Team Dynamics in the Workplace

Identify the attributes of a successful team.

As per the opinion of Woodcock (2017), a workplace team could be defined by a definite unit of personnel working together to obtain a shared and common objective. The working teams primarily have defined memberships as well of team members. This membership extent could be either small or large and the teams are oriented towards completion of particular activities in the context to the objective of such work processes. This entails the collaboration of team members on different sets of related tasks by the team members which could be required so that the objective could be achieved. According to Černevičiūtė and Strazdas (2018), the attributes of any successful team could be 10 folds and the most significant of these are as the followings:

1: Clarification of goals: This involves the development of proper understanding on part of all the team members regarding the purpose and vision of the team which could be formulated.

2:Defining of goals: This would involve the ability of team leaders to tap into the talents and skills of the team members though explaining the task functions in the most clarified manner.

3:Effective communication:This could entail the development of a focused approach through which the team could be kept informed.

4: Effective decision formulation:This entails proper awareness on part of the team members regarding all of the methods through which effective decisions could be formulated with the team performance context.

5: Balanced participation:Complete involvement of all of the team members has to be ensured since this could entail the most value generation approach in terms of the performance of the teams.

6: Diversity valuation and conflict management: This is significant since this entails development of idea generation and thinking for the purposes of problem solving. It is necessary not to avoid any particular issue and addressing the same has to be a priority.

Review theoretical models and approaches used to evaluate teams.

According to Brock et al (2017, p.130), the typology of Belbin could be considered to be established on three categorical role orientations of the team members. These are the action oriented roles, People oriented roles and Thought oriented roles. In case of the Action orientation roles, the designations of team members are as Shapers (the ones who challenge the established workprocesses for further improvement), Implementers (those who put the developed ideas into action) and Completers (those who ensure effective completion). In terms of the People orientation roles, the particular designations of team membership are Coordinators (the ones acting as chairpersons or controllers), Team Working personnel (responsible for developing interpersonal cooperation) and Resource Investigators (the ones who are responsible to explore various opportunities). Finally, the third category consists of Thought orientation roles which consist of designations such as Planters (presenting new approaches), Monitor-Evaluators (options analysers) and Specialists (sources of specialised skills). According to Grand et al (2016, p.1353), the group development theory of Tuckman highlights five different stages of team development in the format of Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. In the Forming stage, the following activities are performed:

1: Acquaints formulation and establishment of ground rules.

2: Preserving the formalities and introduction to the strangers.

Next, in the Storming stage, the following take place:

1: Effective communication between team members.

2: Individuality based hostility towards control by team leaders.

The Norming stage involves the following:

1: Team mentality development.

The Performing stage involves the following:

1: Trusting atmosphere establishment.

2:Emphasis on the element flexibility.

3:Little significance is attached to hierarchy.

Assess motivational factors affecting different teams

According to Reiter-Palmon et al (2017, p.560), the types of teams are as the following:

Problem solving teams: Such teams have to meet on a regular basis and assess the various significant workplace issues and this could entail a process of quality control within the team performance scenario.

Cross functional teams: Such teams bring together the personnel from varied functional backgrounds to establish a syncretised work environment.

Virtual teams: This entails digital networking based operational conditions establishment between team members who could be situated physically apart.

Self-managing teams: Such teams are mostly empowered to formulate effective decisions regarding their planning, execution and evaluation of daily tasks.

As has been opined by Salas, Reyes and Woods (2017), the motivational factors which could affect the productive capabilities of both the cross functional and self-managing teams are as the following:

1: Prevailing working conditions.

2: The status of work concerning the issues and progress deadline burdens.

3: The measure of supervision and monitoring which could be implemented within the team structure.

4: The policies of the company regarding the measure of assistive or adverse implications which such policies could have on the working conditions of the team members.

5: The professional and working relationships amongst the various team members (this becomes especially a significant factor in terms of cross functional teams).

Evaluate relevant theory

Adair (2018) has stated that the action centred leadership theory of John Adair is centred on three segments, namely the Team necessities, Task necessities and Individual needs regarding the team/group members. The Team necessity based actions are as the following:

1: Encouragement of effective teamwork.

