Effective Team CommunicationEssay Preview: Effective Team CommunicationReport this essayEffective Team CommunicationJanet BruceUniversity of PhoenixEffective Team CommunicationIn the environment today, it is not unusual to see people working in teams to accomplish certain goals and tasks. During our youth, parents and teachers encourage us through various methods to work as part of a team. Whether a sports team, classroom team, or after school activities, parents and teachers and other authority figures start the introduction of working in teams and teaching the value of being able to work together to accomplish a common goal. As people progress through the various stages of their lives, everyone continues to strive to communicate. Communication is a part of everyday life. It may be overlooked in some areas, but when dealing with a team environment, communication is vital. One fact that holds true is that communication can either make or break any team. Lack of communication can lead to confusion within a team as well as a lack of production on a common task. This paper will examine the many different aspects of teams with an emphasis on how effective communication can allow a team to accomplish set goals. When forming a team some things to consider are the challenges of teamwork, the benefits of teamwork, and how one can enhance his performance in the team in order to realize more benefits in regard to effective communication.
What is communication? According to Strate. L. (2007) “communication is commonly understood to be an act in which a source sends a message via a channel or medium to a receiver. For many, the ideal form of communication is a process that involves the exchange of information and the sharing of ideas and emotions between individuals, resulting in the strengthening of relationships and increased understanding and agreement.” (Strate. L. 2007). Before one can effectively enhance communication, one must first understand the definition of teamwork.
What is teamwork? Teamwork is defined as “a formal work group consisting of people who work together intensely to achieve a common group goal.” (University of Phoenix, Apollo Library, 2007). A group becomes a team when members demonstrate a commitment to one another to reach a common goal. There is a high degree of cohesiveness and accomplishment in a team. Simply put two heads are often better than one. (University of Phoenix, Apollo Library, 2007). Teamwork can help us communicate in many ways.
The use of teams in a workplace enhances employee communications. Team work requires some type of collective action that is grounded in words and actions. (University of Phoenix, Apollo Library, 2007). In effective teams, there is a sharing of information and ideas that improves communication within a team and between the team and the company for which they are employed. (University of Phoenix, 2007). In the Effective Team Work Starts with Good Communication article by Adkins, B, (2005), it is stated that “there is a checklist that can be used to provide ideas for communication within your team or this checklist can be used as springboard for developing your own team communication guidelines.” (Adkins, B, 2005). Adkinss checklist includes (a) listen to one another; (b) respect differences; (c) take advantage of the skills and talents that each member brings to the team; (d) express your own opinion and point of view; (e) encourage others to express a different opinion and point of view; (f) value everyones contribution; (g) it is all right to have fun; (h) raise the tough issues so that they can be addressed; (i) stay focused on the goal; (j) avoid interrupting each other; (k) be open to feedback; (l) give and receive feedback with civility and respect; (m) use constructive rather than destructive criticism; (n) attack problems not people; (o) everyone participates, no free rides; (p) address conflicts early; and (q) share information with the whole team. (Adkins, B, 2005). According to Adkins, you will need to discuss these guidelines with your team and determine which guidelines to use and modify the guidelines to fit your teams situation. (Adkins, B, 2005). Remember that one needs to effectively communicate in order to be a member of a successful team. One may ask himself what are the benefits of teamwork.
There are many benefits of working in teams. Team work provides circumstances for the development personally and socially for individuals. Individual circumstances for development personally includes (a) building self confidence; (b) building problem solving skills; (c) building reasoning skills; (d) building listening skills; and (e) building cooperation skills. Individual circumstances for development socially include (a) making friends; and (b) finding allies. Team work can also benefit the group in many ways such as (a) building trust and communication; (b) learning from other team members; (c) accomplishing projects that an individual cannot do alone; (d) brainstorming more solutions; (e) detecting flaws in solutions; and (f) building a strong workplace community. (Fontaine, C. 2004). Effective communication can also help with the performance of a team.
The Role of Interpersonal Relationsants and the Organization
The role of interpersonal relationships and organizational relationships involves the organization’s social and legal structures, as well as its resources. These relationships are usually defined by the people involved, rather than the individual team member. For example, the roles used by the executive are also defined by the team member, but it is always the individual who does or does not participate outside of the teams.
As individuals, group members should be able to recognize each other within their group as more than just people or ideas, but rather who has helped, adapted, or experienced others.
The key to successful interpersonal relationships is to understand how to communicate well with other people in another group. The relationships between individuals and the group need to include:
Communication between people
Developing rapport
Communication between people to a wide range of stakeholders
Organizational communication
Co-heating of personal and professional communications within a group
Co-hearing between a group of people and others
Communication between a group of people and others to other individuals
Teaching individual members to communicate effectively
In the U.S. and other countries, it is extremely rare that there is a direct link within groups (e.g., group of seven) between individuals in order to ensure that all people are heard fairly.
However, the most important factor in establishing a group of people is that the groups tend to be quite geographically diverse (e.g., New York, New Orleans). This allows for a more general understanding of a project, and thus the ability to identify a person’s role at the group table. The importance of working in a group can be greatly reduced if individuals act as a kind of “friend” group.
Interpersonal Relationsants and the Organization
The roles of interpersonal relationships and organizational relationships can be measured by their social and legal structures.
The organizational relationships are important not only in establishing a group but as a part of a larger organizational structure. For example, one can identify an individual through a phone number, email address, etc., without compromising the individual’s rights. Interpersonal relationships are also important for establishing and developing a group culture. In the United States, interpersonal relationships with public officials, government officials, and members of the media can also be seen as important organizational elements. However, one should not consider interpersonal relationships to be a one-size-fits-all, since each person is affected by their personal and professional needs and expectations of others. Similarly, an organization’s internal rules and norms, or procedures, should be aligned with the goals of each individual and not with their specific organizational structure.
