Rationale for the Team Selection and Team’s Strength and Weakness
When involved in the project with the other people, I am reliable enough to carry out organized work. I also look forward to finding the latest development and updates. Besides, I always extend my support in providing good suggestions that helps in resolving the problem. I try to seek satisfaction through work by helping the colleagues sort their problems and enjoy exploring different techniques and views. While sorting complicated problems, I try to keep an eye on the difficult areas and weigh up suggestions before opting for a solution. I try to maintain a steady approach irrespective of the pressures. To carry out work on a day-to-day basis, I work with all kinds of people provided they possess something worthwhile for contribution. I am also happy being busy and possess interest in getting to know people better. When given a difficult task with unfamiliar and limited people, I find my skills to be appropriate in achieving the agreement and my feelings hardly interfere with the judgment. I also possess the capability of working with the people who varies widely in the personal qualities. Nevertheless, while considering a newer project, my concern remains in finishing and perfecting the current work before starting with the new one. I also try to take an innovative and independent look towards most situations and lead an action whenever necessary. I never try to give in a job where the goal does not have a proper definition. However, when it comes to contributing to the group projects, I possess the talent of sorting the concrete steps to be taken in the broader brief. I not only possess an eye for minute details but also know how to apply the techniques and the ideas in the newer relationship. These characteristics assigned me the role of an implementer and completer finisher as derived by the Belbin’s Test (Batenburg, van Walbeek and Maur 2013).
As an implementer, I required to plan a workable strategy and carry as efficiently as possible. The strength of the team lies in being efficient, reliable and practical (Mathieu et al. 2015). The strength also lies in turning the ideas into actions and organizes the work that needed to be done. The weakness lay in the inflexibility and slower response towards the newer responsibilities. They may be slow in relinquishing their plans in favor of the positive changes. As completer finisher, it is necessary to scrutinize and polish work for errors thereby ensuring higher standards of the quality control (Meslec and Cur?eu 2015). The strength lies in being anxious, conscientious and painstaking and search for error to perfect and polish them. The allowable weakness lies in being reluctant to the delegate. Moreover, it should be surprising to find if they take the perfectionism to the extremes.
According to Wong and Laschinger (2013), effective leadership represents the success factor within the organizations and an appropriate leadership always results in a better performance. As per Belbin’s team role, the shaper and the coordinator represents two conventional leadership roles. Belbin identified that the role of the coordinator is the most ideal leadership role. He also identified the role of the shaper among the top CEOs and the managers and correlates with the successful performance of the team. There have been studies that found the managers in the role of the resource investigator and coordinator. The roles of the team worker are correlated to the performance of the team leader. However, the difference between the success and the failure of the team depended more on the behavior than the intellect. As per the argument put forward by (Senaratne and Gunawardane 2015), no single group can become performing team until it holds itself accountable on behalf of the team. When individual is part of the team he bears with him a set of prejudices, experience and background. This does not necessarily imply that the quality of the team members and better performance of the team. It is Belbin who portrayed that the role of the team member and presence of the complementary roles that encompassed higher performance of the team. However, in order to ensure effective team building and completion of the project there should be improvement in teamwork, team roles and team forming, interpersonal skills and effective communication, intercultural awareness and resolving conflicts, professional conduct and ethics and other relevant professional skills.
Professional Skills in Action
Alberola et al. (2013) stated that teamwork can be improved through commitment and trust, communication, diversity of capabilities, adaptability and creative freedom. It had been found that the dominant role played by the leader in the team has been that of an implementer and completer-finisher. However, to be effective it is necessary for the leader to play the role of shaper, coordinator, resource investigator, team worker and role of the specialist. To ensure further development and enhancement of effective performance of the team it is necessary to ensure team forming through establishment of leadership, establishment of relationships amongst the employees, building relationship with the employees, fostering teamwork and setting certain ground rules for the team(Lorinkova, Pearsall and Sims 2013).
