Teamwork Experience and Improvement

This assignment delves into the experiences of a team working together on a project. It asks for an evaluation of the team dynamics, highlighting both positive aspects like efficient communication and organization, as well as areas needing improvement, such as time management and handling pressure. The analysis includes suggestions for individual and collective actions to enhance future teamwork.

OB Individual Reflection Paper
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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Evolution of the tem over the term..................................................................................................3
Team Dynamics...............................................................................................................................4
Group Structure...............................................................................................................................4
Inter group conflict..........................................................................................................................6
Communication Issues.....................................................................................................................7
Korn-Ferry assessment results.........................................................................................................7
Summary and my take away from the effort.................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11
Team Peer Evaluation....................................................................................................................13
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Introduction
Team work comprises of actions taken by a team or a group of people in order to achieve team
goals (Lussier & Achua, 2015). Team work enables people to generate collective ideas through
creative thinking and helps in achievement of all tasks in a collaborative environment (Shuffler,
Thayer, Bedwell, & Lazzara, 2015). However, working in teams has its own set of challenges.
The following reflective paper is an evaluation of my experience as a member of a team working
on a project to understand the organizational culture of Auto Nation; a US based Auto Dealer
Company. The following reflective paper assesses team dynamics, structure, conflicts and
challenges faced during the duration of the project.
Evolution of the tem over the term
Teems are formed for the purpose of goal achievement (West, 2012). Therefore, each team needs
to have a mission and purpose for it to work effectively (Mandourah, Samad, & Isaac, 2017). My
team had 5 members and one team leader. The purpose of the team was to jointly assess the
organizational culture at Auto Nation. The team also worked towards assessment of changes
undertaken by the company in its organizational culture. Another major purpose of the
assignment was to increase self-knowledge for advancement in professional career.
Various thinkers have given different models of evolution of teams for various roles. One such
model is given by Bruce Tuckman known as Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing
model (Slater, 2010). As per Tuckman, teams pass through these stages to achieve team goals.
In the forming stage a group gets formed due to the need to achieve a common goal (Redick,
Reyna,, Schaffer, & Toomey, 2014). Our team was formed because we needed to complete the
assignment on Auto Nation jointly. After team formation we started understanding each other’s
strengths and weaknesses. We started settling into our roles. This was the storming stage
(Lunenburg & Lunenburg, 2015).
As we started working on the assignment our comfort level and trust for each other increased.
We started valuing each other’s inputs and ideas. Therefore, by working together we reached
Tuckman’s norming stage (West, 2012). After forming a cordial relationship of trust we focused
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on the work in hand and divided the tasks as per knowledge, interest or expertise. After working
on the tasks in coordination we reached the performing stage where our team achieved the
predefined goals. However, during the course of the team work, we encountered various
challenges like time management. We also faced difficult situations when one of our team
members left the group mid-way.
Team Dynamics
Team dynamics is the inter group team relationship (De Jong, Dirks, & Gillespie, 2016). Team
dynamics is governed by psychological and unconscious forces that affect the direction of team
performance (Belbin, 2012). The major constituents of team dynamics are type of work,
personality of the team members, inter team working relationship and team environment.
Many theories and models have been suggested by scholars to understand group dynamics
(West, 2012). William Schutz in his theory highlights interpersonal relationships like affection,
inclusion and control which govern group dynamics type (Lunenburg & Lunenburg, 2015).
Inclusion is when all members are included in decision making. Affection is when members are
close to each other and control relates to one person controlling and wanting to control a group.
Our group worked on the basic principle of cooperation, coordination, belongingness and
partnership. Inter group relationship was good. Team leader was organized and cooperative.
Decision making was done through discussion. Voting was used to resolve conflicts or any other
issue which could not be solved through discussion. Therefore our group dynamics was based on
inclusion of members in decision making (Lunenburg & Lunenburg, 2015). Member inclusion
led to better team cooperation, understanding and effectiveness. According to theoretical
viewpoints, these are the highlights of a healthy group or team dynamics.
