Challenges of Teams and Groups, Research Paper Example

Introduction

A number of unique challenges arises whenever team cooperation is at play. They are typically tempered by various factors, ranging from the nature of the team’s assignment to the individual characters of the team members involved in the process. Ultimately, however, certain elements manifest themselves, no matter the variables. Group participation focused on a specific goal is something of an art in itself, and only an awareness of the issues likely to manifest themselves can prepare a team to overcome such challenges.

Team Preparation

A great advantage in assembling and working with a team assembled to address a specific issue or field is that there can be a reliance on sufficient levels of expertise to suit the purpose, and from each team player. In the realm of accounting, I can be confident that my team is trained in this discipline. There will be, of course, varying degrees of skill evident; no two people, however well-educated, think and work in exactly the same manner, or have a precisely matched set of abilities.

This, however, provides another benefit to the team dynamic. Plainly put, identical talents do not typically enhance each other; what occurs is something more on the order of unnecessary repetition, and the team of perfectly aligned abilities renders its existence as a team moot. Growth, and the discovery of innovations within the process of a project, are most prone to happen through the friction that is generated when varying skills interface. No matter what the team is in place to accomplish, it is understood that the dynamic itself must forge the real progress, and this is the consequence of gathering diverse levels of talent. Lesser abilities learn from greater, and the stronger skills are often refreshed by unexpected insights provided by those less adept.

This leads to another essential element in a team’s formation: mutual regard. I am, as stated, fully aware that the individuals in my team bring to it their own histories, personalities, and degrees of expertise. Nothing productive, however, can emanate from any team wherein there is not a full and reciprocal understanding of mutual respect. Each member of my team must accept that every other member is within it because they have value.

Research on team activities clearly indicates how layered and complex the group dynamic is, and one element in this is the natural reflex of competitiveness which arise when people sharing a discipline come together. This is not to suggest that my team, unless checked, will devolve into pointless rivalry; rather, it addresses the very human impulse to assert personal achievement. It is, as well, a healthy impulse, and immensely valuable to the group process, for it is what draws out each individual’s best performance and contributions. I fully expect to see this in my team, as I devoutly wish to. Nonetheless, that foundation of mutual respect must be in place from the start. Without it, we are prone to a scenario marked by lack of interest, distraction, and irrelevant personality conflict.

Lastly, and as regards team preparation, the most obvious factor is a thorough understanding of the team’s goal, and one shared by each team member. This seemingly evident component is, within the scope of group interaction in any sphere, the most neglected, and consequently the one leading to the most unfortunate results. The relatively minor sin of restating what is most likely known to all is by far the better road to take, contrasted with the dilemmas inherent in a failure of understanding recognized too late in the process. The team leader is obligated, both to serve the individual members of his group and the greater goal of achieving the team’s ambition, to distinctly make clear what, precisely, the objectives are.

Challenges

A major element often overlooked when considering the challenges which may impede a team’s progress is the traditional, and vitally necessary, role of the leader. The team leader does not, generally speaking, prevent or overcome any specific challenge; rather, the leader is in place to address them as they come.

There is something of a primitive methodology in taking this approach, yet its very elemental aspect reflects the importance of it. There is no way to actually foresee some challenges; they may develop from obstacles encountered in the team’s work, from external factors such as timing and budget considerations, and/or from the limitless range of reactions that may occur whenever people are drawn together.

The leader, acknowledged as such by all, serves the team by maintaining an overseer role, in the truest meaning of the word. Other team members have the luxury of venturing into side issues, or of exploring perhaps irrelevant measures. This in itself is a challenge to a group dynamic with a goal to achieve; focus shifts, usually from a single participant, and this in turn breaks down the focus of the group. The leader must walk the line between accepting input, relevant and possibly extraneous, and always keeping an eye on the primary objective.

With a sound leader in place, there is virtually no challenge that may truly disrupt the team. The leader, aware of each step within the complicated process taking place, is the leader because he or she has a sensitivity to issues before they arise. The role is not an easy one, and personal bias must be set aside, not only by the leader in reference to other team members’ interactions, but from him or herself. By presenting a rational, accessible, and goal-oriented persona, the leader is the solution for virtually any challenge that may arise.

Conclusion

As regards my team, our discipline is accounting. We enter into our group assignment confident, because we have, as a team, explored the potentials of what lies before us. It is understood by all that no disrespect will be tolerated, and that we are assembled, in fact, to work together as harmoniously and efficiently as possible, to make the experience as agreeable as it will be productive. The team knows as well that individual concerns must be brought to the leader’s attention, and not during the group interactions. We approach our task with commitment, and a uniform desire to make the most of the group experience.