Team Functionality Dependance of Collaboration Aspects - Assignment Example

? Reflective Journal Affiliation: The operationalization of projects requires combined efforts that necessitate the need for individuals to work as a team. Team effort increase chances of success. This is due to the fact that knowledge and skills of the various individuals that make up the team are converged to pursue a common goal; the underlying project. Individuals are expected to contribute to their level best because the result is generally associated with the team and not the individuals. Team functionality and consequent performance depends on various collaboration aspects that are designed to enhance the realization of the project objectives. Communication is a fundamental aspect in the undertaking of a project that engages team work. There should be a clear flow of information from the team leader to the members and vice versa. This flow is designed to maintain a consistent system through which all players in the team are kept posted to emerging issues and expected trends in the project (Gowen, 2007). Team efficacy is highly influenced by modes and means of communication within and without the team. It is important that each member contributes to the design, formulation and implementation of a communication process that is properly suited to the specific variables of the project being undertaken. Running of a project is not always at par with the expectations. However, with effective communications designs, it easier for the entire team to deal with emerging challenges in the process. The team encompasses diverse and dynamic reasoning, knowledge and skills. Project undertakings also require that balanced collaboration be observed if the desired results are to be achieved. For this reason, the team cannot avoid discussions and decision making at both individual and team level. This requires that effective communication among all stakeholders. On the same note, project undertakings require consistent flow of information through collection and reporting of data that relate to the project. Communication collaboration within the team is inevitable. This process starts at an individual level, and gradually extends across the team. Team performance is therefore deeply rooted in communications criteria adopted by the team, by considering the view of all the players (Hackman, 2007). Team coordination of project phases is characterized by numerous activities. These activities call for decision making from time to time, across every stakeholder. With proper communications designs, negotiations fall into place. Negotiations encompass critical evaluation and assessment of scenarios that need to accounted for as different project activities unfold. Negotiations are designed to bring on board different views of every person involved, so that what is decided upon binds to every team participant. Negotiation in the team level aims to bring to terms all the individual duties and responsibilities, so that what is achieved reflects a team effort. Although the team is made up of a number of players, each player’s contribution counts in the overall success or failure of the team. On the same note, the different players are divided in accordance to their specialization, prior to the activities that need to be undertaken, and the duties and responsibilities that need to be met. Therefore, the team operates in functional areas that range from management and leadership, finance, operations and human resource (Bollen, 2009). The interaction of these parties must encompass proper negotiations, so that in case anything goes wrong in the process, a blame game does not emerge. In such an instance, these functional areas engage in discussions, evaluations and assessments that account for misconducts realized if any. Team performance is highly dependent on the meetings aspect. Meetings are inevitable at all decision making levels. From the time the team is being formed to the completion of the project, meetings play an essential role in uniting all stakeholders at every phase of the activities being undertaken. During the formation of the team, meetings basically aid deliberations that pertain to the underlying interests. Once these interests have been outlined, then the sketching of the actual project outline is made. Sketching of the project encompasses planning for the entire project period, and providing an outline of workshops that need to be held prior to the taking of specific actions. While an individual undertaking is independent, a team undertaking must account for meeting schedules since the team members dependent on each other. Workshops are designed to monitor the team progress, and therefore present team performance from time to time in accordance to the agreed meeting schedules. Information sharing is an important activity that enhances team performance. In this regard, meetings provide a favorable ground for this. Even with the right communication designs and negotiation procedures, common gathering of the team is crucial in providing for its performance. The coming together of individuals to form a team is not a process that is always characterized by a smooth flow of events. Although the team works towards a common goal, there is the likelihood of the emergence of conflicting interests along the way. These conflicts challenge and often derail the process of pursuing the desired goals and objectives (Carver & Scheier, 2006). Therefore, it is important for the individuals and the team at large to be open minded, considerate and accommodative to each other, so that their interaction is favorable if not smooth. Conflict resolution is an influential and a strong determinant of team performance. As aforementioned, conflicts are normal to experience especially where a number of people are working on a common interest. However, what matters is the manner in which emerging conflicts are managed and resolved. Sources of conflicts lie within the line of duty of each team member. Conflicting interests results in conflicts within the team, a scenario that if not accounted for may jeopardize the functional and operational aspects of the team. The underlying project is subjected to failure or an elongated period, within which additional resources must be injected. Resolution of conflicts harmonizes team work by accounting for clashes within the team. Performance of every individual is merged into a group performance through bringing into terms conflicting agents. Agreements prior to the undertaking of a given activity are important in minimizing chances of conflicts at a later date (Wageman, 2005). However, it does not mean that agreements guarantee absence of conflicts. When conflicts arise, every individual and the team as a whole should work towards resolving the conflict as soon as possible. Conflict resolution mechanisms should be set before hand, although necessary and relevant actions should be taken to manage and resolve conflicts where such provisions are lacking or inadequate. Time is a very crucial factor to account for. All the earlier mentioned aspects of team performance account for a time factor. From the inception of the team to the completion of the project by the team, time ought to be effectively and efficiently managed. Every individual should be time cautious since a small time hitch affects all other resources on board. Time management therefore takes both individual and team responsibility to fit all the required activities within a specific time frame and within the limits of the budget. This means that waste of time by an individual or the group will consequently affect the budgeting of the team and the outcome of the project. An effective team in terms of duty discharge and performance undertakes time management actions and plans. For instance, in decision making, decisions that complement each other should be made at the same time. However, decisions that rely on the functional areas of the team should follow the action plans of the team and observe all schedules that have been put in place. Meetings and workshops should be direct to the point, and they should be held on critical matters that cannot be communicated in absence of a common meeting or workshop. Duties and responsibility at both individual and team level come with power and authority. The management or leadership is the supervisory organ that oversees the undertaking of all necessary activities within the team. The management style adopted essentially influences decision making within the team, a scenario that greatly accounts for the performance of the team (Deutsch, 2009). Every individual should act as the supervisor of the other. This is likely to reduce dominance of some players to others in the team. Decision making can therefore be centralized or decentralized. It is important that decentralization of decision making be the guiding principle in the team, allowing for delegation practices. Delegating distributes power and authority across the team, making each member fully accountable for the project. This promotes sense of collaboration among all stakeholders. As a result, the team’s performance is boosted, leading to effective and efficient running of the project in question. Actions can be taken to improve project outcomes prior to the consideration of the above aspects of team performance. Firstly, match costs to benefits. Individuals’ contribution to the team must be beneficial to the project. The outcome of the project should be worth the course taken. Secondly, decisions should be taken at all levels, with decisions being made at individual level, and then team level. Thirdly, all the aspects of team performance employed should match the project’s scope. The framework of project undertaking should not be static, but dynamic. References Bollen, K.A. (2009). Structural equations with latent variables. New York: Wiley. Carver, C.S. & Scheier, M.F. (2006). Perspectives on Personality. (3rd ed.) Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon. Deutsch, M. (2009). A theory of co-operation and competition. Human Relations, 2, 129-152. Gowen, C.R. (2007). Managing work group performance by individual goals and group goals for an interdependent task. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 7, 5-27. Hackman, J. R. (2007). The design of work teams. In W.J. Lorsch (Ed.), Handbook of organizational behavior (pp. 315-342). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Wageman, R. (2005). Interdependence and group effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40, 145-180. Read More