Group Structure
Group structure is the layout of a group (Belbin, 2012). It is based on roles of each member,
norms, conformity, member-status and workplace behavior (Mathieu, Tannenbaum, Donsbach,
& Alliger, 2014). There are various theories about team roles and structure. Most important
among these is Belbin’s team roles (Belbin, 2012). According to Belbin, teams will be effective
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if members are selected as per roles requirement and expertise (Belbin, 2012). Following are the
team roles propounded by Belbin
Belbin’s Team Roles
Figure 1 Source: Made by Author (2017) Adapted from (Belbin, 2012)
There were five members in our group and we tried to give roles to members as per their
expertise and interest. Kemorene Henry was given the role of managing the group charter,
executive summary and reference list because she is good in research and has organisations
skills. She was also the team leader. Therefore, she matches the role of implementer and shaper
in the Belbin’s team roles.
Similarly, Andrew Kass had an inside information of the organization. Therefore, he was asked
to contribute in collecting information about the overall OB processes of the company.
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Implementer
Team Organiser
Orderly, Disciplined,, Task
oriented
Plant
Creative thinker of the team
innovates and creates
Finisher
Focused on completion of
tasks.
Perfectionist ,
Focused ,Concerned
Monitor
team Analyst
sesible, clearheaded
Resource Investigator
generates and manages
outside contacts
Enthusiastic, Cheerful, Open
minded
Shaper
The driver and the team
performer
Performance oriented, enjoys
challenge
Team worker
Balance and harmony
genereator
Sensitive, Helpful,
Accommodating
Coordinator
team coordinator
Positive, Calm, Tolerant
Specialist
A person with knowledge on
the issue at hand
Dedicated, , Task oriented,
Advisor

Therefore, he was the resource investigator and specialist of the team (Belbin, 2012). I (Yadicza
Lopez) am good with research analytics, charts and visuals; therefore, I was given the task of
analyzing the external environment. Therefore, my work corresponded to analyst and plant team
roles (Belbin, 2012). Raphael Lee was good in organizing and multi-tasking. He was given the
role of internal environment analysis. His role corresponded to coordinator and team worker
(Belbin, 2012).
Kemorene Henry was chosen as team leader by democratic voting. She was a participative leader
and tried to resolve all issues through discussion (Adair, 2013). She believed in open
communication and honesty. We felt comfortable in discussing any matter with her. Any conflict
was resolved through general discussion and voting. She made sure members attended skype
meeting on every Thursday. Members missing two consecutive meetings were reported to the
professor. She had good organizational and team management skills.
Inter group conflict
Inter group conflicts relate to the disagreements or misconceptions that emerge with in a group
(Al Ramiah & Hewstone, 2013). Conflict can arise due to actions of one or more members which
may not conform to team goals (Coleman, 2014). It may also arise due to miscommunication,
biased behavior or any other misunderstanding. According to management scholars, conflict
resolution can be done through proper identification of the nature and scope of the conflict
(Slater, 2010). Additionally, team members should focus on the passible solutions. Many
theorists also believe that seeking agreement on decision making can also help in avoiding
conflict.
Our team was formed with basic idea of agreement and cooperation. However, we faced a major
conflict when Raphael Lee dropped out of class and consequently out of the team. He did not
inform the team regarding his dropping out. This led to lot of chaos and confusion. We managed
to identify the problem and resolved it by splitting his work among us. This was a very difficult
task as it increased the risk of missing the deadline. However, with coordinated and dedicated
efforts by all the team members we were able to meet the dead line.
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We also faced some other minor conflicts due to time management issues. As all of us are full
time employees, we found it difficult to complete tasks with in the weekly time given. However,
with support of each other we managed the tasks in time.
We resolved the challenges and conflicts by identifying the solution and focusing on it as
mentioned in conflict resolution theories.
Communication Issues
Proper communication is one of the major ingredients of effective team work (Lunenburg &
Lunenburg, 2015). Lack of communication can lead to chaos, disorganized work and team
breakdown. We were aware of the importance of communication at the forming stage of our
team. Major communication issue with the team was that we could not meet face to face as all of
us had hectic schedules. In order to resolve this issue we decided to keep in touch with each
other on a daily basis through Groupme App. We exchanged ideas and shared issues with team
members through this App. We also decided to hold a weekly meeting on Thursday via Skype to
discuss the progress of the task. We insisted on every one attending the meeting and reported if
anyone missed it twice. Additionally, we insisted on complete honesty among team members
which helped in communicating effectively. Therefore, we were able to complete the task
because of effective communication.
