2. DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING TEAMWORK FUNDAMENTALS TRAINING
2.1 Discussion
The skills and knowledge developed and improved during the training described in this
section should enhance the ability of facility personnel to function effectively in teams. For
any group to function effectively, its members must possess both technical and teamwork
skills. In situations where resources are limited or when actions must be taken promptly,
teamwork becomes increasingly important. Team deficiencies considered insignificant
during normal situations may become major obstacles in the decision-making and actioninitiation
process during abnormal conditions. Examples of obstacles and potential effects
include the following:
C Actions are not performed or are performed incorrectly due to improper
communications
C Actions are not verified due to misunderstandings of roles or responsibilities
C Blindly following incorrectly worded procedures can misguide task
performance
C Individual performance is inhibited due to stress
C Desired actions are not conducted due to coordination problems
C Important paperwork is improperly filled out or routed due to improper
communications
C Results of expensive experiments and projects are ruined due to poor initial
communications or direction.
Any of these obstacles resulting from poor teamwork could disrupt operations, experiments,
projects, or paperwork flow and possibly cause a safety risk or environmental hazard to
occur.
To develop the particular skills that a group of personnel need in their environment,
additional training should be provided to enable them to operate as an effective team. The
skills that are critical to successful team performance should be identified using the
systematic approach to training (SAT) processes found in DOE Training Program Handbook:
A Systematic Approach to Training and in DOE Handbook Alternative Systematic
Approaches to Training. Consideration needs to be given not only to technical systems, but
managerial and organizational ones as well. Systematic consideration of problems related
to goals, procedures, roles, and interpersonal relations is necessary to establish the need for
change, and the strategy by which improvement might be best achieved. Shortages in
qualified personnel or adequate resources also need to be considered. Initial training on
teamwork fundamentals should enhance the ability of personnel to:
C Demonstrate and promote effective communications, using both verbal and
nonverbal methods
C Interact effectively with team members of different personality types
C Provide leadership to team members to achieve team goals
C Resolve conflicts constructively within the team and with interfacing
organizations
C Recognize and reduce individual stress.
These fundamental skills should be developed progressively, using both classroom and
practical exercise training. The teamwork skills should be integrated into situations where
technical knowledge and skills and team skills are necessary. On-the-job and simulator
training can provide useful environments for achieving team proficiency in team skills. Roleplaying
in a classroom or laboratory setting can help with initial skill development.
Teamwork and diagnostic skills training should also be a part of the continuing training
program. The objective of continuing training in teamwork skills is to establish, maintain,
and enhance the performance of the individual and the team. Continuing training on
teamwork should be conducted using the same training settings and methods used in the
initial training portion of teamwork training. Continuing training should:
C Identify and correct performance deficiencies related to teamwork on the job
in normal and abnormal situations
C Emphasize industry events where poor teamwork was a factor
C Resolve team conflicts through role-plays, simulations, etc.
C Reinforce teamwork fundamentals during technical training.
There is no one best way to do team building. One approach is to deal with actual problems
in the work setting. This approach may focus more on group facilitation than on individual
skills training. From the beginning, the group learns to reflect on how it has previously
approached its work and to make plans for how to do it better. Upon completion of a task,
the group reflects again on what went well and what did not, and why. When a group is able
to productively reflect on its experience and to formulate and test out potential means of
improvement, they are showing the results of substantial team development. The learning
process is an ongoing one. Learning about themselves as a team and finding ways to
improve that learning process over time becomes a regular part of how they function.
Another approach (the one in this guide) is to begin team training with a focus on individual
skills, and then progress to focusing on the performance of the team as a whole. Efforts to
deal with the team as a whole may begin with role-playing and simulations before being
moved into the actual work setting.
Training in teamwork fundamentals should be presented to enable trainees to develop and
demonstrate basic skills before progressing to more advanced skills. Information from
supervisor training may be used as a building block to provide fundamental training in team
skills. The DOE Guide to Good Practices for Developing and Conducting Case Studies and
the DOE Handbook: Implementing U.S. Department of Energy Lessons Learned Program
can be used as references when developing case studies and role-play exercises for the
teamwork and diagnostic training. Teamwork fundamentals training should enable the
trainee to:
C Demonstrate ability to make his/her own thinking explicit and open to inquiry
from others. The trainee should support a position while inviting others to
question the assumptions upon which their position is based
C Demonstrate effective skills in verbal and nonverbal communications,
including listening
C Interact effectively with different personality types
C Delegate tasks effectively
C Coordinate successful completion of tasks
C Deal successfully with abnormal behavior
C Demonstrate techniques for praising and reprimanding personnel
C Provide on-the-job coaching of subordinates
C Establish feedback mechanisms that monitor the effectiveness of decisions
C Develop strategies that accomplish tasks efficiently and effectively.
Performance areas that impact teamwork are communication, stress management,
leadership, team building, and conflict resolution.
