Team Dynamics at Work

Imagine a new team of employees who are fresh out of college and excited about working together. Each is ready to jump in the workforce and get his or her feet wet, in the field in which he or she choose to major. However, each member has his or her own "unique personality" and personal "work ethics". The team can become "long-lasting friends" or a "split into subgroups", due to conflict. According to Team Technology (1995), this is due to an unseen force that is shared between the employees. This "hidden force" is noticed among the team members, as they work together. This element will allow them to work "naturally" together. Team dynamics is vital to the teams overall success, while completing their assigned task. Therefore, without it, the team will experience "conflict" or "misunderstandings".

Team Dynamics

What is it?

An amazing force happens between each of the team members, who are working hard to prepare their project together. Unfortunately, their employers cannot see this phenomenon with the naked eye. According to Team Technology (1995), an effective team is a partnership, which is created and formed by the individual members. The teammates are directly responsible for the team's successes and its failures. Many experts argue that a successful team should share their "mutual knowledge" (Davis & Khazanchi, 2007), in order to stay on track. According to Jones (2006), a leader must communicate effectively and motivate each team member. Some weaker team members may need "coaching", in order to be a successful part of the team. This partnership can be successful, if each team member is able to complete their part of assignment on their own.

How does it work?

Many "other factors" (Team Technology, 1995) can influence the teams dynamics, which exist between each of the teammates. According to Davis & Khazanchi (2007), the person's personality, performance, and office layouts can affect team dynamics. Additionally, they believe that "Social Building" and "Task Process" are important also. According to Jones, (2006) communication is vital to avoid conflict and achieve success. However, many obstacles exist for new each new team members, which can ultimately "weaken" or "split up" the team. Each member of the team member must examine his or her own individual weaknesses and strengths. This way, the team can work on their project together and build new friendships with team members. Some members might get along, while some may experience a conflict or misunderstandings. The team's success depends on each person doing their part and work, in order to complete the project.

How to recognize it?

According to Johnson (2007), a successful team should be able to foster a relationship, while completing the team's project or task. Nevertheless, a person must look for the "hidden forces" (Team Technology, 1995), which exist between the members. For example, the employer can observe how the team members "interact" and "communicate" with each other. The leader will make the team act differently, especially if there is a misunderstanding. However, this may effect the negatively and the team may break into "subgroups". Any observer can see, whether the team is "interacting" in a positive or negative way. Some teams might experience an "absence" of this hidden force or team dynamics. Furthermore, if there is a sudden leader change, these members may "work well together" or the take time to "adjust" to the changes.

Positive Effects on the Team

Social Building Skills

In a team setting, it is important to recognize the team members as individuals. This way, the team members will be able to work together and develop his or her social skills. Some team member may have separate "religious and cultural beliefs" (Team Technology, 1995). However, every teammate has a chance to grow a lasting "friendship" and "working relationship." The leader should always look for ways to build the team social skills, in order to find what works for their individual team. Additionally, it is important for the team leader to give feedback on the team's progress. Each day, the team can find ways to overcome their collective weaknesses and build on his or her personal strengths. Then, the members will be able to strengthen his or hers own social skills, while interacting with the other team members.

Communication Skills

Each member must work hard on strengthening his or her "communication skills" (Hall, 2007), in order to communicate successfully with the team. Every team member must learn to speak and write clearly, so they can be understood. The team must immediately choose the best way to communicate with their teammates, as needed throughout the project. According to Davis & Khazanchi (2007), a lack of mutual knowledge can hurt the team's relationship and overall performance. In additionally, the team must communicate clearly with each other, in order to avoid conflict. Especially, when dealing with times of conflict or misunderstanding from the fellow team members. With the right communication skills, the team can be successful and complete their project on time. However, miscommunication can cause the team to fall apart and split up, before the project has been completed.

Task Processes

According to Davis & Khazanchi (2007), the entire team must be coordinated with the other team members. This way, they will be able to complete the task or project together, without any opposition. In addition, the leader must consider their team members strengths and weakness, as they begin working on their part of the project. However, is important for each of the teammates to know that his or his individual performances will affect the team's progress. Each task must be completed, in order for the team to finish their team projects and complete their assigned task. In addition, the team must prepare for the many obstacles and setbacks, which may affect the team's final assignment. Hence, the team can allow extra time as needed, depending on the team's progress.