Korn-Ferry assessment results
Kon Ferry assessment is an assessment of higher level leadership potential of a person.
Following are my results on this assessment. This assessment is based on a scale of 1 to 100.
People with results from 1-10 are considered to be weak on leadership skills. From 11 to 49 is
considered relatively weak. Results from 50-90 are considered strong leadership skills. Result
beyond 90 is considered very strong on leadership skills (Kon Ferry, 2017).
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Korn-Ferry assessment results
Skills Score Implication
1 Drivers
1.1 Advancement Drive 9 (Weak) Lack of motivation to make changes
or lead
1.2 Career planning 50 (Strong) This shows strong focus on career
planning.
1.3 Role Preference 11 (Relatively Weak) Lack of versatility which is required
for leadership.
2 Experience
2,1 Core Experience 40 (Relatively Week) Experience less than expected for
leaders.
2.2 Perspective 90 (Strong) Ability to understand different
situations and views is high
2.3 Key challenges 73 (Strong) Has faced more challenges
3 Awareness
3.1 Self-Awareness 92 (strong) Aware about personal strong and
weak points is high
3.2 Situational Self
Awareness
80 (Strong) Concentrates on the present situation
to a large extent
4 Learning Agility
4.1 Mental agility 74 (Strong) High grasping power and
inquisitiveness
4.2 People agility 23 (Relatively weak Less insightful about interpersonal
situations.
4.3 Change agility 58 (Strong) Is open to ideas and exploring new
possibilities.
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4.4 Results agility 41 (Relatively week) Needs to be more result oriented and
needs to undertake more challenging
assignments.
5 Leadership Traits
5.1 Focus 40 (Relatively Week) Needs to develop more focus and an
eye for the bigger picture.
5.2 Persistence 86 (Strong) Is persistent about goals and is
hardworking
5.3 Tolerance for
ambiguity
22 (Relatively week) As world is a more ambiguous place,
needs to develop more tolerance for
vague situations.
5.4 Assertiveness 28 (Relatively week) Needs to be more assertive to be an
able leader
5.5 Optimist 48 ( Slightly Weak) Needs to develop some more
positive thinking for better
leadership
6 Capacity
6.1 Problem Solving 11 (Relatively week) Needs to develop faster problem
solving skills
7 Derailment Risks
7.1 Volatility 20 (Less than average
risk of volatile behavior)
A good score for successful leader as
leaders need to be calm
7.2 Micromanaging 49 ( Less than average
risk of micromanaging)
Leaders need to delegate hence this
is a good score for successful
leaders.
7.3 Closed 45 (Lower than average
risk of being closed)
Leaders need to be open. This is
good score for successful leaders.
Table-1 Made by Author (2017) Based on (Kon Ferry, 2017)
From the above table it can be seen that my strengths are experience, awareness and derailment-
risks. Development areas are learning abilities, leadership traits, capacity and drivers.
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Summary and my take away from the effort
The team worked together to achieve its goal of understanding the organizational culture and
change at Auto-Nation. The team achieved its goal by splitting the task among members. Weekly
meetings were held to resolve conflicts or queries. Communication was kept open and was
undertaken through Groupme. The team leader was responsible, organized and managed the
team well. The team faced difficult situations and challenges in the form of time management
and absence of one member. However, we managed by determination, hard work and team
support.
Personally I benefitted a lot from this team effort. My knowledge got enhanced and I developed
an understanding of team dynamics and also learnt the importance of member participation in a
team. Also, I understood that cooperation and coordination helps in creating a successful team.
Though our team was efficient, time management is an area which could have been improved. In
future while working in a team I would like to make sure that we create proper plans and allocate
time adequately so that meeting deadlines does not become a strain.
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References
Adair, J. (2013). Develop Your Leadership Skills. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Al Ramiah, A., & Hewstone, M. (2013). Intergroup contact as a tool for reducing, resolving, and
preventing intergroup conflict: evidence, limitations, and potential. American
Psychologist, 68(7), 527.
Belbin, M. (2012). Management Teams. New York: Routledge.
Coleman, P. (2014). The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practic. New Jersey:
John Wiley & Sons.
