Team Building & LeadershipAssignmentPrepared and Presented by: Ganga Mehreen (101666) Dobee Reshma (101 664) Pandoo Kajaal (101 682) Schaikmohammed Zaynab (101687 ) Sauhoboo Nausheen (101 686) Jeewon Shruti (101669 ) Cohort: BHRM/10/FT August Intake

Table of ContentsIntroduction What is a Team? Use of teams Need & Benefits of Team Team members at Electronicohip Problems & Solutions to Team Membership Qualities of a good Team Leader Conclusion References

IntroductionMr Team has just been appointed as Manager of Electronico, a large electronic company, which has made several inventions in the recent past. However, since the last two years, no invention has been made. Mr Team, who was working in an auditing firm as Manager, is known to have led that firm to the pinnacle of success. Based on his success, he was brought in Electronico to redress the situation there and to make the company as inventive as it had been previously and to gradually surpass all its competitors in the field. To achieve this, Mr Team has decided to do away with all the teams of engineers at Electronico. These people have specialised knowledge of different aspects of electronics. Being used to the procedures and practices of the auditing firm, where the auditors worked in pairs and reported to a supervisor, Mr Team is of the conviction that the use of the numerous teams at Electronico is a hindrance to progress. The Board of Directors of Electronico is seeking advice for the guidance of Mr Team. In order to convince Mr Team of the profitable use of numerous teams in the company, a report is written with all the data needed to debate the positive aspect of teams for the future of Electronico.

As organizations continue to experience external pressures and uncertainties regarding their future viability, they are increasingly choosing to engage in some form of interorganizational restructuring in order to survive.Burke, 2011; Campbell, 2009; Kohm & La Piana, 2003

What is a team?

A team is any group of people organized to work together interdependently and cooperatively to meet the needs of their customers by accomplishing a purpose and goals. Teams are created for both long term and short term interaction. A product development team, an executive leadership team, and a departmental team are long lasting planning and operational groups. Short term teams might include a team to develop an employee on boarding process, a team to plan the annual company party, or a team to respond to a specific customer problem or complaint. In the case of Electronico, the teams made are long term teams as they are put together as product development team which consists of the engineers.

Three common types of teams include functional or departmental, cross-functional, and selfmanaging.

Functional or departmental teams: Groups of people from the same work area or department, who meet on a regular basis to analyze customer needs, solve problems, provide members with support, promote continuous improvement, and share information. Cross-functional teams: Groups of people who are pulled together from across departments or job functions to deal with a specific product, issue, customer, problem, or to improve a particular process. Self-managing teams: Groups of people who gradually assume responsibility for selfdirection in all aspects of work.

The team of engineers would be a departmental team, as the engineers would work together on a regular basis in order to gather input and produce output to satisfy the customers of Electronico.

USE OF TEAMSTeamwork gives us the ability to utilize everyones best skills to our advantage to complete a task.

The capabilities of an organized team achieves much more than an individual could. The organizational designs and cultures at Electonico require team work as engineers need towork together for better results for the customers.

Organizations create and use both permanent and temporary teams, combining people into groups to work on novel problems and to make critical decisions.Gersick, 1988 It is a fact that work teams embedded in organizations are the best vehicle to respond to changes in the organization's environment and should be used as a primary organizational strategy for managing change. Members of work teams at Electronico are expected to engage in frequent interaction and cooperative problem-solving and decision-making activities in order to accomplish results.

Need & Benefits of Team Need of teams

Team can be seen everywhere in business, in school in organization. Teamwork is important in school because it is important in the business community. Businesses like workers who know how to work well with others, and school is an excellent place to learn what skills are important; and practice those skills. Moreover, today in the business area team work plays vital role as It creates effective communication between team members, coordination, motivation, synergy, flexibility, there is goal congruence, and it clearly defines responsibilities and roles. Teams are in need in Electronico as it allows to compete effectively by enabling staff at all corporate levels to work as true team players. Working together a team can apply individual perspectives, experience, and skills to solve complex problems, creating new solutions and ideas that may be beyond the scope of any one individual.

