MANAGEMENT LIVE ASSIGNMENT:
I believe it can be functional for teams to fight. Most of the great teams I have known don’t fear fighting because at the end of the day important decisions are reached from the harsh heated debate. Through a rigorous challenge, every member will push his ideas until it is heard. This may even entice comments from team members who are silent and through these ideas are generated from all members. Through this debate, the team will remain effective and focus on the main course. Although fights can be harmful to groups I believe with the right encouragement to argue without affecting their ability to work as a team they will achieve a lot. Therefore, it is functional for a team to fight.
I was once involved in a research team at my college. During our research, some members kept complaining that some members were less engaged in our work and that only a few members were actively involved in the research. This brought about a lot of discomfort in the group and this affected our teamwork.
This fight was not functional. This is because at the end of the day our effectiveness was affected. This fight was unproductive and disastrous to our team because it made us divided. Instead of having an agreement we ended up in disengagement. Therefore, our fight was dysfunctional since it affected our ability to work as a team.
I would have used the tactics to keep our team focused on our research rather than the poor engagement of some members and that our main aim was to achieve good results through our collaboration and not competition. I would also encourage them not to keep their opinions until resentment builds up to a point that is difficult to manage.
TEAM COHESION
There was a time I was involved in a project team working on research about gendered care work regarding the elderly care in our healthcare. These teams included the students, lectures, and some former medical practitioners from our school.
My team practiced the steps described in the “Manager’s Tool Kit 10.4” feature. This is evident from the fact that we created a schedule to spent time together and this helped us develop trust and helped us learn how to accept each other to avoid conflicts. We also acquired established objectives and goals which were written down by every member. Our team leader also encouraged us to work as a team and also to help each other in achieving the results. He also promised us a reward to each member of the team if we emerged the best. We were also able to conduct our project without raising our issues to other groups and this helped us to remain focused and improved our cohesiveness as a group.
You know you’re a part of a cohesive team if everyone’s contribution is valued no matter how weak it may appear. This encourages everyone to participate and the success of the team is greater. Secondly, in a cohesive team, every member is empowered through delegation of responsibilities. This makes members feel they have ownership of the project and all the activities and achievements. The time we spend together in a team will also show me am in a cohesive team. If members interact more often, they can learn each person’s strengths, weaknesses, and also skills. I will also know I am part of a cohesive group if we remain more united when we face challenges such as competition from other teams.
The advantage of having a cohesive team is that; there is increased productivity from the team, members experience low levels of stress, have lower turnover rates, and that members are consistent with individual productivity. Nevertheless, a cohesive team faces some disadvantages. They include; unsatisfactory outcomes which may be a result of excessive competition with other groups.
CASE STUDY
I find some disadvantages to the Gores approach. Firstly, it’s the challenge of changing the size of his team. Secondly, it isn’t easy to find individuals who not only have the precise skills but also who are temperamentally and intelligently suited for the unusual environment.
To achieve much, Gore used different effective team principles. They include the following; fairness, encouraging others to grow in knowledge as well as skills, rewarding people based on their commitment and consultation.
I think for one to be successful at Gore it takes being passionate about what they do and also having a good working relationship with others, with customers, with vendors and suppliers, and with the surrounding communities.
I think I would personally achieve much in the Gores environment. This is because I am responsible, self-motivated. Secondly, I am communicative and comfortable networking with others. Furthermore, I always fulfill my commitments.
Source: Condensed from Eisenhardt, K. M., Bourgeois, L. J., and Kahwajy, J. L. (2009). How management teams can have a good fight. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing.
Complete this Management Live assignment:
- Review the “Management Live 10.4” feature in Chapter 10 in Baldwin et al. (2013).
- Explain why you do or do not believe that it can be functional for teams to fight.
- Describe a time when you were on a team that fought. Identify whether or not the fight was functional and explain how you could have used the tactics described in the “Management Live 10.4” feature to help the team to fight more productively.
- Complete this Team Cohesion assignment:
- Review the “Building Team Cohesion” section and the “Manager’s Tool Kit 10.4” feature in Chapter 10 in Baldwin et al. (2013).
- Describe a time when you have been a part of a very cohesive team in the healthcare environment (e.g., on a project team working on a healthcare assignment for school, or on a team at work).
- Explain whether or not your team practiced the steps described in the “Manager’s Tool Kit 10.4” feature.
- Explain how you know if you are part of a cohesive team and what happens within the team that makes it cohesive.
- Identify the advantages and disadvantages of having a cohesive team.
- Complete this Case Study assignment:
- Review the “Small Teams, No Titles: Life at W.L. Gore” case study at the end of Chapter 10 in Baldwin et al. (2013).
- Answer the questions at the end of the case study.