LASA: Applying Theoretical Approaches
Background information
The complexities commonly encountered in teamwork are clearly captured in the case of the budget team at the Army Cadet Command unit. Just to reiterate key facts about this team, there are a number of challenges obstructing effective performance within the team. These include varying levels of skills together with experience, with the most experienced members being frequently called upon to execute important tasks and duties. Due to this, less experienced members feel that they are being underutilized, and this definitely lowers their morale.
Another challenge impeding effective performance in the budget team is inadequate motivation. As the report states, the leadership of the team is less concerned with the members’ motivation. Apart from this, communication between the team members and their leaders is poor, and this further reduces morale. Other issues that have been noted in the budget team include job mismatch, goal ambiguity, and lack of respect, especially by the leaders.
From the report, it is very clear that the budget team is lacking skills in problem-solving together with decision-making. Part of the reason for this deficiency is the difference in skills and experience levels, which makes it difficult to involve less experienced members in the making of strategic decisions. Apart from this, the report clearly reveals that conflict management in the team is lacking, with the leaders arguing that it is the responsibility of employees to resolve any challenges that they encounter.
Improving decision-making and problem-solving in the team
One of the issues ailing the budget team is the seeming competition between leaders and team members, as well as between the team members themselves. This assertion is based on the report that the team leaders believe that it is the responsibility of employees to act with proficiency and that the main source of motivation for the leaders is their power. On the other hand, the statement that the input of less experienced workers is often ignored gives the impression that team members are not willing to develop and enhance one another’s knowledge.
The impression that there is competition within the team indicates the presence of power influences. To be specific, it seems that the leaders are not using their power appropriately, as reflected in the statement that leaders believe that employees should act with proficiency. More worrying is the report that the Acting Director believes that the organization is not a democracy, an attitude that has eroded respect between employees and leaders. Without a doubt, the relationship between employees and managers in the budget is very unhealthy.
Apart from this, there appears to be an element of groupthink on the budget team. This conclusion is based on the report that the most experienced individuals in the team are the ones that are consulted during decision-making processes. This implies that newly hired workers have no option but to embrace the ideas and proposals put forth by their more experienced counterparts. Going by the definition of groupthink, it might arguably be said that there is a tendency to embrace the normative thinking patterns that match the opinions of more experienced team members. This lowers the morale of less-experienced members to evaluate any feasible alternatives. Again, this suggests that there are social influences that affect the decision-making process within the budget team.
In light of the above, it is proposed that the leaders of the budget team ought to adopt the transformational leadership model, which is very effective in managing conflicts and enhancing team coordination. As Zhang, Cao and Tjosvold (2011) observe, transformational leadership encourages cooperation rather than competition, meaning that it is a suitable approach to use in conflict management.
Recommendations
In line with the principles of transformational leadership, it is particularly recommended that the leaders of the budget team should focus on inspiring individual team members to lay aside their personal interests, focusing instead on the collective objectives of the team. One of the actions that the leaders should take is to adopt a ‘we’ attitude, which will help in overcoming the perception that the most experienced employees are the most valuable in making procedural decisions. At the same time, it is strongly recommended that the leaders should do away with any hierarchical structures in the way they relate to team members, as this provides the platform through which employees can share their concerns and ideas freely with one another.
The report clearly illustrates that there is poor communication within the budget team. Animosity between team members has been identified as a major impediment to effective communication. In order to address this challenge and build collaboration among team members, it is proposed that leaders of the budget team should organize regular exercises aimed at improving members’ interpersonal skills. As Cheruvelil et al. (2014) advise, it is more effective to conduct such exercises outside the place of work. Besides improving interpersonal skills, such informal exercises are very effective in building relationships that are based on trust. As a result, leaders are in a better position to demonstrate social sensitivity together with emotional intelligence when dealing with individuals whose skill levels vary.
Conversely, groupthink can be eliminated or at best reduced if the leaders try to flatten the structure of the team and the entire organization. It has been noted that leaders of the budget team maintain a distance between them and their subordinates and that this is attributed to power positions held by the leaders. For this reason, it is proposed that all hierarchical positions within the team should be done away with, creating a flat team where all members are treated equally. At the same time, it would be helpful for the leaders to give every team member an opportunity to participate in making decisions by assigning all members critical evaluation roles. Being charged with this important responsibility, team members will be encouraged to present innovative solutions without fear of contravening the ideas raised by others. Another practice that would help in overcoming groupthink is to embrace the transactive memory model postulated by Chou and Chou (2012). As an illustration, it would be useful for the team leaders to group members in pairs when assigning a given task. With such an arrangement, every individual will rely on his or her partner for ideas concerning how to approach the task. As a result, members will overcome the notion that it is only a few individuals who possess the knowledge and experience needed to perform tasks.
