Identifying Group Types and Group Characteristics - Essay Example

Module Identifying Group Types and Group Characteristics INTRODUCTION An effective management practice in an organization demands that operation be collectively carried out by different individuals in a systematic fashion such that people work together in unison to meet both long term and short term organizational goals. To steer a team towards this collective functioning, a deep and insightful understanding of the group dynamics of the teams in the firm becomes a prerequisite as it will pave way for the management to deploy the right group management approach in regulating the operations of the members. Working as one team is undoubtedly the best way to achieve great results and only through effective management of the groups can these exemplary results be scored (Cobb, 140-141). Different groups have different characteristics and this means that leaders are tasked with a daunting responsibility of reading through and evaluating the type of group they are leading and the dynamics it has in terms of the different behaviour patterns, attitudes, characteristics, among others it exhibit. As a matter of fact, gaining deep knowledge about the people that one manages will put them at the best position to predict their likely response and reaction, what they are capable of and their limitations among others increasing the chances of leadership success. This paper aims at evaluating ways of identifying different types of team project and the characteristics they exhibit so that a deeper understanding of group dynamics can be achieved as it relates it to the existing theoretical framework and models. A group may be defined as a collection of two or more people who operate in a certain way to meet certain jointly shared objectives. In a work setting, employees’ roles are usually diverse in terms of area of expertise and in most cases they are categorized in those groups that have members who they share the same roles and objectives with (Cobb, 122). For example, the production department could have members who are specialist and experts in the production operations and their main objective is to aid the organization in manufacturing high quality products that can appeal to the consumers. The same way, the sales and promotion team may consist of those members who have a training in and passion for persuading the consumers to buy certain products. The need to identify and understand the diversity of various groups in terms of their structure, formation, behaviour patterns, abilities and limitations, objectives among others is essential in discharging leadership and management duties to ensure harmonized operations and subsequent high performances. Group Development The formation and development of a group is a systematic process that proceeds from one stage to another. Different theories and models have attempted to account for and describe the evolutionary process that groups go through. As conceptualized by Levi (64-65), groups go through five stages that greatly influence its operations and possibility of success or failure. These stages include: ‘Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning’. Forming Creation of a group comes first in the evolution of a team. Likeminded individuals join up and form a group in which they plan to combine their resources and efforts in working out a certain task collectively to achieve certain goals. During formation, the agenda, mission, vision, goals and objectives among other are clearly defined and members agree on basic rules and regulations that will guide the interaction and conducts throughout the period. For instance, in teams working on a project, they collect together and form an association that can help them complete the project. The procedure and criteria that would be used to meet the set objectives are also drawn such that members can precisely know what way to follow on achieving the anticipated results. At this stage, members do not really trust each other although it is usual that they may pretend to be ‘okay’ and all they do is to give a benefit of doubt to each other (Levi, 81). Storming As the group members continue to interact with each other, the develop tension that stirs up and shakes the unity of the group (Levi, 81-82). Formation of sub-groups within the general group may be seen. Some member may begin to affiliate and associate with specific individuals while ignoring others. At this stage, the level of tension in the group gets so high that single loyalty showed at the beginning stages of the group is dropped. Dyads and triads are evidentially an indication of the ‘broken love’ between the members since they have now known each other; those they like and those they don’t. At this point, the group leader has a great role in relaxing and calming the sparkling situations and restore loyalty and cohesion within the group. Norming This is a restoration stage in which depending on the strategy used by the team leader(s), the group is reorganized in such a way that cohesion and oneness can be achieved once again having lost the inter-membership loyalty and politeness in the storming stage. Here, the management or team leader delves into finding strategies that will restore the solidarity amongst members and expand the dyads and triads to include most of the group members. The sub-groups also must operate towards achieving the organizational goals. Having identified and understood the different personalities that are comprised in the group, the group collectively work to meet the demands of its diverse members through responsiveness and tolerance. Various standards and norms are set and put in place that structures the group in harnessed