Course: Organizational Change
Week 5 Online Assessment
This week’s Online Assessment expands upon the weekly discussion. Continue to focus on the team (e.g., department, workgroup, task force) for which you completed the team-building checklist
“Team Building Checklist”:
Team Building Checklist
Problem identification (to what extent do you see evidence of the following problems in your work unit?)
1 Low evidence
2
3 Some Evidence
4
5 High Evidence
1. Loss of production or work unit output. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Grievances within the work unit. 1 2 3 4 5
3. Conflicts or hostility between unit members. 1 2 3 4 5
4. Confusion about assignments or unclear relationships between people. 1 2 3 4 5
5. Lack of clear goals, or low commitment to goals. 1 2 3 4 5
6. Apathy or general lack of interest or involvement of unit members. 1 2 3 4 5
7. Lack of innovation, risk taking, imagination, or initiative. 1 2 3 4 5
8. Ineffective staff meeting 1 2 3 4 5
9. Problems in working with the boss. 1 2 3 4 5
10. Poor communications: people afraid to speak up, not listening to each 1 2 3 4 5
other, not talking together.
11. The lack of trust between boss and member or between members. 1 2 3 4 5
12. Decisions made that people do not understand or agree with. 1 2 3 4 5
13. People feel that good work is not recognized or rewarded. 1 2 3 4 5
14. People are not encouraged to work together for better team effort. 1 2 3 4 5
Scoring: Add up the score for the 14 items and interpret as follows:
14–28: Few indications of a need for teambuilding
29–42: Some evidence of a need, but no immediate pressure unless two or three items are very high.
43–56: Seriously think about a team-building program
57–70: Make team building a top priority.
William G. Dyer, Robert H. Daines, and William C. Giauque, The Challenge of Management (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990), p. 347.
In your Original Post, evaluate your team’s readiness for team-building.
- Include evaluation and explanation of some of your ratings on individual line items that contributed to a high or low score.
- If you did decide to pursue team-building, would you use an outside consultant? Refer to the checklist in your textbook and other online library research when you justify your opinion.
In “Online Assessments,” students must make three substantial contributions to the discussion. First, , provide a complete response to the discussion question or questions indicated below. After Wednesday, respond to a minimum of TWO replies to classmates.
Back up all opinions with the readings and outside research in academic journals at the KU online library.
- 250 word minimum for initial post
- Include at least two references
- Respond to two learner’s initial post.
KU online library: https://keiseruniversity.libguides.com/home/home?preview=afb5d66ab3b853fa361847ea7dfda322
Reference requirements:
2020-2023 (Peer Review)
APA format
Student reply 1:
Good morning, Professor and Class,
In assessing my team’s readiness for team-building, I utilized the Team Building Checklist provided as a guideline for evaluation. Our team is a cross-functional department in a medium-sized technology company responsible for developing new products and improving existing ones (Tmason, 2023). After careful consideration, we explore team readiness assessment, identifying strengths and areas needing improvement, alongside the potential advantages and considerations of involving an external consultant in team-building, emphasizing the vital role of readiness evaluations and strategic interventions in fostering cohesive teams essential for organizational success.
Positive Aspects of Readiness as one of the strengths of our team is that we have well-defined goals and objectives. This clarity in purpose fosters a sense of direction and unity among team members (Acton et al., 2019). We consistently meet to discuss our goals, and everyone understands their role in achieving them. This high score reflects our team’s readiness regarding alignment with objectives. First, effective communication is vital for any team’s success, and our team excels in this aspect. Regular meetings, both formal and informal, ensure that information flows freely. We utilize various communication tools and platforms to keep everyone updated, contributing to a high score in this category. Secondly, our team heavily relies on task interdependence (Rico, R., et al., 2019). Each member’s role is interconnected with others, and we recognize the importance of collaboration. This high score indicates we are ready for team-building activities that strengthen this interdependence.
While our cross-functional technology team demonstrates notable strengths in readiness for team-building, some areas warrant improvement. First, trust is essential to successful teamwork (Robinson, 2022). Some areas require improvement, as seen in the essence that trust is a foundational element of effective teamwork. Although our team colleagues maintain professionalism and courtesy, there exists an evident deficit in confidence among specific individuals. This scarcity of trust primarily stems from several previous occurrences wherein team members fell short of fulfilling their commitments, securing a rating of 4 out of 10. Building trust should be a priority before engaging in team-building activities.
