Supervision

Session 4: Understanding Team Dynamics

Welcome back. In this session you will learn how to establish, maintain, and celebrate well-functioning teams. We will also explore strategies to help you identify when team dynamics are not working well and gather the tools to facilitate improvement.

Getting Ready For This Session

  • Remember to have your workbook and a pen or pencil handy.
  • You will need about 90–100 minutes to complete the session.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Explain the roles that team dynamics and teamwork play in achieving programme outcomes
  • Describe the Five Stages of Team Development
  • Explain the value of role clarity in effective team functioning
  • Describe how to conduct a team assessment

Learning Activities

  • Introduction (2 min)

    As a supervisor at Zim-TTECH, you are likely working with a number of teams, both as a team leader and as a team member. Building teams uses many skill sets; we will spend this session reviewing what it takes to lead teams effectively. We will hear from experts and help equip you with the knowledge and confidence to handle different team dynamics that may arise.

    Team Dynamics
  • Pre-Session Assessment (5 min)

    Let’s start off with a quick check of your knowledge and comfort about team dynamics in general. Each question will have a score for you to record in your workbook. Please track your scores as you go through this assessment, and make note of any content areas that you answered incorrectly. This exercise will help to identify gaps and areas that need more attention as you go through the content in this session.

    1Match the following terms to their contribution to effective team dynamics:

    This is a key component of effective teamwork in which information is shared. It involves each team member understanding their tasks and project expectations.
    This component helps to build trust, promote transparency, and create a positive work culture, through the use of active listening and non-verbal cues.
    This refers to an individual’s sense of belonging, which helps them feel confident to take chances (and potentially make mistakes) to reach the project goal and achieve professional growth.

    2Why is it important for a supervisor to regularly celebrate team achievements? Write your response in your workbook.

    3When supervising a team, you always witness Bruce Tuckman’s Five Stages of Team Development in the following order: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning.

    4How do effective team dynamics contribute to overall project success? Select all that apply.

  • Reflecting on Team Dynamics (5 min)

    What does the term ‘team dynamics’ mean to you? In your workbook, consider describing this concept in three words, or drawing an image that comes to mind.

  • The Importance of a Well-Functioning Team (5 min)

    In this training, we will use the following definition for team dynamics: the behavioural relationships between members of a team, including how a team interacts, communicates, and cooperates with one another1.

    A large part of a team’s success is the team’s dynamics. Team dynamics can impact overall team performance positively or negatively; therefore, establishing, understanding, and maintaining effective teams are vital components of leadership and supervision.

    Let’s walk through some of the benefits2 of a well-functioning team:

    Improved productivity and output

    Collaboration creates opportunities to maximise individual strengths and produce positive outputs. Effective teamwork and positive team dynamics can play a significant role in achieving project outcomes.

    Unity in the workplace

    Teamwork promotes relationship-building opportunities. Although workplace relationships can sometimes be difficult, working in teams can also create fun, laughter, positive attitudes, and friendship.

    Encourages creativity and learning

    Creativity often stems from working with others who can encourage innovative ideas. Therefore, an effective team can start building on a new idea together or identify a solution to a problem.

    Shared workload

    When project tasks are delegated effectively and roles are clear, a shared workload can allow teams to complete projects in a timely manner while reducing work-related stressors and dissatisfaction.

    Expanded perspectives

    Through team meetings and interactions, team members participate in conversations that can provide different perspectives on their work styles and output. A variety of perspectives allows for diversification of work outcomes.

    A well-functioning team is vital to achieving programme outcomes. As this session continues, you will explore strategies for creating a culture of effective teamwork.

  • Team Development (3 min)

    Take a moment to consider the following question: What strategies do you use to create well-functioning teams? Write your response in your workbook.

    If you have not yet supervised a team, think back to the teams you have been part of. What strategies were used to facilitate the development of a well-functioning team?

