BUSINESS STUDIES – GRADE 12 HEAD FOR SUCCESS. TOPIC 3: TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING TERM 2.

BUSINESS STUDIES – GRADE 12

HEAD FOR SUCCESS

TOPIC 3 : TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

AND PROBLEM SOLVING

TERM 2

TEAM PERFORMANCE, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING

INTRODUCTION:A team is a group of people who work

together to achieve a common goal.Businesses are made up of teams, for

example a management team, quality circles, financial team and production team.

Hence, in one way or another, all employees form part of a team.

Businesses will not be able to achieve their goals if employees fail to work together in teams.


STAGES OF TEAM PERFORMANCE: Experts believe that a team will only be able to grow and perform if it moves

through all four phases of team development. The four phases of team development are:

Forming

• Team members focus on getting to know one another and on making new friends.

• Team members demonstrate good behaviour, as they are still new to the situation.

Storming

• Team members are actively engaged in the tasks at hand.• Team members are starting to reveal their true character and they

are starting to analyse and criticise ideas of other team members.• This phase is often characterised by conflict.

Norming

• Team members are settling down.• Team members are starting to accept and trust one another.• During this stage, team members often set ground rules to govern

their behaviour and to ensure that completion of the project runs smoothly.

Perfor-

ming

• The team has dealt with all conflict and is now actively pursuing its goals.

• Team members are motivated and are working together well.


TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES:Team dynamics refers to the way in which team

members work together.Team dynamics experts have researched thousands

of teams and have come up with factors that influence team dynamics.

These theories have been dealt with in Grade 11, but let’s quickly revise the most important points of each of these team dynamics theories.

STEAM PERFORMANCE, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING

TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES: Belbin role theory:

According to Dr Meredith Belbin, people in teams tend to assume different team roles.

Dr Belbin identified nine team roles and categorised those roles into three groups:


Belbin role theory:Action

-orientated roles

Shapers Shapers challenge a team to improve.

Implementers Implementers are people who get things done.

Completer-finishers

Completer-finishers are responsible for ensuring that projects are completed thoroughly.

People-

orientated roles

Coordinator Coordinators are team leaders.

Team worker Team workers are responsible for ensuring that team members work together.

Resource investigator

Resource investigators are responsible for exploring alternative options, networking and negotiating resources on behalf of their team.

Thought-

orientated roles

Plant Plants are usually introverted, creative innovators, who struggle to deal with criticism.

Monitor-evaluator

Monitor-evaluators are analytical, strategic and unemotional.

Specialist Specialists possess specialised knowledge that is required to complete a job.


TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES: Jungian theory:

Carl Jung was a psychologist who believed and emphasised the importance of finding balance and harmony in one’s life.

According to Jung, most people tend to adopt one of two attitudes towards life:Extroverted attitude Introverted attitude

• Motivated by outside factors.• Sociable and comfortable in

unfamiliar situations.• Optimistic and enthusiastic.• Establish and break off new

relationships easily.• Struggle to reflect on their

behaviour.

• Happy to be on their own.• Not comfortable being among

strangers or large groups.• Often lacking in self-confidence.• Shy and hesitant to get to know

strangers.


TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES: Management Team Roles Indicator (MTR-I) approach:

According to the MTR-I approach, different teams need to demonstrate different behaviours in order to succeed.

MTR-I investigates roles people assume in a work situation and is designed to show the contribution made by each team member.

MTR-I team roles can differ from one situation to another, depending on the pressures of a particular working environment.


TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES: Management Team Roles Indicator (MTR-I) approach:

The different team roles according to the MTR-I approach are:Innovator Innovators use their imagination to create new ideas

and solutions.

Sculptor Sculptors want to get things done urgently.

Conductor Conductors are good at organising.

Scientist Scientists are good at providing explanations for why and how things happen.

Coach Coaches try to create harmony in the team.

Curator Curators are good at creating a clear picture of a particular situation.

Crusader Crusaders give importance to ideas and thoughts.

Explorer Explorers aim to find better and more efficient solutions to problems.


TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES: Margerison-McCann profiles:

The Margerison-McCann Team Management Profile explains how people’s preferences influence their approach to their jobs and performance as team members.