manner such that further conflicts are avoided (Levi, 83). Performing This the production stage in which team members engage in carrying out the duties. At the performing stage, integration and consolidation is required for members to work out on the assignments. People have developed trust with each other at this point and the norms that had been formed help the members to collectively work in a more peaceful manner to carry out tasks. It is also significant at this stage that the group leader gets involved with the members and engrosses themselves in the group’s activities. In case of a team working on a field project, this is the point where they move into the locations where they want to carry out their projects. Every member knows their roles and responsibilities and they therefore work towards delivering best performances (Hill, 188-189). The goals of the group/ team are given the first priority and members are ready to put even greater efforts in ensuring great results are achieved. Of course in unhealthy groups, this may not be the case as the members could still be stuck in the storming stage even when they ought to be at the performing stage leading to a failure and termination of the project exercise. Adjourning Bruce Tuckman’s model that explains group development ends at this stage known as the ‘adjourning’ phase. Once a the non permanent groups such as project teams have completed their mission in the project they had and all objectives achieved, the group may be terminated or dispersed; an action that can result into diverse reactions from the members. Team projects are formed to undertake certain tasks over some limited period of time and once that is done, it is closed down. Mixed feelings come about when some members celebrate the closure or disbandment of the team while other feels so stressed and sad about it (Levi, 88-90). The reality that those field trips and interactions with group members that had become a habit will cease plunges some team members into sad moods. However, for permanent groups, this stage is never reached as the members keep working at the fourth stage. The success or the failure outcome also influences the reaction of the project team members at the adjourning stage. Characteristics of Team Project In an organization, there are several teams that work on different arrangements and frameworks and identifying each and every one requires one to evaluate their characteristics. Team Project is one of the many groups that can exist in a firm or any work setting and to be able to identify it calls for an analysis on its distinctive features. Team Players Project activities carried out in a team demands that members of that team become united and function as one unit. This is an identification element that distinguishes team project from other teams. No matter how much knowledge or expertise the individual members have in regard to the project, lack of team-play and cohesion will see the project falling (Cobb, 132). With the recognition of this, team project has always scored highly on the ‘team-play cardboard’; a fact that has since identified it uniquely from others. Project completion usually requires coordinated efforts in which each player performs specific roles but in coordination with other reducing the efforts. The free flow of activities, good communications and interactions can only be enabled if the spirit of teamwork is inculcated in the team. The management therefore has to ensure that the team members can relate well and effectively coordinate. For example, in research projects, some members may be tasked to collect data from different regions and locations and only through a team can consistency in procedure and methods be achieved. Skills and Expertise Members in a particular project team must have relevant skills, experience and knowledge about what the project entails. Effective project management should place members who are qualified and relevant for the task requirement and demand of the particular project such that when works are distributed one does not get stuck simply because they are probably in the wrong field (Hill, 156-157). For example, a project team that aims at conducting market research for an organization should comprise of experienced personnel who have deep understanding of the market research and its dynamics. When such persons are assigned duties, they easily complete their assignments since they already what is expected of them. Knowledge of project content is a key requirement for team project membership that should be given priority if good results are to be achieved. Members should be able to deploy and effectively use the instruments and equipment meant for the assignment. Good Communication In team project, the ability to effectively and healthily communicate with other members is key. Team work cannot be actualized if members do not communicate well with the leader and amongst themselves. With the realization of how much significant good communication is, team project has since grown to put great emphasis on effective communication. The transfer of information from one member to another within the project sphere is important and this requires that the team develop great listening and speaking skills that minimizes any chance of fabrication, inaccuracy and ambiguity when information is passed across (Gottlieb, 99). Teamwork cannot proceed without good communication. Team project is therefore identified with their good communication and information-passing mechanisms. Self-Motivated, Committed and Dedicated Team project comprise of members who are very highly motivated and intrinsically driven. Project duties in most cases are strenuous and very stressful and it’s only through