University of Phoenix Material

Team Building Worksheet

1. Describe team members’ results on the Discovery Wheel and develop your multiple intelligences exercises. What similarities and differences exist within the team?

Within the team we have found that due to our similar back grounds in the military we approach learning in a lot of the same ways. As a group we brain storm and analyze every aspect of the problem to come up with the solution. Although some of us are easier to persuade to one idea to another, all of us require justification in order to allow it to pass the group. Alberto, Marvin, and Mike all use the no non sense approach to problems and class while Tracy tends to look at it more as a 3D more than one way to skin a cat type of out look. It seems that we feed off of one another in a group environment. When one of the team members doesn’t understand the others try to explain it in the easiest way possible. Through the discovery wheel and intelligences exercises we found that the team pretty much has the same learning style and curve. It isn’t hard for any of the members to get their input in or speak up to the other members if there is a difference of opinion. With the exercises so far we have had no problem coming together as a team.

2. What are the advantages of having diversity on a team? What challenges might the team face because of diversity?

The advantage of having diversity in a team is having more than one opinion or out look on a subject or project. If everyone were exactly the same, we would be robots will no free will or options. Diversity such as nationality and social up bringing can also bring a lot to the table when it comes to learning. If an individual has a poor education than the understanding or learning curve can be helped by the other team members that have a better understanding. Everyone learns in a different manner and some may not understand just by reading, in this case a team member that does can explain. With that being said there are also some down sides to having diversity in a team. If a team member doesn’t fully understand the language, if there is a language barrier it can cause friction between the team members and hurt your overall productivity. Granted it doesn’t have to be just diversity in language it can also be in say a team member having kids or being a single parent and the other members not. In this case it could be difficult to get the team together to complete tasks. Even with all of this said there is always a way to over come, the team could do Skype or phone calls to complete the project.

3. How might factors such as diversity, attitude, learning, and work styles affect team building?

In a team there are a lot of factors that can affect how well the team works and completes tasks. In every case there is a way to over come the hurdle using team work. Some of the factors that can affect the team coming together would be the attitude; it has a lot to do with how people get along if a member is a lone gun and wants to do everything alone it is hard to get that member to contribute to the team effort. If the member is my way or the high way it will be hard for that member to by open to new ideas. Another factor that can affect team building is work style. Work style is how someone approaches a task to complete it. Some team members may attack a project head on as soon as it is assigned while others may wait until last minute to start the task. This could cause conflicts between the members of the team. Learning is also a huge factor that can affect team building. What this means is that the team may have to stop in the middle of a project in order to explain or go over something the other team members may understand. This is not a bad thing always because if the team is on the same level when it comes to the project it will be easier to explain and go over the project in class. Diversity can also affect team building but mostly in a good way, when the team has diversity it can come at a task from different angles. A member may see it one way while another sees it a completely different way, by putting the ideas together and coming up with an agreed answer it can make the end product that much better. The bottom line is that no matter what factors affect team building it can be over come with communication and team work.

4. What are two specific time management strategies you can use to help maximize your time during this class and reach your educational goals?

The benefit to team collaboration would be the fact that once the group understands under which categories they fall into they would recognize the other member’s strong points and weakness. Hopefully this would help in the process of discussion and knowing how to work around obstacles that the other person or persons would not see due to their way of thinking. There is no one way of learning or debating the person would have to know in which category the members of the groups fall in and how to deal with each individual. If it was not for the team collaboration it would all just be endless conflict with no one trying to understands the others point of view. Another reason would be the person would just be stating the same facts in the same fashion over and over again, to the point that it would become frustrating and eventually lead to every one breaking down into smaller groups in which they feel more comfortable dealing with one another or to completely go off on their own. In most cases that would lead to failure. Other would be so passive to make a move that they would never get started and result would never come all because the person was to afraid to be the one who steps up and takes initiative for the others actions. Depending in which team mates the person was granted it could of very possibly all fall into the same person instead of having an equal share of responsibility.

5. What obstacles might arise from different ethical perspectives among team members?

When you break down personal financial management it has to do a lot with being responsible with your money, such as: Learning to live within your means, paying your bills on time, where and when to invest and learning from the previous mistakes that you may have made. When you fail to live within your means you tend to get stressed out causing you to make irrational decisions and that also goes with taking on more than you can handle causing you to become distracted from your main goal. Paying bills on time as to go with being able to hand in your homework on time and also teaching punctuality. Investing on an academic level can be hiring a tutor or paying for your education, helping you create a better future. Investing in your personal success can be hiring a life coach and investing into different businesses to help generate different types of revenue leading to a stress free life. The key to learning from your mistake in all you do will help you create a better future not only for your academic life but your personal life. Any successful person that has taken all these and turned them into a positive to help better themselves not only academically but also personal life has made life much easier. In conclusion we must learn to take personal responsibility when it comes to our financial management.

6. How might these factors, diversity, attitude, learning and work styles, and ethical perspective be used to resolve conflicts?

Attitude, diversity, learning and work styles are all major issues to deal with if the person has to work with more than one person. By not knowing which factors to expect from the rest of the team mates, can set the team back. By doing some review over the ethnical perspective of the rest of the team and how to deal with each individual case would diminish most obstacles that the team would face especially if it there is a dead line for the assignment that is due. By knowing on which team member you can use the more effective type of factor, would greatly improve the chances on you getting through the mind of the team mate. The person would have to know an effective way to use it against them without letting the team mate know your just tryng to convert them into your point of view. All though that would be the overall point of debating any issue. Obviously the person would do it just in the spirit of debating and discussing for the good of the team, any other way it would just be deceitful. Remember the leader in the group role is not to mastermind everyone into thinking in their way. But to have the team come together as one thought with several opinions to make one final answer that would comfort most if not the entire group.