The Team Management Wheel forms the basis of the profile.

The Team Management Wheel identifies critical success factors at work.



According to Margerison’s and McCann’s Types of work model, nine essential team activities can be described:

Advising Gathering and reporting information.

Innovating Creating and experimenting with ideas.

Promoting Exploring and presenting opportunities.

Developing Assessing and testing the applicability of new approaches.

Organising Establishing and implementing ways of making things work.

Producing Concluding and delivering outputs.

Inspecting Controlling and auditing the functioning of systems.

Maintaining

Upholding and safeguarding standards and processes.

Linking Coordinating and integrating the work of others.



However, people tend to prefer some activities over other activities.

The Margerison-McCann profiles measure these work preferences in three different ways: preferences for extroverted or introverted work. preferences for practical or creative work. preferences for working in a structured or flexible way.


TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES: Group consensus:

A group can only perform if group members agree on the goal of the group.

When group members work together they need to make several decisions.

Group consensus is a process that guides groups through this decision making process and helps groups to reach a decision.

The group consensus process works as follows: Graphic_groups consensus.docx


TEAM DYNAMICS THEORIES: Group consensus:

The group consensus process:

Step 1 • Group members discuss the issue at hand with each other.• Group members raise their feelings about the issue during

this stage.

Step 2 • A proposal is made based on the group’s discussion.

Step 3 • The group’s facilitator now calls for consensus.• This means that the facilitator asks the group if they are

willing to accept the proposal.

Step 4 • If the group agrees to accept the proposal, then consensus has been reached.

Step 5 • If the group is not willing to accept a proposal, concerns are raised and discussed.

Step 6 • Group members suggest a new proposal.

Step 7 • The facilitator calls for consensus again.• If the group accepts the proposal, then consensus is reached.• If the group rejects the proposal, it needs to be modified until

the group reaches a point where all group members can accept the proposal.


CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSFUL TEAM PERFORMANCE:Successful teams usually display the following

characteristics: Team members demonstrate mutual respect and trust. Team members support one another. Efforts of team members are aimed at benefitting the team as

a whole and not an individual. Team members know and do what is required of them. Successful teams are goal oriented. Team members are skilled. Team members display positive attitudes and are committed

to the team. Team members know how to communicate with one another.


SELF-ASSESSMENT AND TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT:

Teams are made up of team members.A team’s performance is reflected in the

individual efforts of team members.Therefore, team assessment has two

components:Self-

assessment• Team members review their own contributions to

the team to identify areas for improvement.• Self-assessment creates awareness among team

members of areas they need to develop and improve.

Team performance assessment

• The performance of a team is reviewed to determine whether a team reached its desired goal.

• Team performance assessment is sometimes performed by a manager or person who is not a team member, as well as by team members.


SELF-ASSESSMENT AND TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT:Self-assessment: Team members review their individual contributions to the team against team criteria:

Interpersonal attitudes and

behaviour

• Interpersonal attitude refers to a person’s outlook on life.

• Interpersonal attitude can be positive or negative.• Each team member determines the extent to

which his/her attitude and behaviour contributed to the team’s success.

• Examples of a positive attitude: Putting he interest of the team first. Treating team members with respect, even when

there is disagreement• Examples of a negative attitude: Tantrums Team members who refuse to accept majority

decisions. Team members who refuse to communicate about

misunderstandings.



Shared values • Each team member determines the extent to which he/she shared the values of the team.

• A team’s values are separated from individual values.

• Examples of team values include: Hard work Commitment to the team Mutual respect for team members



Communication • Each team member determines his/her ability to communicate clearly.

• Clear communication involves sending out a clear message and being able to understand a message form other team members.

• Effective communication reduces misunderstandings.• Behaviour that hampers effective communication

include: Sarcasm Gossiping Inability to convey to other people what you really

mean

Support • Each team member determines the extent to which he/she supported other team members and team goals.

Commitment • Each team member determines the extent to which he/she was committed to the team.


