Team Work - Research Paper Example

This paper discusses some of the most common types of behavior within a team, namely, quietness, talkativeness, cynicism, formalism, fence-straddling, idealism, dominance, and structuralism. These behaviors could either be helpful or detrimental to the team. The ultimate outcome of these behaviors for the team depends upon the leadership and the members themselves. Knowing the Behaviors of Team Members The silent individual in the team could be performing peaceful, thoughtful listening, which can be positive, or indifference, which can be detrimental because it takes out from the team the ability to acquire the insights and gain the respect and participation of the members.

So the question is how to identify whether the person is engaging in thoughtful listening or indifferent behavior? The assessment has to be derived both from the signals given by the individual and on the reactions of the other team members (Longo, 2010). Nonverbal cues of participation and reflective listening must be focused on. The same types of signals in the other direction must also be taken into consideration. The phase of group development, the nature of the tasks and objectives, and the circumstances within the team all contribute to the evaluation of the silent member.

If listening is positive, then an individual who is listening is not much of an issue. Silent individuals are usually keen observer. If it is vital to encourage involvement from a silent member, there are a number of techniques to accomplish this (Longo, 2010). A particular technique is to ask the member open-ended questions or those requiring an opinion or details. Another technique is to provide cues of expectations to the silent member about his/her involvement in discussion of topics to which s/he appears largely interested in.

On the other hand, talkative individuals could be classified into two: the talkative ones who have little to say and the talkative people who have much to say. Usually, the team leader should make an attempt to determine how the other members of the team perceive the talkative member. If the belief of the team is that the chattiness is helpful, then the team leader may have to address his/her reactions and ask the rest of the group whether these reactions are suitable (Xiao, Parker, & Manser, 2013).

If the team seems obviously irritated or disturbed by the talkativeness, then the leader should consider dealing with the behavior. The team’s role in provoking talkativeness has to be looked at. Chatterboxes are helpful to teams because they bridge gaps and help advance activities; they become unhelpful when they unproductively dominate energy and time and discourage other members from taking part. There may be times wherein talkative members obviously have to be interrupted or stopped. This must be carried out with much care and sensitivity.

It is possible to say to a talkative person that silence is needed with a positive gesture and with consideration for his/her feelings. Likewise, critics can be categorized into two. The first kind truly takes pleasure in challenging or questioning everything, asking for clarifications. This is a highly valuable position, particularly in a team that tends to finalize all issues hastily or too early. The second kind of critic merely acts to serve his/her own needs instead of the team (Chuang, Jackson, & Jiang, 2013).

In certain instances, a