MGT3102 Week 3 Project

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Week 3 Project

Analyzing the Team

Last week, you began to analyze your team by considering its level of emotional intelligence (EI). You also considered the communication style of both the team and leader. You will continue analyzing the team and its leaders by using the concepts that we have studied this week. Consider the following categories and answer the questions:

Values

· What are the common values team members’ shares? How do these common values help the leader?

· Are there any shared team values, which, if present hinder the team’s performance? Justify.

· Are there any shared values missing which if present would enable higher team performance?

· Is the leader a value-based leader? Justify.

· What action steps would enhance the shared values of the team?

EI

· How would you analyze the leader of the team using the four EI dimensions (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management)?

· What competencies does the leader have that are strengths?

· What competencies might be lacking or are weaknesses?

· Is the team marked by resonance (positive emotions) or dissonance (negative emotions)?

· What action steps would help improve the leaders’ EI?

Empowerment

· Is power shared in the group? How?

· Do team members feel empowered?

· Is the level of empowerment in the group appropriate? Why?

· What conditions exist that support team members’ feelings of empowerment?

· What conditions exist that if removed could increase team members’ feelings of empowerment?

· What action steps could improve empowerment/motivation in the team?

Communication

· What type of communication occurs in team interactions (i.e., persuasion, information, entertainment, relationship)?

· Does the correct type of communication occur or does the wrong type of communication frequently occur?

· What type of communication method does the leader use? Does the leader listen, persuade, manipulate, or coerce?

· What actions steps could improve team communication?

Team Design

· How well is the team designed? Is there any category of the team design phases (i.e., task analysis, people, process or procedures) that needs to be re-examined and possible changes made?

· Where is the team at in the stages of team development?

· What action steps could improve team design or development?

You might need to interview some team members to gather answers. You should do some research by using the South University Online Library or the Internet to help you formulate the necessary action steps. Be sure to include at least three library sources and eight to ten key concepts from the readings. If you are the leader of the team, you should ask members of the team to help you develop answers to the questions.

Submission Details:

· Summarize your answers in a 3- to 4-page Microsoft Word document, using APA style.

Motivating Team Members

If leadership is about in�uencing others, then our study of leadership must include exploring

motivation. How do we motivate others to buy into our vision for change? How do we motivate others

to follow our lead? It’s a good question; however, the answer is not a simple one.

Motivation refers to the internal or external forces, which stimulate passion and drive causing one to
take a particular action or seek to accomplish a certain goal (Daft, 2011). However, as a leader it is

often a challenge to determine what those internal and external forces are as they can vary from

person to person. How does one determine the best way to motivate a team when there are so many

variables? One key is through relationship.

Leaders must develop a relationship with team members and create an environment where their

contributions are valued. Research has shown that employees who do not have a connection to their
leader and their team members are less motivated and are less committed to the achieving the team or

company’s goals (Krueger & Kellham, 2005). According to Gallup research, the most motivated and

engaged employees are those whose strengths are closely aligned with their roles (Coffman &

Gonzalez-Molina, 2002). Therefore, leaders must talk to team members often to determine what

matters most to them and to learn what employees may need in order to be the most productive in

their roles.

Traditional studies of motivation include reviewing classic theories such as Maslow’s (1970) hierarchy
of needs, Herzberg’s (1974) two-factor theory, McClelland’s (1962) work, reinforcement theories, and

expectancy and equity theories. All of these theories are important to understand as they give rise to

understanding human needs and behavioral motivation. However, many organizations today are

making the shift to empowering employees to make a number of the day-to-day decisions themselves.

Empowerment

So, what is empowerment and why is it so effective? Empowerment means that leaders release some

of their power and pass it on to team members to make decisions as it relates to their work. It gives

employees more control over their day-to-day works tasks and eliminates the need for them to ask for

permission prior to making key decisions.