  • Stages of Team Development (10 min)

    A well-known framework for understanding a team’s lifecycle is Bruce Tuckman’s 5 Stages of Team Development3. A supervisor can play a leading role in supporting a team throughout these stages. This resource highlights specific stages a supervisor can anticipate when establishing a new team. Tap on each medium blue box to learn more about each stage.

    map
    Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning
    Forming

    Team members are getting to know one another. There is usually a feeling of camaraderie and optimism.

    Example: Kick-off meeting with the team. The team creates group norms and discusses roles, responsibilities, and project details.

    Storming

    Like-minded team members often naturally connect and begin working more closely together. This can result in conflict between different subgroups.

    Example: Team members exercise their comfort in the group by speaking up in meetings and can often be seen working individually rather than as a collective. There may be frequent disagreements as individuals learn each other's work style. Team members may be speaking over one another in meetings.

    Norming

    The team establishes some common rules (formal, informal, or both) and begins to feel comfortable working together. Differences are more easily resolved. Individual strengths are recognised, and the team starts to make substantial progress towards its goals.

    Example: The team appears more unified. There is less tension during meetings, and the team is beginning to complete tasks.

    Performing

    Team members now work cohesively together, contributing equally to completing the project goal.

    Example: The team members understand their roles and project vision. They are working effectively to accomplish tasks to achieve the overall project goal.

    Adjourning

    If the team came together to accomplish a specific task, they may disband after the completion of the task and any necessary post-task evaluation.

    Example: The team debriefs the project, explores the next steps for the team and its members, and celebrates its accomplishments.

    Watch the following video to dive a bit deeper into this concept:

    “5 Stages of Team Building - What you should know when developing teams or groups”, uploaded by Potential.com, (2018), Available at: YouTube (Accessed: 9 May 2022)

    Although these stages have been thoroughly studied, it is important to know that the process may not always be linear. Teams do not always stay the same; they may experience constant change as specific tasks and projects evolve. For example, an existing team may move from the norming stage (developing group values and ways of working) to the performing stage, but then experience a change (such as a member leaving the company) or an incident that takes the team back to the storming or norming stage.

    Teams often do not work effectively right away. Any team-building process requires strategy and care to form a solid foundation if it is to address potential challenges and accomplish team goals.

    You can use this framework to identify the stage your team is currently moving through and implement strategies to support the process.

  • Lencioni’s Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Model (10 min)

    Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team model4 identifies priority areas in which supervisors and team members must work to maintain or improve productive team dynamics.

    According to Lencioni, these behaviours build upon one another. For example, a team first needs to develop trust. Only then are they able to engage in conflict around ideas, commit to decisions, hold one another accountable, and achieve collective results.

    The following visual gives a clearer idea of this interrelated and buildable structure.

    map
    Results Accountability Commitment Conflict Trust
    Focus on achieving collective results

    The ultimate outcome of a cohesive team is achieving the desired results. Once a team successfully builds trust, is comfortable expressing conflicting opinions, commits to decisions, and holds one another accountable, it is easier for the team to achieve programme goals. Along the way, the goal is a driver in the decision-making process, motivating a team through a shared vision.

    Hold one another accountable

    Accountability is an ongoing conversation that involves staying connected and providing feedback, recognising each other’s progress in meeting goals, and addressing challenges. Team members can engage in problem-solving discussions to explore possible barriers to progress. Each team member is responsible for communicating their progress or delays. Make sure that everyone knows how they connect to the big picture; ensure that they understand their commitments by putting things in writing. If issues that have been discussed fail to get resolved after a few feedback sessions, speak with your supervisor about the next steps to take. Most importantly, model accountability, walk the talk and show integrity, meet your own commitments, and communicate when you anticipate delays.

    Commit to decisions

    Teams that can voice their ideas and differences of opinion will be better positioned to commit to decisions. When a variety of ideas are being shared, the team can feel confident that all plausible options are being considered and feel ready to identify next steps. The goal here is for the majority of the group to agree.

    Engage in conflict around ideas

    Once a foundation of trust is established, team members are more likely to voice disagreements regarding plans of action and other project details. Because teams may not agree on every aspect of their work, occasionally engaging in conflict can be viewed as a positive aspect of team development.

