Evaluating the Elements of Team Development and Performance - Essay Example

Responsibility for Decision Tech’s Ineffectiveness
There were several aspects responsible for the ineffectiveness that was part of Decision Tech. one of the elements related to effective teams is that combination of people results in better and more efficient work while individualistic work is not as productive. In comparison, the employees within Decision Tech were simply busy in leg-pulling, competing against each other, and not trusting each other to function as a coherent and cohesive team. Teammates are supposed to nurture and help each other grow in order to be an effective team. However, in Decision Tech this was not the case at all, as most employees were busy with their own work to focus on anyone else. Each member was focused on making sure they could get ahead instead. This was a clear situation where the organizational performance was being jeopardized.

Behavioral Norms in the Executive Team at Decision Tech
The executive team was such that people would call them the staff within the organization. The main reasons behind this were that the executive body would fight against each other, not letting the other succeed. As a result, in most meetings, it was noticed that the executive team could not come to any mutual decisions successfully. Individually, each person was brilliant in his or her job and was working perfectly fine for the organization, however, collectively, they were not being productive as a team. The team had developed a culture of its own where it was hostile and silent in most cases and the team could not perform well due to these issues in the culture of the executive team. Most elements of the norming stage were not even reached where the team would tend to ignore differences and move towards cohesiveness. Instead, the team was primarily stuck in the forming stage where the teammates were still trying to adjust to each other and were more inclined to work independently than as a team.

Norms Established and Company’s Performance and Team Building
It was noted that the team had not reached all the four stages of team development at all. From the four stages of team development, the executive team at Decision Tech was still stuck in the formation stage of team development where each employee was still antagonistic towards each other, they had not learned to adjust to each other and thought to work independently rather than collectively as a team. During one of the meetings that Kathryn had conducted, she had noticed the culture within the team as closed and non-communicative where the executive team was more concerned about individual work than working together towards a common team goal. Kathryn instead of leading from the front was known to observe and study in the background. This helped her develop ideas and ways through which she could improve the team. She studied each team member in the executive team and then targeted them individually to make sure that each person was getting involved. She, therefore, organized a retreat as well in order to help move the team development process towards the latter stages.

Credibility Development Tools Used by Kathryn
Kathryn used a multipronged approach to ensure that the team came together and moved on towards improvement. She used the approach of being consistent and clear about what was required when she confronted Martin and asked him that he attend the retreat despite his reservations. She specifically mentioned that the ideology behind this retreat was to help in the team building and development process and he would therefore be required to attend. She also used the option of showing gratitude and positive as well as optimistic energy. This was shown to Jeff when he came to her office with reports that he had to share.

Positive and Unproductive Roles within Decision Tech
There were many products as well as unproductive roles that were present within the organization. Decision Tech has a direction giving role present within the organization in the form of Kathryn where she was working to give a clue about the direction to the executive team and to the organization. Another role was that of information giving within the organization. This role is important where information has to be shared amongst various people and it is important that it comes from the right and authentic sources. Therefore, this role is important and was being performed by Jeff within Decision Tech.

One of the negative roles within the organization was dominating and the other was passive. These two were present quite clearly where the passive role was being played by Martin where his input in reports and meetings would be minimal and he would not be interested in providing any feedback regarding meetings. The dominating role was being played by Mikey who loved to participate in presentations and meetings but his responses and reviews did not form anything productive for the organization. The task facilitating role was played by Carlos who worked in Sales and was one of the conscientious workers and always gave good input. Relationship building was done by Nick who kept the company connected in terms of information and numbers to the executive team. The blocking role was played by Mikey who dominated meetings and ended up getting sabotaged where decision-making could not take place. As a result, meetings were never productive and decisions could not be taken effectively at all in most cases.