MGMT-591 Smith Leadership & Org Behavior
Case Study
The Forgotten Team Member: A Case Analysis
Shon Gregory
11-26-2012

Group Development

Just as all people go through phases of change in their lifecycle, childhood, adolescence, adult, and old age, teams also go through development/lifecycle phases as well. Depending upon the stage of development that a team is in, issues, challenges, and opportunities should be handle differently. Those phases are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. In our Case Study, The Forgotten Team Member, our team is in the storming phase. By understanding the phases and identifying the current stage that Christine’s team is in, would help Christine in being the Team Coordinator of her class project team.

Problem Identification

According to our text, the storming stage is characterized by high emotions and tension, it is the most tumultuous period of team the development. Coalitions and cliques start to emerge, individuals start to jockey for positions of status, and obstacles that prevent the team for achieve start to become present. (Schermerhorn 156-157). This true for Christine’s team. Although she was appointed leader of the group, Steve, the businesslike personality, made sure that he was keeping the group on task, a role generally performed by the leader. Mike’s social loafing is starting to make him feel as an outsider to the group, he’s passive-aggressive behavior further emphasizes his outsider status. The other members are team members willing to take direction and do what is ask and above.
The objective of Christine’s team is to develop a seven-page written analysis and presentation for their class project. The goal is to obtain the highest grade possible because this objective represents 30% of their overall score in the class. This goal is in jeopardy because the team is in week 5 of the semester and the case made no mention that they had accomplished any of the objective. Furthermore, Christine feels that Mike has valuable information and skills that could have an impact on their achievement and he is not participating at a level that she thinks would be beneficial to the success of the team. As the team coordinator and as instructed by Professor Sandra Thiel, it is Christine’s job to rectify this issue first. She doesn’t know how. The underlying issue is that Christine doesn’t not have experience team dynamics and a practical understanding of the team lifecycle and their place in it.

Retrospective Evaluation

If Christine had a clearer understanding of the team lifecycle she could use that knowledge to get her team to perform at its highest level of productivity. Christine job as the leader is not to complete the tasks of the objective and achieve the goal. Her job is to get her group through the lifecycle as efficiently and quickly as possible. She needs to shepherd her group to the performing stage. It is in the performing stage that she will see the gains that she is seeking. The performing stage according to our textbook is when “the structure is stable, and members are motivated by team goals and are generally satisfied.” (Schermerhorn 157)
Since Mike is considered by Christine to be a valuable team member who is not performing at an optimal level of productivity, she, as the leader of the group, should take steps to integrate him into to the group. Mike’s primary issue is social loafing. Social loafing occurs when people work less hard in groups than they would individually. (Schermerhorn 154). Mike it appears on the surface that is lazy, but in reality, Mike is over-committed due to outside pressures. Mike has work and girlfriend problems that are impacting his participation in the group. Also, Janet’s personality, which causes her to over-achieve and do more than requested reduces the amount available work that could be shared by Mike.
Christine has no control over the Mike’s issues, but as leader of the group she could ask Janet to do less and have Mike do more. Making Mike more accountable to his role and responsibility to the group is one of the methods of counteracting social loafing. Mike will get a spirit of recognition by having ownership in the group. If Mike then does not live up to the expectations it is at that time Christine can resort to a high authority for recourse. She will have valid, tangible facts to present to Professor Thiel, as to why Mike is not a fit for their group and is hindering progress. Mike has no role. Give him one, and measure his success making him accountable to it.
Christine has difficulty doing this because her own personality shortcomings. She is conflict adverse and she has high security needs coupled with high perfectionistic and achievement styles. She will need to understand that to be a leader that she will have to deal with conflict and opposition. One way to do this in her situation is to just state the facts. Give Mike a role, have Steve measure the tangible outcomes and shortcomings, then present the findings.

Reflection

While it may not be enough time left in the semester for Christine to implement these concepts so that she realizes the maximum goal in the completion of her group’s objective, it will be lifelong experience in management that she can take with her into the future. Christine is not a bad leader, but I would not consider her to be a great leader, as well. She has identified that there is a problem in her team, but she was unable to characterize the root issue of the problem and formulate a plan to combat and rectify the problem. That makes her an inexperienced leader, one who need to gather more knowledge in aspects of leadership and people management. She needs to acquire more skills. Once she acquire these skills, her leadership potential will increase. This class project is great platform for her to try to gain and utilize these skills that she can carry with her throughout the rest of her career.

Reference

Schermerhorn, John R. Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, 11/2011.