Team Functioning and Development - Literature review Example

Team Functioning and Development By Department Professor’s Name Name of the University Date Abstract A team is a group of two or more persons who work together with a common objective. The members of a team are each charged with a specific role to play in the team. Organizations have adapted the spirit of teamwork in attempt of boosting the performance of their operations. Teams also create job satisfaction to the participants. Teams can be diverse in nature and are usually formed to serve different purposes. This paper reports on the functioning of effective teams. It also clearly illustrates how effective teams are formed. There are stages of development that a team undergoes before it becomes fully operational. Further, the roles of each member of a team are explained in detail. Suggestions on how to form an effective team are made. The various characteristics of successful teams are outlined. These characteristics are evident in successful organizations where the spirit of team work is one of their driving forces and values. From this paper it is clear to see that every employee is dependent on the other for the overall success of the organization. Whereas every employee may be charged with a specific role to play in the organization, they are all unified to achieve specific objectives. Therefore, every employee requires assistance from his colleagues so as to achieve the organization’s mission in a more efficient manner. When employees work in a team where every individual gives his best contribution, there are better results as opposed to when they work individually. Different teams can be formed in an organization to achieve a common goal. Organizations are made up of teams that are formed with the aim of achieving specific company goals. Effective teams usually have the right inputs and processes in place. Before embarking on a task a team must be equipped with the correct technology and have proper information necessary to carry out the task. The task must be clearly stated and understood by each member of the team. Organizations are characterized by different types of teams. Teams can be classified based on the work they do. According to Griffin & Moorhead (2011), some teams are formed to do or make things while some recommend things. Others teams run things. Griffin and Moorhead (2011) have given an insight into the different types of team that can be formed in an organization. These include: Work teams comprised of employees who run the day-to-day activities of an organization. Problem solving teams that are formed to address certain problems that the organization may be facing. Management teams comprised of different managers from different departments of an organization. Product development teams are teams comprised of the problem solving teams and the work teams. Virtual teams are made up of members who never meet but communicate through electronic systems. The functioning of an effective team depends on several factors. The team members must be competent enough to handle the task. This means that the right skills and knowledge are required for a team to succeed. An effective team is composed of members who have mutual trust and respect for one another. Team members must be confident that every member is going to deliver on the roles he has been charged with. They should also support and train one another where necessary. The team should have clearly stated goals and objectives to be achieved which must be effectively communicated to all the members. The team members should then stay focused on achieving the team’s mission and vision. Members in a team should also be involved in key decision making processes and problem solving sessions. The Business School has a course titled Management of Change and Organizational Development. This course usually covers the changes in business organizations and how they are managed successfully in order to adapt the organization to a constantly changing environment. One of the learning methods involved the formation of groups to handle different tasks. There were two learning tasks to be completed in groups. Learning task one had two topics both of which required a group presentation and a summary report which had to be done within a specific timeline. One topic was about drivers of change and the other was about change analysis and recommendations. Learning task two required us to consider our experience over the semester as a member of our project team. We had to highlight what had worked well for our team and what had not been so satisfactory or effective. We were required to evaluate the development and functioning of our group according to the relevant theories and models of team functioning and development that we had encountered in class or in our reading. Given the experience of teamwork, we were required to state what we would have done differently based on our reading and reflection. In the undertaking of Learning Task 1 Part A, we formed a group composed of four people. The group was composed of members A, B, C and D. The task required that we identify the drivers of change and potential resistance to change. We were also required to give recommendations that could be used to address the challenges that could be observed in the adaptation to change. Through our reading, we learnt that the main objective behind the formation of a team is to be able to achieve a specific set goal; such was the case in our situation. In order to achieve this goal, we held meetings to discuss how to tackle this task. We applied the various theories and models that would be relevant for the functioning and development of our team. Team members of a given team take part in the planning of the activities to be carried out by team. They then carry out these activities and then evaluate their performance. In our group, we divided the task we had been given into four parts. Each member of the group was given a role to play and was assigned one part each of the task. In order to achieve the set goals, team members must stay focused on the roles they have been assigned. Having a clearly articulated vision enables team members to stay focused on achieving the team’s goals. Concerning our group, this focus was largely driven by our quest to