2.2 Communication
The skill that serves as a cornerstone for teamwork is communication. Without precise and
accurate communication, the effectiveness of the team is reduced. Communication
becomes critical especially during abnormal and emergency conditions. Communication
practices impact the effectiveness of a team by affecting the flow of information among team
members.
Training should be implemented that provides the team member with the ability to
communicate effectively. This training should enable the trainee to:
C Deliver clear and concise messages
C Apply the fundamentals of group communication such as methods used to
communicate, the impact of environmental conditions, and the medium used
to send the message
C Identify and overcome communication inhibitors such as lack of standardized
words/phrases, lack of procedural guidelines, inability to say or understand
"what you mean," noise in the workplace, and deficient or defective
communications equipment
C Establish and maintain effective communication during abnormal situations
C Establish and promote feedback mechanisms in the communication process.
Focus on what is right rather than who is right, the value of the feedback to
the other communicator, the amount of usable information, proper timing, and
paraphrasing or direct repeat back of messages
C Exchange information in an efficient and effective manner
C Influence team decisions by effective questioning and assertiveness
C Use facility procedures for communication practices.
2.3 Stress Management
Boredom and actual or anticipated abnormal conditions can make the work environment a
center of stress. Stress causing events could be when the only copy machine available
breaks in the middle of an important job or the client you've been trying to reach for the last
week calls as you leave to go to the bosses meeting. Stress can reduce a person's ability to
think clearly and can cause poor communications, degradation of teamwork, and faulty
decision making. Although stress cannot be eliminated from a work area, personnel should
be able to recognize and restrain its effects. To achieve this goal, training on stress
management fundamentals should be conducted. This training should enable the trainee to:
C Describe the relationship between performance and stress
C Identify conditions that cause stress both internal and external to the work
place such as physical, chemical, and emotional factors
C Identify variables that determine conditions or events that contribute to
individual stress
C Explain why thought processes suffer under stress
C Explain why a work team's performance is affected by the response of
individuals under stress
C Identify symptoms of stress-induced behavior such as rapid or shallow
breathing, dizziness, anger, loss of patience, and "drawer slamming"
C Apply methods that control the effects of stress on individual performance
during normal and abnormal conditions such as following procedures,
communicating effectively, applying breathing exercises, and relaxing. Note:
Procedures that are not written properly will also cause stress.
Stress management skills developed during initial training should be maintained and
enhanced during continuing training. Performance evaluations conducted on the job and
during simulator training should be used to identify areas where continuing training is
needed.
2.4 Leadership
Many work teams have a supervisor designated by the formal organization structure and
many do not, but in either case, each team member exercises some aspects of leadership in
his/her involvement with other team members and with outside groups. Team members
exercise leadership skills while coordinating tasks during day-to-day activities. To contribute
to the success of the team, every member of the team should understand the leadership
function.
Training in leadership for all work group personnel should enable them to:
C Define leadership and the leadership role in your facility
C Identify the aspects of an effective and non-effective leader
C Identify those factors that adversely impact the leadership role, and develop
methods to minimize the impact of these factors on team functions
C Identify and respond to the needs of individuals using different motivational
techniques
C Identify those characteristics of the team (i.e., group objectives and individual
and collective abilities) that impact on a person's leadership strategy and
control their effect on team output
C Fulfill leadership functions as needs arise within the team.
Practical exercises, role-plays, and classroom training with table-top drills should be used to
develop and enhance the ability of personnel to act effectively as a team.
2.5 Team Building
Training individual team members in teamwork skills is best seen as part of a larger, more
comprehensive program aimed at improving teamwork in larger organizational units. Team
building refers to a comprehensive program conducted at all levels to bring about better
team performance. It can be led by individual managers, supervisors, or specially skilled
trainers, facilitators, or consultants. Elements of a team building program include individual
skill training for technicians, operators, supervisors, and managers.
Teamwork training should be conducted to support the tasks identified in the job analysis.
Since most teamwork skills may not be identified by traditional methods of analysis, this
guide, the team itself, and references on team building also can be used to determine what
knowledge and skills are necessary. This training should enable individuals to:
C Function effectively within a group of people who possess varying technical,
communication, and interpersonal skills
C Identify deficiencies and initiate corrective action for performance problems
resulting from lack of teamwork
C Describe the organizational roles and responsibilities assigned to work team
members
C Describe and apply criteria used to measure team effectiveness
C Describe characteristics common to effective teams and determine which are
present in their own team
C Identify and promote factors essential to internal group support and
cohesiveness
C Describe disadvantages of teams and improve the individual's ability to
counteract these disadvantages
C Describe team member roles assigned only during abnormal or emergency
operations
C Determine how organizational and individual perceptions of assigned roles
and responsibilities influence individual performance
C Promote individual concepts and positions during interfaces with other people
C Define team values, attitudes, and beliefs, and identify those adopted by the
work team(s)
C Perform a self-assessment to identify and compensate for personality traits
that detract from effective teamwork
C Describe how team values, attitudes, and beliefs affect team interaction.
