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Videos That Convey sharing responsibility and/or reciprocity

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Videos That Convey sharing responsibility and/or reciprocity

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Skanksa & RVT Group Working Together to Protect Site Workers Health

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60 Second-Strategy: Cooperative Learning Roles

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theories or methodologies regarding working together

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theories or methodologies regarding working together

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Stanford faculty member Gregory Walton found that when people are treated by others as partners working together on a task, their motivation increases - even if they worked on their own.

Rawpixel/ Shutterstock

When people are treated as partners working together with others - even when physically apart - their motivation increases, according to new Stanford research.

As the study noted, people undertake many activities in life on their own but with others in mind - a researcher writes a paper on a new medical treatment and knows that others are working on the same problem. A student writes an essay for class and understands that other students are writing their own essays. When people feel they and others are working together on a difficult problem, does this increase motivation?

"Working with others affords enormous social and personal benefits," Gregory Walton, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford, wrote in an article in the Journal of Experimental Psychology with co-author Priyanka Carr, then a Stanford graduate student.

In an interview, Walton said, "Our research found that social cues that conveyed simply that other people treat you as though you are working together on a task - rather than that you are just as working on the same task but separately - can have striking effects on motivation."

Intrinsic motivation

In five experiments, Carr and Walton found that these "cues of working together" increased "intrinsic motivation" as people work on their own. Intrinsic motivation refers to behaviors people want to do - what they enjoy and find intrinsically rewarding - not what they force themselves to do.

First, participants met in small groups. Then, they went to separate rooms to work on their own on a challenging puzzle. People in the "psychologically together" category were told they would work on the puzzle "together" and that they would either write or receive a tip on the puzzle from another participant in the study. Later they received a tip ostensibly authored by another participant.

People in the "psychologically separate" category were simply told that each person would work on the puzzle - there was no mention of working "together." And the tip they would write or receive would come from the researchers - who, of course, were not solving puzzles. They received the same tip content as those in the "psychologically together" category - but it did not come from people engaged in the task.

While all the participants worked on their own on the puzzle, the key difference was that one group was treated by peers as though they were working "together." The rest thought they were working on the same thing as others but separately, or simply in parallel to them.

As Walton said, "In our studies, people never actually worked together - they always worked on their own on a challenging puzzle. What we were interested in was simply the effects of the perceived social context."

Their findings showed that when people were treated as though they were working together they:

Persisted 48 to 64 percent longer on a challenging task

Reported more interest in the task

Became less tired by having to persist on the task - presumably because they enjoyed it

Became more engrossed in the task and performed better on it

Finally, when people were encouraged to reflect on how their interest in the puzzle was relevant to their personal values and identity, people chose to do 53 percent more related tasks in a separate setting one to two weeks later.

"The results showed that simply feeling like you're part of a team of people working on a task makes people more motivated as they take on challenges," said Walton. Moreover, the results reflect an increase in motivation - not a sense of obligation, competition or pressure to join others in an activity.

Communication, collaboration

Walton pointed out that the research does not suggest that group work is always or necessarily better as a means to motivate children in school or employees at work.

"Sometimes group work can have negative effects," Walton said.

For example, if people feel obligated to work with others, if they feel their contributions will go unnoticed or if they don't have ownership over their work and contribution, then group work might not be productive.

"Our research shows that it is possible to create a spirit of teamwork as people take on challenging individual tasks - a feeling that we're all in this together, working on problems and tasks - and that this sense of working together can inspire motivation," he said.

Carr noted, "It is also striking that it does not take enormous effort and change to create this feeling of togetherness. Subtle cues that signal people are part of a team or larger effort ignited motivation and effort. Careful attention to the social context as people work and learn can help us unleash motivation."

Media Contact

Gregory Walton, Psychology: (650) 498-4284, gwalton@stanford.edu

Clifton B. Parker, Stanford News Service: (650) 725-0224, cbparker@stanford.edu

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Stanford research shows that working together boosts motivation

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Stanford faculty member Gregory Walton found that when people are treated by others as partners working together on a task, their motivation increases - even if they worked on their own. Rawpixel/ Shutterstock When people are treated as partners working together with others - even when physically apart - their motivation increases, according to new Stanford research.