Hargie (2016) put forward that further development and enhancement of effective performance of the team is achieved through effective interpersonal communication. This can be achieved by being open to and asking for the feedback, never talking over the people, finishing the sentences of the other people, paraphrasing, maintaining eye contact and by being aware of the body language. Resolution of conflicts also helps in the enhancement and development of the team (Katz and Flynn 2013). This can be achieved through the accommodating strategy that entails putting forward what the other side wants. It also involves practicing of the active listening and the communication skills. It is also necessary to stay calm and recognize conflict. Remaining calm and being aware of the emotions had been the key aspects of the conflict resolution. Moreover, it is also necessary to maintain a positive attitude along with managing of the emotions. It is also necessary to enhance the intercultural awareness of the team. This implies possessing an understanding of the culture of the team and that of the others and identifies the differences and the similarities between them (Ladegaard and Jenks 2015). The differences and the similarities might be in terms of the beliefs, values or the behavior. This might either be large or small but matters much when there is interaction or meeting with the people from a different cultural background.
Dyer and Dyer (2013) also stated that to ensure effective team building it is also necessary to improve professional conduct that involves the morals, ethics and the standards of the behavior. As a professional it is vital for the person to not only maintain ethical behavior but also ensure proper professional code. However, a code of the professional conduct is a key component that helps in maintaining the standards for that individual within the profession. It results in responsibility, accountability and trust of the individual team members. This is developed by being inclusive and welcoming and supporting people from all identities and backgrounds. It also ensures being considerate, respectful, making the right choice of the words and turning the differences into the strengths.
According to Gilbuena et al. (2015), it is also necessary to develop other professional skills like active listening, empathy, rapport building and skills related to employability. Mentoring represents one of the effective ways in developing of the professional skills and is relevant to variety of professional opportunities requiring communication and interpersonal skills. The skills contribute in the development of the team’s ability in thriving within the diverse global market. In addition the skills of employability are necessary for keeping, getting and achieving success within the job. In fact, they represent attitude and skills that will allow the team members in getting along with the colleagues, undertake critical decisions, resolve problems, build up respect and finally become one of the strong ambassadors of the organization.
Improving Teamwork, Team Roles, and Team Forming
Option 2
General Evaluation of My Contribution to the Team and Project
Leadership Skills
In terms of leadership skills, I have tried to contribute to the team and project by responding positively to the team members. I rewarded and recognized people who generated newer ideas (Sohmen 2013). Although their efforts might not pay off at all times but they received recognition for trying. In order to recognize the contribution of the employees, as a leader I have made it a point in considering all the ways of employee contribution. I have remained ahead of the market by learning newer skills and researching on the future trends. As an effective leader, I have also tried to communicate consistently and clearly through diligence, clarification of ambiguities and gauging of the employee responses. Better communication makes the team members more confident with an affinity of making fewer errors. I have always tried to provide the team members with the freedom to work that also makes them feel valued. As an effective leader, I have tried to make casual conversation and make the employees feel comfortable and valued. I have even tried to optimize opportunities. It is another advantage of building relationships with the employees as it allows the best means of rewarding them. I have tried to find ways for helping the team members in learning newer skills.
I believe initiative represents a self management skill that allowed me in doing things without asking and solving the problems that others might not have noticed (Ellinger and Ellinger 2014). It also involves going out of the way in growing and learning. I have always an initiative for either identifying a problem or think of the ways for the team for better performance. Workplace initiatives are considered important as they result in product or service improvement delivered by business. As an initiative, I have always tried to spot opportunities and ensure potential improvements. I have done so by acting on the opportunities that team members did not notice. Besides, I have contributed to the team by knowing how it worked and keeping the minds open to newer possibilities and ideas. Besides, as a contribution towards the team, I have tried to set an exciting goal that provided energy for working on ambitious challenges. I have also created a room for experimentation, communicated my expectations and facilitated change. Additionally, I have also tried to create a safer environment for the team members. Further, I have also developed rational persistence that helped me to move forward when encountered with difficulty. It also helps in modifying the direction depending on the inputs of the other people.
Flexibility within the workplace allows the team members in making arrangements about the working conditions suitable for them (Putnam, Myers and Gailliard 2014). This helps the team members in maintaining a work/life balance that contributes in improving the efficiency and productivity of the project. I have tried to implement flexibility that allowed me in adjusting when things did not go in the right direction. Being flexible not only kept my team members away from getting stuck but also opened the doors for the greater possibilities. Flexibility also allowed me to help my team members and deal with the change. In other words, change is inevitable and is a fact of life but the way it is handled impacted the ability to success. Over, the years I have experienced various changes taking place and have made myself flexible in learning newer approaches and solve the problem my way through tricky situations. In other words, approaching changes with the required amount of flexibility helped me in getting through it. My flexible techniques have helped my team members in maintaining or shifting focus with the changing priorities of the project. Consistent focus on the individuals and the operational goals of the team in using critical and creative process of thinking are crucial within dynamic environment.
