Why Teams Dont Work - Assignment Example

PEER ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Assessment 3 – Peer Assessment and Self-Reflection Peer Review Peer Review of Team Members for ALL their teamwork in this Trimester: Team Member one Team Member one Team Member one Name and Student ID Click here to enter text. Click here to enter text. Click here to enter text. Participated in team discussions/meetings 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution 5. Major (large) contribution Helped keep team focussed on tasks 3. Acceptable contribution 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution Regularly provided useful ideas 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution 4. Above average contribution Met deadlines and schedules 5. Major (large) contribution 3. Acceptable contribution 4. Above average contribution Contributed data on organisation’s needs, goals & strategies 4. Above average contribution 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution Contributed to LFA 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution 4. Above average contribution Contributed to project creativity and/or implementation and monitoring 4. Above average contribution 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution Contributed fair share to overall workload 5. Major (large) contribution 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution Quantity of work done on designated tasks 5. Major (large) contribution 5. Major (large) contribution 5. Major (large) contribution Quality of work done on designated task 4. Above average contribution 5. Major (large) contribution 5. Major (large) contribution TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 10 8 9 9 We made sure that our team was effective by making sure that all members synthesised their contributions adequately in order to make amends for the extra effort and time that consensus and coordination could take. To facilitate the distribution of equity as well as contributions amongst the team members, we made sure that there was equality in the team. I had learned that a team whereby the members are ready to allocate same numbers of hours and resources are inclined to perform more effectively as compared to a team where the contributions are not even. In the team, tasks were equally divided, irrespective of contribution, leading to a condition that could be termed as objective equality. Additionally, all team members had an equal contribution and we were all expected participated in the report proposal. We explored all alternatives can in order to find the best way of handling the report proposal task. All team members’ thoughts were discussed with the objective of evaluating the pros and cons. I observed that the essential factor in the distribution of equity was the perception of even-handedness and justice. This is because of the fact that all unequal splits were considered fair provided that the contributions made by the team members matched the distribution. More importantly, such perceptions of justice enormously influenced the team since it offered a source of trust for the team. Without a doubt, lack of equity in members’ contributions could be perceived as unfair resulting in conflicts. Therefore, we had to make sure that trust develops between the members so as to make the team strong. Equity of the contributions between team members’ contributions according to Breugst et al. (2015) can trigger trust amongst the members leading to positive interaction. I observed that working collaboratively in a team result in numerous benefits; for instance, it made me more active and not relying on other team members to do every work. Furthermore, working in a team facilitates the contribution of information and ideas as well as open communication, which was crucial for making the team highly performing and successful. The teamwork enabled us to understand the significance of working cooperatively since the team success is attributed to our ability to helping one another. The teamwork enabled me to respect my fellow members, utilise my time effectively and productively, and to become committed. To improve team dynamics, we utilised numerous strategies such as learning the team would go through while developing in order to make it easier to pre-empt issues that could arise such as poor group dynamics. To avert this, we made sure that we identify negative as well as positive group roles and learn how they influence the team altogether. This enabled us to strategise how to handle possible problems. Another way of improving team dynamics was by tackling problems quickly, especially when one member of the team adopted a behaviour that was unhelpful to the team. A feedback was offered every time actions of a team member affected the group performance with the objective of encouraging a reflection on ways of changing the behaviour. Besides that, we defined roles as well as responsibilities considering that a team with no direction or focus can swiftly develop poor dynamics since team members face challenges to fathom the role they play in the group. More importantly, we focussed on communication since good team dynamics is attributed to open communication; therefore, we made sure that every member is communicating. To achieve this, we utilised different forms of communication such as team discussion board and Facebook chat group. To ensure the team was successful, we focused more on task at hand and made certain that personal issues did not pre-occupy this objective. We made sure that that the team environment was cooperative and positive to facilitate the focus on report proposal. More importantly, the entire team was motivated strongly to do better than the other teams and we had a common goal of completing a report proposal that could enable us to gain high marks. This was evidenced by the fact that all team members showed commitment towards the project by making contributions to various parts of the projects such as taking part in the weekly team discussions/meetings, meeting deadlines and schedules, contributing to the project creativity, and so forth. In addition, every member was ready to help other members, especially when they were facing challenges. We would brainstorm problems proactively that every team member was facing and provide help if necessary. Since the onset, we acknowledged the fact that the personalities of every member of the team were different and therefore, problems could be experienced at different stages. For that reason, we made sure that we understand one another, support and respect each other during the difficult times. As pointed out by Zaccaro et