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Videos That Convey sharing responsibility and/or reciprocity

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Videos That Convey sharing responsibility and/or reciprocity

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theories or methodologies regarding working together

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theories or methodologies regarding working together

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Lev Vygotsky and Social Learning Theories

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Social learning theories help us to understand how people learn in social contexts (learn from each other) and informs us on how we, as teachers, construct active learning communities. Lev Vygotsky (1962), a Russian teacher and psychologist, first stated that we learn through our interactions a…

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Videos That Convey sharing responsibility and/or reciprocity

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Videos That Convey sharing responsibility and/or reciprocity

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Special Education and Regular Education: Working Together

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theories or methodologies regarding working together

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theories or methodologies regarding working together

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You can't just switch on teamwork. It takes time for a new team to "gel" and work to its full potential. What's more, team members go through stages as they move from strangers to co-workers.

Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing model describes these stages. When you understand Tuckman's model, you'll know how to help your new team to become effective - faster. Let's look at how.

Click here to view a transcript of this video.

Where Does Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing Come From?

Psychologist Bruce Tuckman came up with the memorable phrase "forming, storming, norming, and performing" in his 1965 paper, "Developmental Sequence in Small Groups." [1] It describes the path that teams follow on their way to high performance. Later, he added a fifth stage, "adjourning" (also known as "mourning") to mark the end of a team's journey.

What Happens at Tuckman's Forming Stage?

In the beginning, when a new team forms, individuals will be unsure of the team's purpose, how they fit in, and whether they'll work well with one another. They may be anxious, curious, or excited to get going. However they feel, they'll be looking to the team leader for direction.

This may take some time, as people get to know their new colleagues and one another's ways of working.

What Did Tuckman Mean by Storming?

In the storming stage, people start to push against the established boundaries. Conflict or friction can also arise between team members as their true characters - and their preferred ways of working - surface and clash with other people's.

At this stage team members may challenge your authority or management style, or even the team's mission. Left unchecked, this can lead to face-to-face confrontations or simmering online tensions.

If roles and responsibilities aren't yet clear, individuals might begin to feel overwhelmed by their workload or frustrated at a lack of progress.

How Do I Recognize the Norming Stage?

Gradually, the team moves into the norming stage. People start to resolve their differences, appreciate one another's strengths, and respect your authority as a leader.

Now that they know one another better, your team members will feel more comfortable asking for help and offering constructive feedback. They'll share a stronger commitment to the team's goals, and they should make good progress toward it.

What Does the Performing Stage Look Like?

Now your team is in flow and performing to its full potential. With hard work and structured processes, the team is likely to achieve its goals efficiently.

Judith Stein, from MIT's HR department, says of this stage, "Roles on the team may have become more fluid, with members taking on various roles and responsibilities as needed. Differences among members are appreciated and used to enhance the team's performance." [2]

What About Tuckman's Adjourning (or Mourning) Stage?

Many teams reach this stage naturally. For example, projects come to an end, or permanent teams are disbanded and people redeployed.

People who like routine, or who have developed close working relationships with colleagues, may find this time difficult.

Using the Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing Tool

Follow the steps below to ensure that you're doing the right thing at the right time:

1. Identify the stage that your team is at from the descriptions above.

2. Consider what you need to do to move on to the next stage.

3. Schedule regular reviews of where your team is at, and adjust your behavior and leadership approach accordingly.

Tuckman's model isn't a one-way street - teams may go back and forth between stages. When you hit the performing stage, keep observing your team's progress in case it slips back. For example, a new team member can disrupt the group dynamic, or a new business direction might mean you have to reevaluate your team roles and goals.

Leading Through the Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing Stages

Forming to Storming

To establish clear objectives for the group at this first stage, create a team charter. And help team members to set personal goals so that they can see how their work will fit with the bigger picture.

Storming to Norming

Storming can make or break a team, so it's essential that you establish processes to track the progress and success of tasks.

Norming to Performing

Use your regular one-on-ones to encourage individuals to step back, review their goals, and take responsibility for them.

Performing to Adjourning

When the team has settled into the performing stage, you can focus on other goals and new areas to benefit the business. Free up more time for yourself - and boost team engagement - by delegating tasks and projects.

