Dysfunctional politics can form the basis for organizational failure. However, many leaders apply this approach to implement their skills in an organization. Additionally, power in an organization is considered one of the essential factors for a leader to lead effectively. However, the strategy that people use to exercise power depends on the way the leader exercises control and influence. Influence can be determined by the means through which subjects demonstrate reluctance in voicing ideas to the top management. Thus, in this case, the team members acted in a way that reflected dysfunctional politics, power, and single and double-loop learning.
Politics
Dysfunctional politics is considered one of the possible reasons as to why organizations fail in achieving their set goals. Despite the recognition of the impacts associated with dysfunctional politics, it is evident that the team members presented in the case demonstrated this trait in their leadership approach. For example, they speed up the decision-making process without considering the importance of the effort that staff members can have in an organization. According to Barna (2013) politics occur in situations where leaders see their decisions as the most viable and ignore any input from other members. It also occurs in case there is a deep division between executives and other people in the executive, and decisions are made based on historical aspects. As a result, team members demonstrate this trait as they see themselves to be the experts in the position they hold and discourage ideas from other people in the community.
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Names of Team members
Jeff Shanley : he was a former CEO of the business and demonstrated strength in helping the organization to achieve its objectives of raising money. However, he demonstrated political dysfunction by rushing meetings without considering the adverse impacts associated with his actions.
Martin Gilmore : he was the technology expert who thought he knew more than anyone else ignoring the inputs of other people. Jeff Rawlins: He operated as a sales manager and demonstrated dysfunctional politics by doing whatever staff members asked him to do.
Carlos Amador: customer support and showed interest in speaking and never complained about the failure to achieve set goals.
Jan Mersino: financial manager who used the company’s money for private means.
Nick Farrell :He was the Chief operating officer of the Company and failed to complain openly, showing ineffectiveness in his operation as a manager.
Power
A leader must realize there is a difference between employee management and exercising power in an organization (Chadwick, 2017). Control requires a leader to demonstrate much more strength than showing confidence to other people in an organization. In situations where power is used effectively, there is a possibility that there will be respect and attainment of the set objectives.
Names of Team Members
Jeff Shanley demonstrated power dysfunction by dictating the discussion without considering the impacts of individual contribution in the system. Whenever Jeff decided to hold a meeting, he set his agenda and ensured that the meeting started and ended at the stated time without considering the views of other members. Martin Gilmour never contributed any statement in the organization meeting unless he was asked to give his views. Carlos Amado, Jan Mersino, Nick Farrell also demonstrated the power of the position they occupied. For instance, Jan, the financial officer, misused power by spending the money of the organization as it was his wealth.
Single and Double Loop Learning
Single and double loop represent a ruling in an organization that demonstrates the nature of leadership. It also entails the mechanisms team members believe they are applicable in solving a particular problem. Group members who focus on using single-loop learning indicate that people in the organization should ensure that they modify their actions depending on the difference between expected and achieved goals (Lunenburg, 2012). Single-loop learning is characterized by errors and inconsistency that is likely to affect the functioning of the team. Therefore, simple loop learning solves the problem in an organization but fails to address all the issues affecting the team. Double-loop learning solves a particular problem by analyzing different causes of the problems. Therefore, there is a possibility that people are in a position to address the issues likely to affect the outcome of a team. In most cases, team members demonstrating double-loop learning to question the activities taking place in an organization.
Names of Two Team Members
For instance, Michele Bebe questioned the functioning of the team in the new Company compared to activities in the previous Company. Moreover, Nick Farrell demonstrated this exercise because he considered that he was the only qualified CEO in the Company. However, he focused on trying to ensure he had a good relationship with team members to achieve the goals of the organization. In this case, a decision was made based on the difference between expected goals and what the organization performed.
