Continuing Professional Development Team building

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interaction and the goal must be a team goal (see table 2). As you progress from workflow pattern

1 through to 5, the level of team entiativity (or group thinking) required increases. Patterns 1 to 3 predominate in construction, although patterns 4 and 5 can probably be identified in major projects such as the Olympics, and the logic of BIM also suggests that they will be more in evidence in the future. It has been found that interdependence improves cohesion and collaboration and, as a result, it increases both member and overall team productivity.

Virtual teams With increased reliance on technology and international working, teams that cross geographical and time boundaries are becoming more and more the norm. All teams in construction work virtually to some extent and in some ways, working in a virtual team requires the same ingredients for success as a normal team. But by losing elements of face-to-face time, what different processes are required to ensure team performance and effective outputs? Most disadvantages to virtual working relate to communication. Put simply, you lose the non-verbal component of communication. Research has proven that working “virtually” does impact on the performance of those

Table 2: Types of role

Team Workflow Pattern 1. NOT a Team Task/Activity

2. Pooled/Additive Interdependence 3. Sequential Interdependence 4. Reciprocal Interdependence 5. Intensive Interdependence

Description

Work and activities are NOT performed as a member of the team; they are performed alone outside the context of the team. Work and activities are performed by an individual working ALONE, NOT in a team.

Work and activities are performed separately by all team members and work does not flow between members of the team.

Work and activities flow from one member to another in the team, but mostly in one direction.

Work and activities flow between team members in a back-and-forth manner over a period of time.

Work and activities come into the team and members must diagnose, problem solve, and/or collaborate as a team in order to accomplish the team’s task.

teams — both positively and negatively. In such environments, matching the team members to the tasks, and the communication technology, is critical.

Summary When it comes to team performance, the construction industry often refers to sporting achievement as a metaphor for learning. Individual personality, traits and behaviours will inform the position the individual person will take within a team and the role that will be performed. At all stages of the construction

process, irrespective of role, you can influence the outcome. It is crucial to develop a full understanding of the self,

CPD test paper Team building The CIOB requires members to assess and

fulfil their own CPD needs. Members can therefore choose to study the CPD articles published in CM as a valid part of their personal record of CPD activity.

To complete the questionnaire printed below, members should log on to www. construction-manager.co.uk then click on this month’s CPD article. Scroll down to the end

The vision and strategy of Team Sky and its individual team members provides a compelling argument for combining talent and skill with psychology.

with corroboration from others to balance self-perception. With an increased focus on the benefits derived from effective team working and where collaboration is being driven within the construction industry enabled further by technology, the cultural change will be key to success. The real gains of collaboration and learned interdependence will transform the industry, resulting in competitive innovation and provide a global winning advantage — just like Team Sky. Erland Rendall is a former director of Davis Langdon who now runs Atorus Consult, which works with clients to enhance strategic, management or operational thinking and execution

of the article, and you will find a link to the online questionnaire (see example pictured below) and the five multiple choice questions printed here. Select your answers, fill in your contact details, then click “submit”. If all five questions are answered

correctly, you will be invited to download and print a PDF document confirming your successful completion of the questionnaire. If one or more questions is answered incorrectly, please reread the article and try again, pressing “submit” to resend the amended form.

We are no longer offer the facility to send questionnaires by fax or post. Please email any questions regarding this CPD service to cmcpd@atompublishing.co.uk.

1. Work and activities flow between team members in a back- and-forth manner over a period of time is known as: ● Sequential interdependence ● Reciprocal interdependence ● Intensive interdependence ● Pooled/additive interdependence

2. Edwin Mayo began a study into human behaviour in: ● 1924 ● 1925

● 1926 ● 1922

3. OCEAN stands for: ● Openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism ● Openness, consciousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism ● Outgoing, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism ● Openness, conscientiousness, egotism, agreeableness, neuroticism

4. Challenger (A-) traits are useful in: ● Finance managers ● Military leaders

● Stage performers ● Detectives

5. Under the quick assessment, if your team scores closer to 8: ● It is working at its optimum performance level ● It is performing well but could do better ● It is performing adequately for the task in hand ● It is likely to be facing considerable issues

50 | SEPTEMBER 2012 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER