Discussion board | Applied Sciences homework help

1. Withdrawer. Refuses to take a stand on social or task issues; covers up feelings; does not respond to others’ comments.

Table 7-2 is a valuable diagnostic tool. When a team is not operating effectively, you must determine which functions are lacking. In some cases, your diagnosis of a troubled team might show that all the necessary task functions are being filled but members’ social needs are not being 432 met. Perhaps members need to have their good ideas supported (“That’s a terrific idea, Neil!”). Maybe personal conflicts need to be acknowledged and resolved (“I know I sound defensive about this. I’ve worked on this idea for a month, and I hate to see it dismissed in 5 minutes.”). When social needs like these go unfilled, even the best knowledge and talent often are not enough to guarantee a team’s smooth functioning. Sometimes a team will transform important functional roles into formal ones. For example, at financial services giant Charles Schwab, one person in every meeting serves as an observer-diagnoser.49 This person does not take part in the discussion; instead, he or she creates a list of what went right (e.g., “Good creativity,” “Excellent use of time”) and what went wrong (e.g., “Lots of digressions,” “Personal criticism created defensiveness”) in the meeting. This list is included in the minutes, which management reviews. It is easy to imagine how the observer’s comments can help a team improve its effectiveness. Having too many people fill a particular functional role can be just as troublesome as having no one fill it. For example, you might discover that several people are acting as opinion-givers but no one is serving as an opinion-seeker. If two or more people compete for the role of direction- giver, the results can be confusing. Even social roles can be overdone. Too much tension-relieving or praise-giving, for example, can become annoying. Once you have identified the missing roles, you can fill them. Supplying these missing roles often transforms a stalled, frustrated team into a productive one.50 Other members probably will not recognize what you are doing, but they will realize you somehow know how to say the right thing at the right time. Recognize Both Team and Personal Goals Every team operates to achieve some specific goal—selling a product, providing a service, getting a job done, and so on. In addition to pursuing a team’s goals, members usually have their own individual goals. Sometimes an individual’s goal in a team is identical (or nearly 212 433 identical) to the group’s shared goal. For example, the owner of a retail store might join the community Christmas fund-raising campaign out of a sincere desire to help the needy. In most cases, however, people also have more personal motives for joining a team. The retailer, for instance, might realize that working on the fund-raising campaign will improve both his visibility and his image in the community—and ultimately lead to more business. Notice the relationships between some common team and individual goals in the following list: Team Goal Individual Goal Sales department wants to meet annual sales target. Sales representative wants to earn bonus. Retailer wants to expand hours to attract new business. Employees want to avoid working nights and weekends. Company wants an employee to attend a seminar in Minneapolis. Employee wants to visit family in Minneapolis. 213 Individual goals are not necessarily harmful to a team or an organization if they are compatible with the overall objectives. In fact, under these circumstances they can actually help the team to achieve its goals. For instance, sales representatives who want to increase their commissions will try to sell more of the company’s products. Similarly, an otherwise reluctant employee might volunteer to attend a January seminar in Minneapolis if she can see her family during the visit. Only when an individual’s goals conflict with the organization’s or team’s goals do problems occur. If Lou and Marian dislike each other, their arguments could keep the team from getting much accomplished in meetings. If Bill is afraid of losing his job because of a mistake that has been made, he may concentrate on trying to avoid being blamed rather than on solving the problem. The range of personal goals that can interfere with team effectiveness is surprisingly broad. One or more team members might be concerned with finishing the job quickly and getting away to take care of personal business. Others might be more concerned with being liked or appearing 434 smart than with doing the job as quickly or effectively as possible. Someone else might want to impress the boss. All these goals, as well as dozens of others, can sidetrack or derail a team from doing its job. As Table 7-3 shows, teams will be harmonious and most efficient when the members are also reaching their personal goals. You can boost your team’s effectiveness by doing everything possible to help members satisfy those goals. If the people in your team are looking for fun and companionship, consider ways to tackle the job at hand that also give them what they want. Conversely, if they are in a hurry because of busy schedules, concentrate on keeping meetings to a minimum. If some members like recognition, stroke their egos by offering compliments whenever you can sincerely do so. The extra effort you spend attending to members’ individual needs will pay dividends in terms of the energy and loyalty the team gains from happy members. Table 7-3 Team Process Variables Associated with Productivity