You should also make time for the group's personal development. Discuss with your team what opportunities and resources are available to them, such as the Mind Tools toolkits.

Adjourning (or Mourning)

If any team members feel uncertain about what's ahead, boost their confidence and career prospects by praising them at company meetings. And offer to provide LinkedIn recommendations and references if they're moving on.

Key Points

Psychologist Bruce Tuckman described how teams move through stages known as forming, storming, norming, and performing, and adjourning (or mourning).

You can use Tuckman's model to help your team to perform better. First, identify the stage your team is at, then use our tips to move them through the stages.

Remember, teams can slip back a stage, too. Use Tuckman's model to continually review where you team is at - and make any necessary changes to get back on course.

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Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing: Tuckman's Model for Nurturing a Team to High Performance

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You can't just switch on teamwork. It takes time for a new team to "gel" and work to its full potential. What's more, team members go through stages as they move from strangers to co-workers. Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing model describes these stages.

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steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment

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steps to ensure support is provided to all class members during an assignment

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1. Design group project in which the students work in phases
2. Develop an element of the project that allows group members to make their own choices
3. Within the Group Project include a component in which students submit individual work as well

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Organizations often try to solve these problems by redefining responsibilities -reorganizing what people do and restructuring the way work is done-only to find that changing where people sit in the organization won't necessarily change how they think and perform. What they are lacking is personal accountability-involving a choice to move closer to the success that you or your organization wants. When you step up to greater personal accountability, employees stop blaming each other, salespeople stop blaming the marketplace, companies stop blaming their competitors, and we all stop blaming the economy-you get the picture. Finding convenient reasons to shift responsibility or blame is never effective and never brings better results.

Accountability: The Secret Sauce of Responsibility

Clearly defining responsibility is certainly essential, but encouraging people to go a step further to get personally involved will secure better results every time. That's where taking accountability comes into play. The notion of "taking accountability" naturally sounds more significant than "having responsibility"-you're making the choice to go beyond what you're responsible for, carrying with it an idea of ownership, involvement, and engagement. Earlier we looked at how a responsible team or organization might function. Now, let's look at an accountable team or organization. In a workplace culture where this positive and empowering version of accountability is embraced, you'll find that:

People at all levels take ownership for the strategic results of the organization.

Balls do not get dropped and projects do not slip through the cracks.

People think differently about the job that needs to get done.

People break-down barriers and collaborate to achieve the right results.

Why? Because accountability is a broader concept than responsibility-it's something you do to yourself, not something that someone does to you. It's with this version of accountability that people not only take accountability for the results they need to achieve individually but for results that they are not 100% in control of. Organizations embracing positive accountability have a culture of people that hold themselves accountable for the ultimate results of the organization.

Getting Positive Accountability

It's not hard to see that the prevailing notions of accountability need to be fixed-we need something more positively defined as "a personal choice to rise above one's circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary for achieving desired results." When you shift mindsets and thought processes this way, you'll begin to see and feel traction in yourself and in others. Over nearly three decades of working with some of the world's top organizations and leaders, we've observed 16 Accountability Traits that are the essence of "taking accountability." Accountable individuals, teams, and organizations are good at:

1. Obtaining the perspective of others

2. Communicating openly and candidly

3. Asking for and offering feedback

4. Hearing and saying the hard things to see reality

5. Being personally invested

6. Learning from both successes and failures

7. Ensuring my work is aligned with Key Results

8. Acting on the feedback I (we) receive

9. Constantly asking "What else can I (we) do?"

10. Collaborating across functional boundaries

11. Creatively dealing with obstacles

12. Taking the necessary risks

13. Doing the things I (we) say I (we) will do

14. Staying "Above The Line®" by not blaming others

15. Tracking progress with proactive and transparent reporting

16. Building an environment of trust

These traits have proven, over time, as being the mandatory actions that create the process of taking positive accountability. Adopt the right mindset and step up to these traits and you'll quickly realize that accountability is not assigned, not put upon, not, at times, so exactly defined that it creates silos, finger pointing, and the blame game. It is chosen.

Making the Choice

Working on getting good at the 16 Accountability Traits is just that-work. Where do you begin?

