...Wk 2 Effective Teamwork What are the characteristics of effective teams? There are numerous things that go into making a team successful. Some characteristics of an effective team are: Having a clear unity of purpose where each team member is willing to commit themselves to working toward a common goal. Each member needs to have clear performance goals, like knowing what is the group trying to accomplish and what work needs to be done to achieve the desired outcome? Strong Communication and collaboration: Effective communication between team members and their willingness to work together can set the foundation for collaboration. Each individual carries his or her own weight,meeting or exceeding the expectations of other group members. Each individual is respectful of the mechanics of the group: arriving on time, coming to meetings prepared, completing agreed upon tasks on time, etc. When action is taken, clears assignments are made (who-what-when) and willingly accepted and completed by each group member. How do roles, needs, and diversity affect teamwork? Provide specific examples. Different types of people bring different talents . Generally, roles are the positions team members assume or the parts that they play in a particular operation or process. You may have a person who is better at leading than another, during a particular project you may have a person who is more knowledgeable in that topic. There are people who are better at facilitating meetings and some...
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...Effective Team Work Nathalie Plan SOC/110 Teamwork, Collaboration, and Conflict Resolution Effective Team Work * What are the characteristics of effective teams? The group task role is the group’s ability to focus on a common goal by focusng on certain behaviors that essure that the groups goal will be completed. These roles are all about making sure that group members get along with one another and that everyone coopertaes and works well with one another. The self centered roles are each members’ needs that are placed befre the group’s common goal and other members’ needs. (Engleberg & Wynn) There are twelve group task roles: 1. Initiator – contribuor role usually comes up with ideas and provides leadership to the group 2. Information seeker role usually will be the role of the group making everyone aware that some crucial information may be missing and be asking for facts and figures. 3. Information giver role will be the person that will be researching and organizing the information needed to be able to educate the group. 4. Opinion seeker will be the role that will ask others how they think and feel about an issue that could be affecting the group’s common goal. 5. Opinion giver will be the role that will be stating what they think and they feel and how it can be applied to the group’s common goal. 6. Elaborator role will be the role that helps explains ideas by finding examples to support the group’s common goal. 7. Coordinator...
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...else's tasks within the company, but if you combine everyone's tasks and put them "together" it resembles a format of segmented information that could be called "teamwork" but really its just a bunch of people doing separate work that's compiled to keep the business going. This being said, I think it depends on what kind business you’re talking about for the idea of team work to be applicable. This being said, in certain select niche fields such as a marketing could benefit from a team of people to bounce creative ideas off of each other in a brainstorming event to come up with a good marketing campaign that would be successful within a target audience in a “quick” manor, that could take an individual significantly longer. Continuing with this example, a marketer could come up with a bad idea, that just seems good to him/her; and another member of the team would hopefully not suffer from group think and would critically analyze the idea to see if it would fit the target audience. Another member of the marketing team could be in charge of doing graphics, like logos, for the project that would be beneficial to the project thus acting as a team. Another member could also be in charge of something like a jingle or a commercial that also would have sub team members under them. In my opinion, a teamwork scenario does not fit into and average business model that one may be apart of; but in certain niche markets like marketing, it could be applicable in that they are all working...
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...DESIGNING EFFECTIVE WORK TEAMS Types of Work Teams Most commonly, types of teams can be grouped into self-managed work teams, cross-functional teams, and virtual teams. As mentioned in part one, the authors of Organizational Behaviour define a group as “two or more people interacting interdependently to achieve a common goal” (Saks & Johns, 2014). In other words, a team is a collection of individuals who are interdependent in their tasks, who share responsibility for outcomes, who see themselves and who are seen by others as an intact social entity embedded in one or more larger social systems (for example, business unit or corporation), and who manage their relationships across organizational boundaries. (Sundstrom, De Meuse, & Futrell, 1990). Self-managed work teams are work groups that have the opportunity to do challenging work under reduced supervision. Cross-functional teams are work groups that bring people with different functional specialties together to better invent, design, or deliver a product or service; and virtual teams are work groups that use technology to communicate and collaborate across time, space, and organizational boundaries. (Saks & Johns, 2014). Designing Effective Work Teams According to Johns & Saks, there are three fundamental dimensions to teams functioning effectively: the task, team composition, and management support. (Saks & Johns, 2014). The task is what the team is required to carry out; a task is viewed by team members as a challenge...
