TEAM MANAGEMENT RESEARCH ACTIVITY

 Analyze a positive and negative experience you have personally experienced in a team environment.Synthesize what went right and, based on your research, formulate suggestions on how this experience could have been improved.

ANS : 

ABSTRACT:

Working as a team means ,you have to have some coordination and many more other factors are required for a better work or result. The good thing is ,you can divide your work and a good and equal contribution of the whole group can contribute for a better result . The negative part of the same coin is , people are unable to coordinate easily and sometimes ,it may lead to fight or annoyed mood of members or even ill feeling against poor work of their fellow members . There can even be a point of time that people may think that individual work is better as relying on other people is not a good option. Team work works best when there's unanimity. But it gets worse after a point of time when POV clashes and there goes the saying" Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Positive Experience :

·         The work can be divided among several people, which can help the job get done faster than if it was all done by one person. 

·          A group of people brainstorming together will come up with more ideas and solutions than a single person working alone. 

·         Certain tasks can be assigned to each person based on his strengths and talents. This can result in a higher quality outcome, because a single person might not be good at every aspect of the project. 

·         Members of a group may work harder, either because they want to impress the others, or because the others will be angry if they don't do their job. 

·         The social aspect of a group project can make it more enjoyable. 

                                          

 Commitment to team success and shared goals - team members are committed to the success of the team and their shared goals for the project. Successful teams are motivated, engaged and aim to achieve at the highest level

Interdependence - team members need to create an environment where together they can contribute far more than as individuals. A positive interdependent team environment brings out the best in each person enabling the team to achieve their goals at a far superior level . Individuals promote and encourage their fellow team members to achieve, contribute, and learn.

Interpersonal Skills includes the ability to discuss issues openly with team members, be honest, trustworthy, supportive and show respect and commitment to the team and to its individuals. Fostering a caring work environment is important including the ability to work effectively with other team members.

  Open Communication and positive feedback - actively listening to the concerns and needs of team members and valuing their contribution and expressing this helps to create an effective work environment. Team members should be willing to give and receive constructive criticism and provide authentic feedback.

 Appropriate team composition is essential in the creation of a successful team. Team members need to be fully aware of their specific team role and understand what is expected of them in terms of their contribution to the team and the project.

 Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability - team members need to be accountable for their contribution to the team and the project. They need to be aware of team processes, best practice and new ideas. Effective leadership is essential for team success including shared decision-making and problem solving.

Negative Experience:

·         When you have many different ideas and opinions, disagreements are bound to arise, which can stall the project. 

·         If one person doesn't complete his/her task, the whole project will suffer. 
 Some people may be more dedicated to the project than others, and 1 or 2 people could end up doing all the work.

·          In a group, it's easy to get sidetracked if people enjoy chit chatting and socializing with each other. 

·         The bigger the group, the more difficult it is to schedule times when everyone can get together. A single person working alone may be able to complete the job more quickly.

The following negative experiences occurred while working as a team.

·         Commitment to team success and shared goals – one team member was highly motivated to achieve a high quality product, though two others were content with merely just gaining a pass i.e. they were happy to put in minimal effort. This mismatch of expectations caused many problems and frustration for team members early in the semester.

·          Interdependence – two team members were highly competitive in this team that negated the development of a synergistic team environment. They were highly focused on our own tasks, and were not interested in helping others who may have been having problems. If others weren’t performing, then the attitude was that peer assessment should be applied, rather than trying to support and help the individual. This caused a lack of team cohesion and cooperation, a feeling of disempowerment, and resulting in the eventual split of the team.

·          Interpersonal skills – the team showed little consideration for each other and gave almost no support for others in difficult times. Team members seemed unaware and very surprised that they had upset other team members by their comments. They seemed to have not detected they were hurting others feelings by their comments and the approaches taken to solve team problems.

·          Open communication and positive feedback – comments made by team members indicated that peers were inconsiderate of their situation and problems, and were not inclined to discuss problems, as they would only attract criticism and negative feedback. This resulted in team members not communicating freely or discussing their problems that had potentially damaging effect on the team.

·          Appropriate team composition– this team was formed haphazardly. Three of the original team members had a quick discussion in the class and decided to make a team, and another team member arrived a week later, so the team agreed to accept them in their team, as they needed to make a team of four. Expectations and skill were not carefully considered.

·          Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability – the project manager happened to be the youngest in the team, and didn’t command the respect needed. Team members often complained about team meetings being a waste of time, and also of team members being late or contributing effectively.

CONCLUSION:

Decide to accept your team members as they are. Although it's much easier said than done, we need to consciously decide to accept others. If we wait around for our feelings to dictate whether or not we're going to like someone on our team, it might be too late. Go into your next team assignment with a commitment to accept others as they are. Try it! Mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter. Encourage your team members. No team is without disagreements and miscommunication. But when these things happen, you have a choice to make this a learning opportunity and grow, or perpetuate the cycle. With a little bit of encouragement and commitment from all the team members, teams can move forward and accomplish great things. "Doing our part" simply acknowledges that we are, indeed, empowered to make a difference in our teams. Be aware of how we act and treat others. Being a team player that is accepting, honest, humble, and encouraging, is a conscious decision we all need to make. Be humble. Be humble by suspending judgment of others and their ideas, opinions, and suggestions. Give people the benefit of the doubt that their ideas are brilliant and give them the opportunity to express themselves. When they do the same for you, you'll realize just how important it is to be given this respect. Be honest in the moment. Sometimes, things do matter and it bothers us. Speak up! Don't wait until the team has already made the decision. Make sure you're honest with yourself and others throughout the entire team process. But remember that it's all in how you say it. Remember that others' worldviews are as just as right as yours. As you go through the team process, remind yourself that the way you view your world is not the only way. In fact, when you look through the lens of others, your world will be much more richer and clearer.

REFERENCES:

·         Bradley, J. H., & Frederic, J. H. (2015). The effect of personality type on team performance. Journal of Management Development,

·         p. 337-353. Critchley, B., & Case, D. (2014). Teambuilding – At what price and at whose cost? In A.Mumford (Ed.) Handbook of Management Development. Gower Publishing Company Limited, University Press Cambridge Fisher, S. G., Hunter, T. A., & Macrosson, W. D. K. (2013). Team or group? Managers' perceptions of the differences. Journal of Managerial Psychology,

·         232-242. Flynn, G. (2016). How do you know if your work teams work? Workforce,

·         76 (5), May p. 7 Francis, D., & Young, D. (2015). Improving Work Groups. San Diego, California: University Associates. Harris, P. R., & Harris, K. G. (2015). Managing effectively through teams. Team Performance Management: An International Journal,

·         Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2014). Social Interdependence - Cooperative Learning in Education. In B. Bunker & J. Z. Rubin (Eds.), Conflict, Cooperation, and Justice (pp. 205-251). San Francisco: JosseyBass Publishers. Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2014).