Empowerment is the opposite of micro-management, which entails having a manager constantly

looking over your shoulder and providing input. Typically, micro-managers prefer that employees run

everything by them before making any decisions. This can breed distrust and does not help motivate

employees.

Successfully empowering team members requires trust and increased communication. Leaders cannot

successfully empower employees if they do not trust that they have the skills or abilities to make key
decisions. On the other hand, team members must believe that leadership supports them and that they

will not be punished harshly for making a mistake. It will take time to develop this level of trust so

leaders must allow time for employees to make the adjustment.

Osborne and Plastrik (2000) provided the following four keys to increasing employee empowerment:

Clearly communicate how their roles and activities support the organization’s goals;

Make all relevant information readily available and easy to access;

Ensure that all employees have the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in making
substantive decisions; and

Provide rewards and recognition for a job well done.

Following these steps will not only increase trust, but will increase productivity, which will have a

positive impact on the organization’s bottom line. By increasing employee empowerment, leaders can

create work environments that enable employees to �ourish. Finally, empowerment is a powerful and

inexpensive way to improve an organization’s potential for success.

Teams and Relationships

As a leader in business, you will more than likely have the opportunity to work with teams. Team-based

environments are common in organizations today. In today’s global environment, virtual or distributed

teams are frequently used to bridge personnel from different cultures, geographies, and time zones.

Teams are most successful when led by those familiar with and competent at leading teams.

Let’s take a look at key questions to answer when designing a team.

Team Design

1. Task Analysis – answers the questions:

a. What work needs to be done?

b. How much authority does the team have to do its own work?

c. What is the degree of interdependence between team members?

d. Are team members’ interests competitive or collaborative?

2. People – answers the questions:

a. How many people should be on the team?

b. Who is best suited to do the work?

c. What technical and social skills are required?

d. What type of diversity is optimal for the team?

3. Processes/Procedures – answers these questions:

a. What are the explicit norms/rule for the group?

b. How much structure is given to the group?

c. What are the implicit norms that the group requires for optimal performance?

d. How will ineffective norms be revised?

Some argue that not group called a team is actually a team. Rather, it is a group of people until they are

fully functioning and working cohesively toward a common goal. In order to get to that point, teams

typically go through what has been described as a �ve-or six-stage process. Consistent with everything
that we have been learning in this class, the role of a leader is to create strong relationships with the

team members so that together, as a team, they can achieve their individual and organizational goals.

To achieve this, the leader can follow these ten guiding principles.

References:

Coffman, C. & Gonzalez-Molina, G. (2002). Follow this path: How the world’s greatest organizations

drive growth by unleashing human potential. New York, NY: Warner Books.

Daft, R. L. (2011). The leadership experience (5th ed.). Mason, OH:

Cengage Learning.

Herzberg, F. (1974). Motivation-hygiene pro�les. Organizational
Dynamics, 3(2), 18–29.

Krueger, J. & Kellham, E. (2005). At work feeling good matters; happy employees are better equipped

to handle workplace relationships, stress and change according to the latest GMJ survey [Electronic

version]. Gallup Management Journal. Retrieved from

http://www.gallup.com/

Maslow, A. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.). Boston, MA:

Harper & Row.

McClelland, D. C. (1962). Business drive and national achievement.

Harvard Business Review, 40(4), 99–112.

Osborne, D., & Plastrik, P. (2000). The reinventor’s �eld book: Tools for transforming your government.

New York: Jossey-Bass.

Additional Materials

View a Pdf Transcript of Team Development (media/week3/SU_MGT3102_W3_L3_G2 ?