SELF-ASSESSMENT AND TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT:Team performance assessment:The criteria for team performance assessment differ from

the criteria for self-assessment.Team performance assessment aims to determine whether

a team achieved the goal it set out to achieve.Self-assessment emphasises the attitudes of team

members, whereas team performance assessment emphasises the performance of the team.

There is not one particular set of team performance criteria.

Different criteria can be used for different teams.


SELF-ASSESSMENT AND TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT:Team performance assessment:Steps in team performance assessment include:

1. Develop a set of criteria against which the team’s performance will be measured.

2. The team is assessed by each team member, by the team itself and by the relevant manager.

3. Identify areas for improvement.

4. Devise a strategy to avoid repeating similar mistakes in the future.

5. If necessary, individuals who failed to work as team members can be removed form the team.


SELF-ASSESSMENT AND TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: Team performance assessment: Examples of team performance assessment criteria:

include:

Interpersonal attitudes and

behaviour

• The team assesses how interpersonal attitudes and behaviour of team members contributed to the team’s performance.

• Negative attitudes and behaviour, such as prejudice, are pointed out and discussed.

• Examples: Did the team member display a positive attitude? Did the team member cooperate with the team?

Shared values • The team assesses the extent to which its values are shared by its members.

• Teams are successful only if team members work towards the same goal.

• Examples: Were team members supportive of one another? Were actions of team members in the interest of the

group?


SELF-ASSESSMENT AND TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT:Team performance assessment:Examples of team performance assessment

criteria:

Communication

• A team cannot be successful without communication.

• Each team member must have a clear understanding of his/her role in the team.

• Example: Were team members able to communicate without

misunderstandings?

Ability to make decisions

• Decision making is part of everyday life.• Decision making can, however, divide a team.• Ideally, a decision must be looked at from various

perspectives.• In the end, all group members must agree with a

decision to avoid conflict.• Examples: Was the team able to reach consensus? Did the team make the right decisions?


SELF-ASSESSMENT AND TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT :Team performance assessment:Examples of team performance assessment

criteria:

Execution • This criterion determines whether a team achieved its intended goal.

• Factors to be considered include: Whether the task was completed within the given time

frame. Whether the group stuck to its budget.

Other skills • Time management skills, e.g. was the team capable of managing its time efficiently?

• Financial skills, e.g. was the team able to stay within its budget?

• Creative thinking skills, e.g. what the team able to come up with creative solutions?


HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PERFORM A ROLE WITHIN A TEAM: Each team member has a specific role to perform within a team. Team roles are assigned according to each team member’s personality,

strengths and weaknesses. Teams perform better if team members know what is expected of them. Different team roles include:

Leader • Person appointed to guide and direct the team’s efforts towards its intended goal.

Motivator • Person who keeps team members motivated.

Contributor

• Team members who work hard and achieve outputs.• Contributors are the heart of a team.• Ideally, team members will all be contributors

Consultant • People such as coaches and mentors.• Consultants are not team members, yet they make

meaningful contributions to teams.

Time keeper

• Person appointed to make sure tasks are completed within the given time frame.


TYPES OF TEAMS:

Project teams • Also known as problem-solving or task teams.• Temporary teams; goal is to solve a particular

problem or work on a particular project.

Cross functional teams

• Address intricate problems.• Employees work on the same level, but are

drawn from different business departments.• Often used to implement change in a business

enterprise.

Problem solving work teams

• Employees who work in the same department to achieve the goal of the department, for example a team who does stocktake.

• Mainly deal with internal problems.

Virtual teams • Team members are in different locations.• Communicate with the aid of information and

Communication Technology (ICT).


TYPES OF TEAMS:Although employees are all part of a team, they are

often required to work individually.However, sometimes employees must complete

projects as part of a team, for example working together on a production line or serving on a committee.


MANAGING PROBLEMS IN TEAMS:Problems arising from working in teams: Decision making takes longer. Managers argue that team members with negative attitudes are likely to

influence other team members to become negative, not vice versa. People who disagree may find it hard to work together. Persons who hold opinions that differ from the rest of the team may be

isolated from the team. People tend to slack a little if they are not individually accountable for

their work. Team members who do not buy into a group’s goals will not be fully

committed to the team’s goals. Conflict often arises where people work together, as different people hold

different opinions and have different values. Instead of joining people together, team work can drive team members

apart when they cannot agree.


