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The Forgotten Team Member Case Study

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Our case study this week looked at the issues Christine Spencer faced as the Team Coordinator of her course project group in her Organizational Behavior class. While Christine was satisfied with most of the team's progress and interactions, there was one team member whose work was lacking. This team member, Mike, did not seem to click with the group and had not completed his portion of the assignment. In order to offer a possible solution, it is important to look back at what went wrong with the group dynamic.
Group Development
There are five stages of team development. The first stage, the Forming Stage, is when the group first meets and gets to know each other. The second stage, the Storming Stage, is noted in our textbook as "one of high emotionality and tension among team members." (Schermerhorm, 2011, p. 156) During this stage, team members work to define their roles in the project and the tasks that will need to be completed in order to be successful. The third stage, the Norming Stage, is a period in which the group continues to work together and strengthens their relationship as a team. Next is the Performing Stage, where the team becomes a cohesive, mature unit. At this point, the team is able to work smoothly to progress towards their goals. Any disagreements are easily solved within the unit, and team members are able to move on and continue with work. The final stage is the Adjourning Stage, when work is completed. The team disbands after celebrating their achievements. They may work together in the future, but for now become single units again.
In my opinion, Christine's team is currently in the Norming Stage. They are continuing to work as a team but, though the project is almost complete, they have not yet become the mature unit that is present in the Performing Stage. I believe that Christine moved the team smoothly through the

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