Benefits of teams-Teams maximize the organization's human resources. Each member at the team of

Electronico is coached, helped, and led by all the other members of the team. A success or failure is felt by all members, not just the individual. Failures give them the courage to take chances. Success is felt by every team member, this helps them to set and achieve bigger and better success.- Teams can generate more successful and more creative solutions. That is, teams can

generate a wider range of ideas and innovation than individuals; there is a diversity of ideas. Also, teams can solve complex problems that take more than one mind. - Teams build higher motivation and shared responsibility for implementation. That is, team members are able to motivate themselves. - Teams coordinate individual activities towards a common bigger goal in this way personal motives will be pushed to the side to allow the team motive to succeed. - Teams have a range of personalities such as workers, thinkers, leaders who contribute the right balance of skills necessary to achieve high performance. Team members support each other and are not just task oriented, they can be a support mechanism which provide mentoring and allow others to grow in self-confidence. - Teams reinforce individual capabilities, help people to learn from each other and develop, and generate commitment between team members. There is an understanding between the team members on the way they have to proceed towards their goal. - Teams involve bringing together team members and giving them a sense of direction, a period of getting to know their colleagues, recognizing skills and abilities.

TEAM MEMBERSHIPWhat makes a good team member?

Just as team members will have expectations of team leaders, they will also have expectations of other team members at Electronico. Being a great team member can aid the team process as much as a good team leader. Here are some of the elements that make a great team member: Commitment to the team above themselves. Positive contribution to the team process and goals. Enthusiasm, energy, inspiration and sufficient expertise. Willingness to take responsibility for elements of the team's work. Delivering on commitments.

Commitment to the team above themselves: The factors that made up a successful team leader included both commitment to people and a desire to support and serve. Great team members at Electronico are also servant minded: seeking to serve others before their own needs. Positive contribution to Team Process and Goals: Some team members at Electronico may be willing to take a back seat saying "It's the leader's role to tell us what to do!" This is symptomatic of a work group rather than a team. Great team members at Electronico will support the team leadership with suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the team process or new ideas for delivering the team goals. This can lead to the leadership being shared around, as different team members drive the process at different times. Enthusiasm, Energy, Inspiration and Expertise:

Team members at Electronico don't only want their leaders to inspire and motivate them, having other team members who are also able to play this role is seen as very positive by most team members at Electronico. Having a team structure which allows individual expertise and gifts to be understood and productively used by the team is very affirming to team members at Electronico, and in turn, encourages their contribution. It's not only the team leader who has responsibility for developing that kind of team structure. Willingness to take responsibility for elements of the teams work:

Arising out of the previous element, team members at Electronico should be willing to run with elements of the team's work - taking away tasks from the main group to work on. These might not only be tasks, but could also include elements of team development. Delivering on commitments:

If an individual is to be fully valued by the team, they must be committed to the success of the team. If they agree to carry out action steps at team meetings, there is an expectation that these will be carried out, unless that expectation is changed. If at the following team meeting, the team is surprised by an individual not delivering on what they agreed, there is a danger that they will lose trust in the individual. Further occurrences of this will almost certainly move the group process backwards. It is better to resist the pressure to deliver initially and set appropriate expectations, than to say yes, and then spend the next weeks finding ways of apologizing.

There is an increasingly recognition given to the informal team member roles. 1. Contributor- this task oriented team member is seen as very dependable. He/she enjoys providing the team with good technical information and data is always prepared and pushes the team to set high performance goals. 2. Collaborator- this team member focuses on the big picture. He or she tries to remind others, is willing to work outside the defined role and is willing to share the glory with the other team members at Electronico. 3. Communicator- this positive, people-oriented team member is process-driven and is an effective listener. He/she plays the role of felicitator of involvement, conflict resolution, consensus building, feedback and building an informal relaxed atmosphere. 4. Challenger- known for the candor and openness, this member questions the teams goals, methods, and even ethics. He or she is willing to disagree with the leader or higher authority and encourages well-conceived risk taking.

PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF TEAMS

Teams working will deliver better results faster than any one individual could ever hope to do in Electronico. Yet challenges often get in the way of delivering the great results that are possible. An employees success is no longer defined in terms of individual performance. To perform well as team members at Electronico, individuals must be able to communicate openly and honestly to confront differences and resolve conflicts, and to sublimate personal goals for the good of the team.

CHALLENGES: 1) Personal agendas being priority People often get used in pursuing their personal agenda. To get results in a team Mr Team need to create conditions where success or failure depends on the team as a whole. To overcome this, keep results in the foreground. Take it for the team. Keep a scoreboard market share, client satisfaction, revenue, profit, growth over last year, growth over competitors, etc. Results-oriented teams establish their own measurements for success. They dont allow themselves the wiggle room of subjectivity. Ambiguity hurts the bottom line.

2) Using conflict Conflict in teams is inevitable and conflict is not a bad thing. What is important is that conflict is productive rather than destructive. Used well, conflict can be channeled to stretch the boundaries of what is possible, encourage creativity and ultimately achieve a better outcome. When working with teams leaders need to understand the importance of conflict in teams, being careful not to try and steer the team towards premature resolution of conflict with the intention of protecting people. Its important for leaders to help the team members at Electronico to learn and develop positive conflict resolution skills. The beast way to do this is for leader to lead by example, modeling the appropriate behaviors, rather than trying to smooth over the conflict. 3) Disengagement Teams achieve more when all the members are fully engaged and focused on the outcome. The challenge is to avoid situations where people on the team become disengaged. Trust really means vulnerability. Team members at Electronico who trust one another learn to be comfortable being open, even exposed, to one another around their failures, weaknesses, even fears. 4) Lack of clarity Achieving anything starts with being clear on what Mr Team want to achieve and why Mr Team want to achieve it. As a leader of a team, it is important that

the team as a collective has clarity on the outcomes and why they are so important. Working together is essential. Harmony and a positive attitude are critical. If the team is not working together, the expected gains will not materialise.

Teamwork has to be well managed. A balanced team composition is essential. Team members at Electronico have to be carefully selected. The full range of knowledge and skills required must be present. Team members at Electronico need to be committed to the task. If Mr Team have the right team composition and approach, team synergy can take over. But it has to be set up correctly. The team members at Electronico have to be willing and ready to participate. Clarity is the removal of assumptions and ambiguity from a situation. Commitment is not consensus. It is the opposite. It is buying in to a decision when they do not naturally agree. It is the ability to defy a lack of consensus. It requires conflict and leadership. The leader breaks the tie, only after extracting every possible idea, opinion and perspective from the team. The leader must have the courage and wisdom to step up and make a decision. Everyone must leave the room actively committed to implementing the solution, disagree and commit. They must have clarity and alignment around the decision.

Problems and Solutions: 1. Time consuming It can be time consuming to take decisions since all team members at Electronico have to be consulted before coming to a decision. All the members that are the Engineers working in Electronico company have to be consulted, decision making are slow and hence would definitely affect the smooth running of the organizations. A remedy can be that the vision, mission, goal or task of the team must be well defined so as to save time for decision making. 2. Minority domination The organization can have the problems of minority domination that is, one person or few team members at Electronico taking decision on behalf of all team members at Electronico. The organization would definitely lead to failure because all the team members at Electronico are not consulted before taking important decisions. a solution can be that the team members at Electronico must take all the members must be consulted before taking a decision. 3. High absence turnover

