Team Management Discussion 9

The Finez, Gangi, Cleveland, and Blascovich (2011) article suggests that superior performers may not be good teammates.  Can you recall any personal experiences that support or refute this assertion?

ANS : 

The assertion by Finez et al. (2011) that superior performers may not be good team associates is absolutely true. Most times when team members have a member who is superior in the team they opt to look up to the superior for solutions at any given time which is not healthy in having a good team work (Finez et al., 2011). When I was working for XYZ company I came across a situation where superior performers could not be good team members.

I was working for XYZ company in 2012 and we were put on a field research with other five members from the company. Our major task was to demeanor focused group discussions in specifics county regions. Three of the members did the task to modest an FGD while we the rest of the group had pen and paper and we took notes. In that same group, one of the members had been on the field more times than us hence the. The superior team member performed very well in engaging the focused group discussion and even in note taking.

During the fourth FGD, the superior member decides to do things alone without any help from us but he knew what he was doing as he was excellent both in note taking and group discussion. The rest of us could not do anything but just watched him work and follow what he did. Through this doing of the assignment alone, he was treating our self-esteem as he was the only one who knew what to do. This made me think of Finez et al. was very right when he said that superior performers are not good for working together. Cause when he realized that the rest of us didi not have the courage enough to do the focused group discussion he decided to work alone and did not bother to involve us in his operations.

This kind of people (superior performers) usually have this trait when they realize the rest of the group members are ineffectual they tend to demoralize them most times and prefer to work alone. This is very unhealthy for working together as a team because what will happen to the rest of the team because they will be left in the dark and will not learn because they failed to contribute. Furthermore, such a group which has a superior performer will tend to suffer from self-esteem issues and will tend to follow or do what the superior member does even if he/she is wrong (Ruisi, 2012).

The problem of superior performance can be seen in two ways. Firstly, we blame both the superior member and the other members of the group. This is evident as the superior performer in the group undermines the work of the rest while the other members suffer from self-esteem. In order for such situation to be balanced and be able to work out, we have to bring a third party which will be a team leader whom will ensure the superior member does not undermine the rest of the group and then there we will achieve team-work.

We can, therefore, conclude that Finez et al was right about superior performers who are not good teammates because they tend to dominate the activities of the group and at the same time undermining the efforts of other members of the team.

References

Cleveland, C., Blascovich, J. & Finez, L. (2011). When good teammates are bad: Physiological Threat on recently formed teams.  Sage Publications.

Ruisi, Chris. (2012). Step Up and Play Big: Unlock Your Potential to Be Exceptional in 8 Simple Steps. Advantage Media Group.