succeed in our studies and this ensured that our team members were motivated during the entire process. During the course of the task, we also coached one another and shared ideas among ourselves. This encouraged us to appreciate each other’s efforts and find ways of improving our findings. We had to embrace the spirit of teamwork so as to accomplish the given task at the required time. This was one of the reasons for dividing the task into different parts. When a team is made up members who have different roles to play, it enables specialisation in a particular area. This ensures that the goal of a particular task is achieved more efficiently. Schermerhorn et al, (2011) state that the roles of each member of the team should be clearly communicated and each member should be engaged in the decision making process of the team. We therefore, gave ourselves each a specific topic to research on. Every member was allowed to choose the role which he most preferred to play in the group. Therefore, we were all involved in the decision making process. Heathfield (2005) explains that the members of a particular team must be competent enough to carry out the laid down roles and responsibilities. We felt that the members of our team had the necessary knowledge, capabilities and skills required for the task at hand. We, therefore, felt that we were competent enough to handle our roles. We also had access to resources that would be beneficial to us during the course of the task. We were confident that each member of the team could carry out the roles defined in the team. This is an important aspect of team functioning. Effective teams are comprised of team members who are confident that each of them will deliver on the responsibilities he is charged with. After each member had done his research, he had to write a detailed report within a given time. Effective teams have specific timelines within which certain goals must be achieved. Through our research, we learnt that feedback is very important as it gives an insight into the performance of a team. A team should find means of obtaining feedback so that they know where their performance stands. We held regular meetings to access our performance and address any grievances that the team members might have faced. We valued each other’s feedback and creative thinking. The new ideas that we generated during these meetings enabled us handle the task better. Once this was done, a compiled report was made. This was possible due to the cohesive nature of our team; we worked individually but as a team. The final report was done through joint effort. This was because we all had to shed light on what we had come up with. This allowed a smooth transition from one idea to the next. Hence, we were able to meet our goal of completing the assessment on time. Just like in a successful organization, our group worked as a team to achieve a specific goal. Our goal was to come up with quality written research within a given time. What worked for us is that the members were willing to participate and contribute to the group by taking up different tasks. This cooperation played a vital role in the undertaking of the task by our team. Our team was composed of four members, namely member A, member B, member C and member D. Member A did the summary and the introductory part, member B researched on drivers of change, member C covered resistances to change and member D did recommendations and conclusion. This allowed each member to participate and specialise in a specific area. All the members felt appreciated and respected since we all expressed confidence in each other. We felt that we were all competent enough to handle the roles given to each member. In Part B of Learning Task one, the same was also employed in Part B of Task in our group. Every member was given a specific role to play. Every member was given a part of the task to research on and then he had to write a report within a given time. Whereas each member was charged with one responsibility, all the members were dependent on each other. This is because each part of the task required the other in order for it to be completed. Therefore, after compiling the four papers from the four members we were able to come up with one complete paper. This ensured that our group was able to achieve its goals more efficiently within a comfortable time frame. In order for the group to function effectively, we realised that every member had to take their roles seriously so that the group would succeed. There was a healthy competition since no one wanted to let the group down. Therefore, each member worked hard so that the group would succeed. The group success would also ensure success of each group member individually since the results obtained from the group would be added to the individual assessment test. Every member was allowed the freedom to give suggestions on how to carry out the task. Therefore, every member was involved in the decision making process just like in an effective team. The cohesion in our team fostered the spirit of teamwork. This created respect among the team members and gave them the freedom to express their ideas. We also held meetings regularly to evaluate our performance and determine what we needed to improve. We employed the various team theories and models we had learnt in the functioning of our group. Eventually we were able to succeed and meet the group’s objective. References Cameron, & Green (2009). Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change. (pp. 63-66). Kogan Page Publishers. Griffin, & Moorhead (2011). Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations. (p. 275). Cengage Learning . Heathfield (2005, September 17). Twelve Tips for Team Building: How to Build Successful Work Teams. About.com. Retrieved May 10, 2012, from http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team.htm Importance of Team and Team Work. (2009, January 20). Management Study Guide. Retrieved May 10, 2012, from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/importance-of-team.htm Schermerhorn, Osborn, Uhl-Bien, & Hunt (2011). Organizational Behavior. (pp. 158-164). John Wiley & Sons. Team Effectiveness Assessment . (2007, July 13). MindTools. Retrieved May 10, 2012, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_84.htm Read More