Effective team performance not only means successful completion of the technical task at
hand, but doing so in a way that increases the team's ability to do future work and satisfy the
needs of individual team members. While classroom learning has proven its utility for
addressing technical problems, it may not be the preferred approach to team development.
The team skills developed through classroom training and practice exercises may be
reinforced during on-the-job and simulator training. The proper mix and sequence of
approaches should be considered. Obtaining detailed knowledge of results over time can
help the individual organization learn which approaches will best meet its particular needs.
Team building goes beyond traditional skills training. The purpose is to get work done
better, and not simply to learn abstract concepts about groups or interpersonal dynamics.
Even when individuals possess strong team skills, they do not necessarily work well
together as a group. For this reason, intact work teams should go through the process
together. They develop and improve as a team by addressing actual issues of current
importance to the team.
Effective teams share several common characteristics.
C They operate with well defined goals, objectives, and expectations
C Members function interdependently with personal freedom to accomplish
assigned tasks
C Decisions on complex situations are made on the basis of team member
input rather than on an individual basis
C Information is shared freely
C High standards are set and maintained.
Once established, an effective team requires constant maintenance. Previously developed
competencies can assist with learning new skills and with adaptation to changing
circumstances and unique situations. To maintain effective work teams, an environment
should be established to promote these characteristics. Teamwork should be established
through training on roles, relationships, and procedures and by using realistic scenarios
when conducting role-plays and exercises that require the team to define each member’s
role in any situation and to identify the individual responsibilities towards the team.
To obtain a better functioning team, team building needs to take place on multiple levels. At
the individual level, individuals must have some level of teamwork skills. In addition,
managers, supervisors, trainers, and others in key leadership positions must learn and
consistently demonstrate effective teamwork skills. At the group level, teams learn to
develop the ability to work together effectively. At the organizational level, larger
organizational units learn better ways to interact.
The interaction between teams is also an appropriate focus of team building. This
interaction, and the quality of communication within the larger organizational units as a
whole, are important dimensions of team performance. It is important that this broader
context not be neglected in the teamwork training. Individual teams need to understand the
impact their performance has on other teams and the organization as a whole.
Developing effective teamwork needs support from the larger organization of which the
particular group is a part. Patterns of work used by larger organizational units will have a
significant impact on their component parts. For example, if the larger unit fails to consider
options before selecting a given alternative, it may be more difficult for a subordinate team
to adapt that as their own work practice.
2.6 Conflict Resolution
When not handled properly, conflict can severely hamper the ability of the team to complete
assigned tasks successfully, especially during stressful emergency situations. The ability of
team members to resolve conflict situations during both normal and abnormal conditions
should be developed and maintained to enable team personnel to:
C Identify common misconceptions about conflict and describe how these
misconceptions such as "personality difficulties" or challenging leadership
decisions inhibit conflict resolution
C Describe how controversies, conflicts of interest, and conflicts related to
stress affect the work team
C Achieve constructive conflict by applying techniques such as communicating
information accurately, having a supportive climate, sharing a common set of
values, and establishing and adhering to a common set of rules about conflict
C Assess situations that may result in destructive conflict such as physical
conflicts and conflict related to drugs or alcohol, and take actions necessary
to eliminate the adverse consequences
C Identify and respond to different styles of conflict resolution (i.e., compromise,
avoidance, accommodation, competition, and collaboration)
C Determine when the inability to resolve conflicts within the team should be
reported to higher supervision or management.
The conflict resolution skills developed in classroom training and through practical exercises
can be reinforced during on-the-job and simulator training and role-play exercises. An
understanding of the causes and benefits of constructive conflict helps the team members
recognize early signs of conflict and prepares them to handle or avoid highly emotional
issues. The resolution of conflict in a professional and timely manner will reduce stress
during situations when the team must focus its energies on controlling a situation.
2.7 Conclusion
In teamwork training, members of the group rely on one another to support their learning.
As such, establishing a higher level of cohesiveness can increase their learning and
achievement. A more people-centered learning environment with a high level of trust, ease
of communication, collaborative atmosphere, acceptance of personal responsibility, and
clear and accepted learning goals is the proper setting for team training. In this sense, the
medium is the message. The way the training is done gives much of the message about
what is to be learned.
Learning exercises should be designed so that successful completion requires collaboration
and constructive interaction among the team. Interdependence regarding materials,
information, roles, goals, and relationships with other groups all can promote the
development of cohesion in the group.
There are many resources available that can be used to develop teamwork fundamentals
training. An annotated bibliography is included in this guide to help direct the research
efforts of the training department.
( GUIDE TO GOOD PRACTICES
FOR TEAMWORK TRAINING AND
DIAGNOSTIC SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, from :U.S. Department of Energy FSC 6910
Washington, D.C. 20585)
