Lecture 9: Listening & Team building

Teamwork and listening are arts to be mastered.

The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away. ~Linus Pauling







To be a successful team each member needs to work hard to master the art. It always ties back to diversity and communication-- because you need a diversity of perspectives and skill sets in order to have a really great team. Diversity in a team brings possibilities for conflict, but the clash of viewpoints is healthy for creativity when communications are open and respectful.

Listening is the neglected managerial skill and management needs to create the culture of listening that supports and develops teamwork.

Teamwork should:

                               􀁹Generate fresher, better ideas
                               􀁹Reduce costs
                               􀁹Improve quality
                               􀁹Increase output

This doesn't always happen. 

The pretty picture of like-minded individuals pulling together as one is not an easy picture to fill in.

The film we viewed depicted how working in teams and listening to team members involves realistically accepting different styles. Only then can the team generate the most creative ideas and avoid groupthink -- A striving for premature agreement that overrides the ability of the members to realistically appraise the alternatives and challenge the prevailing thinking (ie, taking the easy way by keeping things the same and/or finding a quick solution just to agree).

The different styles were Collaborator, Contributor, Challenger, Communicator.

• Collaborator: Focuses on the big picture and keeps the team from getting to specifics BUT keeps the vision in mind and the mission on track. Navigates the team toward the final destination.
• Contributor: Focus on the details too quickly BUT bring skill and stability which pushes the team to higher standards. Task oriented and focused on efficiency and dependability. 
• Communicator: Thinks the solution to everything is bonding better which can turn into wasting time BUT improves the human relations of the team. Promotes mutual trust among team members, resolves conflict and promotes interpersonal communication.
• Challenger: Challenges everything with extended philosophical discussions BUT asks the tough questions and provides the group's reality check. Saves the group from moving ahead with bad ideas or without considering a good idea. 

Five pertinent ideas were expressed:

1. Know your own style

2. Utilize the team player with the right style for the right moment. Make the most of each type’s unique characteristics.

3. Don’t carry your own style too far.

4. Acknowledge the other styles’ value and benefits to the team.

5. Learn to switch your style. Adapt styles to what is needed at the moment.

Larry as Collaborator ("I Need an Implementor")

     Very interesting to hear how Dallas Public Library adapted to the economic changes. I really liked Dr. Pat's quote, "Any book you haven't read is a new book."  I did like how proactive the library system was in advance of the changes.  I think it is interesting that they call the people on the front line, which is where I am, customer service representatives. 

~ Tina

     I agreed with the emphasis on creativity and the idea that teamwork requires Team Players. Not everyone should be the same or looking to agree. I rarely find teams like this in the workplace. They are usually comprised of people who respect their own divergence but not others.

     Team should be divergent, creative not conformist, and not driven by fulfilling some norm or timid solution. I have really only found this in an academic environment. 

    When I have rarely come across this in the workplace, it was usually spoiled by a Dominator who was in a supervisory role, or acted like they were.

~ Amy