al. (2001, p.460), achieving a high expertise level that encourages adaptation within a dynamic operating setting, the members of the team must allocate time to reflect, collectively as well as individually, their strategies consequences and how to come up with a team solution. The characteristics of a functional team as mentioned by Franz (2012) include full participation, open communication, trust, and clear roles. Self-Reflection By staying together as a team for a specific period of time we did not only change but also developed. The team performance is determined by three factors; feelings, process, and content; the feelings are concerned with how the members of the team relate to each other, content is associated with what is done by the team, and the process is about how the team achieve its objectives. The majority of the teams place emphasis on the content, at the expense of feelings and process, which consequently leads to underperformance. The team life cycle, according to Tuckman, involves four stages, whereby the team dynamics change significantly from periods of uneasiness as well as inefficiency through to the high-performance period. The first stage is forming, whereby dependence characterises the personal relations. In this case, the members of our team depended on the patterned and safe behaviour by looking at each other for direction and guidance. According to Schneider (2003, p.17), the team members have to make sure that the group is safe by gathering data and impressions regarding the differences and similarities amongst them as well as creating future sub-grouping preferences. In our team, the rules of behaviour were avoiding controversy and keeping things simple. This was achieved by avoiding feelings and serious topics. Besides that, the team members tried to become oriented not only to each other but also to the task. Therefore, the discussions focused on defining the task scope, ways of approaching it, and the associated concerns. In order to graduate to the next stage, all team members had to renounce the comfort associated with topics that are non-threatening and risk a conflict possibility. In order to be successful, the members had to focus on the group processes and we made sure that time was everything. To become engaged with and oriented to the task, we had to ensure there is open communication in order to be able to review what was functioning effectively and ineffectively. We opened a Facebook chat group in order to be able to facilitate online meeting when it is impossible to gather physically. As mentioned by Coutu (2009), this fosters better teamwork on the project and also improves the members’ interpersonal relationships or social interactions. The second stage is storming, which is characterised by conflict and competition in the dimension of personal relations while organising for the task. Conflict often arose in our group members while trying to get ready for the task and this was attributed mainly to the personal relations. For this reason, members of the team were forced to mould and bend their beliefs, attitudes, ideas, as well as feelings to suit the organisation of the team. Still, due to the fear of failure or exposure, the need for structural commitment and clarification increased. The conflict at this stage came about while dividing roles and responsibilities. Some level of discomfort was generated at this stage; sometimes I had to remain silent completely while the other members tried to dominate. In my view, the conflict in the team at this stage was brought about by faulty communication, especially when some members hurt other members’ feelings by criticising them inappropriately and making them feel less valued. Another source of conflict was the attribution errors, whereby errors were made by members while finding out their causes of other members’ members. This happened when one member failed to complete his task within the set deadline and some members concluded that it was caused by irresponsibility. This was despite the fact that the member had a good reason for falling behind. As mentioned by Borg et al. (2011), when students work together conflicts often come about because of free riding, time commitments, and different personalities. Conflict normally occurs when people work collaboratively; therefore, it is imperative to make sure that the conflicts are handled effectively whenever they arise. For this reason, we had to develop the ability to handle conflicts considering that mismanaging the conflicts might result in severe problems. Therefore, we managed our conflicts through consensus, sharing responsibilities and making sure that no member is coerced to do their task in a specific way. Other ways that were used to reduce conflicts included improved task management and communication, fair allocation of work, fair treatment, and being unselfish and responsible. I came to realise that conflict in a team does not connote that the team cannot function effectively. Actually, handling the conflict effectively enabled the team to function. By resolving the conflict as a team problem, the cohesiveness of the team improved. It came to my attention that, conflicts in a team have to be adequately managed since they could destroy and divide the team. Therefore, we had to handle all the conflicts as they came about. Ignoring them with the anticipation that they would go away could make the issue worse. As a team, we had to concentrate on collaborating in order to solve the problem adequately. At first, we engaged ourselves in character assassination or blaming game but with time we learned the value of being fair and open-minded, paying attention to every side of the issue. Every member made certain that they give their criticisms constructively and appropriately and then brainstorm to find compromises or solutions. The third stage is norming, whereby cohesion characterises the interpersonal relations. In this case, the members of the team participate in actively acknowledging the contributions by every member. At this stage, members are ready to change their opinions or preconceived ideas because of facts that the other members have presented. When we started identifying and knowing with each other, the trust level in our personal relations developed cohesion in the team. At this stage, as the member of the team, I started gaining a relief feeling and a sense of group belonging because of our ability to solve interpersonal conflicts. For that reason, it became easier for us to share ideas as well as feelings, give and ask for feedback, and look at actions associated with the task. More importantly, creativity became high. The team’s interactions