Essay: Teamwork

Teamwork requires a specific decision by the team members to co-operate in meeting the shared objective. This requires that team members sacrifice their independence, allowing their activity to be coordinated by the team, either through decisions by the team leader or through shared decision making. As a result, the responsibilities of professionals working as a team include not only tasks they deliver because of their specialized skill or knowledge, but also those resulting from their dedication to monitor the activities performed by their teammates, including managing the conflicts that may result.
In healthcare teamwork is an ongoing process of interaction between team members as they work together to provide care to patients. Primary healthcare, where professionals including a family physician, a physiotherapist and a dentist may all provide care to the same patient, yet in most cases do not see themselves as a functioning team. On the other hand, effective teamwork rarely happens where there is no cooperation between team-members.
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Advantages and disadvantages of team working in an organisation
We at Computers Express recognise that there are advantages and disadvantages of working in groups or teams
Advantages
‘ A team comprises people with a mixture of talents, each team has a variety of expertise and abilities
‘ Within a team, each person can be allocated a job which maximizes their particular strengths, they can concentrate on this and improve their capabilities and skills, this is known as specialization
‘ Being part of a team also boosts the morale or the spirit of each individual
‘ Certain people can be trained to do more than one job, so if one member is ill or absent their work can be covered by other people, this is called flexible working
Disadvantages
‘ With some teams, there can be a tendency for members to sit back and let others do most of the work, this can cause resentment in the workplace
‘ Conflict may occur as a result, which can have a detrimental effect on workplace morale
‘ Some workers may not function well as part of a team, preferring to work on their own, while these individuals may be excellent workers in the right environment, they will have difficulty into your work
‘ Workload can be delegated unfairly and one has to carry more burden than others
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Different types of teams in the workplace
We at Computers Express recognise different departments in the workplace
Virtual teams
Technology is impacting how teams meet and function, collaborative software and conferencing systems have improved the ability for employees to meet, conduct business, share documents and make decisions without ever being in the same location.
While basic dynamics of other types of team may still be relevant, the dynamics and management of virtual teams can be very difficult.
Each team member is accountable for their tasks and to the team as a whole, usually with minimal supervision.
Key factors are the success of a virtual team is effective formation of the team, trust and collaboration between team members and communication skills.
Self managed teams
Self managed teams are deciding how a job will be done, these teams are provided with a goal by the organisation, and the determine how to achieve that goal.
These teams are commonly allowed to choose new team members, decide on work assignments, and may be given responsibility for evaluating team members.
They must meet quality standards and interact with both buyers and suppliers, but otherwise have great freedom in determining what the team does.
The team is responsible for carrying out the project, for recruiting team members, and for evaluating them.
Teamwork is one of the most crucial skills that a member in healthcare, they have a multidisciplinary team, who made up of all different health professionals who collaborate to meet a clients best care and needs of the client. The career and nurse work together on a daily basis to deliver the care and medical needs of the client. The Dietician works to provide the best diet for the client, if they need thick and easy in their fluids or their meals need to be liquidised, so that they do not choke. The GP would access the clients medication if their condition deteriorates or improves.
The Occupational therapist would access the client to see what their needs are, as to what type of bed they need, type of chair they need, walking aid and so on. Their care plan is reviewed regulary.
Five different roles and personality types within a team
1. Company worker/ implementer
2. Co-ordinator
3. Resource investigator
4. Shaper
5. Complete finishers
1 Company worker/ implementer
Implementers are aware of external obligations and are disciplined, involved in taking great care and have a good self image.
They tend to be strong-minded and practical, trusting and tolerant.
They tend to work to work for the team in a realistic way and tend to do the jobs that others do not want to do and do them well.
2 Co-ordinator
The co-ordinator is a person oriented leader; this person trusts, accepting, dominant and is committed to team goals and objectives.
The co-ordinator is someone tolerant enough always to listen to others, but is strong enough to reject their advice.
The co-ordinator may not stand out in a team and usually does not have a sharp capacity for understanding
3 Resource Investigator
The resource investigator is the executive who is never in his room, and if he is, he is on the telephone. The resource investigator is someone who explores opportunities and develops contacts. Resource investigators are good negotiators who probe others for information and support and pick up other’s ideas and develop them. They are good at liaison work and exploring resource outside the team. Weaknesses are a tendency to lose interest after initial fascination with an idea, and they are not usually the source of original ideas.
4 Shaper
The shaper is a task-focused leader who thrives in nervous energy, is highly motivated to achieve the best outcome and for whom winning is the name of the game. The shaper is committed to achieving ends and will ‘shape’ others into achieving the aims of the team. They will argue or disagree and will display aggression in the pursuit of goal achievement. Two or three shapers in a group, according to Belbin, can lead to conflict, aggravation and conflict.
5 Complete finishers
The complete finisher dots the i’s and crosses the t’s. They will give attention to detail, aims to complete and to do so thoroughly. They make steady effort and are consistent in their work. They are not interested in the glamour of spectacular success. Weakness, according to Belbin, is that they tend to be over anxious and have difficulty letting go and delegating work.
Impact of effective and ineffective team members
Effective team members
‘ Atmosphere, informal, engaged relaxed, open, comfortable, nonthreatening, and participative.
‘ Group objectives
Tasks or objectives understood and accepted, free discussion leading to group commitment, no hidden agendas, regular reviews, measure of groups is task achievement.
