You have been asked to lead a ten-person team within your department. You know that several of these team members have not worked well together on previous group projects, so you ha

You have been asked to lead a ten-person team within your department. You know that several of these team members have not worked well together on previous group projects, so you have decided to put the team through a series of team-building activities.

Select any one of the following starter bullet point sections. Review the important themes within the sub questions of each bullet point. The sub questions are designed to get you thinking about some of the important issues. Your response should provide a succinct synthesis of the key themes in a way that articulates a clear point, position, or conclusion supported by research. Select a different bullet point section than what your classmates have already posted so that we can engage several discussions on relevant topics. If all of the bullet points have been addressed, then you may begin to re-use the bullet points with the expectation that varied responses continue.

Define your top three goals or objectives for the team-building activities for the scenario. Defend why those goals are appropriate. Also assess at least two other possible goals and justify why they did not make your top-three list.
Select two articles that discuss whether team-building activities really help. Briefly note what you learned from the articles. Did they guide you to select the best activities, or did they warn you away from certain activities? Justify three best practices for team building activities that emerge from the articles.
Team dynamics include both productivity (task) and cohesiveness (relationship) components. Identify three team building activities and assess the extent each influences on productivity and cohesion. Evaluate how cohesion and productivity are linked.

The final paragraph (three or four sentences) of your initial post should summarize the one or two key points that you are making in your initial response.

Your posting should be the equivalent of 1 to 2 single-spaced pages (500–1000 words) in length.

respond to 2 student discussion. in 5 sentences

Candus Washington-Tyson

Week 4 discussion Groups and Teams effective Stages

Groups and teams norms are reinforced by norms ( Kinicki, 2020). For group and organizational survival norms reinforce their vital role for existence. Clarification and behavior expectations of group aid in creating shared vision and agreement about what is to be done. Group norms are necessary for avoidance of embarrassment, such as being ridiculed would hurt group and organization reputation levels pending on its intensity. This norm would help with preventing someone from being embarrassed by doing or saying something. Thus, making central values top priority aid in an on-going process of development and positive outcome. Nevertheless, improving team norms will improve team outcome.

In building teams Maddux, R.B. (2009) need to design successful blue print for your team, so will increase productivity through team work. Build strong skills through planning, use of skills, motivation, and accountability. Construct a solid framework, by combining diverse behavior styles, using strengths of each style, and training. Have open communication, bridge better communication, collaborate, set-goals, and make problem-solving a team effort. Ensure mutual trust and respect. Establish climate of trust that cultivates mutual respect, honesty, and open communication. Recognize employee performance. Implement positive discipline. Finally, utilize coaching.

The department has assigned me to lead a ten person group of members who do not work well together. So, will guide, direct, and need to influence. This is a small group and small groups have potential to be successful (Kinicki, 2020). Several of these team members have not worked well together on projects. This team is starting with a conflict, which could be caused by different goals, values, or perceptions of team members. Knowingly, in a workplace a failed team form factions, battle lines are drawn, communication is stopped, and suspicion rises. Thus, I will need to combat this dysfunctional and unproductive behavior. I would try to understand the nature of the conflict. Encourage the employees to work it out, for this conflict is healthy to be allowed, in order to bring about positive change. Determine the real issues together, and find a solution. So, decided to put the team through series of team building activities.

Moreover, would implement three following goals or objectives of team-building activities for this dysfunctional group. The three top goals in this situation would be Storming, Norming and Performing (Kinicki, 2020). I would be managing through conflict and confrontation, which is where the storming stage begins. There are various emotional responses. Also, factors such as completion and disagreements must be managed. Next, would work to get toward norming stage. Norming stage would be open to all ten members’ difference of opinions and ideas. Finally, all this would bring us together into a functional stage; performing. Where there is enough shared and deciphered information that identifies roles and set structure. Further, believe a group that is at odds, will be dependent and interdependent on management. This problem-solving team of conflict will then be resolved.

Other team-building activities important, yet not in my top approach are forming and adjourning (Kinicki, 2020). These two aspects of group develop are important for independence. They are independent stages where the members can stand alone. The group already rest on uncertainty, so there is need to move from this stage of pre-existence. The process of starting to experience another phase involves development. This development will require dependence for learning and processing. On the other hand adjourning alike forming is independent too in nature, but happens at a group end. The group is not ready to transition, for it has not developed yet, that is why I left adjourning off. Nevertheless, this team is not ready to be self-managed.

Thus, I have creatively made this decision weighing alternatives and risk. These goals would move along to functional outcomes. Member conflict may arise throughout stages, such as role dispute, who’s in charge, and other insecurities. However, these building stages will get it up to a more cooperative and collaborative function. To add, will implement these decisions through transparent communication.

In conclusion, a group is a collection of members which coordinate their efforts. Further, a team is a group that shares a common goal. A team mate that cannot work well together is dysfunctional. Because of these dysfunctional behaviors must be managed. Management allows members to interdepend and depend on management, until can stand alone or transition to the adjourning stage. This stage is independent and has resolved the group task and group disagreement. For this situation of conflict implementing these stages provide for the best outcome. In this group would need to adjust goals and be open-minded. To reach desired outcome of conflict, that is to function as a whole.

References:

Kinicki, A. (2020). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving approach (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9781260075076.

