Teamwork is always embraced in any field and all organizations because it is useful in achieving the set goals and objectives. Teamwork can be used to bring new ideas and solve problems. Generally, teamwork is more effective than individual work. However, teamwork is characterized by many challenges and problems that can hinder its effectiveness. As a result, effective leadership is essential in teams. The paper, therefore, focuses on the small team experience.
Description of the Team
The team, in this case, involved five members who had volunteered to raise some money for the church through fundraising. The five members included three women and two men who saw the need to raise some money for the church on a Sunday. To achieve their objective, the group members decided to sell plates of chicken with other dishes on a Sunday afternoon. This was the appropriate day because many people would attend the church service. Therefore, the primary purpose of the team was to raise money for the church through fundraising.
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Behaviors of the Team in each Stage of Development
A lot of confusion characterized the first stage of team development that is known as the formation. Initially, members of the team were confused on the role they should play and how the money could be raised. Specifically, members were confused about the best method to use before they finally settled on selling plates of chicken. However, the group was highly motivated to raise a substantial amount of money for the church. The second stage of team development was full of disagreements, even though they could later be resolved. There was an open conflict between members during the selection of a team leader. Two names emerged, and members could not readily agree on who to lead them. It was clear that members of the team were competing for the influence. At the same time, members paid much attention to details rather than issues that needed to be addressed. Therefore, the second stage was characterized by a lot of disagreements.
Nevertheless, team members showed a high level of trust and mutual respect in the third stage of team development. Besides, there was a lot of motivation and open communication between team members, as they worked towards achieving the set objectives. The stage was full of positive teamwork behaviors. The team became self-directing in the fourth stage because members willingly worked to ensure that they raised enough money. Furthermore, there was a high level of loyalty and participation in the fourth stage. The final stage was full of joy and celebration as the team managed to achieve its objective successfully. Nonetheless, some members wanted the team to remain intact even after the fundraising, as they did not want the group to be dissolved.
A Problem the Group Encountered
The major problem that the group encountered was the selection of the means of fundraising. Team members had contrasting opinions and thoughts on the best strategy that was suitable to raise money. Specifically, there was a divergent opinion on the items to be sold during the fundraising day. Some members suggested the sales of customized apparels or clothes while other chose foods. To solve the problem, group members relied on consensus after evaluating the most appropriate item to sell on that day. It was agreed the congregation was most likely to buy food item than clothes, mainly because of the price. Customized clothes were expensive, and only a few people could buy them. On the contrary, food items were cheaper could easily be purchased, especially after church when people need to take lunch.
Consequently, the group was able to successfully solve the problem mainly because some of the people who proposed customized clothes supported the final decision, even though they had the divergent opinion. Besides, the solution was successful because all the members embraced the outcome and agreed to work together as a team. The solution was embraced and supported by all members of the team.
Influence of Leadership
Leadership had a significant impact on the team's ability to solve the problem. The team leader emphasized tolerance and patience between members, which he believed was essential in arriving at the best decision or solution that could lead to better outcomes. Consequently, there was limited open confrontation or conflict and members could listen to others’ opinion. The leader exhibited a participative leadership style, as he was dedicated to including all members of the decision-making process. His participative leadership style made team members feel that they were part of the decision, which led to a high level of cohesion in the team. Participative leadership style is advantageous because it assists in group socialization while at the same time enhancing conformity in the team ( Lam, Huang & Chan, 2015) . The group was able to solve the problem because of the leader’s participative approach to leadership.
Problem-solving process in the team involved four main steps. The first step was the definition of the problem, which was identified as the difference in the means of fundraising. The second significant step was the generation of alternative solutions. In this case, there were only two alternative solutions that include selling customized clothes and selling food items. The third step was the evaluation and selection of the alternative. The viability and cost-effectiveness of the solutions were considered before making the final decision. Finally, the team was required to implement the proposed solution. The best step that would have produced the better results was the comprehensive assessment and analysis of the proposed alternative solutions.
The Effectiveness of the Team
The team was effective mainly because it managed to achieve goals. The main goal of the team was to raise a substantial amount of money for the church by selling plates of chicken and other dishes. The goal was achieved because the team sold 98% of its total plates of chicken. Secondly, the group was effective because it was cohesive and stayed united throughout the fundraising process, even though there were some challenges and problems. Also, the group had the effective leader who played an important role in guiding team members, particularly when there were some challenges. Besides, none of the members violated the rules and regulations that were formulated to guide the operations and activities of the team.
The characteristics of the team enabled it to accomplish its goals and solve emerging problems it encountered, and they helped in cultivating teamwork, which is essential for any team. At the same time, the characteristics helped in fostering unity in the team. Importantly, effective leadership made it possible for the team to overcome some of its challenges because it emphasized on tolerance and patience.
How Communication Contributed to Cohesiveness
According to Lam (2015), no team can be cohesive without effective communication. One way in which communication contributed to cohesiveness in the team is that it allows clear explanation of the set goals and objectives that needed to be accomplished. The leader was able to use effective communication to explain the team’s goals to members. Communication also gave room for timely and accurate feedback, which led to reduced misunderstanding . Therefore, the group remained cohesive because of effective communication. Also, technology significantly influenced how members communicated with one another. Specifically, cell phones made it possible for members to share ideas and thoughts to reach a solution remotely. Members depended on cell phones to communicate with another and to make timely decisions and resolutions.
My Concluding Thoughts
I believed that the set goals helped in determining effectiveness because it made members to stay focus and it reduced confusion. Clear goals made members focus on specific issues. Roles also helped to determine the effectiveness of the group, especially by encouraging the division of labor and specialization. Besides, dividing role among members reduced confusion. Besides, I believe that ground rules and norms helped in guiding the behaviors and activities of members.
Therefore, I believe that goals helped the team in achieving its goals and solving the problem by ensuring that everybody understood what they were supposed to do. Roles, on the other hand, enhanced specialization, which was necessary for the team to accomplish its objectives. At the same time, ground rules and norms ensured that team members behaved and acted in a given manner that was essential for the team to achieve its mandate. Hence, the team accomplished its purpose and solved the problem because of its desirable characteristics.
References
Lam, C. (2015). The role of communication and cohesion in reducing social loafing in group projects. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly , 78 (4), 454-475.
Lam, C. K., Huang, X., & Chan, S. C. (2015). The threshold effect of participative leadership and the role of leader information sharing. Academy of Management Journal , 58 (3), 836- 855.