MANAGING PROBLEMS IN TEAMS:Benefits of teamwork:The team, as a whole, delivers greater results than the sum of

each team member’s individual effort.Teams generate more creative solutions than individuals,

because they build on one another’s ideas.Employees have an opportunity to be involved in decision

making.Self-assessment and team performance assessment motivates

teams to perform well.Teams are usually capable of completing tasks quicker than

individuals.Team members help to keep each other motivated.Teamwork increases employee involvement.


MANAGING PROBLEMS IN TEAMS:Team conflict:Conflict refers to a difference or disagreement between employees,

managers, team members or any other group of people.Each conflicting party usually has its own ideas and people are

generally hesitant to compromise.Conflict leads people’s focus away from work and the basic goals of

the team, and impacts negatively on morale and productivity.Conflict can be both positive and negative because, on the one

hand, it allows people to learn about a problem from different angles – on the other hand, it can also divide a team.

Conflict can help team members to respect each other’s differences.


MANAGING PROBLEMS IN TEAMS: Team conflict:a) Reasons for conflict Lack of trust among team members. Miscommunications that lead to certain expectations, e.g. an employee who is

expecting a salary increase of 10 % receives an increase of 6 %. Personality clashes, e.g. people who struggle to work together or to

communicate because their personalities are too different. Different values, e.g. a team member who does not want to work on a

presentation after hours, because he/she wants to spend time with his/her family.

Unfair treatment, e.g. when a certain member of staff arrives late or leaves early it is overlooked, while staff members are reprimanded for the same transgression.

Discrimination, e.g. a manager who is treating female staff members different than male staff members.

Insufficient policies. Unfair disciplinary procedures.


MANAGING PROBLEMS IN TEAMS:

Team conflict:b) Steps in resolving conflict It is essential that team members know how to resolve

conflict, because it is almost certain that a team will experience conflict at some stage.

Steps to resolve conflict include:

1. Admitting that a conflict between team members exists.

2. Scheduling a meeting between conflicting team members.

3. Identifying the cause of the conflict.

4. Allowing each part to explain the situation from his/her point of view.

5. Explaining how the conflict is affecting work related performance.

6. Talking about the conflict and find a way to resolve the situation.

7. Arranging a follow-up meeting to monitor progress.



Team conflict:c) Possible ways to avoid conflict Formulate clear policies regarding acceptable and

unacceptable workplace conduct. Ensure all workers have access to these policies. Familiarise employees with workplace policies. Create fair disciplinary procedures for transgressors.



Team conflict:d) Types of conflict Conflict occurs between different parties in a workplace, for example:

Colleagues on the same level of management, e.g. conflict between the financial manager and the marketing manager about the marketing budget.

A manager and a subordinate, e.g. a manager who is not happy with a lazy employee.

Interpersonal conflict (occurs between individuals), e.g. two colleagues who are disagreeing over an issue of some sort.

Intra-group conflict (occurs between members of a group), e.g. conflict between group members who are arguing about the best method to approach a difficult task.

Inter-group conflict (occurs between members of different groups), e.g. conflict between the financial department and the purchasing department because the financial department is not paying suppliers on time.

Inter-organisational conflict (occurs between organisations), e.g. conflict between an enterprise and its supplier.


DEALING WITH GRIEVANCES: A grievance is a conflict of interests between an employer and an

employee. It usually takes the form of a complaint laid by an employee when the

employee feels unhappy about a matter relating to the workplace. Any worker may have concerns or complaints about their work, terms of

employment, working conditions or relationships with colleagues, that they may want to discuss.

These grievances should be addressed and, if possible, resolved. Grievances are usually resolved internally. A dispute is a conflict that cannot be resolved internally, for example

when an employee feels that he/she was unfairly dismissed. Such matters are then referred to the CCMA or the Labour Court for

mediation and arbitration. Grievance procedures usually comprise of the following stages:


Verbal complaint

• Usually, the first step is for the employee to mention his/her problem to the next level of management, for example a supervisor or team leader.

• The supervisor or team leader then looks into the matter and makes suggestions on how it can be resolved.

