Lecture 4 - Teamwork and Leadership

Question 1

Definition of teamwork?

Answer 1

The ability to take on different roles in a team and work well with others to achieve aims and objectives

Question 2

What were the 9 team roles identified by Belbin and colleagues (1981)?

Answer 2

1. shaper
2. resource investigator
3. plant
4. team worker
5. monitor evaluator
6. coordinator
7. implementer
8. complete finisher
9. specialist

Question 3

Shaper?

Answer 3

• highly motivated with need for achievement
• prepared to risk being disliked
• can handle and thrive on confrontation
• characteristics: driven, dynamic, prepared to challenge others, competitive
• strengths: prepared to challenge issues, their drive can push projects forward
• weaknesses: prone to provocation and impatience

Question 4

Resource investigator?

Answer 4

• eager to explore new opportunities and build on the ideas of others
• skilled communicators, good at connecting people needed for a project
• characteristics: outgoing, enthusiastic, curious, influential
• strengths: source of group vitality, can find useful people
• weaknesses: can quickly loose interest in a project

Question 5

Plant?

Answer 5

• creative, generate new ideas and can solve complex problems
• quite introverted so prefer to work alone
• characteristics: unorthodox, independent, imaginative, creative
• strengths: good at generating novel ideas and solving complex problems
• weaknesses: absent-minded, inclined to ignore incidental details

Question 6

Team worker?

Answer 6

• supportive individuals
• help make everyone feel included
• cope less well with pressure and avoid confrontation
• characteristics: socially oriented, perceptive, supportive, diplomatic
• strengths: ability to respond well to other people improving morale and cooperation
• weaknesses: indecisive, don’t want to risk confrontation/ unpopularity

Question 7

Monitor evaluator?

Answer 7

• critical thinkers who consider all sides of an argument
• enjoy analysing problems and evaluating suggestions
• characteristics: strategic, unemotional, evaluative, critical
• strengths: make impartial judgements
• weaknesses: can be slow when making decisions

Question 8

Coordinator?

Answer 8

• ability to spot the talents of other people and use them effectively
• can delegate too much leaving themselves little to do
• characteristics: calm, confident, controlled, trusting
• strengths: welcoming of others contributions without prejudice
• weaknesses: may be seen as not pulling their weight

Question 9

Implementer?

Answer 9

• break projects down in a systematic manner
• favour the safety of the know
• characteristics: methodical, efficient, organised, disciplined
• strengths: reliable, will do what needs to be done
• weaknesses: inflexible , find it challenging to cope with new situations

Question 10

Complete finisher?

Answer 10

• pay attention to the finer details of a project
• rarely start something they do not finish
• can be anxious and distrusting of others
• characteristics: conscientious, orderly, anxious, perfectionist
• strengths: work to high standards, fulfil on promises
• weaknesses: worry about small details

Question 11

Specialist?

Answer 11

• have dedicated themselves to acquiring highly specialist knowledge or skill
• possess little interest in other people or their work
• characteristics: single minded, dedicated, professional, expert
• strengths: can provide in depth knowledge in a key area or a skill that is in rare supply
• weaknesses: contribute only a narrow front and can overwhelm others with detail

Question 12

What did Belbin describe a team role as?

Answer 12

• as ‘a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way’
• people often have the capacity to assume more than 1 role so you don’t need 9 people to have an effective team

Question 13

What is the Belbin test?

Answer 13

• a measure of trait behaviours, results show which team roles you are most likely to assume or excel in

Question 14

What is leadership?

Answer 14

• it relates to the skills of motivating, influencing and helping a group of people to achieve a common goal
• this can involve managing colleagues and directing workers by providing and communicating a strategy for instance

Question 15

What is a leadership style

Answer 15

• refers to someones method of motivating people, providing direction, coordinating activities and implementing a plan of action

Question 16

What are the 3 main leadership styles outlined by Lewin and colleagues (1939)?

Answer 16

1. authoritarian (autocratic)
2. participative (democratic)
3. delegate (laissez-faire)

Question 17

Authoritarian (autocratic)?

Answer 17

• clear division between the leader and the group
• leader makes decisions independently , provides a clear direction for action and outlines the expectations of the group
• pros: effective in urgent situations
• cons: can result in a hostile work environment, reduced group creativity

Question 18

Participative (democratic)?

Answer 18

• active member of the group which they guide effectively
• encourage participation from everyone
• pros: helps motivate the group and increase group cohesion and creativity
• cons: in urgent situations it may result in poor communication, some members may not contribute meaningfully or ideas in the minority may be overlooked

Question 19

Delegate (laissez-faire)?

Answer 19

• ‘hands off’, leave decision making to the group
• requires trust in other group members to make effective decisions
• pros: useful involving groups of specialists, freedom can encourage creativity and facilitate individual development
• cons: members may feel lost resulting in low motivation, with diffusion of responsibility comes low individual accountability meaning progress can be slow

Question 20

What are 2 further leadership styles?

Answer 20

1. transformational
2. transactional

Question 21

Transformational leaders?

Answer 21

• often emotionally intelligent and passionate about the task
• promote positivity and a clear vision helping others to grow
• pros: inspire members instilling a sense of loyalty reducing turnover
• cons: not appropriate if members lack knowledge and need more supervision

Question 22

Transactional leaders?

Answer 22

• relationship between the leader and the rest of the group is often thought of as being a transaction
• leader will use rewards and punishments to motivate the group
• pros: motivates members to perform in order to receive the reward, usually clearly defined roles which helps people remain focused on the task
• cons: does not promote creativity or innovation so limits development and growth