Abstract
This paper examines the value of team dynamics in a business, how to improve poor dynamics, and how to measure dynamics within a team. I will also briefly cover how a group or team is formed and the stages that every group goes through.
The value of team dynamics is critical for organizational success. Without positive team dynamics, your business can’t leverage the potential of your employees and tap into their skills and experience. So, what is team dynamics? How can you manage and improve your team’s dynamics? And what makes a good team?
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What is Team Dynamics?
Team dynamics can be defined as the motivating forces that propel a team towards its goals, they are the processes and behaviors transpiring among team members. Team dynamics have a profound subtle impact and influence on both team performance and team productivity. A team with positive dynamics is easy to spot. Team members trust each other, and work towards collective decisions, while holding each other accountable for making things happen. (Eberhardt, 2016)
Tuckman's, Theory
T In 1965, Bruce Tuckman from the Naval Medical Research Institute, at Bethesda, Maryland, developed the “Orming Model,' Tuckman’s model suggests that there are four primary stages of group development. Tuckman found that working in a group can be broken down into five stages. These stages are forming, storming, norming, performing, and the adjourning stage. (Tuckman, 1965) Bruce Tuckman suggests that groups move through these stages in sequential order and that the length of each stage varies from group to group. Once a group or team successfully addresses the key challenges in each stage, the team is ready and can move on to the next stage.
What makes a Good Team?
Good team members display commitment to the team's overall goals, and are willing to work hard to achieve those goals. A good team member shows good communication skills, and can share ideas with others both oral and written form. (Eberhardt)They can also work well with others and know that they will not always get their way, and are willing to accept the decisions of the group for the good of the group. A good team member is able to look at things from different perspectives and suggest new ways of doing things for the benefit of the team.
Effective teams trust one another and have open communication, and hold one another accountable. A team with good dynamics can create goals and objectives, and commit to their decisions and plans of action. They can feel comfortable enough to state when there is a problem, as well as offer a solution on how to fix the problem or improve what’s not working. (Franz, 2016)
How to improve Team Dynamics
No two teams are going to be the same. In order to improve a team’s dynamics, it’s important to first begin by identifying what the issues are that are causing the problems or lack of team performance, then formulating a strategy to improve or fix those issues. This involves an assessment or team health check. A recent study recommended to a structured, private, and confidential, assessment or interview with each team member to get their thought on the overall effectiveness of the team.
(Franz, 2016) It can also be beneficial to include people outside the team such as stakeholders, senior management, and even significant customers. Once any issues are resolved, it’s recommended to schedule regular team reviews to ensure a high performing team. (Abudi, 2016)
The most common mistake a team can make is failure to clearly identify a leader, without a clear leader decisions typically don’t get made in a timely manner if they get made at all. “Great leaders are excellent communicators, without good communication teams become disorganized, ineffective, and disinterested”. (Houston, 2016) To ensure good team dynamics it’s crucial that everyone is clear on what the team’s goal and purpose is, and that each team member in the group has clearly defined roles and responsibilities, so that work is equally distributed.
Another way that team members can improve the teams' dynamics is by taking time to get to know their team members, the study recommends using team building exercises to help break the ice and get to know each other. These team building exercises can ease new team members into the group gently, and help establish good communication. (Abudi, 2016)
Conclusion
What is the advantage of utilizing teams in your business? Researchers have found that when a team has a positive dynamics, the members are nearly twice as creative as an average group. In a group with poor group dynamics, people's behavior disrupts work. As a result, the group may not come to any decision, or it may make the wrong choice. With a good, working team, the biggest advantage is that it can cut down a work load significantly, and most importantly a dynamic team can build a positive work culture that is valued to each employee.
In a world where 2 out of 3 Americans hate their job, and in a workforce that is about to be dominated by an on-demand generation, the retention of great team members will be more valuable than ever. It might even be the competitive advantage that will separate the best from the rest. (Vanderbloemen, 2018)
Works Cited
- Abudi, G. (2016, July 15). The Five Stages of Team Development. Retrieved from Abudi Consulting Group : https://www.ginaabudi.com/the-five-stages-of-team-development-part-i/
- CEO, J. C. (2016, July 15th). Team Work and Colaboration. Retrieved April 12, 2019, from Harvard Business review: https://binged.it/2IsGIkF
- EberHardt, R. (Writer). (n.d.). [Motion Picture]. M.O. Ware Producer. Retrieved from Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=team+dynamics&&view=detail&mid=728C77
- Eberhardt, R. (2016, December 10). Team Dynamics. (M. O. Ware, Producer) Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=team+dynamics&&view=detail&mid=728C77BE28396BB46BD0728C77BE28396BB46BD0&rvsmid=4159D9966B448C166D6E4159D9966B448C166D6E&FORM=VDQVAP wehttps://youtu.be/Av9sFr_NsBU
- Franz, T. M. (2016). Group Dynamics and Group Interventions. Penn State: Wiley Blackwell.
- Guru, Q. (2016, September 29). Tuckmans Stages of team development. Retrieved from www.youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOCz1gOmg30
- Houstan, M. (2016, april 12). what happens to a leaderless team. Retrieved 2019, from Learn Loft : http://www.learnloftblog.com>2016/04/12
- Stages of group development. (2016). Retrieved from Mind Tools: http://www.mindtools.com
- Tools, M. (2016). How to use the 5 stages theory of team development, your 10 minute guide to developing a productive team. Retrieved from www.mindtools.com: https://www.mindtools.com/blog/corporate/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/01/Forming-Storming.pdf
- Tuckman, B. (1965). Tuckmans Theory Developmental sequence.
- Vanderbloemen, W. (2018, April 3). The Competitive Advantage that Will Help Your Business Win in the next 10 Years. Retrieved from Forbes Website: https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamvanderbloemen/2018/04/03/the-competitive-advantage-that-will-help-your-business-win-in-the-next-10-years/
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