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Homework answers / question archive / OVERVIEW OF TOPICS AND CONCEPTS Last week you explored the concepts of individual and organizational cultural competence
OVERVIEW OF TOPICS AND CONCEPTS Last week you explored the concepts of individual and organizational cultural competence.
This week we will narrow our focus and shine the spotlight on the importance of team building. Effective leaders know that groups of people cannot automatically be expected to work as a team.
Team building is defined as the action or process of causing a group of people to work together effectively as a team, especially by means of activities and events designed to increase motivation and promote cooperation. (Oxford Languages n.d.) Becoming an effective team builder requires an understanding that compassion and cura personalis (Latin meaning “care for the whole person) are the key ingredients that motivate people within any
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organization. Inanchenste Qu (hn -y)
a NOTE: Leader interviews are due next week (Week 7), and will be necessary for the completion of the individual discussion. Foci for the interview should include the following:
1. What the team was asked to accomplish?
2. How the team accomplished its work?
3. Why the work of the team was important, and how well the team understood this “why.”
4. What the initial convening of the team looked like in terms of timing and structure.
5. How the leader ensured interpersonal connections.
6. Whether roles were assigned by the leader or emerged from within the team.
7. Ways in which working with this team influenced the leader's personal leadership style.
8. What advice do they have for you as a current or future leader of teams?
9. The leader’s favorite leadership moment from working with that team. Take note of whether that was a personal leadership moment or a moment in which the leader appreciated leadership from others.
THIS WEEK'S LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
e Explain the importance of group cohesion.
e Describe team-building exercises leaders can use to build trust and create cohesive teams.
Ee
ACTIVITIES
e Check for weekly Announcements.
e Complete this week's Readings and Instructional Materials.
e Review this week's Presentation materials.
e Contribute to this week's Class Discussions.
REFERENCES
Please note that this is a list of references in Turabian Author-Date format for all of the materials referenced above. You do not need to look them up; they are here for your
reference.
OVERVIEW OF TOPICS AND CONCEPTS
Last week you explored the importance of team building, an important process through which
leaders transition a group of individual contributors into a true, bonded, functioning team.
Much of the content of the class to this point has focused on planning for teams.
This week we will shift our learning to the hands-on work of leading teams and the unique
leadership challenges inherent in managing virtual (remote) teams. Team leadership pertains
to providing guidance and instruction to a work team and juggling five important roles
regarding the team: —_—- |
1. Visionary . 4 \ pes Vey
2. Strategist [pe t
3. Communicator 6, bs
4. Quality Control L (mM
5. Evaluator
For many professionals, the idea of becoming a leader is aspirational and exciting — and
indeed it often is! But what differentiates the eager leader from the effective leader is a
reverence for the responsibilities that come with leading people. Effective team leadership,
therefore, requires a balance of planning, leadership ability, technical knowledge, and
interpersonal skill.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This week’s individual discussion pertains to lessons learned from a
successful leader. Per your instructor's reminders, you have been asked to interview a
successful leader. This interview, if not complete already, should be done by Wednesday so
you have the information you will need to complete this week’s individual discussion on time.
Specific things to explore with your leader include:
1. What the team was asked to accomplish.
2. How the team accomplished its work.
3. Why the work of the team was important, and how well the team understood this “why.”
4. What the initial convening of the team looked like in terms of timing and structure.
©. How the leader ensured interpersonal connections.
6. Whether roles were assigned by the leader or emerged from within the team.
7. Ways in which working with this team influenced the leader’s personal leadership style.
8. What advice do they have for you as a current or future leader of teams?
9. The leader's favorite leadership moment from working with that team. Take note of
whether that was a personal leadership moment or a moment in which the leader
appreciated leadership from others.
THIS WEEK'S LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
e Explain the leader’s role in each of Heckman’s five conditions for successful teamwork.
e Create a Golden Circle for a team and for the organizational context in which the team
will operate.
e Navigate barriers to effective remote teamwork.
Ee
ACTIVITIES
e Check for weekly Announcements.
e Complete this week's Readings and Instructional Materials.
e Review this week's Presentation materials.
e Coniribute to this week's Class Discussions.
OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER)
Teams are increasingly working, either in whole or in part, remotely. Whether a team works
remotely depends on many factors such as the type and structure of the organization, the type
of work assigned to a team, whether team membership is homogenous (all from one
organization) or heterogeneous (from two or more organizations), and the geographical location
of team members.
For leaders, managing remote teams requires a different approach and leadership style. Trust,
flexibility, work tools, and communication strategies are necessarily different for virtual teams
than for teams that meet physically. Read Managing Virtual Teams E>
(https://web.archive.org/web/20170312165442/http:/www.groupjazz.com/pdf/vteams-toronto.pdf) by Lisa
Kimball presented at the Team Strategies Conference in Toronto, Canada, in 1997. While this
is an older reference, it is an important foundational piece for this topic. Also, read Virtual
Teams —> (http://oer2go.org/mods/en-boundless/www.boundless.com/management/textbooks/boundless-
management-textbook/groups-teams-and-teamwork-6/types-of-teams-52/virtual-teams-264-
3933/index.html) by Boundless. (Boundless n.d.) As you read this content, consider the following:
e Strategies for using technology in a people-oriented manner.
e Norms for communication/information sharing.
e Document sharing options.
e Facilitation strategies.
e Ways in which media may impact the culture of a team.
Ea
ARTICLES
Read Rethinking Team Leadership >
(https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/55930/CPL_WP_04 08 Hackman.pdf?sequence=1) by
J. Richard Hackman (2004). As you read, consider the following:
e Steps you might take to ensure that the team you are proposing for your demonstration
project is a ‘real team,’ which enjoys stability over time.
¢ The degree to which your vision for the team is clear and compelling (in the Sinek video
below, we learn this is called the team “why.”)
e Strategies you might employ as a leader to ensure your team has an ‘enabling design.’
e The importance and accessibility of “expert coaching” for your team.
e As a team leader, consider your level of ‘know,’ ‘do,’ ‘emotional maturity,’ and ‘personal
courage’ as defined by Hackman (p. 18).
VIDEO
Watch Simon Sinek’s video, How Great Leaders Inspire Action F>
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpO0HIF3Sfl4) (18:34 closed captioning provided) (TED 2010).
e Whether the “golden circle” (the what, how, and why) of the organizational context in which
your team will be working is well-aligned with the ‘golden circle’ you envision for the team
itself.
How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek
e OPTIONAL: If the team you are proposing for your demonstration project will be virtual, you
will find some useful tips for success in Running Remote’s video, The 21 Rules for
Managing Remote Teams F (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLDSokWCbFY) (21:07 closed
captioning provided). (Running 2018)
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