There is likely to be high turnover when an organization has many teams who work in achieving its goals. This is so because each member of a team is likely to depend on others to do his part of work and might even avoid responsibilities leading to a risk of high turnover which would definitely have a negative impact on the organization success. The team members at Electronico can make special arrangement in case of absenteeism. 4. Groupthink It is the tendency of all team members at Electronico agreeing to each other ideas or to the leader ideas; it arises when we have very little conflict in the team. It impacts on innovation and creativity in the organization. The team members at Electronico must respect each other point of view and then identify the best solution. 5. Social loafing Social loafing occurs when individual weaknesses are covered by group performance. In such a way, effectiveness and efficiency would not occur due to lack of abilities of some team members at Electronico whose weaknesses are covered by other members. a panacea can be to establish an environment where all team members at Electronico feel as responsible as the manager for the performance of the work unit. 6. Free-riders Free-riders are the persons not contributing the work of the team but want to get the benefit of team. They are being rewarded on the achievement of the other members of the team instead on their potential ability to work in the organization. Thus, the organization would make wastage of their resources because of the free-riders. 7. Team tries to do too much too soon. In order to finish their work soon, the team members at Electronico are likely to do much of the work quickly and thus they are more likely to do mistakes. a remedy can be if the team leader can fix a deadline to submit the work.

8. Conflict and differences in personal work styles. Different perspectives, individuals with varied experiences and interests help the group to see the decision situations and problems from different angles. Solutions can be to counsel the employee so that they can cope with their views.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD TEAM LEADERManagers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. Warren Bennis, Ph.D. On Becoming a Leader Building Excellence Leaders do not command excellence, they build excellence. Excellence is being all Mr Team can be within the bounds of doing what is right for Electronico. To reach excellence Mr Teammust first is a leader of good character. Pursuing excellence should not be confused with accomplishing a job or task. Excellence starts with leaders of good and strong character who engage in the entire process of leadership. The first process is being a person of honorable character. Character develops over time. Many think that much of a person's character is formed early in life. A person's observable behavior is an indication of his character. A strong person can be good or bad. An organization needs leaders with both strong and good characteristics, people who will guide them to the future and show that they can be trusted. To be an effective leader, your followers must have trust in Mr Teamand they need to be sold on your vision. Beliefs are what we hold dear to us and are rooted deeply within us. They could be assumptions or convictions that Mr Teamhold true regarding people, concepts, or things. Values are attitudes about the worth of people, concepts, or things. Skills are the knowledge and abilities that a person gains throughout life. The ability to learn a new skill varies with each individual. Traits are distinguishing qualities or characteristics of a person, while character is the sum total of these traits. Managers need to be leaders. Their workers need vision and guidance. On the other hand, leaders need to be good managers of the resources entrusted to them. Traits of a Good Leader Mr Team needs to beo

Honest Display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all your actions. Deceptive behavior will not inspire trust.

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Competent Base your actions on reason and moral principles. Do not make decisions based on childlike emotional desires or feelings. Forward-looking Set goals and have a vision of the future. The vision must be owned throughout the organization. Effective leaders envision what they want and how to get it. They habitually pick priorities stemming from their basic values. Inspiring Display confidence in all that Mr Teamdo. By showing endurance in mental, physical, and spiritual stamina, Mr Teamwill inspire others to reach for new heights. Take charge when necessary. Intelligent Read, study, and seek challenging assignments. Fair-minded Show fair treatment to all people. Prejudice is the enemy of justice. Display empathy by being sensitive to the feelings, values, interests, and well-being of others. Broad-minded Seek out diversity. Courageous Have the perseverance to accomplish a goal, regardless of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Display a confident calmness when under stress. Straightforward Use sound judgment to make good decisions at the right time. Imaginative Make timely and appropriate changes in thinking, plans, and methods. Show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. Be innovative.

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CONCLUSION "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is a success.John C. Maxwell

The key advantage of working in teams is a better end result. Electronico should find its teams to be more responsive to the changing needs of the market place. Teams can be closer to the customers needs, more informed about technology, and faster to respond rather than traditional hierarchies. This would be a big plus to Electronico and in this way, would lead the organization to success.

ReferencesU.S. Army Handbook (1973) - Military Leadership. John C.Maxwell - Qualities of a Leader.

Internet:

- www.google.com accessed on the 27 September 2011 - www.about.com accessed on the 29 th September 2011