BUS 5113 UNIT 6 Myths and Realities of Teamwork PDF

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BUS 5113 UNIT 6 Myths and Realities of Teamwork...

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Running Head: THE MYTHS AND REALITIES OF TEAMWORK

The Myths and Realities of Teamwork Beginning in early childhood, people of all cultures learn to work in groups and teams. Early life brings us family, school, and sports activities, and we grow into cultural and work team activities throughout our life. These experiences teach us to use the word “we” rather than “me’ when collaborating and working with others (Singh, 2017, para. 10). For this assignment, we examine the six myths and realities written by Wright, expanding on the 2nd myth “Team conflict is unhealthy” (2013), the myth I chose to research further. MYTH: Teams are harmonious people who compromise their needs for the sake of the team In reality, good teams are comprised of a group of diverse individuals, all who have their own set of skills, preferences, values, personality types, and needs. Wright (2013) explains the importance of understanding the teammates individually. Collectively, management can then know the scope and range of talent, and identify what team profile is dominant with the group: task-focused team, ideas-focused team, analytically focused team, or socially focused team (Wright, 2013, p. 1). Identifying the diverse team profile provides the opportunity for leaders to tap into the strength of the diversity and realize team success. MYTH: Team conflict is unhealthy Conflict can be channeled into a healthy, positive energy force, particularly if individual goals are less important than to team members than the group’s primary goal or mission. The passion for a common goal drives a team together and makes it possible for members to see

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conflict in a positive light and an opportunity to collaborate and spin good ideas together (Wright, 2013). Expanding on “Team conflict is unhealthy” I chose to expand my research on this myth because I favor the possibility to take what could be a negative, unhealthy activity and realize its potential to be a positive activity that produces favorable results. The key to healthy conflict is a clearly defined common team goal. Passionate energy can arise when a fully engaged team sees the “fight” as an opportunity to turn different ideas into actions to achieve the common goal together (Aditya, 2017, para. 7-9). Another key component that contributes to healthy conflict is trust among team members. When trust is part of the team culture, people are willing to voice their opinions and ideas without fear of being ridiculed or rejected. Ideas freely expressed invite diverse points of view and better resolutions and project decisions. MYTH: Most people like teamwork According to Wright, one-third of the workforce enjoy teamwork, one third are indifferent, and one third would rather work independently of others (2013). This makes sense considering each member of a team is an individual with personal values, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Some people find engagement with others exciting, while others might find the bustling of group activity distracting. Diversity is another reason it is important for leaders to know the individual members of a team. Every project has tasks that are better suited for one person. Those should be assigned to people who prefer or do better-working solo. MYTH: Teamwork is essential to business success

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The necessity for teamwork in business organizations depends on the business. Fastmoving, complex, rapidly-moving environments benefit from the diversity of talent and ideas a team offers. However, organizations that operate via simple tasks and processes can function successfully on individual contributions. Examples are sales and technical support organizations. According to Wright, teams require the element of challenge in the work environment (2013). In the example of an American football team, each player has a specific, defined role on the team, and the teamwork together in their roles to score and win. Every team member is assigned a challenging role that matches their talents and skills. MYTH: Teams are easy to influence and manage Leading teams requires a specific management skillset. It is imperative that supervisors and managers communicate relevant information across teams and engage members in issue identification and solution. A leader must develop a culture of trust and transparency to draw out the talent and ideas from a diverse group. A lack of communication from top to bottom and laterally across groups can cause a team to become dysfunctional as members begin performing and operating on different assumptions and expectations. Managers of teams must clearly define roles for members with clear knowledge of how each role fits and contributes to the team goal. MYTH: Senior Managers encourage teamwork Managing teams is not for the meek. Managers are people too, with various skill levels, personality types, and personal feelings about themselves and their weaknesses and strengths. It is possible that a person could feel threatened about their senior management rank when talented team members rise to visibility in a group. A senior manager requires the confidence to allow teams to function together towards the common goal without fear of losing their position of power. The manager of a winning team with a successful outcome will reap the Page 3

acknowledgment and rewards of a job well done. Excellent team managers develop leaders in their pool of talent.

Conclusion There are many misconceptions and myths around managing and working in teams. The common thread that dispels negativity in teams and propels success is communication. Communicating a clear, common goal creates a sense of unity and a “we” instead of “me” culture in a team. Team members who understand their role and how they are contributing to the goal are motivated to engage with others. Building an environment of trust inspires people to speak up, unafraid to express opinions and ideas. With excellent communications, most teams can overcome adversity and turn conflict into positive collaboration.

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References Singh, Aditya (2017). Myths v/s Realities of Teamwork. Retrieved from http://blog.aasaanjobs.com/myths-vs-realities-of-teamwork/ Wright, D. (2013). The myths and realities of teamwork, 1st ed. Retrieved from http://bookboon.com/en/the-myths-and-realities-of-teamwork-ebook

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