Discuss the importance of identifying norms within a team. Why is clear communication considered an essential element during team development? Provide an example when you were a team member and the lack of communication caused significant problems for the team. Respond to at least two of your peers for this posting.

Discuss the importance of identifying norms within a team. Why is clear communication considered an essential element during team development? Provide an example when you were a team member and the lack of communication caused significant problems for the team. Respond to at least two of your peers for this posting.

Response 1 for:
Identifying Norms Within a Team

The purpose of a team is to bring a group of employees together to collaborate and find ways to improve or create processes and projects. For the team to be successful they must work together to first find where problems occur to better address them. If each team member refuses to work together to share ideas, they risk missing the bigger picture. Every person on said team may have been placed there with a purpose. If communication falters, then the process will most likely fail before it has even started.

Communication as an Essential Element During Team Development

If a corporate goal could have been attained by a single entity, then there wouldnt be a purpose for the team. To this reason, each member should take what they know to pose new questions for the team to discuss and find new results. Teamwork occurs when members are willing to share information, cooperate, and seek to achieve team as well as individual objectives (Baack, 2017, 6.3 para 3). Sharing and collaboration are they keys for success.

Significant Problems Stemming from Lack of Communication

When my previous department consolidated from Northwest and Southeast to a single office the comradery was excessive to say the least. As a member of one side who transferred to the other I had high hopes to bridge the gaps. This sadly did not happen. My side had two supervisors and the other side had five supervisors. Since consolidation, we were all supposed to take part in goals as a single group. My side was trying to achieve this but the good ole boy mentality of the other left me doing an extensive number of projects and pulling long hours. Effective Teams go beyond interaction and move to the point of collaboration (Baack, 2017, 6.3 para 3). Part of the problem in my office stemmed from having two managers with two different managerial styles. Though my partner and I did not have a problem with taking direction from the other manager, the other five refused to take direction from my boss. This created chaos in the department until finally we moved to one manager. It was at this time that we truly started to work as a team and become a cohesive group.

Response 2 For:

Discuss the importance of identifying norms within a team.

Norms are an important part of how teams operate in any type of culture. Norms, which are implicit or explicit rules that govern behaviors in the group, begin to emerge. The norming stage is complete when members share a common set of expectations about behaviors and contributions to the group. (Baack) Without these types of rules to govern, a team becomes dysfunctional and unable to operate. When this occurs, it can cause inefficiencies and less overall productivity.

Why is clear communication considered an essential element during team development?

Clear communication is an important aspect for any team, but especially important when a team is starting to develop. Clear expectations have to be given on the purpose of the team. What is the teams goals, vision, and purpose of existing? As the team is working it is important to provide clear feedback as any sort of unclear communication could cause detrimental effects as well.

Provide an example when you were a team member and the lack of communication caused significant problems for the team.

An example of when communication was unclear was when direction from upper management was misinterpreted at the front-line manager level. At the higher level, there was a focus more on one segment of our business that was new and clearly struggling. However, as was relayed by the front-line manager, the older more secure side of the business was that front-line managers focus. This lack of clear communication caused massive turmoil amongst both teams and caused both areas to suffer instead of one. Once clear expectations were given, the new struggling side was able to get back on its feet, and customers on the older side of the business were told of the changes and it worked out in the end.

Last Completed Projects