Secondly, our team occasionally experiences conflicts when different opinions clash during decision-making processes, earning a score of 6 out of 10. The enactment of the conflict resolution procedure fosters a more serene operational era. It guarantees that disputes are dealt with in a way that enhances comprehension and cooperation among the team constituents. Although these disputes are typically resolved, the procedure could be more streamlined and conducive (Brown, O., et al., 2021). Improved conflict resolution skills would help us work more cohesively.
In considering whether to use an outside consultant for team-building, weighing the pros and cons is essential. According to the checklist in our textbook and additional online library research, several factors must be considered (Chartered Management Institute, n.d.). These elements hinge on whether they are affirmative or adverse. On the affirmative aspect, initially, external consultants harbor competence in team dynamics and can furnish a fair evaluation of our team’s capabilities and limitations. They can offer tailored solutions based on their experience with various teams. Secondly, consultants are fair and not influenced by internal politics or biases. This neutrality can facilitate more honest dialogues and a heightened readiness among team participants to partake in team-building initiatives.
On the adverse aspect, to begin with, securing the services of a consultant can incur significant costs, particularly for smaller teams or organizations operating with financial problems. Assessing the potential advantages in light of the financial expenditure is imperative. Secondly, some team members may need more support from an outsider to come in to assess and change team dynamics. This resistance could hinder the success of the team-building efforts.
In conclusion, pursuing team readiness and cohesion in the workplace necessitates a complex approach. It begins with a thorough assessment of the team’s strengths and areas for improvement, followed by strategic interventions to address these aspects effectively. Engaging outside consultants can provide valuable insights and guidance when the need arises. Ultimately, cohesive and high-performing teams drive organizational success in today’s competitive business environment, making the journey toward their development a worthwhile effort.
Student reply 2:
I believe that my team is a cohesive unit focused on achieving success and realizing the purpose and vision of the organization. In terms of teamwork, I would rate my team 4 out of 5 as all team members adopt practices that encourage teamwork, idea sharing and innovation. It helps to ensure that more employees are seen work towards performing well.
I have observed that my team members have a high level of emotional stability as a personality trait to deliversuccess. Consistency in actions and behaviors demonstrate composure in them and helps to deliver results for the team.
Productive and long-term committed employees encourage entrepreneurship and inspire other team members to embrace moral values, discipline and works towards collective interest than individual’s needs. These are traits that are visible in my team (Strnadová, Cumming, Knox, Parmenter, 2014).
If I decide to pursue team building, I won’t hire an external consultant as he/she might not be able to understand the dynamics and personal objectives of my team. Here are things that I would do to build team culture and cohesiveness:
- Bringing change to the organization: Whilst the company’s partners and employees must accept change and accept the change management process, it is critical to have the right leadership and manager in place in the process. I’ve been assisting the team in implementing improvements. As a mentor, I took charge of the process and acted as a guide to ensuring that the goals were reached.
- Establishing consistent transparency: After you’ve established your plans, vision, and awareness of the wholeproject, it’s critical to monitor its progress at regular intervals. Lack of transparency leaves the whole process aimless, causing the leader to fall back into old habits and become inefficient. I have ensured that I clearly defined the goals and purpose of the team.
- The role of forecasting and looking into the future: A leader needs to have the ability to forecast and look into the future, visualize external trends & make thoughtful decisions that are ethical and good for the organization. The ones who are not able to communicate aspirational goals fail to become effective leaders. I have time and again done SWOT and external analysis and shared insights with my team and incorporated their ideas to improve the product/service.
- Develop a role having empathy and carefully observing the progress in the company: A leader should forecast and consider people’s actions with empathy, resulting in improved team management and acceptability. This role of leadership serves the greater purpose of building the right organizational culture. Overall leadership can be used to serve the overall greater purpose and vision of the organization by enriching the lives of team members, building a better work culture and by overall creating value for the society and the world (Ekimova & Kokurin, 2015).
References
Ekimova, V., & Kokurin, A. (2015). Students’ attitudes towards different team building methods. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 186, 847-855.
Strnadová, I., Cumming, T. M., Knox, M., Parmenter, T. (2014). Building an inclusive research team: The importance of team building and skills training. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 27(1), 13-22.
