Creating Academic and Professional Success - Essay Example

Team Structure: Advantages and Challenges Todays business world has embraced the concept of the team to structure an organization. A team is characterized by a group of members who are committed to a shared purpose and operate within a common set of rules and norms. Individuals will act within the rules to promote the shared purpose. If the teams purpose is to sell widgets, everything is done to further the goal of increasing sales. Members may have specialized roles, but the mission of the team is the overriding priority.

While the concept of team structure has some distinct advantages, it also presents a new set of challenges.A team is a collection of individuals that have unique talents and expertise. As a team they are able to exploit and share the knowledge that they possess. A team is able to assign a task to the most applicable member of the team and in doing so it makes the most advantageous use of their resources. This also allows the team members some flexibility in their role as a team member. In addition, the team allows management to assign workflow as needed.

Teams can be assembled for a short period of time on an as needed basis. Teams also have the advantage of sharing a common goal. When the group shares the common goal, all work and resources are devoted to reaching the goal. This reduces redundancy and ambiguity among the workforce and makes the best use of their time. It further allows the team to direct their attention to complex problem solving as a group that an individual may not be able to accomplish. This interjects more creativity and flexibility into the workflow process.

While there are many advantages, it must be remembered that teams must have the appropriate communication skills to be able to take advantage of the team structure. When using a team for decision making, the group may be guided by group-think or extreme positions advocated by powerful members. This is a major challenge to overcome to assure all team members have an equal input.Another challenge to a team is the acceptance, by its members, that responsibility and rewards are shared equally. This may face difficulties in introducing the team concept where the organizational culture is ingrained with a task oriented and individual concept.

The team may have loafers that assume they can slack off and spread the responsibility out among the other members. Miscommunication or cultural differences that are misunderstood can also challenge the team. The team will be challenged to work to overcome these problems as the team matures.For Chris to deal with stress in the workplace, he should keep in mind that he is not alone in the workplace. He has several other workers that can help him in the workplace. When he feels stressed, he should do some deep breathing exercises to alleviate the immediate stressful feeling.

He should then take a realistic appraisal of the reason for the stress and prioritize his challenges. Confronting the most important issues first can help reduce stress. Works ConsultedRobbins, Stephen P. Organizational Behavior. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2003.