2: Avoidance of any conflict possibility amongst the team members.

3: Preserving of operational integrity against the work disruption elements.

Task needs based actions could be outlined in the following order:

1: Providing effective definition of the tasks.

2: Planning of tasks.

3: Resource management and allocation.

Finally, the Individual needs based actions are perceptible as the following:

1: Maintaining consistency and fairness.

2: Provisioning of assistance with training and positive criticism.

From the perspective of the selected organisation of ASDA, the motivational aspects of the previously mentioned theoretical strategy under consideration could be highlighted to have been utilised through a survey based approach. This involves the conducting of the annual survey for employee engagement known as the Your Voice within ASDA. The objective is to highlight the necessities of the employees in terms of motivation and benefits. The collected data is utilised in terms of grade and age of the employees and the task designation. Furthermore, to highlight the task, team and individual needs of the employees, focus groups based research is conducted by the company to specify the actual necessities of the staff in such contexts. The outcomes have been the development of the motivational aspects of colleague pledges of fairness, respect at work and opportunities provisioning in an equal manner to all of the involved personnel.

Different approaches in setting team objectives

As per the observations of Wang, Kim and Lee (2016), the various approaches of setting of team objectives are as the following:

1: Development of clarified perspectives concerning the necessity of achievement which entails the communication of exactly what has to be achieved by the team performance.

2: Setting of goals at the team level only.

3: Providing operational flexibility to the team personnel.

4: Stringent application of deadlines so as to enhance the productivity element of the business teams (including those working within ASDA).

This approach is utilised by the ASDA team work management processes. The components are as the following:

1: Specific: Specificity is required to develop focused goals to achieve tangible outcomes. This is also necessary to clarify the resources which have to be leveraged for success to be achieved.

2: Measurable: Measured definition of success is necessary in terms of team performance management. This component outlines the extent of success and the methods which could be utilised to achieve such success.

3: Attainable: Reasonability of goals to be achieved. Potential barriers are generally identified through reasonability assessment of attainability of success in team performance.

4: Relevant: This component of team objective management is associated with the ensuring of worthwhile success through measuring of proper worth of the invested efforts.

5: Time bound: Achievement of timely success so as to realise the existing success potentials to the maximised extent. Deadline management is one particular aspect of it.

Management By Objectives

This involves utilisation of agreed upon objectives of any business organisation to achieve worthwhile success at the team level. The involved criteria are as the following:

Team performance evaluation processes

ASDA utilises the following monitoring and supervision based team performance analysis and evaluation processes:

1: Consistently revisiting the team work project goals.

2: Interviewing of each of the underperforming team members.

3: Identification of key challenges.

4: Utilisation of the critical path analysis format to better monitor team project progression.

Produce recommendations on how to improve team performance

1: Formulation of value and norms based work culture to define the goals and objectives within the teams.

2: Investment of extensive effort to discuss the norms and values for the purpose of capability development within the team work structure.

3: Greater emphasis on work issue management through accommodation of differing viewpoints.

4: Development of shared sense of purpose.

Reference List

Brock, S.E., McAliney, P.J., Ma, C.H. and Sen, A., (2017). Toward more practical measurement of teamwork skills. Journal of workplace learning, 29(2), pp.124-133.

Černevičiūtė, J. and Strazdas, R., (2018). Teamwork management in Creative industries: factors influencing productivity. Entrepreneurship and sustainability issues, pp.503-516.

Effendi, R. and Usman, A.U., (2019). DESIGN OF PERSONNEL PERFORMANCE SYSTEM USING MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES (MBO) METHOD. Journal of Innovation and Future Technology (IFTECH), 1(2), pp.131-144.

Grand, J.A., Braun, M.T., Kuljanin, G., Kozlowski, S.W. and Chao, G.T., (2016). The dynamics of team cognition: A process-oriented theory of knowledge emergence in teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(10), p.1353.

Salas, E., Reyes, D.L. and Woods, A.L., (2017). The assessment of team performance: observations and needs. In Innovative assessment of collaboration (pp. 21-36). Springer, Cham.