Maddux, R.B. Osgood, D.A., & Wingfield, B. (2009). Team building: Turn Personal Strengths into group success (5th ed.).

Candus Washington-Tyson

Week 4 discussion Groups and Teams effective Stages

References:

Kinicki, A. (2020). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving approach (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9781260075076.

Maddux, R.B. Osgood, D.A., & Wingfield, B. (2009). Team building: Turn Personal Strengths into group success (5th ed.).

Team Development.html

Team Development

Tuckman's (1965) classic work on how groups and teams form identifies five stages of group development.

Forming is characterized by uncertainty or confusion about the purpose, structure, and leadership of the group. There is a tendency to focus on group members' efforts to understand and define their objectives, roles, and assignments within the group. This stage is complete when individuals begin to view themselves as part of a group.
Storming is marked by conflict and confrontation. It is emotionally intense and may involve competition among members for desired assignments and disagreement over appropriate task-related behaviors and responsibilities. It is essential that conflict is managed rather than suppressed. Suppression is likely to create negative effects that can seriously hinder group functioning in later stages.
Norming is characterized by cooperation, collaboration, and open exchange of information. Differences of opinion are accepted, and there is an active attempt to achieve mutually agreed-upon goals and objectives. Behavioral norms are established and accepted.
Performing is the stage when the group is fully functional. Group structure is set, and the role of each member is understood and accepted. The group focuses energies, efforts, and commitments on accomplishing the tasks it has accepted. For some groups, this level remains constant. For others, development is ongoing.
Adjourning is the stage of termination of group activities. Some groups are permanent and never reach the adjourning stage. Temporary groups (e.g., committees, project groups) are disbanded when their purposes are fulfilled. This stage can be marked by very positive emotions centering on successful task accomplishment and achievement. However, it may also engender feelings of loss, disappointment, or even anger.

Reference:

Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.

Although there is no universal classification for describing different types of teams, some common team types include:

Problem-Solving Teams: Formed to deal with a current or potential issue.
Cross-Functional Teams: Consists of members from different functional departments (e.g., research and development, marketing, sales, etc.) for a variety of possible purposes.
Virtual Teams: Geographically dispersed members assembled using various technologies to accomplish goals.
Research and Development Teams: Used to develop new products.
Self-Managed Teams: Empowered to perform certain activities based on the procedures, policies, and decisions made by the team.

Team Behavior.html

Team Behavior

Several interrelated principles are important for stimulating effective team behavior.

Team thinking: Members need to know how to function as a team. Training might be required to enhance team problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, conflict management, and creative thinking. Teams fail when the members do not function as a unit.
Empowerment: Teams need the authority to make the decisions and act upon the responsibilities they have been given. Teams need to have space to develop their own work procedures and accountability systems. Teams that lack authority are generally less effective.
Communication: Team members require information. Traditionally, information has been the domain of management. Many teams fail because management is unwilling to share necessary information with the teams it creates.
Rewards: Most organizational rewards systems are individually based. However, to stimulate effective team behaviors, teams should be rewarded as a unit.
Size and skills: Generally, teams should be kept as small as possible to complete the team tasks. Larger sizes introduce greater potential for interaction and decision-making problems. However, attention should be given to make sure that team members collectively possess the necessary skills, information, and experience to complete the team assignment.
Common purpose: Teams should be given a reason to exist that is embraced by all the team members. Teams fail when members prioritize personal goals over team goals or when teams splinter and pursue different goals.

An organization may have many groups, but not every group of people is a team. Many of the systems principles discussed in Week 1 also apply to teams. For example, teams exhibit wholeness (every member affects and is affected by every other member) and nonsummativity (the whole is greater than the sum of its parts). Additional characteristics of a team include:

A team is small enough for members to be aware of each other and have consistent interactions.
Members have a sense of belongingness or membership.
A team operates by norms and procedures that are accepted by members.

Team members have a mutually interdependent purpose where the success of each is dependent on the others.

Decision Making.html

Decision Making

Have you ever thought about how you make a decision? Do you decide only after conducting research on a variety of alternatives, weighing the risks associated with each alternative, and consulting affected parties, or do you tend to rely on your intuition? Research (Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly, & Konopaske, 2012) has shown that the following best practices help in making the highest-quality decisions:

Establish specific goals and objectives for the organization and determine how progress toward the goals and objectives will be measured.
Identify problems that may get in the way of achieving these goals and objectives.
Create multiple realistic alternatives to achieve these goals and objectives.
Assess the alternatives and select the one that will provide for the best outcome.
Implement the decision through the use of transparent communication.
Gauge the decision progress on a preset, periodic basis.

Reference:

Gibson, J., Ivancevich, J., Donnelly, J., & Konopaske, R. (2012). Organizations: Behavior, structure, processes (14th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin

Groups usually take more time to reach a decision than do individuals, but bringing specialists and experts together has benefits. The mutually reinforcing effect of their interaction can result in better decisions, especially when members have highly diverse backgrounds and the group periodically adjusts its goals and objectives. In fact, a great deal of research has shown that consensus decisions with five or more participants are superior to decisions made by individuals, by majority vote, and by the leader on many issues.

Additional Materials

View the PDF transcript for Behavioral Influences on Decision Making