Lead Small Team LO4

Training, Teaching and Learning Materials Development
LO4: Develop team commitment & cooperation
Team Roles and Responsibilities
Team Members - Everyone Else!

Team members don't have specific responsibilities, but their participation is
critical to the team's success. Team members must agree to:
 Be enthusiastic and committed to the team's purpose.

 Be honest and keep any confidential information behind closed doors.
 Share responsibility to rotate through other team roles like facilitator,
recorder, and timekeeper.
 Share knowledge and expertise and not withhold information.
 Ask questions, even seemingly "dumb" ones. Often the new
perspective of "inexperienced" team members can provide insight.
 Fulfill duties in between meetings.
 Respect the opinions and positions of others on the team, even if the
person has an opposing view or different opinion.
Team Member - Informal Roles!

Teams can have unofficial, informal roles too. Some are helpful and some are not
so helpful. The list below summarizes some common, informal roles in teams.
Helpful Roles
The Expert - A knowledgeable subject matter expert who can clarify technical
issues.
The Summarizer - Often, a "big picture" person who helps to sum up items.
The Bridge Builder - Experienced negotiators who can help bring opposing views
together
Not Always Helpful Roles

The Joker - Always telling jokes to the extent that others can't accomplish their
goals.
The Blocker - Hates to make decisions, or reach closure; always looking for more
information or wants to "think things over a little bit."
The Busier Than Thou - Always busier, harder working and has more
responsibilities than others.
The Disrupter - If they aren't interrupting for some reason, Disrupters like to hold
side conversations or generally disturb the group.
The Loner - Doesn't like to participate, rarely contributes.
Learning guide 47 Date 08-2017 Page 1 of 5

Author: IT Experts
How to Handle the Not Always Helpful Roles
 Set clear time limits for making decisions and remind people often of
the time - Jokers and Blockers are less likely to intrude or delay if
they are regularly informed of the time and process.
 Clarify expectations - Get team buy-in up front for the work to be
done. Agree by consensus that everyone will accept responsibility for
any extra work. If the Busier Than Thou person begins to complain,
remind that person of his or her agreement
 In general - Individuals disrupt meetings for myriad reasons. Skilled
facilitators will acknowledge the fears or anxieties behind the
behavior, and then move on.
Remember this...
Team members must commit to the success of the group and promise to
participate.
Review Quiz Check your understanding of team rules by selecting true or

FTMS200S11
false to the following questions.
1. The timekeeper should make sure everyone is participating.

2. If it appears the meeting may go long, the timekeeper
should notify the facilitator.
3. Team members should accept the agenda as it is, and not
make suggestions for modifying it.
4. Team leaders should attend all meetings, but never say
anything. It tends to intimidate people.
5. It's a good idea for the role of facilitator to rotate from
member to member.
6. Recorders should paraphrase group decisions in order to
get as much information as possible down on paper.
7. Not-so-helpful roles like Blockers, Jokers, or Disrupters are
simply part of any organization's make up. Accept these
individuals for who they are and let them have their say in
team meetings. It helps them to get things off their chest.
8. Facilitators are focused on process, not task.

Author: IT Experts
9. Leaders are focused on task, not process.

10. Team members should be empowered to discuss all details
about team meetings with others in the organization, even
those who are not members of the team.
3. Set performance expectation for team members
A supervisor should attempt to encourage norms (rule) that positively affect the
formal organization's goals, and to alter (correct) those that are negative. If this is
accomplished, the informal group/ team will direct its energies toward desired
goals.
How can a supervisor bring about a positive change in a group / team's norms?
Once a group / team have developed its norms, they are strictly enforced until
changed. But norms change frequently because the group / team must be
responsive to changes in its environment for self-protection. When a perceived
change occurs in the environment that affects the group / team, it tightens, eases, or
changes its norms.
There are three stages to fostering group / team / team norms that are congenial
(agreeable) to the organization.
First Stage
The first stage involves determining what the group/ team/ norms are, and then getting group/
team members to recognize their existence (survival) and influence.
This can often be accomplished by observing the behavior patterns of the group / team,
interviewing group / team members, or asking the group/ team to identify its own norms. As
noted earlier, people frequently respect and follow norms unconsciously.
This instrument has ten predetermined dimensions; these are (together with definitions,) as
follows.

Author: IT Experts
Self check-4 written
1. Team members must agree to what.

2. What is Team Member Informal Roles?

Author: IT Experts
Answer Key-2 Written Test
1.
 Be enthusiastic and committed to the team's purpose.

 Be honest and keep any confidential information behind closed doors.
 Share responsibility to rotate through other team roles like facilitator,
recorder, and timekeeper.
 Share knowledge and expertise and not withhold information.
2. Teams can have unofficial, informal roles too. Some are helpful and some
are not so helpful.

Author: IT Experts

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Training, Teaching and Learning Materials Development

LO4: Develop team commitment & cooperation

Team Roles and Responsibilities

Team Members - Everyone Else!

 Be enthusiastic and committed to the team's purpose.

Team Member - Informal Roles!

Not Always Helpful Roles

Learning guide 47 Date 08-2017 Page 1 of 5

How to Handle the Not Always Helpful Roles

Review Quiz Check your understanding of team rules by selecting true or

1. The timekeeper should make sure everyone is participating.

Learning guide 47 Date 08-2017 Page 2 of 5

9. Leaders are focused on task, not process.

3. Set performance expectation for team members

Learning guide 47 Date 08-2017 Page 3 of 5

Self check-4 written

1. Team members must agree to what.

Learning guide 47 Date 08-2017 Page 4 of 5

Answer Key-2 Written Test

 Be enthusiastic and committed to the team's purpose.

Learning guide 47 Date 08-2017 Page 5 of 5

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