Working in Teams - Essay Example

Working in Teams One of the most important aspects of effective teams that have to be evaluated is the informality of the atmosphere within which the team members work. An informal work environment, as seen with the team in the video, is extremely important for a team because it ensures that the team members are free with each other and are willing to express themselves in a manner that can be understood. Furthermore, it is essential that teams remain informal because it is a means through which individuals are not only able to present new ideas with the confidence that they will be listened to, but also allow the team members to appreciate each other. Another aspect of an effective team is that it should have plenty of discussions because it is these discussions which allow members to get to know each other better while at the same time helping the entire team to understand what is entailed in the projects that is being undertaken. As seen in the video, it is essential that decision making should be done by consensus rather than through the decision of the team leader because to do it by consensus allows for the input of all members. Moreover, it should be noted that it is through the consensus that team cohesion can be established because otherwise, it would lead to a situation where there is a lot of conflict within the team. Tuckman’s five stages of group formation can be considered to be a factor in the group seen in the video. These five stages involve formation, which defines the period when the team first meets, and reviews that challenges and opportunities available to it. The second stage of the team formation is storming where the weaknesses of all team members are tolerated and room is made to accommodate their ideas because to do otherwise might lead to failure. The third stage is norming, where the team members come to own the project in such a way that they are willing to invest their time and effort in order to make it succeed. The next step is performing, with members of the team being more knowledgeable of the task they are undertaking and this ensures that they have added motivation. The final stage is adjourning, which is the disbandment of the team after the project it is assigned is accomplished with the team members going their separate way. In the video, Joe seems to be the most advanced in the team, and can be considered to be in the norming stage because he is willing to invest his time in the project at hand (Managers Hot Seat, 2015). Cheng is at the storming stage, where his statement that he will likely leave the group soon can be considered to be a weakness that he has to work on. Simon is also at the storming stage because despite his not being prepared for the meeting, he plays a calming effect in the team. Rosa is the least cooperative of the group and shows an unwillingness to work with her teammates under all circumstances, showing that she is still at the formation stage. In the team, Joe is the obvious leader and he takes his leadership role very seriously. He is the only one who seems to be completely dedicated to the project and he seems to be trying to ensure that his fellow teammates focus on the task at hand rather than on their personal problems. Rosa, on the other hand, can be considered to be a disruptive force within the team because instead of focusing on the task at hand, she chooses to focus on those that are not of importance to the team such as her mother in-law coming to stay with her. The result of this circumstance is that she seems to be giving excuses for the possibility that she might not be there for the team even before the team starts dealing with the task at hand. Cheng is an essential part of the team because despite his declaration that he might be transferred soon, he is the only one, apart from Joe, who has a copy of the agenda; showing his seriousness when it comes to the project. The perception that one has of Simon is that he is not dedicated and that he is not in any way prepared to be an active participant since most of his contributions have no concrete relevance to the project (Managers Hot Seat, 2015). The communication among the participants in the video was not effective because one half of the team did not seem to be listening and was not prepared. The communication process was mired by Rosa’s constant complaint concerning the need for the meeting to be done in a hurry as well as her not being willing to work for longer hours if necessary. Simon, on the other hand, taken on a relaxed attitude in such a way that he lets the other members of the team discuss matters concerning the project without his putting in any new ideas. The result of his relaxed attitude is that the team does not have an opportunity to listen to his ideas. Joe is the most effective communicator in the team and it is his focus that ensures that some part of the agenda is covered comprehensively. It is his leadership through his communication skills that makes the other team members to defer to him; ensuring that he is able to communicate his ideas effectively. Cheng is a good listener and it is because of this that he is able to make a choice on what he would like to do before any of the others. One of the most fundamental sources of conflict within the team is that some members insist on arguing the same points over and over again. This situation is especially prevalent with Rosa and Cheng, each of whom seeks to show that they have commitments elsewhere and will likely not be putting all their effort into the project. The result is that the discussion does not move as smoothly as possible because Joe is forced to divert his focus from the agenda at hand and instead seeks to ensure that these two individuals are on the right track. A negative comment by Simon towards Cheng does not make the situation better because it has a potential of creating more conflicts. In such a situation, Joe should seek to pacify both Rosa and Cheng by looking for common ground among all the team members in such a way that ensures that they are focused. Another approach would be inventing new problem solving skills in order to ensure that all team members move on with the project instead of getting into a situation that night create conflict among them. The individuals shown in the video can be considered to be a group because it seems that a majority of them are not as dedicated to the agenda being discussed as they should be. The ability to form a cohesive team has not been displayed by the team members and it seems that the only member who is completely dedicated is Joe. That Simon, Rosa, and Cheng each claim to have commitments outside of the team shows that they are not whole heartedly in the project and that they need to be pushed in order to become active participants. It can further be said that these individuals are still a group because they have not taken the time to know each other well as well as ensuring that they all seek to set their outside interest aside in order to concentrate on the agenda. Those who are seeking to be excused from working as much as the others, such as Rosa and Simon, are not only being selfish, but are also create a negative environment. In the video, there are numerous motivational problems which seem to affect the manner through which the team is operating. This is especially the case with Rosa who is not motivated enough to make sure that she puts her job first. Furthermore, Simon’s behavior shows that despite being a member of the team, he is not motivated enough to ensure that he gives his best for the sake of the group. The result of this situation is that Simon is practically irrelevant to the group and this is in contrast with Joe and Cheng who seem to be the only ones in the team that are focused. Cheng seems to be very concerned about what is likely to happen in case his transfer comes through; showing that despite his imminent departure, he hopes that the team will have a contingency plan to ensure that it succeeds. In order to motivate these individuals, it is essential that they be encouraged to know more about each other at an informal level. In the case of Simon, the best way to motivate him is through being encouraged to become an active participant by being delegated important tasks. In the case of Rosa, she needs to be allowed flexible hours in order to create a balance between her work and private life. Cheng should be allowed to remain with the team until after the project is completed before he is transferred. Finally, Joe can be motivated through being allowed to keep his leadership position. References Managers Hot Seat. (2015). [Video file] Retrieved from http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/mgt420_hot-seat-videos-v1.1.php Read More