Embracing diversity in team building
Despite the numerous challenges obstructing effective teamwork in the budget team, it is evident that the team possesses certain skills and capabilities that are helpful to the organization as a whole. For instance, it has been mentioned that the team comprises individuals with different levels of experience together with skill and that the team can turn to more experienced individuals when making vital decisions. In addition, it is reported that younger employees are more receptive to technological changes. Based on this latter report, it is correct to say that the diversity that exists in the team increases the innovative capability of the team (Østergaard, Timmermans & Kristinsson, 2011).
According to Hoever et al. (2012), teams tend to be more creative and innovative as compared to individuals, and this is because of the diverse knowledge possessed by team members. More importantly, diversity encourages creativity because individuals are able to suggest new ideas through a brainstorming session. In the case of the budget team, this creativity is, unfortunately, not realized because of the absence of such brainstorming sessions. Even so, the report mentions that even the employees with little experience possess some valuable knowledge, only that they do not have prior experience in the field. This shows that the diverse skills possessed by members of the team would enhance creativity and innovation if only they are recognized.
Despite the skills and experiences diversity amongst team members, it is regrettable that leaders assign employees jobs about which they do not have prior experience. In other words, the manner in which jobs are allocated to the budget team does not take the issue of diversity into consideration, and this is one of the causes of low morale amongst team members. To be precise, this illustrates the impact of diversity on motivation and productivity within teams. According to the report, 60% of workers in the budget department are executing tasks for which they do not have enough experience, which makes it difficult for them to meet the work objectives. Quoting the ideas of Wang, Kim and Lee (2016), it is accurate to say that a major reason for the low morale amongst members of the budget team is the failure of the team leaders to recognize cognitive diversity of the team, which is why tasks are assigned irrespective of the knowledge and skills of employees. Because of this, the intrinsic motivation of team members is very low, meaning that very few employees find pleasure when executing the tasks assigned to them.
Recommendations
There are numerous initiatives that help in managing diversity in the workplace. However, in reference to the problems being encountered in the budget team of the army cadet, it is strongly recommended that the team leaders should arrange regular training forums that are aimed at equipping employees with relevant skills necessary for effective performance of tasks. On the same note, the leaders should organize coaching as well as mentoring sessions through which they will help in enhancing the skills, values, and knowledge of less experienced workers (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013).
Another helpful initiative in managing diversity within the budget team is to create open channels of communication between leaders and subordinates. According to Okoro and Washington (2012), cultural diversity in the place of work can either be detrimental or advantageous, depending on the structure as well as nature of communication between members. In order to reap the benefits of cultural diversity, it is very crucial that leaders open up communication avenues, besides providing continuous feedback to their subordinates so that they can understand where their values and skills do not match the culture and goals of the team.
Importance of continuous leadership and team development in managing teams
As mentioned in the team analysis report, the process of team development involves a number of phases that include forming, norming, storming, and performing. This implies that as the team goes through these different phases, the capabilities, attitudes, and behaviors of team members change from one level to another. For example, Griffin and Moorhead (2014) observe that during the second phase of team building, members together with their leaders tend to demonstrate unrest, confusion, and frustration. The authors note that employees tend to be frustrated by unfamiliar tasks together with the added responsibilities that these tasks present. Due to this, the aspect of team development, particularly through training, becomes vital during this phase. However, Griffin and Moorhead (2014) state that despite the amount of training that managers may give to employees during this phase, confusion together with frustration are bound to occur. It is for this reason that managers are encouraged to be available at all times in order to provide leadership and guidance to employees regarding their roles as well as responsibilities. Addition, continuous leadership during the storming phase, is crucial in reducing the frustration that employees may experience. This is because the leader will be available to reinforce any positive behaviors demonstrated by employees, whilst at the same time encouraging employees even when they do not perform according to expectations.