Negative Effects on the Team

Clash of Personalities

Every member of the team has their own "personality" (Team Technology, 1995) and opinions, which will present itself from time to time. This will affect how they "perceive" each other's personality, especially in "written communication" (Hall, 2007). The "lack of body language" can cause a major "misunderstandings" or "conflicts", between the team members. Sometimes members may take something you said or wrote wrong, which can be avoided by communicating clearly. Unfortunately, conflict can change the teams "flow of information" or "their friendship" (Team Technology, 1995). However, the team leader can use the person's personality to influence and complete the team's assignments. For example, a team member with a pushy or aggressive personality can help the leader develop a schedule. This practice can help keep the team stay on right track.

Lack of Communication

According to Hall (2007), team members should be aware of the non-verbal gestures, when they are communication with someone. This silent form of communication can be taken wrong or cause miscommunications. Furthermore, it is important to be concise when communicating with the team, especially during the team's daily communications. Then you can limit the confusion and misunderstanding, which can occur with it the team. However, each member of the team should be looking for ways to build their communication skills. Each team member should be aware of their verbal and silent communication, in order to avoid misunderstandings. According to Jones (2006), proper communication skills can allow the team to stay on the same page and get the project completed on time.

Sub-groups Evolve

Sometimes team conflicts and misunderstandings can cause the team to "split into two sub-groups" (Team Technology, 1995). This breakup may cause the communication in the group to break up. The "flow of information" would be disrupted, which would cause project to be delayed or fail. Always include every member in the team communications, in order to keep the conflict and misunderstandings at bay. However, with the right conflict resolution skills, the teammate can overcome any problems he or she faces. The separation of teammates can cause many issues among the teammates, which can cause the project to fail. According to Jones (2006), the teammates should work together, in order to be successful. In addition, the team should remove any obstacles or dividers, which is separating the team from other teammates. Each member must feel like they are an important part of the team or the misunderstandings and conflict will rise.

Conclusion

As a team member or team leader, look for ways build your social and communication skills daily. In addition, you must also learn how to handle misunderstandings and conflict on the team. Sometimes these simple conflicts will make or break the team. However, conflict resolution skills can help the team solve their misunderstandings quickly. According to Team Technology (1995), the teammates can create a successful team with the right team dynamics and skills to complete the project. Each member must have "mutual respect" and "trust" (Nath, 2008), in order to function as a successful team. This will allow the team to function well together, without major conflict or misunderstandings. Furthermore, each member must work hard to overcome any obstacles that may arise, during the project's duration. Therefore, the team must recognize each teammate, as a valuable part of his or her entire team.

References:

Davis A., Khazanchi D. (2007) Does Mutual Knowledge Affect Virtual Team Performance? Theoretical Analysis and Anecdotal Evidence. American Journal of Business, p. 22(2), 57-65.

Retrieved from ProQuest Central database on June 14, 2008

http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/pqdweb?index=3&sid=1&srchmode=1&vinst=PROD&fmt=6&startpage=-1&clientid=13118&vname=PQD&RQT=309&did=1371800181&scaling=FULL&ts=1213496591&vtype=PQD&rqt=309&TS=1213497181&clientId=13118

Hall, J. (2007) Introduction in Nonverbal Communication

Retrieved on the World Wide Web on June 16, 2008

http://www.fhsu.edu/~zhrepic/Teaching/GenEducation/nonverbcom/nonverbcom.htm

Johnson, V (2007) Understanding and Assessing

Retrieved on the World Wide Web on June 14, 2008

http://www.todaysengineer.org/2005/Mar/team_dynamics.asp

Jones, P. (2006) SIMPLE RULES FOR COMPLEX TEAMWORKING IN A 24/7 WORLD

Retrieved on the World Wide Web on June 28, 2008

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=16&sid=a5eae38e-4afc-47cf-8657-f433abcfec01%40sessionmgr2

Nath, D (2008) Building Trust and Cohesiveness in a Leadership Team

Retrieved on the World Wide Web on June 28, 2008

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=120&sid=526701fb-0965-4168-af34-b2c926942837%40sessionmgr102

Team Technology (1995) Team Dynamics

Retrieved on the World Wide Web on June 14, 2008

http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/team-dynamics.html