were characterised by information sharing and openness on both a task level as well as a personal level. I started feeling good for being part of the group to the extent that I started fearing the inevitable breakup of the team in the future. Achieving the norming phase was attributed to our team ability of to communicate as well as share the team norms’ expectations. In order to achieve, discuss and communicate the team norms, we conducted a kick-off meeting to share tasks and determine how to effectively work together. Communication of expectations enabled the team to choose suitable working practices. I observed that working on teams was a worthwhile experience, but sometimes it could be very frustrating and difficult. Poor communication in a team could leave some members confused; therefore, methods of effective communication are crucial for the team members. As a team member, I had to communicate relentlessly and whenever I had a problem with any member of the team, I would talk to him regarding the issue. I learned that open communication cannot be achieved by blaming others; therefore, I made sure that I did not blame any member for failing to meet deadlines. More importantly, I made sure that I supported the ideas put forth by members and listened attentively. The fourth stage is performing, whereby the team members’ personal relations in terms of depth, range, and capacity are expanded to true interdependence. At this stage, members of the team are able to work subgroups, independently, or as a unit. More importantly, their authorities as well as roles change dynamically to the shifting needs of the individuals and group. This stage is associated with personal relations’ interdependence as well as solving problems in the task functions. At this point, our team was very productive since all members had become highly self-confident, people-oriented, and task-oriented. The team was more united since morale amongst the members was high and loyalty was intense. At this point, the task function had turned out to be an actual problem solving, resulting in optimum group development as well as optimal solutions. The main goal was improving productivity by working and solving problems. We focused mainly on solving the problems associate with the task, especially with the view to the gap between the desired situation and situation we were at that very moment. Problem solving can be described as a continuous process, which is fundamental to the work and survival of the team. The reason many teams experience challenges while solving problems is because they fall short of following the organised procedure. In order to be successful, we agreed on the problem solving procedure. Although all problems are not equally significant, we made sure that we keep their relative implication in perspective. I noted that common sense regarding priorities as well as practicality were crucial ingredients in the maximisation of team members’ energy, time, as well as the level of commitment to problem solving. We decided to set goals in order to improve the members’ efforts as well as the prospect of success. In so doing, we improved communication and cooperation amongst the team members resulting in improved planning and more accurate group work monitoring. The set goals led to improved commitment to the team and successfully achieving these goals made us feel triumphant, proud and motivated. By choosing our own goals, we were able to choose goals that were appropriate to all members. Still, some goals were very difficult, especially those that were set too high and could not be reached easily. Our team was characterised by a sense of group effectiveness and strong social identity which made use perform better. However, we frequently adjust our goals in order to make them attainable. The last stage is adjourning, which mainly involves terminating the task behaviours as well as disengaging the relationships. At this stage, we had to recognise out participation to the project and achievement of the set goals. I started feeling sad about the impending dissolution of the team since we had developed some connection. Dissolution led to changes in the team relationships, which consequently made me feel sad. Still, I felt satisfied with what we had accomplished as a team. I observed that other members had some conflicting feelings, their morale at the team and individual level either fell or increased throughout the ending stage. Clearly, members of the team were experiencing dissimilar emotions regarding the team's ending. At the last days of our meetings, some team members’ concentration on the team's tasks reduced resulting in the decline of productivity. For me, concentrating on the task at hand was suitable way of responding to the sadness. As a team, we had to acknowledge the looming dissolution and set aside the feelings members had about it. Instead, we decided to complete the task at hand and conclude all the remaining team work. Furthermore, we decided to evaluate the process of the team with main emphasis on identifying the lessons we had learned while working together. As team members we have built a strong boundary of a relationship and from my point of view we are willing to work happily together in the future in any assessment since we have become good friends. To end the team existence formally, we decided to meet for the last time to acknowledge all the team members’ contributions and the achievements of the team. Some of the lessons learned include; team effectiveness can be achieved by rotating the group facilitation responsibility, communicating clearly the team goals to the members, facing conflicts in a positive way and learning to listen to others attentively. More importantly, there must be equity in members’ contributions and criticisms must be made constructively. References Borg, M. et al., 2011. Conflict Management in Student Groups - a Teacher’s Perspective in Higher Education. Högre utbildning, vol. 1, no. 2, pp.111-24. Breugst, N., Patzelt, H. & Rathgeber, P., 2015. How should we divide the pie? Equity distribution and its impact on entrepreneurial teams. Journal of Business Venturing, vol. 30, no. 1, pp.66–94. Coutu, D., 2009. Why Teams Don’t Work. [Online] Available at: https://hbr.org/2009/05/why-teams-dont-work [Accessed 30 January 2017]. Franz, T.M., 2012. Group Dynamics and Team Interventions: Understanding and Improving Team Performance. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Schneider, M., 2003. Building a Team. New York: Cengage Learning. Zaccaro, S.J., Rittman, A.L. & Marks, M.A., 2001. Team leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 12, pp.451–83. Read More