    Trust one another

    Developing and maintaining trust is the foundation for any effective team. Trust in the workplace is connected to positive team behaviours. Trust within a team may look like many different things, including each team member being willing or feeling comfortable to express their opinions. Specific strategies for building trust will be discussed later in the session.

  • Creating and Improving Positive Team Dynamics (8 min)

    After reading the previous section, you may have been curious about how to create or promote the behaviours of a cohesive team.

    As a supervisor, it is important to have a ready-to-go toolbox of strategies or actionable items to help you create or improve the dynamics of any team.

    The following video provides a thoughtful introduction to strategies a supervisor can use to create, manage, or improve overall team dynamics.

    “Managing Team Dynamics”, uploaded by Leadership and Talent Development – University of Minnesota, (2018), Available at: YouTube (Accessed: 9 May 2022)

    Now that you have finished watching the video, take a moment to think about what was shared. Think about a time when you were not comfortable sharing your thoughts in a meeting. What could the meeting leader have done to create an atmosphere of trust? Write your response in your workbook.

    Let’s briefly review some of the strategies shared in the video. As a supervisor, you can create psychological safety by establishing norms and expectations with your team. As part of norms and expectations, you can:

    • Encourage open participation and active listening
    • Ensure the use of open-ended questions (if needed, you can refer to the Communication session)
    • Acknowledge that you as a leader can also make mistakes
    • Address problems right away
  • Personal Strength (2 min)
    Personal Strength

    Take a moment to identify one personal area of strength from this list of strategies shared in the previous video:

    • Encourage open participation and active listening
    • Ensure the use of open-ended questions (if needed, you can refer to the Communication session)
    • Acknowledge that you as a leader can also make mistakes
    • Address problems right away

    Then identify one area that you would like to practice more. Write your response in your workbook.

    We will explore norms further later in this session.

  • Expanding Your Toolbox of Strategies (10 min)

    You can use the strategies for trust, conflict, commitment, accountability, and results that were shared in the video above to cultivate effective team dynamics.

    The following strategies are related to Lencioni’s Five Behaviors model. You can use the activities listed here to start or continue building well-functioning teams. Please note that the following strategies are only a small representation of effective activities. Tap on each icon to read more.

    Build trust

    This component is the foundation of the Five Behaviors. As a supervisor, getting to know your team members is important; it is one method of developing trust. The following activities are examples of ways in which team members can develop relationships and build trust.

    Activity:
    • Include getting-to-know-you (or icebreaker) questions at the start of meetings. This gives each team member the opportunity to share a bit about themselves, and to identify similar interests and commonalities among them.
    • Organise team gatherings that are not work-related—for example, a 30-minute group tea break once a month.
    • Create an open-door policy that invites team members to check in with you when needed, whether in person or via WhatsApp or email.
    • Develop team norms. With your team, you can incorporate the creation of team agreements or norms into a meeting. It may take several meetings for a team to establish a set of norms they value. For example, one team norm could be to address problems as they occur, in order to create a culture in which disagreements are not avoided and the team has the tools it needs to address differences respectfully and find solutions. Team members can work together to determine how to handle non-adherence to norms. (More examples of team norms can be found in the Resources section.)
    Provide role clarity

    As a supervisor, your role involves providing clear instruction to team members, including defining their specific roles and responsibilities. Defining roles and responsibilities can help teams reach the top of Lencioni’s pyramid of behaviours, which is achieving collective results. It is necessary to delegate tasks appropriately and to clearly describe the project so that the team can connect their roles to specific tasks and expected project outcomes, and complete tasks in a timely fashion.

    Activity:
    • Create a team project plan that defines the project goal, project timelines, and the roles and responsibilities of team members. This task can be completed during a team meeting. Consider individual reactions; if necessary, follow up with one-to-one meetings.
    • Establish and review team norms. As you may have noticed, this activity is also part of the ‘build trust’ section. There is an overlap in activities and their function to achieve desired outcomes.
    • Time permitting, conduct one-to-one meetings to clarify roles. This gives both you and individual team members the opportunity to check in about their overall personal well-being, as well as to ask questions about projects and make necessary clarifications. This task gives each person the chance to define their roles and responsibilities in their own words. It is also a suitable time for individuals to share their goals and work with their supervisor to create strategies for achieving them.
    Focus on clear communication

    Effective, transparent communication is a common thread throughout this training. You may recall from Session 2 that it is important to include visual materials, use non-judgemental communication and active listening skills, and be aware of non-verbal communication cues. Clear, effective communication guides the team in building trust and succeeding in accomplishing Lencioni’s four other cohesive behaviours.

