Effective Team and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effective Team and Management - Essay Example Many people have different perceptions about the value that teams bring to an organization. Some people think that teams are a waste of time and other resources and thus organizations need to focus on individual output as is opposed to group performance. They point out certain weaknesses of teams such as laxity by some members and lack of individual responsibility when mistakes do arise. Teams also overshadow talent and other stand to gain where they did not sow. However, there is strong evidence that teams and teamwork is the best way to go for organizations that are seeking success. For teams to realize productivity there needs to be certain principles in place which have to be observed by all team members. Building a team spirit is a huge task and requires that managers acquire better skills of interpersonal management as well as interpersonal communication. Various theories have been fronted to help understand teams or groups and group dynamics. This paper takes a reflective appr oach to the modules we studied and tries to link it with the learning outcomes that were expected at the end of the session. Theories and other concepts learnt will be utilized in this critical reflection and discussion (Senior & Swailes, 2007, pp.138-153). Reflection from group exercises in weeks one to three Reflection is important in the course of my study (Illes, 2003, pp.209-215). Groups at work places are very important additives to any organization’s success story. I realized that there must be clear objectives as to why teams are formed in work places in the first place. This is because previously I had a notion that teams are simply about numbers. But I realized that teams should not be formed on the basis of filling up positions and coming up with large groups of people who have no objective of being together in such workplace settings. Many organizations end up promoting teams in workplaces for the purpose of boasting and propagate a total quality environment at wo rk. This is a very wrong idea. Teams within a workplace have been a very powerful tool in many successful organizations. The benefits of having teams at work are many and include the provision of motivation to employees who are members; they enhance job coordination (Sonnentag, 1999); they give an improved problem solving environment; and assist in better decision-making process, among others. However, I realized that there is a price to pay for having this good performance (Stajkovic & Luthans, 1997, pp.1122–1149). As noticed, making decisions within a team takes a longer period than if one was to do it as an individual. This could be attributed to the fact that all members need to be consulted and consensus reached before a final decision could be acted upon. The process taken for teams to mature is also very long and slower. Teams have been known to evolve and mature into formidable groups that could carry out work effectively and this could not happen as fast as I thought . The other idea that I realized was the fact that teams needed long periods of training and comprehensive training for that matter in order for them to mature. Despite these shortcomings, I noticed that teams have major benefits mentioned above, which do outweigh these problems and frustrations faced by managers in many situations (Senior & Swailes, 2007, pp.138-153). Belbin Team Roles Theory has posed a good model for many managers struggling with teams in their organizations. The model has various fundamental concepts that are based on roles. I realized that