SAT2 Leadership Task 2C
Evaluation of Team Performance
The following report will describe the team’s goals, specific motivation strategies, influence strategies, communication plan, conflict resolution strategies and over all possible improvements. Each area will be evaluated as to effectiveness in regards to the Leadership Handbook development.
The team’s goals were:
• Successful completion of Task 2. o The team will create and publish a leadership handbook that meets all requirements outlined for SAT Task 2.
• Adhere to set deadlines. o All individual work will be submitted to the team by Friday at 11:59 p.m. to allow the reviewer and publisher time to finalize before the Sunday due date.
• Effective and efficient team communication. o All team members will check email daily for updates on the project and are expected to communicate to other members in regards to feedback, progress, and/or any potential issues at least once a week.

These goals were achieved by a six step processes.
1. Write it down and look at it. The team contract and goals were developed.
2. Tell People. The contract was communicated by email to all.
3. Break it up. The tasks were broken up into weekly assignments.
4. Set Dates. Due dates were set.
5. Be Realistic. The due dates were adjusted.
6. Buy in. The team bought into the goals and completed the process on time and on target.
The motivation strategies that the team agreed to use was coaching and recognition. Coaching was given through a five step process.
1. Set Goals – Team Contract
2. Device Plan – Weekly Assignment
3. Do your best and help others do theirs – I completed the task on time and on target and emails were given to encourage others to do the same.
4. Gratitude – We email each to say great job after completing milestones with the plan.
5. Perform – Perform yourself and keep others accountable on their performance. This was completed through emails, ensuring everyone submitted the task on time and on target.
Recognition is another powerful motivational tool. 4 keys to great recognition is:
1. Deserve
2. Specific
3. Individual
4. Continuous
Even though we did recognize each others accomplishments it was more general like ‘Good job’, ‘You can do it’, or ‘Well done’ through an email. We did not complete the above four keys in recognition. The two influential strategies that we agreed to implement were: rational persuasion and consultation. Rational persuasion to influence each other through logic and facts, rather than emotional feelings. Consultation is maintaining an open and collaborative team environment. There was little influence that happened within the team. After the initial meeting everyone decided we were all too busy to meet or conference call and emails would become the main communication system. During that initial conference people were more passively resistant than influential. In fact, there was no need for the strategies because the group just agreed with the first person that spoke up. I would say that this influential strategy was agreed upon in theory but was not acted upon.
The communication plan was emailing and file sharing through our WGU email accounts. For urgent issues, the team leader could be contacted by phone, who would then relay the message to other team members if necessary. The keys to a good communication plan is: audience, information, media, timing and responsibilities. Our plan was simple but covered these keys. Audience: the job of each person was defined. The type of information to be communicated was outlined, time lined to the tasks, communication was given and the responsibilities of each job was also discussed. We ended just sharing information via the email, file sharing, and everybody completed their task on time and on target. The communication plan worked as developed.
The conflict resolution strategies that were agreed upon in the team contract was:
To avoid and/or resolve conflict within our team during this assignment, we will use the collaborative style, which aims to satisfy each team member’s concerns. If we develop a conflict within the group, we will collaboratively reach a decision on how to resolve the issue in a manner that appeases all members, as we each have a vested interest in the group’s production outcome (DuBrin, 2010). During the collaborative conflict resolution, our group will practice the listening strategy, which gives each member a chance to state their position on the issue so that other members can understand what each member wants (DuBrin, 2010). This allows everybody to play an equal role on the team and creates an environment of trust and understanding, as each member’s concerns are not only heard, but valued as well. During the process of working together with the team there was very little conflict. The only possible conflict that came up was missing the target dates by a half-day or so. The publisher worked with the other team members and avoided conflict through collaboration and listening. There was a fair bit of trust and understanding that was portrayed through emails and the conference call. This really was amazing due to the lack of relationship that existed and the fact that we were all perfect strangers.
The performance of the team was excellent within the content of the team contract. I believe there was an opportunity lost in building relationships with each other that you don’t always build through emails. I think had we taken the opportunity to enhance our communication strategies this would have developed. The outcome of the leadership plan was excellent and I plan to use it for years to come.

Resources
DuBrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9780547143965