De Jong, B. A., Dirks, K. T., & Gillespie, N. (2016). Trust and team performance: A meta-
analysis of main effects, moderators, and covariates. Journal of Applied Psychology,
101(8), 1134.
Kon Ferry. (2017, November 29). Leadership Assessment. Retrieved from kornferry.com:
https://www.kornferry.com/assessment-succession-overview/assessment
Lunenburg, F. C., & Lunenburg, M. R. (2015). Developing high performance teams: Long-
standing principles that work. International Journal of Organizational Behavior in
Education,, 3(1), 1-17.
Lussier, R., & Achua, C. (2015). Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill Development. New
York: Cengage Learning.
Mandourah, L., Samad, S., & Isaac, O. (2017). Contribution of Employee Competency and
Teamwork on Organisational Performance Within Private Sector Organisations in Saudi
Arabia. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, 12(1), 55-66.
Mathieu, J. E., Tannenbaum, S. I., Donsbach, J. S., & Alliger, G. M. (2014). A review and
integration of team composition models: Moving toward a dynamic and temporal
framework. Journal of Management,, 40(1), 130-160.
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Redick, A., R. I., Schaffer, C., & Toomey, D. (2014). Four-factor model for effective project
leadership competency. Journal of Information Technology and Economic Development,
5(1), 53.
Shuffler, S. E., Thayer, M. L., Bedwell, & Lazzara, E. H. (2015). Understanding and improving
teamwork in organizations: A scientifically based practical guide. Human Resource
Management, 54(4), 599-622.
Slater, R. (2010). Team Management. London: HarperCollins UK.
West, M. A. (2012). Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Research.
Melbourne: John Wiley & Sons,.
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Team Peer Evaluation
Team Peer Evaluation Form Midpoint Check in
Name___Yadicza Lopez Concepcion_____________________________
Each person on the team will complete this form to provide an evaluation of each person’s
contribution (including your own) to the final product. Please indicate the level of contribution
in terms of:
Scale – 5= very high, 4 = high, 3 = satisfactory, 2= low, 1 = very low
Your Group OB Consulting Project Name:
___Group # 4 AutoNation_______________________________________________
Were the members able to solve the time management problem?
Resoving time management problem
Names of group members (include yourself) 1 2 3 4 5
Yadicza Lopez Concepcion X
Kemorene Henry X
Andrew Kass X
Andrew Liberty X
Raphael Lee X
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2. Were the team members able to finish all parts of the project on time?
On time completion
Names of group members (include yourself) 1 2 3 4 5
Yadicza Lopez Concepcion X
Kemorene Henry X
Andrew Kass X
Andrew Liberty X
Raphael Lee X
How could the team experience have been improved?
I think we were able to work efficiently as a team. We used the app Groupme to communicate
and exchange ideas. We agreed to meet once a week on Thursday nights and this has been a
great method to keep the team focused and a direct way to track the progress of the project and
overcome any roadblocks.
I think Kemorene Henry played an excellent job as a team leader. She was very organized and
always following up with team members to make sure we didn’t miss any deadlines.
Overall, I think one of the biggest challenges we faced as a team was working under pressure to
meet deadlines. All the team members are fulltime employees and juggling our busy schedule to
coincide with all team members was sometimes a task of its own while making sure our
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members workload was divided fairly. A better project management and more task oriented,
individual time management techniques could have improved the time quality of the team work
tremendously.
What could you have done to improve this team experience?
For me it was challenging to finish my individual tasks by the Thursday of each week. I was able
to meet the deadlines and provide a good quality work but overall, I think time management
could have been improved.
The team must have a plan, managing the energy and brainpower of an entire group is not
something we can do during the cracks of our busy workdays in between our tasks.
What will you do in the future to enhance your team experience?
I think one of the biggest keys that makes a successful team is the ability to create a great
collaboration environment and that starts with been a great team player and demonstrate the
capability to work under pressure.
We must be straight forward on, what we are trying to achieve? who are my team players? Who
does what well? And who need development and in what areas? Those questions will serve well
in figuring out the best way to allocate assignments.
I fully believe a team that is communicating well will be the most productive and successful.
As a personal goal, I set up specific time blocks every night to dedicate it to do my part of the
tasks an ensure I will have enough time to review the job and receive feedback from other team
members. This will guarantee a great quality of the job and will increase the team capabilities of
delivering a great final product.
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