1. Look them over and be honest with yourself on the ones you need to improve.

2. Think about what you can do better and where you can help others.

3. Then, do them!

In time, taking accountability for demonstrating improvement in these 16 areas is going to enhance your life, both personally and professionally. When individuals, teams, and organizations choose greater accountability, you'll see and get more. More ownership. More performance. More innovation. More heart. And better results. In summary, responsibility can be given or received, even assumed, but that doesn't automatically guarantee that personal accountability will be taken. Accountability is a choice. If that choice isn't made, it's possible to have responsibility for something or someone but still lack accountability. So, responsibly choose accountability. As you do, you're sure to discover just what accountability can do for you and those around you.

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Responsibility vs. Accountability - Partners In Leadership

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When a result isn't achieved, that's when most of us start hearing words like "responsibility" and "accountability." While responsibility is appreciated and often used correctly, accountability continues to be misperceived and gets a bad rap-we're here to tell you why it shouldn't.

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Giving your employees the freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want as long as the work gets done does not equate to a no rules free for all. We are, after all, focused on results and employees must be held accountable for their results. So, how do you measure those results and hold employees and teams accountable?

One thing we hear often is "If your employees aren't in the office from 8-5, how do you know they're working?" And our response is always the same: "Well, how do you know they're working now?"
>>>HR is Not Flexible with Flexibility
We polled some of experienced managers in the ROWE Online Support Community and asked:

How do you measure accountability in a Results-Only Work Environment?
Omi Diaz Cooper, President of Diaz Cooper Advertising:
Here are some ways we measure accountability:

1. Deadlines met.
2. Projects adhering to expected standards
3. Client acceptance rate of projects
4. Number of mistakes/revisions
5. Project adhering to allotted budget
6. Profitability rates per department
7. # Client Referrals (Net Promoter score)
8. Peer Reviews
9. Performance against Position KPIs
>>>Results Through Flexibility
How do you measure costs and profitability in a Results-Only Work Environment?

Many get concerned about how to track costs and profitability for projects if you do not track when and where employees are working.

The answer for many is simple.
Ross Wright, President of FrogSlayer.
"You can work where you want, and when you want. You still have to keep track of how much time [spent on the project]."
Janelle Riley, President of Syvantis Technologies agrees.
"On Fixed Price contracts (where the client does not need to see hours) we still track time. This is the only way that we can accurately report financial results because we recognize revenue on a percentage of completion basis. However, this doesn't tie anyone down. Our staff still manage their own projects, their own time, and their own client relationships. They just happen to show their time on their calendars."
Diaz Cooper Advertising does it a bit differently.
"Under ROWE, you can still track hours per specific project, as long as employees know their compensation is not tied to those hours (It doesn't matter when or where they do it, as long as they get it done within the project allotted hours.)," says Diaz Cooper.
>>>That Sucking Sound is People Leaving Your Company
How do you build a performance-driven work culture in a Results-Only Work Environment?

It doesn't really matter if you are in a traditional work environment, or if you're in a ROWE, you still have to have measurable results and hold employees accountable for work. Start building a performance-driven work culture by changing the way you set goals, as a company and as individuals. Employee's goals and outcomes should always satisfy the ultimate customer and the ultimate outcome for your organization. .
How does your company measure accountability, whether in a ROWE or a more traditional work environment?
Order your copy of Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson.
Cali Ressler, along with her business partner Jody Thompson, is the Founder of CultureRx and co-creator of the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE). Her first book, Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It, was named "The Year's Best Book on Work-Life Balance" by Business Week. She has been featured on the covers of BusinessWeek, Workforce Management Magazine, HR Magazine, Hybrid Mom Magazine, as well as in the New York Times, TIME Magazine, USA Today, and on Good Morning America, CNBC and CNN. Cali is also a nationally recognized keynote speaker and has presented to numerous Fortune 500 companies and prominent trade associations. Cali and Jody created ROWE based on the belief that the traditional solution of flexible schedules is not the answer to managing life's many twists and turns.

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How Do You Measure Accountability in a Results-Only Work Environment? - The People Group

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Guest Post By Cali Ressler, Co-Founder of CultureRx, LLC Giving your employees the freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want as long as the work gets done does not equate to a no rules free for all. We are, after all, focused on results and employees must be held accountable for their results.