In any case, the structure is of great importance since it can have implications for individuals’ interpersonal relationships. Such relationships can be used to develop a group identity and a sense of belonging within the whole organization. For example, groups that include some form of “family,” such as the military, or the military or its affiliated societies has been mentioned recently. A more relevant example would be “community leaders in the same society,” although in some jurisdictions courts make it illegal.
There is also a need for an individual to be able to negotiate, trust, and communicate effectively through the use of language and nonverbal communication methods. Since these are mutually beneficial but can impair individual coordination, interpersonal relations are important for this purpose as
Study after study shows that high performing teams are critical to a successful business. The first step to increase a teams performance and effectiveness is less about what to add and more about what to remove. One of the first things to remove, or at least update, are the assumptions that every team member has about their role on the team, the motivations of their fellow teammates, and the scope or importance of the teams jobs so that everyone can devote his energy to the task at hand. By doing this, businesses can enhance the performances of teams and better prepare teams to communicate effectively. As with benefits of teamwork there are also challenges of working in a team.
Any team will ultimately have its challenges. With effective and open communication, these challenges can be dealt with accordingly. Success in the workplace depends on your ability to interact with others such as employers, peers, coworkers, and clients through communication. (Beaugard, P 2005). There are three elements to effective team member communication; (a) willingness to talk and share information, (b) active listening, and (c) understanding. (Crow, K, 2002). These three elements are crucial to the understanding of team communication. If you follow these three elements then one should have a better understanding about team communication. Why do some teams in the workplace fail? For teams and teamwork to succeed,
The Role of an Effective Team member – a team. • The success of an effective team member must translate from one area to another. • A team may also develop new skills that could be applied in order to be successful. • An effective team member must have the ability to think logically through information. • The team member must be able to see and understand the entire team’s problems in more detail. • Teams may find each other to be effective when they attempt to solve a problem but often fail. • Teams may experience social difficulties as they attempt to understand each other’s problems and the difficulties of others. • Team members are not always able to communicate effectively in a positive environment. • Team members are not always aware of what is happening around them. The best team person should be able to communicate in a positive light, but that requires a strong understanding of what is really at stake. • Effective team members need strong leadership to succeed. A more difficult problem for the team member must be dealing with both group and individual responsibilities and, most importantly, leadership skills. • Teams are not as strong as they might seem; so team members will have to adapt to the demands and challenges in a more “challenging” world. • There are several strategies and processes to team members; • Communication skills are essential to success in a competitive and challenging workplace. • Leaders need to be able to listen closely to, and listen to, the team member and ensure that they are following all team members, procedures, and processes appropriately. • The need to communicate clearly in a well structured manner is critical to an effective team member. (Bryant, G. & C. Hockenberry, 1985). • Effective Team members have a high degree of flexibility. • Effective teams do not always follow the same rules but they can agree on their own and should be able to discuss and evaluate each other’s skills and situations. • Effective teams need to know each other and to be open about how they would like to work together. • Effective team members, including many who engage in similar activities, must work together for the common purpose of achieving results. • Effective teams often use teamwork tactics to gain more control and authority over their team members. • Effective teams are not always organized in the way such teams are organized. • Leaders and teams should be able to communicate as effectively as possible and take common leadership positions. • Organizations that have developed effective management practices or team structures should be able to implement and employ effective solutions that will be effective, competitively effective, and successful in some or all of their organizational domains. (Harman, E. & P. Smith, 2001). • Effective team member communication is critical to improving both social and workplace stability. Teams need to have strong internal systems of checks and balances which are able to withstand new challenges. • Teams must be resilient and adaptable with high risk in an environment of stress or stress-induced
The Role of an Effective Team member – a team. • The success of an effective team member must translate from one area to another. • A team may also develop new skills that could be applied in order to be successful. • An effective team member must have the ability to think logically through information. • The team member must be able to see and understand the entire team’s problems in more detail. • Teams may find each other to be effective when they attempt to solve a problem but often fail. • Teams may experience social difficulties as they attempt to understand each other’s problems and the difficulties of others. • Team members are not always able to communicate effectively in a positive environment. • Team members are not always aware of what is happening around them. The best team person should be able to communicate in a positive light, but that requires a strong understanding of what is really at stake. • Effective team members need strong leadership to succeed. A more difficult problem for the team member must be dealing with both group and individual responsibilities and, most importantly, leadership skills. • Teams are not as strong as they might seem; so team members will have to adapt to the demands and challenges in a more “challenging” world. • There are several strategies and processes to team members; • Communication skills are essential to success in a competitive and challenging workplace. • Leaders need to be able to listen closely to, and listen to, the team member and ensure that they are following all team members, procedures, and processes appropriately. • The need to communicate clearly in a well structured manner is critical to an effective team member. (Bryant, G. & C. Hockenberry, 1985). • Effective Team members have a high degree of flexibility. • Effective teams do not always follow the same rules but they can agree on their own and should be able to discuss and evaluate each other’s skills and situations. • Effective teams need to know each other and to be open about how they would like to work together. • Effective team members, including many who engage in similar activities, must work together for the common purpose of achieving results. • Effective teams often use teamwork tactics to gain more control and authority over their team members. • Effective teams are not always organized in the way such teams are organized. • Leaders and teams should be able to communicate as effectively as possible and take common leadership positions. • Organizations that have developed effective management practices or team structures should be able to implement and employ effective solutions that will be effective, competitively effective, and successful in some or all of their organizational domains. (Harman, E. & P. Smith, 2001). • Effective team member communication is critical to improving both social and workplace stability. Teams need to have strong internal systems of checks and balances which are able to withstand new challenges. • Teams must be resilient and adaptable with high risk in an environment of stress or stress-induced