Explaining the Meaning of Team and the Stages Involved in Group Formation - Essay Example

From the experience gained working in a group as well as a team while still a and at my workplace, I have realised that theories of groups and teams are very crucial to know in as far as understanding of behaviour is concerned. The notion of group dynamics is very important because of its great influence on human behaviour in the workplace. Schultz (2003), suggests that there are always factors that influence as well as shape the group hence this reflective essay seeks to critically evaluate the usefulness of the theories of groups and teams to understanding behaviour. This essay begins by explaining the meaning of group and team then goes on to illustrate the various stages involved in group formation and how the knowledge of the theoretical framework of groups and teams can help in understanding behaviour of the members of a of a group or team. A group is described as a cluster of two or more people who have come together for a specific purpose, normally for the benefit of the individuals in the group. On the other hand, a team is a group of people that has been formed to work together in common, cooperate their action towards the achievement of an outcome for the benefit of the group. The goal of the team should be synergy, in other words, the sum of the individual efforts in the team is greater than the sum of the individual inputs (Schultz 2003). In this case, it can be seen that teams develop from groups and they essentially serve an almost similar purpose. The concept of behaviour is particularly concerned with the way people conduct or relate themselves with others in either a group or team. It is important to know the theoretical framework of the group dynamics so as to be better positioned to deal with the problems that are likely to be met in practice. There are different stages involved in group formation according to Tuckman-Jensen model of group development of 1965 (Schultz 2003). These include: forming, storming, norming, performance and adjourning. The foundation stage of choosing a team is called forming and this stage is usually characterised by uneasiness given the members are not yet used to each other and they may not yet be aware of what has to be done. Theoretically, I knew it that at times people are sceptical about working in groups at first so to me, this was not a major obstacle that could hamper the formation of a group or a team. This theory helps in understanding the behaviour of the people such that it makes it possible to for team formation to take place given that such kind of behaviour likely to be encountered can be anticipated right from the beginning. Knowing in theory that the behaviour of the people is affected by various factors will help the members to take the necessary steps that can help them avoid the forces that can derail the process of team formation. The storming stage can be a bit challenging given that there will be likely misunderstandings where people may fail to agree in uniform on some of the things that would need to be achieved through group work or teamwork. In theory, the behaviour of the people is not similar everywhere so it has to be changed in order for them to contribute meaningfully towards the goals to be achieved. From my personal experience, I realised that the aspect of leadership is very important especially in a group. In theory, a leader plays a very important role in influencing the other people to do something that can be of benefit to the group as a whole. A leader often takes a big role in influencing and motivating the members of the group to pull their efforts together towards the attainment of set goals (Robins, Odendaal & Roodt 2001). Knowing from theory the role of the leader helps in practice to have direction towards the attainment of something. In my group at school, I realised that the norming stage was characterised by mutual understanding among the members as we realised that we were working towards a particular purpose so the was need for us to cooperate and coordinate our efforts towards the same goal. In theory, we all knew that group formation was a process hence the needs for us to put our differences aside then work together towards the attainment of the set goals. It is my belief that this theoretical knowledge greatly helped us in our group towards our intended goals. We were able to transform theoretical knowledge into practice since we had realised that the behaviour of individuals is shaped by different factors. The performing stage was characterised by more collaboration and cohesiveness among our members which amounted to synergy which states that the sum of the individual efforts in a team is greater than the sum of the individual inputs (Robbins 2001). Thus, the theoretical knowledge about the developmental stages of group formation greatly helped me to understand that in practice, I must always be prepared to meet some challenges especially when working in a group as well as the measures that can be put in place in a bid to change the behaviour of the people. During the process of group formation, I played a big role especially during the early stages of its formation. I helped in the shaping of the objectives through different discussions we had in our group. This was not a smooth process rather as we encountered some problems along the way. These were people oriented due to the differences in their behaviour where some felt that they could not openly give their suggestions as well as feelings. In theory, this can be attributed to what Lau and Shani (1992 :484 as cited in Schultz 2003) call hidden agendas which included rivalries, distrust, ambitions and critical attitudes. In practice, this can be a real situation so it is very important to have theoretical knowledge about factors that affect group or team formation then use that knowledge in practical terms so as to be better positioned to tackle the problems likely to be met. In some instances, some of the members of the group may be afraid of being given smaller tasks that would make them feel less important in the group hence the reason why they may resist some of the tasks assigned to them. Human behaviour is influenced by various factors hence the theoretical knowledge will help in practice especially about how to deal with such kind of problems. Some people have a tendency of displaying a high degree of individualistic behaviour which can impact on the team process. Behaviour theories suggest that human beings need to be persuaded at times for them to be cooperative especially when attainment of a particular goal as a team is concerned. In practice, this can help the members of the team to have the same purpose. Team leadership problems can derail progress as we realised that