Group Dynamics for Teams, Essay Example

Introduction

A team’s identity requires a unique understanding and focus on the tasks at hand and the overall integration of its members towards meeting the same goals and objectives. In some cases, this is very difficult to achieve, as not all members are on board with the strategies chosen or the tasks that they are required to perform. Therefore, if team members do not support these objectives, it may be difficult to sustain a productive team environment over the long term, as the dynamic will be ineffective for the entire group (Levi, 2013).

Body

When team members do not possess similar beliefs regarding the team experience, it is possible that they will be dissatisfied with their participation, which may cause tension among its members and a potential risk of poor productivity that could influence the team’s level of success. The group must be able to operate with a focused dynamic as best as possible and learn how to best approach the conditions under which they might enhance the team rather than deter from its progress (Mitchell, Parker, Giles, & Boyle, 2014). This also reflects a need to evaluate the situation and to make sense of the circumstances so that all team members are on board with the work that must be performed as best as possible.

When communication is lacking among team members, this could break the team’s confidence and strength that is essential to its overall success and achievement. When this is the case, it is possible to develop a new perspective to encourage team members to learn how to communicate in such a way that it will promote greater productivity and strength in achieving goals and objectives. In addition, if innovation is stifled in any way, this could also create a difficult set of challenges for the team in its efforts to produce at a high level (Mitchell & Boyle, 2015). The team must learn how to use creativity in a positive manner to make the team as productive as possible (Mitchell & Boyle, 2015). Removing this option from a team will likely create tension among its members and also demonstrate a lack of understanding of how a team functions towards its larger goals.

A team dynamic is likely to experience a number of difficult challenges that are related to its members and their ability to produce at the necessary level. This requires an understanding of individual beliefs and core values in order to determine what is required to meet expectations within the team environment (Raver, Ehrhart, & Chadwick, 2012). This is an important goal that each member must meet and must be able to align their personal values and needs with the team as a whole to make the most of the team experience (Raver et.al, 2012). If this is not the case, it is important to develop a strategy that will enable team members to be fully engaged in the team effort to prevent complications and other issues that could impact the team as a whole and influence their level of productivity.

Conclusion

A group must be able to establish its own set of norms in order to achieve its primary objectives. Each member must participate in the process and aim to be productive in fulfilling the responsibility to the group and to its other members. When this is not the case due to internal conflicts or poor communication, it is entirely possible that the group experiment will be a significant failure. Therefore, it is important to develop a method by which all team members are able to share ideas, be creative, and aim to be successful in its efforts to produce a successful team experience. This requires effective communication and a level of cohesiveness that will not disrupt the potential progress and success of the team and what they are required to achieve during their time together.

References

Levi, D.J. (2013). Group Dynamics for Teams. SAGE Publications.

Mitchell, R., & Boyle, B. (2015). Professional diversity, identity salience and team innovation: The moderating role of openmindedness norms. Journal of Organizational Behavior.

Mitchell, R., Parker, V., Giles, M., & Boyle, B. (2014). The ABC of health care team dynamics: Understanding complex affective, behavioral, and cognitive dynamics in interprofessional teams. Health care management review, 39(1), 1-9.

Raver, J. L., Ehrhart, M. G., & Chadwick, I. C. (2012). The emergence of team helping norms: Foundations within members’ attributes and behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(5), 616-637.