_&d2lSessionVal=f9mSJzHL3wOXxT05klfOe1RJ9&ou=87397)

View a Pdf Transcript of 10 guiding principles of building relationships

(media/week3/SU_MGT3102_W3_L3_G3 ?
_&d2lSessionVal=f9mSJzHL3wOXxT05klfOe1RJ9&ou=87397)

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https://myclasses.southuniversity.edu/content/enforced/87397-17101764/media/week3/SU_MGT3102_W3_L3_G2 ?_&d2lSessionVal=f9mSJzHL3wOXxT05klfOe1RJ9&ou=87397

https://myclasses.southuniversity.edu/content/enforced/87397-17101764/media/week3/SU_MGT3102_W3_L3_G3 ?_&d2lSessionVal=f9mSJzHL3wOXxT05klfOe1RJ9&ou=87397

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MGT3102 Leadership
© 2013 South University

Ten Guiding Principles
To Build Leadership and Stronger Relationships

Principle 1:

Let nature take its course: Nature has gifted all of us with different skills and talents. So as a leader, try to
utilize the undiscovered strengths and talents of people. Focus on improving behaviors for peak
performance and productivity.

Principle 2:

Care about those you coach: Discover a reason to care about each and every person that you lead.

Principle 3:

Appreciate and value differences: Respect those you lead. Understand that people are just as they
should be—perfect versions of themselves. Different people have different values. The leader should
respect and appreciate the positive values among the team members.

Principle 4:

Treat others as you would like to be treated: If you expect trust from your subordinates, then respect and
support them. Practice the golden rule.

Principle 5:

Share your human side: By exposing your vulnerabilities to others, you expose natural opportunities for
growth. After all, you’re only human like those you lead. When you share your human side, you build
genuine, long-lasting relationships.

Principle 6:

Practice consideration: Say what you mean with due consideration for feelings of others. When you are
honest, your credibility increases.

Principle 7:

Use simple, effective tools to assess and validate what people need: Help others to quickly assess what
they need and validate their opinions. Help them to measure their performance and offer positive
reinforcement.

Principle 8:

Encourage continuous self-improvement: Inspire others to become intentional learners and continually
seek self-directed learning tools for personal growth.

Principle 9:

Use the power of partnerships to build teams: Partner with employees for long-term success. Partners
build stronger teams because everybody is committed. The strength of your relationships will help resolve
disagreements.

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MGT3102 Leadership
© 2013 South University

Principle 10:

Set clear performance objectives and expectations: Let people know exactly what you expect from them.
Ask what they expect from you. Be specific and communicate clearly and consistently.

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MGT3102 Leadership

© 2013 South University

Team Development

Forming

Forming is the first phase. I call that the “touchy feely” phase. It is at this point where members new to
each other are scoping each other out. The questions most often asked in the minds of members of, for
example, a school project are “Who do I have on my team?” “Is there anyone really smart that will be of
great value to getting a good grade?” “Is there someone who is going to drag the team down or ride on
the good work of others?” This stage of uncertainty is also the time when the purpose of the team is
discussed and what needs to get done.

Storming

Storming is the second phase. Many people can identify with this phase as is it often the most noticeable
to the casual observer of behavior. This phase is characterized by conflict; conflict that sometimes can
prevent the team from moving forward and being successful unless the team is aware of how natural it is
to go through this phase and how to successfully manage through it. It is during this stage that roles are
fought for, leaders emerge, and the direction of the team becomes more clear.

Norming

Norming is the next phase. I often refer to this phase as the cheerleading or the “rah rah” phase. This
stage is characterized with a great sense of unity and cohesiveness. Members at this stage rarely conflict
and enjoy the sense of camaraderie and group membership. So far, we have yet to operate as a fully
functioning, high-performing
team. At forming we do not know enough to be fully functioning. At storming we do not have everyone on
board rowing in the same direction. At norming we can be so blinded by our cohesiveness that something
we did not think of can come up and sink the boat. However, well-led teams eventually get to the
performing phase.

Performing

It is at this point that the primary focus of all members is on achieving the goals of the team. It is at this
stage that differences of opinion are well used to solve problems effectively. Since many teams in
organizations today are developed for achieving a task within a specific time frame, our model can have
one last phase; adjournment.

Adjourning

This, of course, is the final step in member closure and moving on to other work.