Dysfunctions
Absence of Trust
It occurs in a situation where an individual finds a challenge in feeling comfortable with peer workers in an organization. In cases where team members demonstrate a high level of trust, they feel encouraged to deliver to their best in the organization. Successful leadership occurs in a situation where everybody feels motivated to function in a particular group (Hackman, 2006). However, if there is a lack of trust, people feel insecure in the meeting. For example, despite the presence of skills that Jeff Rawlings had, he only adhered to what staff members asked him to do. This action indicates that he never felt comfortable with his team members. Additionally, people such as Jeff Shanley created an environment that discouraged any of the other people from participating in the discussion. This action resulted in the reduction of team effectiveness, as witnessed in the observed outcomes of the organization.
Fear of Conflict
This kind of dysfunction indicates that people in an organization should avoid conflict that may appear to be destructive in the Company. In some situations, organizational conflict may be constructive as it creates an opportunity for people to engage in the discussion to identify the source of problems and strategies applicable in addressing issues that could result in adverse impacts in the organization. However, dysfunction occurs in a situation where an individual becomes unable to voice their ideas thus minimizing the possibility for addressing the challenging issues in an organization (Lencioni, 2012). This type of dysfunction is witnessed in the situation where Martin Gilmor failed to give his views during a meeting. However, he only spoke when he was asked to give some views on the agenda. His behavior indicates that he occasionally left his problems unaddressed, thus weakening his ability to be effective in the Company.
Lack of Commitment
Commitment is an essential aspect for ensuring that team members produce their best by feeling encouraged to reach consensus in the Company. Great team leaders consider the perception that every individual’s contribution to an organization is found, thus minimizing the possible issues that would arise in the organization (Shetach, 2012). However, the team leaders presented a high level of lack of commitment as they ignored ideas from teammates. For example, Nick Farrell didn’t consider inputs from other people and considered his actions to be right. A similar issue was witnessed in the cases where Jeff, the former CEO, set the agenda and failed to ensure that the meeting produced insights that could be applied in shaping the program.
Avoidance of Accountability
Avoidance of accountability dysfunction occurs in a situation where an individual fails to address an issue associated with the behavior of team members that could have a negative impact on the functioning of the team members. This behavior is considered risky because people fail to hold their peers accountable for any action, thus failing to consider the possibility of addressing this issue (Kennie, 2016). Avoidance of accountability is witnessed in the team because there is an absence of any action to correct behaviors demonstrated by different workers in the Company. For example, team members failed to criticize any form of expression by some of their leaders. Every team member had an opportunity to demonstrate his skills in the position they held without members questioning the impacts that such actions could cause to the organization.
Inattention to Results
Inattention to results is defined by the focus on achieving other activities rather than considering the outcomes of the organization. However, team members focused on financial outcome as the only measure of the success of an organization (Tiffan, 2011). Though meetings with specified agenda were scheduled, none of the team members were interested in the outcomes because they concentrated on time rather than the results of the meeting.
Conclusion
Teamwork is an essential aspect for an organization to achieve the set goals. However, several aspects determine the viability of a team rather than the commitment to achieving organizational goals. For example, destructive power and politics affect the functioning of the Company.Thus, the firm fails to achieve set goals. For instance, each of the team members displayed one of the goals making it difficult to achieve the organizational goals.
References
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Chadwick, A. (2017). The hybrid media system: Politics and power. Oxford University Press.
Hackman, J. R. (2006). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable.
Harmon, C. S. (2018). Inside a strategic plan for a dysfunctional senior leadership team. Nurse Leader, 16(2), 142-146.
Kennie, T. (2016). Academic Leadership: Dimentions, Dysfunctions and Dynamics. International Scientific Journal of Universities and Leadership, (2).
Lencioni, P. M. (2012). The five dysfunctions of a team: Team assessment. John Wiley & Sons.
Lunenburg, F. C. (2012). Power and leadership: an influence process. International journal of management, business, and administration, 15(1), 1-9.
Shetach, A. (2012). Conflict leadership. Journal for quality & Participation, 35(2), 25.
Siregar, C., Pane, M. M., & Ruman, Y. S. (2018, May). The Virtual Team Performance in Solving Teamwork Conflict Problems. In Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Distance Education and Learning (pp. 1-5). ACM.
Tiffan, B. (2011). The art of team leadership. Physician executive, 37(2), 78-81.