I believe that to ensure effective team building it is necessary for me to establish effective leadership with each of the team members (Fapohunda 2013). I have therefore made a contribution to the team through building the relationship of loyalty and trust. I ensured effective team building through the following means:
- Placing importance to the ideas of each team member
- By being aware of the unspoken feeling of the team member. It is necessary to set example to the team members by being open and sensitive to the feelings and mood of the team members.
- By trying to act as the harmonizing influence. I have always looked for chances to mediate and resolve the minor disputes thereby continuously pointing towards the higher goals of the team.
- By ensuring clarity while communicating and being careful in clarifying the directives.
- By encouraging cooperation and trust amongst the members of the team. This is important in ensuring the success of a project. I have also tried to maintain a closer attention on how the team worked and thereby took necessary steps in improving the cooperation, communications, respect and trust.
- Encouraging the team members in sharing information: I have always tried to emphasize the importance of the contribution made by each team member and demonstrated how they worked together in moving the team towards common goal.
- Team building has also been encouraged through delegation of problem solving task, facilitation of communication and establishment of team goals and values through evaluation of the team performance.
References:
Alberola, J.M., del Val, E., Sanchez-Anguix, V. and Julian, V., 2013, September. Simulating a collective intelligence approach to student team formation. In International Conference on Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Systems (pp. 161-170). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Batenburg, R., van Walbeek, W. and in der Maur, W., 2013. Belbin role diversity and team performance: is there a relationship?. Journal of Management Development, 32(8), pp.901-913.
Dyer, W.G. and Dyer, J.H., 2013. Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance. John Wiley & Sons.
Ellinger, A.E. and Ellinger, A.D., 2014. Leveraging human resource development expertise to improve supply chain managers’ skills and competencies. European Journal of Training and Development, 38(1/2), pp.118-135.
Fapohunda, T.M., 2013. Towards effective team building in the workplace. International Journal of Education and Research, 1(4), pp.1-12.
Gilbuena, D.M., Sherrett, B.U., Gummer, E.S., Champagne, A.B. and Koretsky, M.D., 2015. Feedback on professional skills as enculturation into communities of practice. Journal of Engineering Education, 104(1), pp.7-34.
Hargie, O., 2016. Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice. Routledge.
Katz, N.H. and Flynn, L.T., 2013. Understanding conflict management systems and strategies in the workplace: A pilot study. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 30(4), pp.393-410.
Ladegaard, H.J. and Jenks, C.J., 2015. Language and intercultural communication in the workplace: critical approaches to theory and practice. Language and Intercultural Communication, 15(1), pp.1-12.
Lorinkova, N.M., Pearsall, M.J. and Sims Jr, H.P., 2013. Examining the differential longitudinal performance of directive versus empowering leadership in teams. Academy of Management Journal, 56(2), pp.573-596.
Mathieu, J.E., Tannenbaum, S.I., Kukenberger, M.R., Donsbach, J.S. and Alliger, G.M., 2015. Team role experience and orientation: A measure and tests of construct validity. Group & Organization Management, 40(1), pp.6-34.
Meslec, N. and Cur?eu, P.L., 2015. Are balanced groups better? Belbin roles in collaborative learning groups. Learning and Individual Differences, 39, pp.81-88.
Putnam, L.L., Myers, K.K. and Gailliard, B.M., 2014. Examining the tensions in workplace flexibility and exploring options for new directions. Human Relations, 67(4), pp.413-440.
Senaratne, S. and Gunawardane, S., 2015. Application of team role theory to construction design teams. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 11(1), pp.1-20.
Sohmen, V.S., 2013. Leadership and Teamwork: Two Sides of the Same Coin. Journal of Information Technology & Economic Development, 4(2).
Wong, C.A. and Laschinger, H.K., 2013. Authentic leadership, performance, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of empowerment. Journal of advanced nursing, 69(4), pp.947-959.
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