Continuous leadership is certainly needed in the budget team; especially in the view of the report that the perception of the leaders is that employees should be capable of doing their tasks proficiently and without guidance. Going by the contents of the report, it appears that this attitude is the root cause of the problems being encountered in the team, including animosity, poor communication, and lack of motivation. Inasmuch as leaders should strive to empower their subordinates so that they can think and perform independently, it is a serious mistake for leaders to detach themselves completely from newly-created teams. As Griffin and Moorhead (2014) advice, there is a need for managers to remain visible to employees so that they can provide encouragement as and when needed, besides monitoring performance and resolving any disputes that might arise between team members. Similarly, continuous leadership is very important in building effective teams because it ensures that employees have access to the resources they require to execute their duties. In addition, continuous leadership is vital for effective team building because it fosters the correct form of communication.
In addition to continuous leadership, it is crucial for managers to implement appropriate team development strategies so that they build effective teams. Even when the team reaches its final phase of development, meaning that members are now capable of managing themselves, it is still essential for the members to be provided with ongoing training. Defining self-managing teams, Griffin and Moorhead (2014) state that even though members are now mature and can perform independently whilst also generating new ideas, they need to be kept on track. The authors assert that one way of keeping mature team members on track is to provide them with training that focuses on improving their interpersonal skills as well as job skills. Apart from this, continuous leadership is also needed, albeit in the form of counseling.
Recommendations
In order to foster effective team communication and development, one of the suggestions made in this report is that leaders of the budget team should invest more in employee training. To be more precise, the kind of training that is given to employees should be designed in such a way that it encourages innovation (Cheruvelil et al., 2014). For example, it would be worthwhile for the leaders to organize employees in groups of two or three, wherein the managers train them in the way of doing tasks. Afterwards, each group will be given a task that requires innovative ideas. In so doing, the employees will acquire skills in idea generation, creativity and problem solving.
Concerning the building of effective team communication, it is suggested that managers should organize a variety of formal as well as informal exercises during which they interact openly with their subordinates. For instance, it would be productive to organize and participate in community activities during which all team members can interact with one another on an equal level. As Cheruvelil et al. (2014) note, this kind of interaction promotes effective communication because it provides a platform for members to talk and listen to one another evenly without domination by one or a few individuals.
Conclusion
There are many benefits of teamwork in organizations, but the challenges encountered in teamwork are equally as numerous. The main cause of obstacles and challenges in teamwork is the diversity that characterizes teams. As has been learned in this assignment, teams comprise individuals possessing different levels of experience together with skill. Apart from this, different individuals have different attitudes and values concerning the way things should be done. Additionally, it has been learned that power and social influences are a common phenomenon in teams. However, when this diversity is managed properly, it can be a source of strategic advantage to a firm, specifically because it drives creativity and motivation amongst team members. Consequently, there are a number of initiatives and strategies that have been identified as being central to the building of effective teams within organizations. To begin with, managers must always bear in mind that one of the key determinants of team effectiveness is leadership. Accordingly, the transformational model of leadership has been identified as highly appropriate in building effective teams, particularly when it comes to empowering employees so that they can solve problems and make sound decisions.
Secondly, managers should cultivate a ‘we’ attitude in order to overcome groupthink. Concerning the issue of establishing effective communication within teams, the proposal is that managers should adopt a flat organizational structure, besides organizing regular exercises for team building and bonding. Having confirmed that diversity is very crucial to the creation of an innovative culture in the workplace, it is recommended that employees should be provided with relevant, frequent training opportunities to enhance their interpersonal as well as job skills. In addition to this, leaders must be present at all times so that they provide encouragement, support and guidance to employees during the entire team building process.
References
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Chou, H., Lin, Y., & Chou, S. (2012). Team cognition, collective efficacy, and performance in strategic decision-making teams. Social Behavior and Personality, 40(3), 381–394.
Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2014). Organizational behavior: Managing people and organizations. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.
Hoever, I. J., Van Knippenberg, D., van Ginkel, W. P., & Barkema, H. G. (2012). Fostering team creativity: perspective taking as key to unlocking diversity’s potential. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(5), 982.
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Wang, X. H. F., Kim, T. Y. & Lee, D. R. (2016). Cognitive diversity and team creativity: Effects of team intrinsic motivation and transformational leadership. Journal of Business Research, 69(9), 3231-3239.
Zhang, X. A., Cao, Q. & Tjosvold, D. (2011). Linking transformational leadership and team performance: A conflict management approach. Journal of Management Studies, 48(7), 1586-1611.
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