Effective teams meet the goals within a very short time and face few challenges compared to dysfunctional ones. I once worked in a team that was effective due to members’ cooperation, thus achieving the objectives set. The team’s task was to find ways to help attain employees’ welfare by introducing new and modified schemes. The team was successful due to its relatively small size, which made it easy to manage. Conflicts were rare, and they were all easily solved by their participants. The team leader provided complete freedom to air the suggestions and views about the topic of discussion, which was done thoroughly. The group’s cohesiveness was revealed by how the members cooperated in giving each person their suggestions, which made us take less time to accomplish the task. We had open communication, and each person knew roles in the group due to the clear direction from the leader.
The dysfunctional team I once worked in was concerned with recruiting members from various positions within a company. The twenty people in the group had different views, with some advocating for an internal recruitment while others suggested the external approach. Many conflicts were encountered due to little discussion about what to be done. Some members feared being laid off in case they did not get promoted through internal recruitment hence the primary cause of conflict. There was hardly effective communication since others’ opinions were not considered. The team leader could not handle the chaos, so no direction was given to take the matter. Due to confusion and insecurities within the work environment, recruitment never happened.
An effective team shows commitment towards achieving the goals, which is due to the clear mission and vision of the unit, unlike the dysfunctional one that lacks a sense of direction due to miscommunication. The high performance of teamwork in an effective team led to discovering new work approaches, principles, and practices, unlike the dysfunctional group that lacked problem-solving skills. Achievement of the mission in the cooperating team is due to the ability to effectively and constructively solve conflicts.
The forming stage is the first one of the five Tuckman stages of team development. It involves orientation, and the challenges include uncertainty since members look for guidance. Leaders should communicate the project and their expectations and help members familiarize themselves to solve the problems in this stage (Cabana & Kaptein, 2021). The storming stage is critical and complex because of the conflict and competition due to the emergence of individual personalities. Leaders should help members handle conflict by calmly moderating the disputes by clarifying misunderstandings to solve this problem.
Norming stage follows where there is a degree of unity due to conflict resolution in the storming stage. In this stage, the team focuses on the goals, and if disagreement emerges, they go back to storming, slowing progress. The team is mature, organized, and functions well in the performing stage. The problems here are dealt with constructively due to the focus on problem-solving and meeting team goals (Cabana & Kaptein, 2021). At the performing stage, it is expected that the team is at its peak of performance and can engage in effective problem-solving. Challenges may arise when measuring performance, which can be solved by giving and receiving feedback throughout project implementation. At the adjourning stage, members feel lost after the project finishes and resist change. Leaders should recognize the team’s performance for completing the project together, while members should work on maintaining support for one another.
Going back to the dysfunctional team climate, several strategies could have been implemented to make its members become more effective. As a team member, it could have been beneficial to facilitate open and transparent communication so that everyone is open to suggestions and concerns, asks questions, and offers help to avoid confusion and misunderstandings. Setting clear goals and rules could have also helped the team environment so that there is a consensus on the objectives and the ways in which they will be accomplished.
Work Cited
Cabana, Guillem, C., and Muel Kaptein. “Team Ethical Cultures Within an Organization: A Differentiation Perspective on Their Existence and Relevance.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 170, no. 4, 2021, pp. 761-780.