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...A large body of research has emerged on the effective implementation of self-managing work teams (SMWTs). However, virtually all of the research has been conducted in manufacturing settings. This article draws upon the authors’ research on SMWTs in two service organizations: an insurance operation and a telecommunications company. The authors focused on two research questions: First, they examined the relationships among different dimensions of SMWT effectiveness. Second, the authors explored the key success factors for SMWTs in a service context. They found that the different dimensions of SMWTs’effectiveness do not reinforce one another and are largely unrelated, and that creating an employee involvement (EI) context, work design, and team characteristics were important predictors of SMWT effectiveness. Surprisingly, team leadership was not important for SMWT effectiveness; in fact, sometimes, team leadership was negatively related to effectiveness. Self-managing work teams (SMWTs) are groups of interdependent individuals that can self-regulate their behavior on relatively whole tasks (Goodman, Devadas, & Hughson, 1988). The adoption of SMWTs has soared as companies respond to competitive challenges in the current business environment. Organizations are replacing whole layers of management, with SMWTs implemented as a substitute for hierarchy. The Center for Effective Organization’s study of Fortune 1000 companies found that 27% of firms in 1987, 47% in 1990...
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...Teams and Groups An extraordinary team is valuable to any organization. The purpose of assembling a team is to accomplish bigger goals than any that would be possible for the individual working alone. The goal of a team is to execute and attain victory in the workplace and marketplace. This paper will elaborate on both the characteristics of effective teams and on effective groups. Teams A team is a group of individuals which must come together to collaborate on a particular issue (Growing an Effective Team ,1997). The group effort is to attain a mutual task for which the group will be mutually responsible (Growing an Effective Team ,1997). “A team is considered to be a group of individuals with a lofty degree of interdependence geared towards the achievement of a common goal or completion of a task rather than just a group for administrative convenience (Growing an Effective Team ,1997).” Members of team are extremely dedicated to each other's personal development and achievement (Growing an Effective Team , 1997). “A team outperforms a group and outperforms all reasonable expectations given to its individual members (Growing an Effective Team ,1997).” “A team has a cooperative result (Growing an Effective Team ,1997).” Team members cooperate in all aspects of their tasks and goals (Growing an Effective Team ,1997). ” Team members contribute to the following management functions, such as planning and organizing (Growing an Effective Team ,1997). A team provides two main...
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...Effective Communication Paper HCS325 November 29, 2010 Mrs. Martin Kattan Effective Communication Paper Teams can effectively share ideas and information by communicating with each other and motivating each other individually. Teams can also effectively communicate with each member by respecting each other’s opinions and ideas as well as being supportive with the team and the team members. Communication within a team can be as ineffective the same as it can be effective because of the different diversities and differences each member may have. According to (Lombardi & Schermerhorn, 2007, p. 91), “A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for its accomplishments”. A team has the same purpose and goals to accomplish that can only be done by communicating with each other and listening to each other as well as following orders and rules. Respecting team member’s ideas and having a good behavior at all times can be an effective way to manage a team and take on whatever responsibilities come up as a team. Ineffective ways is when team members do not approve of different backgrounds and ideas of others and all team members cannot at all work together. “Managers need to lay goo ground in the areas of expected behavior, task responsibilities, and communication procedures”. (Lombardi & Schemerhorn, 2007, p. 91). Ineffective team communication needs a little help to...