Employee makes written

statement of

grievance

• If the problem is not addressed, the next step is to lodge a formal, written complaint with the supervisor.

• The employee must give an account o the grievance in a written statement to his/her immediate supervisor.

• The grievance u• Must be recorded on a formal grievance form.• The matter is investigated and suggestions are made

regarding the matter.• If the grievance could not be resolved, the employee

lodges a grievance with the next level of management.

Declaration of dispute

• Disputes may be refereed in writing, to either a bargaining council or the CCMA.

• The council or commission must attempt to resolve the dispute through conciliation and arbitration.


DEALING WITH GRIEVANCES:Grievance procedures are described in the internal

policy of a business enterprise.Grievance procedures must be fair.Meetings to resolve grievances must meet the

following requirements: Schedule a meeting with the employee at a time that is suitable

and agreed upon by both the employer and the employee. The meeting should be attended by the employee, a trade union

representative, a supervisor and the relevant manager. Inform the employee of any decision made. Matters that cannot be resolved internally are referred to the

CCMA for mediation and arbitration.


DEALING WITH GRIEVANCES :

CCMA • Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

• Main function is to resolve workplace disputes.

Conciliation • Occurs when the disputing parties get together with a third, neutral party, called a conciliator.

• The conciliator does not decide who is right or wrong.

• The conciliator merely assists the parties to reach agreement.

• Can include mediation, fact-finding or the making of recommendations to the parties.

Mediation • A mediator (third, neutral party) assists in resolving a conflict situation by listening to the conflicting parties and making suggestions.

• Suggestions made by mediators are not binding.


DEALING WITH GRIEVANCES :

Arbitration • Sometimes, grievances are referred to an arbitrator for arbitration.

• The arbitrator hears both sides of the grievance and then makes a decision about who is right.

• The arbitrator will issue an arbitration award, which is binding for both parties.

• There is no appeal against a decision of an arbitrator, although a review may be possible.

Labour Court • Has exclusive jurisdiction over most labour matters.

The Labour Appeal Court

(LAC)

• Parties may apply to the Labour Court for leave to appeal to the Labour Appeal Court against any final order of the Labour Court.

• The LAC is the final court of appeal against decisions of the Labour Court.


DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE:Difficult people have different types of

personalities.Conflict often arises between people with different

personality types.It is difficult to change personal traits, yet people

must find some common traits, like respect and friendliness, when resolving an issue.


DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE : Psychologists have identified four main personality categories

into which most people can be divided:

Sanguine Positiv

e• Sociable, adventurous, flexible, creative,

talkative.• People-oriented.

Negative

• Tend to be late, forgetful and quickly lose interest.

Phlegmatic Positive

• Sympathetic, nurturing, agreeable and easy to get along with.

Negative

• Does not cope well with change.

Choleric Positive

• Competitive, focused, tough, ambitious.

Negative

• Tend to be dominating and aggressive.• Does not cope well with setbacks.

Melancholic Positive

• Calm, cautious, creative and sensitive.

Negative

• Tend to be shy and are sometimes overly sensitive.


DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE : It is clear that people with different types of personalities may

clash, for example an adventurous sanguine and a cautious melancholic.

Although different types of personalities may clash, they can also bring balance to teams.

Unnecessarily difficult people often hamper a team’s performance.


DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE : Difficult people can be dealt with in the following ways:

Get to know the person behind the difficult face. People who lack self-confidence often pretend to be difficult in order to

protect themselves. Remember, no one knows what other people are going through – a difficult

person may be going through a very tough time. Ensure equal treatment of all employees.

Do not give a difficult person or any other person, reason to believe that they are not being treated equally.

Remove overly difficult people form a team. Difficult people tend to influence the attitudes of other employees. Difficult people must not be allowed to influence other positive employees in

a negative way. Be friendly and respectful. Stay out of a difficult person’s way.

BUSINESS STUDIES – GRADE 12 HEAD FOR SUCCESS. TOPIC 3: TEAM PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND PROBLEM SOLVING TERM 2.

Documents

management team

financial team

production team

team leaders

storming team members

norming team members

team dynamics theories

team performance assessment