in practice, some of the team members may seek to gain favours which is against the spirit of teamwork. In as far as group dynamics are concerned, I realised that I gained knowledge from the theoretical framework of groups and teams that there is need for members to stop from behaving in such a way that would show selfishness where they give priority to their personal needs and agendas at the expense of the team as a whole. Essentially, the aim of the group is to share ideas in a bid to generate knowledge about the effectiveness of group as far as learning is concerned. Theoretical knowledge also helped me realise that good leadership skills whereby members are treated fairly can enhance group or team cohesiveness in practice. Though we witnessed some problems in our group at work, it can be noted that it was built on the basis of the theoretical knowledge we had about groups and teams. Indeed, our group was small comprising of five members only but the team roles were distributed according to Belbin team role theory. Dr Belbin recognised that everyone responds differently to being in a team situation (Belbin 2002). Each and every member was assigned a particular task so as to avoid duplication of the roles as a way of trying to minimise chances of failing to achieve the intended goals. In practice, all our activities were guided by the theoretical framework of group and team dynamics which helped in appropriate assignment of duties to each and every member so that we could avoid the problem of failing to meet our goal. Theoretically, Robbins et al (2001), suggest that teamwork is process where the individuals participate collectively, work together towards achieving certain goals as well as objectives within a given organisation. The essence of teamwork is real learning where it is expected that the members of the team should work together towards the attainment of the set goals. They should learn from their mistakes, achievements and should continually work to gain more knowledge. In practical terms, this knowledge is very important as it significantly contributes towards the achievement of set goals in a group or a team. In view of this argument, it can be noted that the major determining factor in the success of teamwork is sharing of ideas and the willingness to learn from other team members among the team. Theoretical knowledge is useful in shaping the behaviour of the members working closely together in a team. The theoretical knowledge about groups and teams has greatly contributed towards practical implementation of decisions made in our group. For instance, the behaviour of the people is shaped by the theoretical knowledge they have with regards to the functioning of the teams. I benefited a lot about theoretical knowledge about groups and teams in that in a practical situation, I realised that through free interaction with the other team members, one stands better chances of gaining knowledge about how the efforts among the members of the team can be pulled together towards the attainment of the agreed goal. This knowledge also greatly helps in improving interpersonal communication skills whereby one member will be aware of the presence of the other team members and the need to effectively communicate in a group while at the same time regarding others as important team members. Cohesiveness through better relationship among the members of the team can be used to positively influence the behaviour of the people which in turn can instil confidence in them. It can be argued that to a greater extent, theoretical knowledge immensely helps the members of the group or team develop informed decisions based on the ideas gained from other scholars. In practice, it can be seen that our actions are shaped by the theoretical knowledge about a particular subject that exists in our minds. I have realised that theoretical knowledge is helpful in that it gives us knowledge about some things which are very important we can take for granted. Group dynamics entails the changing patterns of interaction taking place among the members as the group develops which makes it important to take into consideration the factors which affect the behaviour of the people in group as this has a bearing on the outcome of the objective. On the basis of theoretical knowledge, it can be noted that a group formed on the premise of equality and fairness among the members is likely to achieve its objectives without much problems compared to the one that is formed on a haphazard manner. Transforming theoretical knowledge is at times the basis of successful implementation of the decisions made when it comes to real practice. The major drawback that can be encountered in over relying on theoretical knowledge about groups and teams is that sometimes there are no measures in place to check or monitor the decisions made at team level which may affect performance. At times the theoretical knowledge may not be compatible with the actual situation obtaining on the ground. Whilst there is need to give the members of the team or group the autonomy to make decisions as a way of motivating them, there is need to constantly check these so that the leader can ensure that there is compliance whereby the set goals are not violated. If properly implemented on the basis of knowledge gained from the theoretical framework of groups and teams, it can be noted that group or team work is one viable method of generating knowledge. In order to be effective in the group, there is need for the members of the group to relevant theoretical information pertaining to groups or teams since they are responsible for shaping our behaviour when we work either in teams or groups. Sharing ideas in a group is concerned with generating new knowledge hence the need for the members to commit themselves when working in a group. Overally, I believe that group work is effective in the learning process and there is need for proper coordination among the members so that there will be less conflict characterising the discussions taking place in a group. In most cases, the groups take a similar process through their formation stages. Over and above, it can be concluded that theories of groups and teams are very crucial to know in as far as understanding of behaviour is concerned. The notion of group dynamics is very important because of its great influence on human behaviour in the workplace. The theoretical knowledge that exists in our minds is responsible for shaping our behaviour in practical terms as we interact in groups or teams. Teamwork must be encouraged as a way of influencing the employees to contribute meaningfully to their tasks. References Buhler P. (2001). Teach yourself management skills in 24 hours. USA. ALPHA Carrell, R. et al (1995). 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