Working in Groups and Teams
2015

Working in Groups and Teams
Upon completing the self-assessment “Evaluate Team Members Effectiveness”, the results were as I expected and allow me to see where improvement of my team member effectiveness is needed. Though I am not bragging, I do have many strengths when it comes to working in a team, however, those strengths have been developed over many years of working in a team environment, and there are a few places that need improvement still. Although” social loafing” is not something I believe I have ever been guilty of, though that could be my perception of my actions, but I have always been one to push to meet the goals set in front of the team. This also allows us to put our best foot forward so to speak and allows us to work effectively in team environments, either on the job or in class. Team development in the work environment can give clear advantages to workers, especially if they are effective team members.
Self-Assessment
The completing of the “Evaluate Team Members Effectiveness” self-assessment yielded results that were not surprising to me. It is important to me to contribute as much as possible to my teams’ efforts to complete a job or assignment. In order to do this there has to be quality interaction with my teammates and that interaction must be quality interaction to help with the assignment and keep us on track. Seeing the results of the self-assessment did make me realize that I need to trust my teams’ abilities more. The score I received for contribution to the team was 24 points and interacting with teammates was the same score. Keeping the team on track was slightly higher at a 25points; which are my strengths when working in a group environment. However, expecting quality fell short at 14 points, as did having relevant knowledge, skills and abilities was extremely low at a five: Making it apparent these two points are my weaknesses (N.J. Blunt, personal communication, August 11, 2015). The expectation of quality is low because I sometimes do not have faith in my teams’ abilities, at least at the start of the teamwork, but the faith in their abilities usually grows as we work together as a team and I am able to witness my teammates work. Having relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities does work with expectation of quality, though I have found that I tend not to hold those expectations high, perhaps in classwork, because the teams are only assembled for a short time and we usually do not have the time to discuss each person’s abilities and how to use them to the teams’ advantage.
Social Loafing A problem for teams occurs with “social loafing: takes place. “Social loafing” occurs when the amount of team members increase and some team members feel they are not important to the group or just do not feel they should contribute to the group, or they have no interest in the project the team is working on. Either way it is a problem that is faced by those that are contributing and can causes a divide within the group but also conflict because others are working twice as hard to make up for the team member that are not contributing (Kinicki, 2015, p. 271). I am sure in my youth I fell in to the “social loafing” category, but that did not last long, because I expect quality work to be turned out. In order to guarantee quality work from the group, I have to contribute, so “social loafing” is not a problem for me.
Team Member Effectiveness
To be an effective team member in the work place the first step is to develop a team, and the first step to having an advantage in your workplace. When you are an effective member of a team you are able to show off your skills and form bonds with co-workers that without the team environment may not have formed, allowing you to also network to find better positions available in your company or other companies. However, in order for you to be effective on a team, your team must first be assembled and must develop and in order to do this there are seven key steps that should be followed. The steps to a successful and effective team start with team member selection. This step is critical for making sure the team members selected is able to work together. The second step is to make sure all team members understand the goals of the team. The third step is to establish an open line of communication with all team members: Open lines of communication are essential for the team to be effective in meeting their goals. The forth step is to encourage trust building, so that team members learn to trust their teammate’s skills and helps to form bonds among the team members. The fifth step is finding solutions to conflict: No one is able to get along all of the time even in the best of situations. We all have our own opinions and ways of handling tasks; however, finding solutions to the conflict quickly will keep the team on track. The sixth step is allowing feedback on the functionality of the team can help the teamwork on its weaknesses and assist in avoiding conflicts. The final step is to allow time to relax and have fun. We become dull and ineffective in our work if we only work and do not allow time for leisure: So having time to relax and take our minds off of the task at hand is a great way to team members to establish bonds (Schreiner, 2015) . When these steps are followed, teams are allowed to develop into effective problem-solving groups.
Conclusion
Working in a team environment my entire working life has given me the ability to work with well with others and to find solutions to conflict that can arise in a team environment. Working well with a team gives you the advantage of forming bonds with co-workers and others outside of the company you work for: This can go a long way toward career advancement, especially when your leadership skills are allowed to develop with the team.

References
Kinicki, A. (2015). Organizational behavior: A practical, problem-solving approach, 1e. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database..
Schreiner, E. (2015). Seven strategies for developing cohesive teams. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/seven-strategies-developing-cohesive-teams-17354.html