    Activity:
    • Identify a notetaker for each meeting. (This does not have to be the same person each time.) Notes can then be shared with the team at the end of each meeting; this allows for review, questions, and any necessary clarifications.
    • Share the meeting agenda before the meeting. This gives the team the chance to be more prepared and to contribute more fully. Team members will also be able to bring up topics they would like to discuss, which creates shared ownership of the meeting time.
    • Avoid distractions. To stay present, watch for non-verbal communication cues and actively listen. It is important to avoid other stimuli that may draw attention away from your current conversation. Consider silencing your phone or rescheduling the meeting if you need to focus on other things.
    • Create an environment where team members feel comfortable speaking openly. The goal is for team members to regularly provide honest feedback to one another. (All of the activities shared under ‘build trust’ help to establish this ideal workplace environment.)
    • Review the main points of discussion. Confirm that team members understand what was shared and any tasks that are required of them. You can do this by reframing the main points or next steps at the end of the meeting. For example, you can say, ‘Let’s review the next steps and any required tasks to complete before we meet again. Does anyone have any questions?’
  • Your Teams (3 min)

    How many teams do you support? In terms of the Five Behaviors:

    • How are the teams similar?
    • How are they different?
    • How do you conduct yourself similarly or differently with each team?

    Write your responses in your workbook.

  • Supervising Several Teams (5 min)

    As a supervisor, you may be required to manage and guide individuals and teams working towards different project goals.

    Listen to Blessing Mushangwe, as she shares how she successfully supports more than one team at the same time.

    Transcript

    Transcript
    image of Blessing

    Hello, my name is Blessing Mushangwe and I work as Clinical Senior Program Manager for Zim-TTECH. I currently supervise four different teams.

    At times, managing multiple teams can be challenging. When supporting different teams, you can expect a variety of personalities, working styles, and perspectives that may or may not work well together.

    I have learned the importance of understanding the individual teams and team members. Understanding their strengths and weakness[es] has helped me provide effective support to the diversity of these multiple teams.

    As a supervisor, I have utilised the following strategies to successfully support the efforts of my teams.

    • First, maintain an environment that is conducive for effective communication. This enables team leaders to provide honest and constructive feedback freely. This also can help team members feel confident to say their concerns and suggestions. This is something that I start working on as soon as I begin meeting with a team, letting them know how to reach me, and keeping an open door.
    • Second, create transparent working environments to make teams and team members more responsible, content, and innovative.
    • Third, provide feedback, both positive and corrective, in a respectful manner to team members so that they can develop professionally and personally. And give this feedback in a timely manner.
    • Fourth, encourage teamwork among members so that their various skills are utilised, they interact well, and ultimately achieve good results as a team. Try to remind them that they are all working towards a common goal.
    • Last, prevent team burn-out by setting positive boundaries for work and personal life.

    Whether you are an experienced or new supervisor, I want to stress the importance of maintaining open and consistent communication. Effective communication will help team members feel secure in their positions, and they will likely be more willing to contribute ideas and suggestions. This can lead to enhanced creativity and productivity.