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...Assessment 1 Tasks What are the interpersonal skills which support effective team working? 1. Firstly, an interpersonal skill which supports effective team work is to listening skills. It is important that all team members in the group listen to what everyone has to say and contribute to their ideas. Another interpersonal skill which supports effective team work is effective communication. It is important that everyone in the group can communicate with a wide range of different people and so no misunderstanding or mistakes are being made in order to achieve a common goal and too able to put forward ideas. Finally, another interpersonal skill which supports effective team work is problem solving. It is important that you can solve the problems which are arising and choose the best course of action which would solve it. What is meant by communication, consultation and interaction skills? Explain and give at least one example of each? Communication is transferring information from one person to other either through verbal , written, numbers and picture, for example when I worked in team achieving a common goal I had to commutate with every in the team in order to come up with ideas in which we all agreed on. Consultation is the formal matter of discussing a subject, for example when I was working in the yearbook at school I had to consult with a group of people and discuss the subject in which has been suggested. Interaction is the interacting with someone by talking...
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...TEAM EFFECTIVENESS Besides the basic approach there is now a more applied focus on the impact that teams have on employee behavior, especially the contribution to satisfaction and performance, has also received attention. An overall summary of the way to use teams to enhance satisfaction and performance are as follows: 1. Organizing work around intact groups 2. Having groups charged with selection, training, and rewarding of members 3. Using groups to enforce strong norms for behavior, with group involvement in off the job as well as on the job behavior 4. Distributing resources on a group rather than an individual basis 5. Allowing and perhaps even promoting intergroup rivalry so as to build within-group solidarity Three factors seem to play the major role in determining group effectiveness: Task interdependence (how closely group members work together), outcome interdependence (whether and how group performance is rewarded) and potency as how members belief that the group can be effective. To assess team effectiveness first requires careful specification of criteria. Effective teams are characterized as being dependable, making reliable connections between the parts, and targeting the direction and goals of the organization. This is accomplished when members “buy in,” achieve coordination, have the desired impact, and exhibit the kind of vitality that sustains the organization over time as the environment shifts or changes. Factors that affect the success level of...
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...collaboration tools such as IMs, email and video conferencing enables workers to team up with any one globally. In order to gain success, all the virtual team members including the manager need to work in a meticulous way. Three factors such as integrity, communication and performance are the essence of trust. Using collaboration tools such as emails and Instant Messengers (IMs) the team members are not aware of each other’s intention due to absence of visual and aural signs. At times, cultural differences may lead to conflicts at some point of time. Without the availability of proper tools, the project gets affected as there is loss of communication. Not having a visual image of a person can lead to communication gaps. Video conferencing tools help in eliminating misunderstandings, as team members can see others. It’s easy to build trust through effective teamwork training on using online collaboration techniques. Understanding the cultural differences provides a more amicable atmosphere in the virtual team. Those who do not have experience working in a virtual team before will not be familiar with using the most commonly used collaboration software such as instant messengers , video conferencing software etc. Certain people hesitate to learn anything new, if they are resistant to change. Letting them know that the management will offer support for enabling them to adapt to anew and virtual work environment. This will help in eliminating any fear that the employees...
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... Building an effective technology team depend on numerous areas of attention. Documentation allows for effortlessness and timely transitions and resolutions for technology support teams. Communication skills offer employees the capability to deal with conflicts and communicate with clients and other personnel of the business. Role clarification allows team members to work effectively in a fast paced and stressful work environment. Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each members of the technology team helps in distinguishing their goals and what drives them. Establishing relationships with other departments permits technology teams to increase efficiency by working together with other departments in the organization. These factors assist in building an effective and proficient technology support team. Documentation is a very important part of building an effective technology support team, which helps an organization to perform at its ideal capacity. Documenting how to handle situations and conflicts allows technology support teams to handle situations routinely and quickly (Kearns, 2009). When building a successful technology support team, documentation provides the team members with background statistics and criteria for procedures; which saves time and financial support. Communication symbolizes a great part of the technology support team’s job. The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently allows technology support teams to work proficiently....