‘ Communications
Open and honest, flows freely up, down sideways, everyone is given a hearing, individuals build on each other’s ideas, conversation takes place inside and outside formal meetings.
‘ Handling and conflict
Viewed as natural, even helpful, comfortable handling conflict, disagreements are not suppressed, overridden, focus on the issue, not the person. It’s better to get it sorted out rather than letting it build up.
Ineffective team members
‘ Not suited to the task they have been given
‘ Disagreeing and not sorting anything out
‘ Group task or objectives are unclear, no evidence that the group either understands or accepts a common commitment, often in conflict with each other and with groups task
‘ A few people dominate discussion, selective listening, information is hoarded and flows mainly down, mixed messages
‘ Discussion on the performance or operation is avoided, discussions about problems are kept private and not brought to the group
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Issues that may arise in multi-team tasks
Muti-team tasks where two or more teams join together to work on a spicific task or project.
Issues that can happen
‘ Inter-team conflict
Although different teams might work well together, conflicts can arise when one groups goals differ from anothers, such as when one teams goal to implement new software. Conflicts with another teams need to complete a project using the existing software appilication. As the new software would slow the projects progress, this group would not immediately benifit from a new appilication
‘ Internal competition
An individual team member competing against another project team within the same organisation
‘ Incompatible work practices
Personal care and teamworking for G.Ps and their patients. The growing workload of doctors and the rising expectations of patients have created more and different demands on G.Ps time and energy, because Ireland is the fastest growing economy and people are living a lot longer nowadays.
New skills are needed to cope with the business side of practice. Effective delegation is being promoted as the way forward, working with the fully extended primary care team. Some G.Ps see these two way of working incompatible work practices, we at Computers Express do not want this to happen.
‘ Different goals/ objectives
Computers Express objectives are to promote a profitable and substainable business activity that meets costemers needs. To increase the companys market share, to increase the companys role in relation to social responsibility. To provide excellent customer service also, trust and support, we need to be honest and morally right. We have an obligation to ensure the quality of our goods and services. Other companys have different goals and objectives I their multi teams, unlike us at Computers Express and this causes problems to these companys.
Principles of team development
‘ Leadership
A leader needs to set a deadline for a task. The leader needs to ask other team members their opinon and show the team positive results of their work
‘ Resources
Making sure that team members have the right skills, information and have a buget
‘ Communication
Team communication skills are important, for ensuring the success of the team, having regular meetings, so any issues can be brought up and up dates on latest tasks or performances.
‘ Outcomes
Develops creative problem solving along with time and crisis management skills. Promotes individual and group growth with fun and memorable experiences
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Stages of team development
Every team goes through 5 stages of team development
‘ Stage 1 ‘ Forming’
The’ foaming’stage takes place when the team first meets each other. They share information, brainstorm, the projects overall mission, the main phase of the mission, each members has their role, to meet their objective.
‘ Stage 2 ‘ Storming’
As the team begins to work together they develop as a team and learn to solve problems. They settle into their roles, they listen to each others ideas is the most helpful, some teams however do not move past this stage and the entire project is spent on conflict and low morale and motivation, it can make it hard for the team to meet their job done.
‘ Stage 3 ‘ Norming’
At this stage they begin to work more effectively as a team. They are no longer focused on their individual goals but developing a way of working together, they share ideas and give feedback to another. In this stage the teamleader may not be as involved in decision making and problem solving since the team members are working better together
‘ Stage 4 ‘ Performing’
In the ‘Performing’ stage,teams are funtioning at a very high level. The focus is on reaching their objective. Team members trust each other to get the job done. They can make decisions and problem solve quickly and effectively. Team identity is complete and they are unified, the teams are high
‘ Stage 5 ‘ Adjorning’
In the adjourning stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions. The team leader should ensure that there is time for the team to celebrate the sucess of the project to evaluate what happened and capture lessons learned for future projects.
Team leadership and successful teams
Creating successful project teams is a difficult task for the team leader, they are forced to deliver results within a timescale and on a tight buget.The leader must ensure that the team has the necessary resources and information to complete a task. The team leader should be a role model for the team-good at communicating openly and getting the respect and trust of all the team members.
The team leader should gain commitment from team members to complete the task and ‘go the extra mile’. Ensure that all members feel they contributed and are valued by the team members. Make sure there are regular feedback to the team on their performance, share the credit for the teams success with the entire team.
Sucessfull teams
‘ Presentable
‘ Meeting deadlines
‘ Motivated
‘ Organised
‘ Flexible
‘ Punctual
‘ Good timekeeping ‘
An overveiw of the importance of feedback on team performance
We at Computers Express appriciate feed back on all our services and products
Why we think it is important
Providing feedback or coaching performance occurs when an employee and manager work together to ensure a good job is done and results are achieved. Giving feedback is crucial to working with people as it is an essential element of learning. Feedback motivates people espiccally when its good feedback.Effective feedback can improve performance and commitment.
Setting expectations upfront
During induction go through the position descripion for the job role and explain the expectations of the job. These of course should align with what was explained in the interveiw, another important document to go through at induction is the performance feed-back form. Explain to the employee that you will be reveiwing them using the performance feedback form towards the end.
Team meetings
Hold regular team meetings, any issues can be brought up or any sugestions should be heard, two way communication with you and your work colleagues.
What is the purpose of meetings ?
Gives people information about the business in general, it’s goals, challengs etc,
‘ Solve problems
‘ Discuss ideas
‘ Explain something
‘ Report on progress
‘ Share information