Sun Microsystems
Originating as a student project at Stanford Univerisity in 1983, Sun Microsystems derived its name from this.
What is the Stanford University Network (SUN)?
Social functions that guide accepted standards of behavior for a team.
What are Team Norms?
This concept—critical in virtual, global work—was undermined when different sites blamed each other during the crisis.
What is psychological safety?
Greg realized he needed to set these up so everyone knew roles, expectations, and processes.
What are team norms?
This is how James explained the need for his team to accept country-based benefits differences.
What is, "This is part of Global Collaboration"?
"...The freedom to assemble, participate, and create provided the spark for innovation."
What is Sun Microsystems guiding philosophy?
A set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit.
What are Roles?
These unspoken cultural differences—such as communication directness and comfort with hierarchy—created invisible barriers between team members.
What are cultural norms?
_________, __________, and ___________are conditions for Team Success.
What are Context, Composition, and Process?
This informal “rule” of global teamwork was broken when information failed to move smoothly across time zones.
What is the follow-the-sun model?
This program combined technologies, tools, and support processes that enabled employees to work from anywhere, anytime, using any technology.
What is the Open Work Program?
The degree to which members of a team are similar to, or different from, one another.
What is diversity?
This type of team structure, where members are geographically dispersed and rely on technology, poses unique coordination challenges that the case highlights.
What is a virtual global team?
This best predictor of team success.
What is psychological safety?
This project—the one that went down for two days—exposed the team’s deep communication gaps and lack of shared accountability.
What is the HS Holdings server outage?
A Norm that each manager should have direct supervision over approximately 11 employees.
What is Sun's "Rule of 11"?
During this phase of team development, Team members begin to voice their opinions. Conflict may arise between team members as power and status are assigned.
What is the Storming phase?
This performance gap surfaced when team members didn’t feel responsible for the work happening outside their own region.
What is a lack of shared accountability?
This quote, "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team," is attributed to.
Who is Phil Jackson?
Greg James had to do this to hear everyone’s side and figure out what was really wrong.
What is visit each team in person?
This Sun Microsystems approach to forming global teams ensures work follows daylight around the world—so that as the sun sets in one region, another team “comes online” to continue the project, placing top talent closest to global customers.
What is the "follow the sun" policy?
During this phase of Team Development, Team members are now competent, autonomous, and able to handle the decision-making processes without supervision. Norms and roles are now set; team members can focus on achieving common goals.
What is the Performing Phase?
Teams use this chart to avoid confusion about who does the work, who approves it, and who just needs updates.
What is a RACI chart?
These three components: Interpersonal attraction, Commitment to the team's task, and team pride, combine to make __________.
What is Team Cohesion?
James recognized that he did spend more time with the US team by saying this.
What is, "We do have more water-cooler conversations...?"