The Value of Teams
Christina Rodriguez
February 27, 2016

1] In what kind of teams have you participated?
First team was fourth grade cheerleading, even though I was on the bottom of the pyramid, I was the foundation of the format. I did cheerleading through middle school, then in high school was in color guard in the band. I have to say being in band takes a lot of teamwork and discipline. From there being a server at a few places where teamwork is a must! Then at Food Lion I was Assistant Produce Manger, on truck days working together to get it unloaded and organized in the cooler takes teamwork and communication. Sometimes we would get dairy or meat products on our floats and because we are a team, would carry the product to the department and they would be thankful. Now at the gas station, all associates work really well together to make sure everything gets done and the store looks clean. Now as a mom, I would say this is the newest team. Rob, myself and the grandparents all work together to ensure that Jackson is taken care of.

2] How is communication in a team different from one-on-one communication, according to the text?
The more people in the group the greater chance for miscommunication. One on one communication allows for more input because it can be more specific to each individual responses. They can have a better understanding of each other because it’s more direct. With group communication everyone needs to have a better understanding of the group’s obkectives and main goal. Also because it’s a group there is more input from different people making the process more difficult. “For example, a group of five members has the potential for 90 different types of interaction; a group with seven members has the potential for 966 different types of interaction.” (Engleberg, I & Wynn, D. 2013 P 4) There was a study that workers said they waste almost six hours a week on unproductive meetings. When groups get together and communication isn’t productive it cost time and resources.

3] What are some advantages of teamwork? What are some disadvantages? Be specific.
There are lot of advantages with working with a team. If you are feeling confused you can clarify things with your teammates, and as a team pull together to make sure the assignment or project is completed correctly and on time. I have worked in a couple of group assignments for school and last minute one person didn’t do their portion. Usually two maybe three people will step up and work together to make sure the assignment gets done on time. With more people to work with, more ideas are debated and creativity levels are high. Some people don’t mesh well with others and conflict can occur. Also some people will take advantage so they may put off their portion, knowing that someone in the group will do it. That will add extra tension especially for future assignments.

4] Identify and describe the stages of team development.
There are five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The forming stage being the first is when the members first meet and everyone is cautious to be sure they don’t step on any toes. Things are awkward till everyone gets more comfortable with each other. Storming is when some members may get confrontation trying to establish leadership roles. They openly disagree but will resolve the conflicts to achieve their group goal. Performing is when the roles have been assigned and everyone focuses on the goal. Lastly adjourning, is when the assignment is finished and the group starts to lose contact. It is not uncommon though for some members to stay in contact.

5] How might stronger team skills benefit you? How might you use teamwork skills in your job? Provide specific examples.
When you graduate and you’re searching for your new career, sometimes an education isn’t enough. In our book it states that top requested skill was teamwork and that it is one of the most important skills we’ll learn in college “A business executive in the same study wrote that they look for employees who “are good team people over anything else. I can teach the technical.” (Engleberg, I & Wynn, D, 2013 p 3) It doesn’t matter if you are a people person or your career choice, teamwork is essential. Having good team skills not only helps you shine at work but it can also have positive impact on your personal life. When working in a restaurant communication and teamwork is the key to keep everything running smoothly. From the hostess, servers, and kitchen. When I worked at IHOP the dish pit would come help us clean our tables when they were caught up even though they didn’t have to. Server would get drink orders or run other servers food. Because even though that wasn’t our table, if the customers have a bad experience, it affects all of us as a whole. At work if William the store manager didn’t get something done he’ll ask me to finish up or on the ordering ask me to take a look and sometimes he may miss something. If I were negative and didn’t have team skills the store wouldn’t run like it does. We need to encourage our other team members to strive for the best service.

6] What is it like to participate in a virtual meeting, such as web-based, teleconference, and so forth? Describe three ways in which this type of participation is different from participating in a face-to-face meeting.
When meeting face to face communication can be easier because everyone is there, notes can be taken to recap on information. When doing a virtual project all the work is technical and unless everyone in the group is familiar with the hardware there could be some hardships. Also with diversity in a group, if someone’s first language is different there could be some communication issues. Although face to face there could as be miscommunication, it can be easier to resolve. In my opinion just communicating with someone using technology can be awkward, and somehow a little easier especially if there is a little conflict. Also with working face to face, there’s the opportunity to break up into smaller groups and increase the creativity. When working virtual there can be less collaborating on a computer in a meeting people can lose their focus after about 30 mins. Face to face is more intriguing and can include more involvement.

References

Engleberg, I & Wynn, D. (2013) Working in Groups: Principles of Strategies. (6th ed)