Solution Manual for Business Communication Today 12th Edition Bovee, Thill

LECTURE NOTES Section 1: Communicating Effectively in Teams Learning Objective 1: List the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams, describe the characteristics of effective teams, and highlight four key issues of group dynamics. Collaboration—working together to meet complex challenges—has become a core job responsibility for roughly half the U.S. workforce. A team is a unit of two or more people who share a mission and the responsibility for working to achieve a common goal. Problem-solving teams and task forces assemble to resolve specific issues and then disband when their goals have been accomplished. Such teams are often cross-functional, pulling together people from a variety of departments who have different areas of expertise and responsibility. Diversity of opinions and experiences can lead to better decisions, but competing interests can create tension. Committees are formal teams that can become a permanent part of the organizational structure. Advantages and Disadvantages of Teams Teams are often part of participative management, the effort to involve employees in the company’s decision making. A successful team can provide advantages, such as Increased information and knowledge Increased diversity of views Increased acceptance of a solution Higher performance levels Teams can also have disadvantages, such as Groupthink—occurs when peer pressures cause individual team members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions Hidden agendas—private, counterproductive motives that undermine someone else on the team Cost—aligning schedules, arranging meetings, and coordinating individual parts of a project can eat up a lot of time and money Characteristics of Effective Teams The most effective teams Have a clear objective and a shared sense of purpose Communicate openly and honestly Reach decisions by consensus Think creatively Know how to resolve conflict Ineffective teams Get bogged down in conflict Waste time and resources pursuing unclear goals Two of the most common reasons cited for unsuccessful teamwork are a lack of trust and poor communication. Group Dynamics Group dynamics are the interactions and processes that take place among members in a team. Productive teams tend to develop positive norms, informal standards of conduct that members share and that guide member behavior. Group dynamics are influenced by The roles assumed by team members The current phase of team development The team’s success in resolving conflict The team’s success in overcoming resistance Team members can play various roles: Self-oriented roles are played by those motivated mainly to fulfill personal needs, these individuals tend to be less productive than other members Team-maintenance roles are played by those who help everyone work well together Task-facilitating roles are played by those who help the team reach its goals As teams grow and evolve, they generally pass through a variety of stages, such as these five: Orientation Conflict Brainstorming Emergence Reinforcement Another common model, proposed by Bruce Tuckman: Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning Conflict in team activities can result from Competition for resources Disagreement over goals or responsibilities Poor communication Power struggles Fundamental differences in values, attitudes, and personalities Conflict is not necessarily bad. Conflict can be constructive if it Forces important issues into the open Increases the involvement of team members Generates creative ideas for the solution to a problem Conflict can be destructive if it Diverts energy from more important issues Destroys morale of teams or individual team members Polarizes or divides the team Destructive conflict can lead to win-lose or lose-lose outcomes, in which one or both sides lose, to the detriment of the entire team. If you approach conflict with the idea that both sides can satisfy their goals to at least some extent (a win-win strategy), you can minimize losses for everyone. For the win-win strategy to work, everybody must believe that It’s possible to find a solution that both parties can accept Cooperation is better for the organization than competition The other party can be trusted Greater power or status doesn’t entitle one party to impose a solution Conflict can be resolved through Proactive management: deal with minor conflict before it becomes major conflict Communication: get those involved with the conflict actively involved in resolution Openness: Get feelings out into the open before dealing with main issues Research: Get the facts before attempting a resolution Flexibility: Don’t let anyone lock into a position before considering all possible solutions Fair play: Insist on a fair outcome that doesn’t hide behind rules Alliance: Unite the team against an “outside force” instead of each other When attempting to overcome irrational resistance, try to Express understanding Bring resistance out into the open Evaluate others’ objections fairly Hold your arguments until the other person is ready for them Section 2: Collaborating on Communication Efforts Learning Objective 2: Offer guidelines for collaborative communication, identify major collaboration technologies, and explain how to give constructive feedback. When teams collaborate, the collective