    The strategies I shared can be utilised with any team. I want to end by sharing that time management is one of the most valuable assets for a supervisor, especially when supporting more than one team at the same time. Some of the strategies that I have utilised to ensure effective time management include:

    • Efficient planning to ensure each individual team receives the support that it requires
    • Prioritisation of activities for the different teams to ensure urgent and important issues are addressed
    • Appropriate delegation where necessary to free up time to focus on higher-value activities while keeping teams engaged
    Blessing Mushangwe

    As we learned from Blessing, there are a couple of essential elements that are needed when managing more than one team:

    1. Open and transparent communication with each team
    2. Good time management skills
  • Case Study: Takudzwa (10 min)

    In our fictional case study, Takudzwa, a new District Mentor, begins working with teams at Mwenzi Polyclinic and Mutorashonga Clinic.

    image of Takudzwa
    Takudzwa

    Currently, Takudzwa is bringing a new team together from the Mwenzi Polyclinic that will participate in a mental health pilot initiative. The members of this team include two OI nurses and two primary counsellors; although they are not new to the clinic, they have not worked together on a project before.

    Working closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC), Takudzwa’s team will participate in a comprehensive training that addresses signs and symptoms of mental illnesses alongside the associated health assessments. After the training, the care team will provide mentorship and technical support to community cadres that administer mental health screenings to clients.

    Takudzwa’s plan for the first team meeting after the mental health training is to establish team norms and identify individual roles and responsibilities. He is reminded of the importance of incorporating activities that support trust and relationship building. Before the meeting, Takudzwa will create an agenda to share with the team.

    1Design an agenda that Takudzwa could use for this meeting. In addition to establishing team norms and identifying roles and responsibilities, Takudzwa plans to create space for a training debrief and a discussion about the pilot programme. Write your proposed agenda in your workbook.

    Takudzwa begins the meeting and covers the first three topics on the agenda. He will now move on to the discussion of team norms.

    2If you were Takudzwa, how would you start the conversation about creating norms with the team? Write a script in your workbook.

    Once the team creates their group norms, Takudzwa begins the conversation about defining individual roles and responsibilities. This care team needs to decide how they will divide responsibility for supporting the community cadres, what that support will look like, how team members will share information, and how they plan to follow policies and use the skills learned in the training.

    Defining and understanding roles may be an ongoing process requiring conversations with individual team members, the entire team, or both.

    3Number the following processes according to the order in which you would conduct them if you were Takudzwa.

    Conduct project implementation meeting with full team
    Facilitate team discussion about project goals and objectives
    Schedule 1:1 meetings to confirm roles and timelines with each team member
    Coordinate progress review meetings with MoHCC
  • Conducting Team Assessments (15 min)
    Team

    Team assessment tools give supervisors an opportunity to review team dynamics, identify strengths, and address any challenges a team may be experiencing. You can conduct a team assessment at any point in the life of the team.

    As a supervisor, you may view this assessment as an objective tool that allows you to evaluate the current reality of a team and to ensure that your team is functioning well. If your assessment shows that your team is not performing well, you can use strategies from this session to improve the identified problem areas. Later, you can conduct the assessment again to measure improvement.

    Note that team assessments are not solely reflective of individual team members. There are many unrelated factors that may influence the performance of an individual or a team.

    It is important to remember that the results are not necessarily a reflection of you as a supervisor or the supervision you are providing. Rather, this is a learning tool to help you to reinforce positive team dynamics and strengthen your teams.

    The team assessment is also an opportunity for self-reflection regarding your participation on the team. Consider how much you and your leadership techniques have contributed to the current team dynamics. You may also take a moment to consider your individual successes and challenges.

    During a team assessment you will evaluate the following factors:

    1. Team goals
    2. Mutual trust
    3. Communication
    4. Investment
    5. Decision-making
    6. Morale
    7. Flexibility
    8. Teamwork

    Take a few minutes to complete this team assessment for at least one of your teams.

    Instructions:Slide the handle to the number that best aligns with how your team is functioning in that area. 1 represents lower functioning with 5 as high functioning.

    Team Goals
     
     
    Mutual Trust
     
     
    Communication
     
     
    Investment
     
     
    Decision-making
     
     
    Morale
     
     
    Flexibility
     
     
    Teamwork
     
     
  • Celebrating Team Achievements (6 min)

    The following video introduces the concept of gratitude, and briefly walks through the benefits that expressing gratitude can have on physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.

    “The Science of Gratitude”, uploaded by Tremendousness, (2018), Available at: YouTube (Accessed: 9 May 2022)

    Let’s translate what you learned in this video to showing gratitude towards team members, and to the celebration of individual and collective achievement in the workplace.

