The Dynamics of Team or Group Building - Literature review Example

The Dynamics of Team or Group Building Is the assumption that all it takes is the right mix of skills an oversimplification? Name of Student: School: Date: Introduction Teamwork is an excellent way to enhance organisation, output, quality of work and personal satisfaction. However, most groups rarely achieve their full potential due to some of the following reasons according to Mel Hensey (1992). For one, many group participants regard the group as a temporary event instead of a continuous process which reduces their investment in it. Secondly, many teams are associated with feeling good rather than any concrete benefits except in sports situations such as basketball or hockey teams. Furthermore, very few team leaders realise the value of inter-group personal chemistry being just as crucial as specialised skills and may not even know how to improve cooperation even when they can see that it is required. In order to adequately address the parameters of this analysis, it is important to define exactly what a team or group is according to the purposes of this critique. First of all , a team is a collection of individuals who are charged with different assignments within a common objective, service or project which intermingle in terms of purpose and reciprocal support. While a group is a collection of two or more people interacting to achieve a goal or objective a team is a group whose members are invested intensely in a specific enterprise. While all teams are groups, the opposite is not true. Distinguishing characteristics of teams as opposed to groups are the intensity of interaction amongst team members as well as the existence of a very precise, dominant team aspiration or purpose. Regardless of the purpose of the team, there are certain characteristics that tend to be common to them. They have a common goal, attempt to communicate openly with each other especially when dealing with team performance, adequate leadership within the group, habitual review of performance and designation of different roles to different members. According to the GRPI model of team development which represents an acronym that breaks the team down into Goals, Roles, Processes and Interpersonal Relationships; Every group is formed for a purpose and has a goal. In order to achieve this goal, different team members are allocated different roles or responsibilities. They then proceed to perform tasks and activities that will assist in achievement of these goals and this is augmented by their individual personalities and interactions that create synergy (Tang & Wenzlik, 2008). Whether or not this is an oversimplification can only be measured by the documented success of the method. Literature Review According to The Policy Project Advocacy Training Manual, the features of a viable team can be enumerated as having within them a policy of trust and openness, feeling of belonging to something greater than oneself, and communication amongst members. Team members accept and utilise the diversity of experience as well as being sensitive and flexible to others. Mistakes made are regarded as part of the learning curve and open discussion helps in conflict resolution without apportioning blame. When a team is working effectively, members are aware of their relative interdependent strengths that combine to bring about synergy. Leaders of such groups are expected to be careful listeners, fostering and environment where trust can grow and fear is minimised. This leader is a role model who delegates tasks, disseminates information and motivates and inspires the team. Another crucial trait is quick and effective conflict resolution and consistent focus (Bakken, 2007). The production of a unified creative and proficient team whose members are happy to work together does not occur by accident. Success is produced by cooperation amongst team members toward a shared goal utilising all resources available to achieve it. Their efficiency is not as a result of lack of conflict among members but because they have established systems for conflict resolution should they come up. Efficiency is enhanced by giving each member a duty that correlates with their personal skill sets and interests instead of allowing popularity, verbal aggression or any other factors to dominate the team. Managers apparently play a crucial role in causing teams to work in this way (Bakken, 2007). Sir Alex Ferguson is the manager of Manchester United Football Club. As a manager, he has led his team to many successes over the years including many UEFA Champions League trophies and FA Cup trophies. Some of the principles that guide him include the fact that the man is not bigger than the organisation. He never allows any player to rise above the club and encourages humility in his players. He also values the importance of succession, grooming young players to take over from veterans to ensure seamless transition. This has led to consistency in the success of Manchester United (Ferguson, 1997). This seems to indicate that the role of a group leader and his leadership style is crucial to the success of the team. The abilities managers need to succeed include being team players, effective communicators, able to solve problems, be agents of change as well as leaders (Lewis et.al, 1998). The realisation that the experience, knowledge and skills of the members is crucial to team success has resulted in the expectation that leaders must pay more attention to the development of the individual within the team (Steers, Bigley & Porter, 1996). Social Exchange theory clarifies the reciprocal relationship between observation of a team’s enabling environment, capability and incentive and the compliance of group members in maximising both personal and group performance. Teams are a community in which members require meaningful roles in order to feel inspired. Substantial benefits naturally accrue from committed and compliant members. This seems to indicate that there is more to the success of teams and groups than finding the right mix of skills. Although this seems to be important for successful completion of tasks, literature seems to indicate that there are various other factors that influence the performance. This includes clarifying the goals of the group or team, allocating roles and responsibilities to every member, and dealing with conflict when it arises. The role of the leader is crucial in ensuring proper interaction between team members during meetings and allowing every member room to express themselves. Rewards for work well done should be awarded to good performers and announce team successes to all (Bakken, 2007). All these factors contribute to the continuing success of the team although it must be said that the right skills are important. Furthermore, one factor that cannot be overlooked is the actual selection of the team according to Rajapakse (2010). It is essential that due diligence be done before the final group is assembled with a view to achieving a balance of skills. It is necessary according to the author, to choose individuals on merit and not according to personal relationships. Finally, the correct roles must be allocated to the correct member including who should lead the team. This team leader must be able to deal with the different personalities present in the team, as well as managing team dynamics. There are phases of growth of a team according to Bruce Tuckman who studied various experimental studies that established the factors that influence a team’s success. These were enumerated as Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. Forming is the first stage at which objectives are ill defined although motivation is quite high. This is followed by Storming in which conflicts arise and team dynamics are fragmented and team members lose sight of their goals. Norming is where the team dynamic comes together and everyone is operating at maximum. This leads to Performing in which tangible results are observed. Conclusion This essay sought to establish whether the hype and myths about the nature of groups and teams being simply a matter of coming up with the right combination of skills and having the team members cooperate with each other or whether this was just an oversimplification. Where human beings are involved, especially within any collective, it is unlikely that any aspect of that group dynamic would be simple. As has been established by the literature reviewed, ensuring success of any team takes more than this. Firstly, it is essential to apply due diligence to the team selection with the right balance of skills to maximise synergy. Secondly, the selected leader of the group determines how focused and motivated team members remain. The leader is also crucial to maintain harmony within the group by ensuring prompt resolution to any disputes that may arise and ensuring that every team member has a voice and that that voice is heard. Once the team dynamics are in place and everyone has settled into their roles and is beginning to perform as expected, its important that the team leader keep everyone focussed and motivated in order to produce results. Of course there is the human aspect in which inter-relationships among team-mates would influence the success of the team. Negativity or positivity in attitude may also make all the difference between success and failure. In conclusion, while it is acknowledged that skills are crucial to the success of any team endeavour, and cooperation by team mates is the very definition of team spirit, a few more factors must be taken into account to determine whether a team or group achieves its goals or not. References Bakken, E. (2007). ‘Twelve Ways to Build an Effective Team’ Rochester Business Journal. Ferguson, A. (1997). ‘A Will to Win’ Andre Deutsch publishers, London. Hensey, M. (1992). Collective Excellence: Building Effective Teams,’ in ‘Making Teamwork Work’ Civil, Engineering, February Lewis, P.S., Goodman, S.H. & Fandt, P.M. (1998). Management: challenges in the 21st century. Cincinnati: Thomson. Steers, R.M., Bigley, G.A. & Porter, L.W. (1996). Motivation and leadership at work. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Rajapakse, D.C. (2010). Practical Tips for Software-Intensive Student Projects. Vol 3, July. Tang, S-H, & Wenzlik, C. (2008). The GRPI Model. An Approach for Team Development. 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