeat the various gestures until the coordination is perfect.
Examples of gestures:
Clapping hands (once, twice, etc.)