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...Study In this age, for most of us, teamwork is a part of our everyday life. Whether it is at home, in the community, or at work, we are often expected to be a functional part of a performing team. Having a strong team benefits any organization and leads to more successes than failure. In order to understand the competencies needed to build and lead high performance teams, it is helpful to first define a team. Here is a simple but effective description from The Wisdom of Teams (Harvard Business School Press, 1993.) "A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable." The Work Team is defined by many great practitioners in different sense. According to Griffin and Moorhead it is a “small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, common performance goals, and an approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.” A group of employees that works semi-autonomously on recurring tasks are called work teams. Work teams are most useful where job content changes frequently and employees with limited skills and a specific set of duties are unable to cope. A group of employees that works semi-autonomously on recurring tasks are called work teams. Work teams are most useful where job content changes frequently and employees with limited skills and a specific set of duties are unable...
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...evaluate where a team work effectively. According to Mcshane, Olekalns, Travaglione (2011), a team is effective when it benefits its organization, its member and its own survival. Based on my experience I feel that a team work effectively not only when it finishes its objective on time and accurately, but it also motivates its member in order to survival. Motivation can increase responsibility of members in working. Being responsible in teamwork is very important because teamwork is a group of people who depend on each other to finish objective. As a result, when any members are not responsible for their tasks other people will feel uncomfortable or even angry, which can influence negatively to results. For example, in week 5, our team played role as ML team which had to provide ID and pass of keepandshare website for whole class. Unfortunately, we got trouble when account had not worked. Additionally, this is the first time we work in team; therefore, some problem still happen. To be more specific, sometimes in our team, there are still some arguments contributes to debate and then, members feel uncomfortable and we did the tasks not very well. What is more, an effective team also depends a lot on leadership. Mcshane, Olekalns, Travaglione (2011) claim that an effective leader always want to create good working environment for members and support them willingly instead of put leadership on the position of power. During short-time I led my team, I’ve learned that...
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...Cover Sheet Project Part 1 Overview of the Effective and Efficient Online Course Team Overview of the Effective and Efficient Online Course Team Advantages of collaborative online teams • Promotes critical thinking skills. • Promotes creative thinking through social communication and sharing of ideas. • Requires active student involvement in the learning process. Students increase preparation and practice working with one another. • Provides courage for people to ask questions without being monopolized by one group member. Easier than face to face for some. • Creates a more personal environment than in large groups. • Provides a social support system for students. You never know when a question needs to be answered. • Builds diversity understanding among people. Allows all races to come together. • Develops team skills used on the job and life • Easy to keep track of deadlines with more time to work on a project. • You can access the online information from anywhere. • Things can be completed quicker. • Documents can be stored in a central location for anyone to access it. • Easy way to improve the positive relationships among the members. • Easier to stay on task. Effective and Efficient Teams: • Clear goal, result-driven, unified commitment, kids who worked well together, and outside support. • Attempts to clarify any problems among the group and clarify an issue. • Very committed. • Having a common defined goal that is...
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...g |UNDERSTANDING WORK TEAMS | LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, students should be able to: 1. Explain the growing popularity of teams in organizations. 2. Contrast teams with groups. 3. Identify four types of teams. 4. Describe conditions when teams are preferred over individuals. 5. Specify the characteristics of effective teams. 6. Explain how organizations can create team players. 7. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of diversity to work teams. 8. Explain how management can keep teams from becoming stagnant and rigid. CHAPTER OVERVIEW Few trends have influenced employee jobs as much as the massive movement to introduce teams into the workplace. The shift from working alone to working on teams requires employees to cooperate with others, share information, confront differences, and sublimate personal interests for the greater good of the team. Effective teams have been found to have common characteristics. The work that the members do should provide freedom and autonomy, the opportunity to utilize different skills and talents, the ability to complete a whole and identifiable task or product, and doing work that has a substantial impact on others. The team requires individuals with technical expertise, as well as problem-solving, decision-making, and interpersonal skills; and high scores...
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