POSITIVE TEAM BUILD-UP, HOW IMPORTANT TO ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH   

 

Team building is an important topic in the current business climate as organizations are looking to team-based structures to stimulate further improvements to their productivity, profitability and service quality. Managers and organization members universally explore ways to improve business results and profitability(Ozigbo et al., 2020)  Many views team-based, horizontal, structures as the best design for involving all employees in creating business success. Team-based improvement efforts strives to improve results for customers. Team building involves a wide variety of activities, presented to organizations and aimed at improving team performance.

 

Stages of Team Development

 

Basically, team development involves five stages each with its own special challenges as propounded by Tuckman (1975) in a revision of the four-stage model he first proposed in 1965.  The first stage of team building is the forming which is the stage at which a group of people come together to accomplish a shared purpose. Next is the storming stage which involves disagreements about mission, vision, and approaches and team members getting to know each other. This stage can be characterized by strained relationships and conflicts. This is followed by the norming stage where the team has consciously or unconsciously formed working relationships that are enabling progress on the team’s objectives. The fourth is the performing stage in which relationships, team processes, and the team’s effectiveness in working on its objectives are synching to bring about a successfully functioning team. 

The final stage is the transforming stage where the team is performing so well that members believe it is the most successful team they have experienced; or the ending stage where the team has completed its mission or purpose and it is time for team members to pursue other goals or projects(Qwabe et al. 2016).  It must be noted however that not every team moves through these stages in the stated order. Again, various activities such as addition of new team members can send a team back to earlier stages. The experience of the members, the support the team receives and the knowledge and skills of the team members are factors that determine the length of time necessary for progressing through these stages.

 

Impediments and Challenges to Teamwork

 

The implementation of teams is, fundamentally, an organizational change and development process. Teams are, therefore, susceptible to all the challenges that can occur during any organizational change process. In particular, employee resistance may result where employees are required to work with other employees with whom they are unfamiliar. In this case, the new teams are breaking up established social relationships. One way in which this can be overcome is through teambuilding. (Anon, 2021) notes that teams often face issues that can decrease the effectiveness of the team and specifically its ability to make decisions. 

The team may not share clear goals or purposes, and therefore as earlier discussed defining specific goals is very important. The time trade-offs in decision making (team decision making can take time away from working. There may be problems of "groupthink" and pressure to conform as well as the potential for increased conflict over decision making.  Without adequate team training and preparation, it is unlikely that teams will work effectively to develop and realize a shared vision( Fapohunda, 2013). There are also the challenges arising from lack of communication; personal conflict; overemphasis on give and take relationship.

Benefits of team building can be identified as Create mission and vision statements to inspire messages that express the deeper purpose of the work that is doing. Teams and organizations that can rally around a shared sense of purpose often become more engaged and committed. make sure that the team's goals align with those of the organization. Motivation will likely increase when everyone understands what they need to do, and how their roles benefit the organization as a whole.

References:

• Ada-Mac Ozigbo, Idegbesor Maryam and Chigbo Donatus Ngige, 2020. TEAM BUILDING AND PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIZATIONS: AN EXPLORATION OF ISSUES. International Journal of Management and Entrepreneurship, Volume Vol. 2, No. 1,, p. 16.

• Anon., 2021. I Love Translation. [Online]Available at: https://th4.ilovetranslation.com/8DlkveEfWWPue8FfHkWj9W==d/[Accessed 17 Dec 2021].

• Anon., n.d. Crowe Associates Ltd. [Online]Available at: https://www.crowe-associates.co.uk/teams-and-groups/the-12-cs-of-team-building/[Accessed 17 Dec 2021].

• Fapohunda, T. M., 2013. Towards Effective Team Building in the Workplace. International Journal of Education and Research , Volume Vol. 1 No. 4 , p. 12.

• Qwabe, N., n.d. GROUP DYNAMICS AND WORK TEAMS, s.l.: UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE.Saadat, A., 2016. Prezi. [Online]Available at: https://prezi.com/zibyswxbq2rc/team-dynamics/ [Accessed 17 Dec 2021].

• Picture from https://www.nytimes.com/guides/business/manage-a-successful-team