drives that come from within that keep members from proceeding even when things do not go right (Gottlieb, 100-101). There are a lot of risks and hazards associated with most project and the ability to stay determined and dedicated until the project’s completion makes team project perform high and achieve their objectives. Reliable Members Project team members are characteristically identified to be dependable. Since work is assigned to everyone, members are trusted that they will deliver quality products at a given deadline. Without this sense of trust and reliability, project works cannot proceed and that is why it is essential to select team members who are qualified and experienced for the project tasks. Types of Team Project The structure and arrangement of team projects differ significantly from one organization to the other. The management usually devise different strategies in establishing and designing the face of its team project based on the analysis and evaluation that it has done on the same. Some of the common types of team project have been outlined below. Matrix In this set-up, various personnel from diverse disciplinary arenas within the organization form the membership panel of the team project. Experts who have showed high performances and have extensive experiences are selected to work with others (from other fields as well) to carry out duties that are meant to steer and ensure the success of the project at hand. The project manager has a responsibility of picking out employees from different departments and commissioning them for a project duty (Hill, 199-200). For example, an IT specialist, market strategist, production expert, legal officer among other may be brought together to carry out an assignment. Self-Directed This is a type in which at the start there is no distinguished team leader and all that happens is that members are provided with what is expected of them to produce. They therefore sit down, strategize and formulate the processes and criteria in which the objective can be met. As the activities move on, a leader emerges who assumes the responsibility of guiding the members to completion of the project. More persons may be included by the team if they feel there is a need to or incase the team requires assistance from outside (Cobb, 144). Project-Based In cases of extremely big companies, project teams can give rise to units in the company that are specifically oriented to the project. Say for instance there was a project team that aimed at researching on Ebola virus in a hospital setting; it is likely to have sub-branches such as research units, strategy formulation unit, sensitization and public education unit among others. This is a plus for the organization as level of commitment and determination to the project objectives are kept intact. Problem-Solving Team The need to curb or control a serious problem that an organization is facing may prompt it to establish a ‘special’ team that will give it answers to the concern at hand (Hill, 201). Those charged with providing answers to this problem therefore develop strategies that can work while at the same time working within the guidelines of the organization. For examples, if the market volume of the firm is radically going down, a team can be formed that comprises of several representatives within the organization to find a way of escalating it back. Functional Project Team Unlike in the case of Matrix, functional arrangement involves recruiting members from the area of specialization such that the project is undertaken by individuals who are experts in one particular field and are blanketed by the same unit umbrella. For instance, if the project is about production, then the production department will carry out the project activities solely as other departments do other different works. It has been regarded as one of the most effectual arrangement strategy in project management as persons of likeminded can efficiently work together to produce great outcomes (Hill, 201-202). CONCLUSION As demonstrated, effective strategies should be used to lead and manage a group/ team if good outcomes are to be expected. Effective leadership is critical in whichever type of group that the management is handling. The above discussion has also outline and explained how much important it is for a team to be cohesive and embrace the spirit of togetherness as it undertakes its duties. Groups evolve from one phase to another starting from its formation to performance and adjournment in the case of temporary teams like project team. During the evolution, it goes through a lot of processes that can either break it or make it depending on how the leadership or management handles the conflicts. Team project is a type of temporary group formed with a specific mission with a limited time-span. It is further divided based on its arrangements and mission exhibiting different behaviors and showing different characteristics among them being teamwork. To achieve success in team project, the management has to ensure it uses the right arrangement in structuring the team project such that no conflicts and inefficiencies are recorded. Works Cited Cobb, Anthony T. Leading Project Teams: An Introduction to the Basics of Project Management and Project Team Leadership. Thousand Oaks (Calif.: Sage Publications, 2006. Print. Gottlieb, Marvin R. The Matrix Organization Reloaded: Adventures in Team and Project Management. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2007. Print. Hill, Gerard M. The Complete Project Management Office Handbook. Boca Raton: Auerbach Publications, 2008. Print. Levi, Daniel. Group Dynamics for Teams. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2011. Print. Read More