    As a supervisor, you have the responsibility to acknowledge and reward positive changes and team achievements. It is your role to determine when and how often these acknowledgements and compliments are shared.

    Celebrations and rewards will help to keep team members motivated, enhance retention, and increase focus and resilience to stress.

    Take a minute to listen to Girija Vaidyanathan talk about the importance of celebrating accomplishments.

    Transcript

    Transcript

    The award that you see in the back is the one that we got for being the first in the country: the best non-focused state in the country under NHRI. When we came back we realized that the award is actually not ours, but it’s for the field staff. So, we immediately followed it up with a similar reward for the districts that performed the best. I think that’s the only—that you are in an open meeting we acknowledge that this award really belongs to them. And I think that’s what you—that’s the best you can do in the government system. You cannot give them money. You cannot give them out-of-turn promotions. Mostly you don’t even handle their postings. So you have to sort of recognize them in the forum that their peers would acknowledge.

    Girija Vaidyanathan

    Celebrations and rewards in the workplace do not have to involve financial rewards, such as promotions or bonuses5. They can include:

    • Certificates or trophies
    • Food or treats
    • Widely shared posts, photos, newsletters giving credit for a job well done

    Take a moment to remember a time when you were celebrated or rewarded for your work. Write in your workbook one word to describe how that memory made you feel.

    Celebrate
  • Action Plan (10 min)

    Review the strategies for creating and improving positive team dynamics presented throughout this session.

    Using the Action Plan form in your workbook, list two or three strategies that you would like to implement to boost team dynamics and overall team morale.

    Take a moment to look back to the earlier reflection question regarding the strategies you have already used, or successful strategies you have seen used, to promote well-functioning teams. In your workbook, write about how you will implement a new strategy with your current teams.

  • Post-Session Assessment (5 min)

    Now that you have completed this session, let’s take time to check your knowledge and comfort about team dynamics. Please track your scores as you go through this assessment, compare them with your pre-test scores, and make note of any content areas where you answered incorrectly.

    1Match the following terms to their contribution to effective team dynamics:

    This is a key component of effective teamwork in which information is shared. It involves each team member understanding their tasks and project expectations.
    This component helps to build trust, promote transparency, and create a positive work culture, through the use of active listening and non-verbal cues.
    This refers to an individual’s sense of belonging, which helps them feel confident to take chances (and potentially make mistakes) to reach the project goal and achieve professional growth.

    2Why is it important for a supervisor to regularly celebrate team achievements? Write your response in your workbook.

    3When supervising a team, you always witness Bruce Tuckman’s Five Stages of Team Development in the following order: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning.

    4How do effective team dynamics contribute to overall project success? Select all that apply.

    If you find that you have some gaps in your knowledge or understanding, think about what you can do to fill in those gaps for yourself, and what resources you can access.

  • Summary (2 min)

    Congratulations on finishing the session! In this session we covered the key role teamwork plays in achieving project outcomes, the stages of team development, some strategies for creating or improving team dynamics, and how to assess and celebrate your teams.

    If there are components in this session that you would like to learn more about, refer to the resources section below.

  • Resources

    Below are links to resources relevant to this session. Some were mentioned in the session, and others are additional tools or reading on team dynamics.

    Title/Source File
    Icebreaker questions Click to open file.
    Team norm examples Click to open file.
    Forbes article: How To Define Your Team's Norms (And Why It'sImportant) Click to open file.

    Footnotes

    1. Beth Osborne. Rally Bright. What Are Team Dynamics & Why Are They Important? | RallyBright
    2. Apollo Technical Engineered Talent Solutions. 10 Benefits of Teamwork in the Workplace ( 2021) | Collaboration (apollotechnical.com)
    3. Indeed Editorial Team. Tuckman’s 5 States of Group Development and Tips To Use Them
    4. 5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team - The Brooks Group (thebrooksgrouponline.com)
    5. How to Celebrate Success at Work: A Guide for Managers (leapsome.com)