Team Development and Process Analysis, Essay Example

Beginning Interactions

The initiation of interactions was key in determining the general tone taken by the group in tackling the task. One particularly outstanding team member is Jessica. She is particularly enthusiastic about the task at hand and appears eager. She is particularly structured in her approach towards interactions and is well scheduled. Initial instructions also pointed out the different personalities within the group. The group was made up of four different personalities. The most evident of the personalities was Sheharyar. She is particularly dominant in the amount of talk time consumed per individual within the group. She is openly speaks her opinion. Van and Robert had similar personalities and the manner in which they engaged in initial interactions; very flexible and open minded. However, they were both very conscious about time, regularly keeping track of progress made against amount of time consumed and amount of time left. They were also task oriented, keeping focus on tackling tasks in a strategic and organized manner.

Effect on Team Performance

Initial interactions were crucial in setting the foundation for the decision making process. One of the most important aspects of performance that was determined was the role of each of the team members. The different personalities with the team were assigned duties and roles accordingly. Jessica was unanimously assigned group leader or coordinator. Owing to her well scheduled nature, she effectively steered the group towards a general consensus in the decisions and decision making process. She also played a crucial maintenance role of harmonizing the group.

Shehayar was mainly the idea initiator. This is mainly due to her open-minded approach to communication and sharing opinions. She initiated most of the discussions. Robert and Van, because they have similar personalities, were mainly the time keepers. They kept the team on its toes by consistently checking, and updating the team of its progress relative to time consumed and time left. Their time consciousness and reliability ensure the team completed its tasks on time.

The group managed to complete the required task in good time, indicating speed. The group also managed to record a better score than individual scores of members as well as their average score. This indicates considerable accuracy in their approach. The group also managed to realize consensus on most of the issues with relative ease. This indicates a considerable degree of acceptance within the group. Every member was also provided for ample time and opportunities to express their opinions over the issues being discusses as well as the decision making process. All these factors contribute to the team’s effectiveness.

Critical Events

There are a number of critical events that shaped the way the team evolved. One of the main events was the initiation of discussion on the most important survival items. The initial discussion lacked direction and led to little progress. However, the coordinator effectively acknowledged this fact and proposed a strategy to be employed in tackling the task. After reaching consensus, the group adopted a survival tactic by selecting specific survival goals and matching the items required to realize each goal. However, this process is considerably affected by participation of individual team members.

Team Decision Making Process Characteristics

The team has an effective team decision making process. The team has generally adopted the rational decision making process. This is evident in the strategy adopted to accomplish the task, going through the eight phases of the rational decision making process. Namely;

1. Recognize the problem; the inherent need to survive
2. Identify the objective of the decision; find warmth and shelter, sustenance and help
3. Gather and evaluate data
4. Identify all alternatives and rate each alternative on each criterion
5. Select the best course of action
6. Implement the decision
7. Gather feedback from all members
8. Follow up

Team Forecast

The forecast for this team is very good. The team appears to effectively function. The roles within the group have been defined based on character, personality and strengths. The group is a high cohesive group that is task oriented and emphasizes on achieving goals. Management of discussions is participative creating considerably strong synergies within the group. There is very little intergroup competition owing to the fact that roles have been defined.

The group has developed a number of aliments that also act as sources of cohesion. The group has managed to develop a general consensus on the goals and objectives of specific tasks. This has been complemented by the interdependence between members as a result of dynamic personalities and strengths.

The team has also developed synergies that will help it generate more alternative in the future, and even increase the levels of acceptance within the group. This will foster an environment of understanding, further influencing perforce in a positive way. Because of these synergies the group is expected to outperform individuals within the group.

Personal Behavior Analysis

Roles

I have assumed a more conservative role within the group. This is mainly because I am not a native speaker of the English language, I have had to become more of a listener. My participation has been limited to specific instances where a general consensus is required from the whole group. However, this does not reflect on the general participatory levels within the group. Participation is open to anyone with a query, opinion or observation to make.

Positive and Negative Behavior

The group has developed synergies that have created norms through explicit statements and critical experiences within the group. This can be seen in the way the group has taken into consideration the fact that I am not a native speaker of English, and have distributed the work according to ability and capacity. I have received a lighter workload as a result.

Influence

I have had some influence in shaping the nature of the team. Because I am not a native English speaker, the group has had to approach some discussions, considering my input. This had given the group a conservative opinion in some of the discussions, providing different points of view to choose from.

Usefulness

My input has particularly been valuable to the team. Because I registered the best score within the group, my input played contributed to the group score, which was better than the individual scores. I perceive myself as an important team player, just as all members. This is because every member understands their roles and functions within the group.

Colleagues’ Opinions

Because I am not an English native English speaker, my contributions were limited. This did not allow me to contribute on the same level as the other group members. As such, they may have a generally average opinion on my performance. However, this does not affect their perceptions of my value to the team. Though they are few, my opinions are taken into consideration like all other group members.

Need for Change

There is an inherent need for team members to contribute on the same level. This allows for a more effective and cohesive group. As such, I will have to improve on my English so as to increase my participation within the group.

Proposed Improvements

Best and Worst Aspects

The team has a number of strengths and weaknesses. The best, and the strongest, aspects of the team is communication. Effective communication within the group has fostered a culture of openness. This has developed trust between the group members, making it easier to limit and avoid conflict. The group mainly adopts two-way communication to ensure accuracy and efficiency. The group also uses rich communication channels that use multiple information cues. This provides immediate feedback from every member while ensuring a personal touch to the final decisions.

Changes to Interaction

There are no proposed changes to be made to the manner in which members interact with each other. All members currently interact in an open and efficient manner, enhancing the accuracy of the final decisions made by the group.

Aspects to Be Maintained

Communication is the strongest aspect of the group, as such, it should remain the same. Coordination and integration are important aspects that determine the effectiveness with which tasks are executed within the group. The group has fostered an environment of free communication and information flow, allowing for coordination and integration within the whole Group.