What is teamwork all about? (p1,p2,p3,m2)
Scenario
You local HKTDC office are holding some courses in leadership for small businesses starting up in the area. They have approached you to create a webpage for one of these courses as a result of your recent experience.
Task
Prepare a webpage on the features of teams, the benefits of different types of team, and leadership qualities. The audience of this course will be young people between the ages of 16 – 25 hoping to manage staff for the first time.
You local HKTDC office are holding some courses in leadership for small businesses starting up in the area. They have approached you to create a webpage for one of these courses as a result of your recent experience.
Task
Prepare a webpage on the features of teams, the benefits of different types of team, and leadership qualities. The audience of this course will be young people between the ages of 16 – 25 hoping to manage staff for the first time.
The image about is a mind map of the benefits of working in a team. This is part of Assignment 2 P1
SOCIOGRAMS
What is it?
A sociogram is a diagram that shows cohesion within a group of people in a team. It plots the relations in a group and this shows the strength and weaknesses of who works best with who and who doesn't work so well with someone. You can use a sociogram to help understand the behaviours of people between each other.
What does it show?
Sociograms are split into categories these include alliances, isolated team members, leaders, overall cohesion of team, people who don't get on, people who do get on, leaders cliques and divisions. These categories then show how people work together and it also helps you understand how good your group is.
An alliance is a large group of people who work together as a team. On a sociogram it would be show if there are more that two parties visible. In the sociogram below you can see two alliances one of them is the Axis and the other is the Allies.
A isolate is a person who tends to have no interaction and little social connection with other members of the team. They tend to have one connection but compared to the other group members they don't have a lot. This could be a problem for major organisations as other team members might not like working with isolates which could result in loosing team members.
A leader is the member of a group who takes control over the group. Leaders are seen quite easily in a sociogram as they have many connections to the other team members. They would have a lot of respect but some may not. If hate is seen towards the leader this could cause a lot of problems as the group morality would be lower and there would be a lack in motivation.
What can the leader do with that information?
Leaders can use this information to come up with a evaluation as a group on how people work with each others and people who don't. Large industries may not see how people really work with each other but with a sociogram it is easy to identify who are the weak one in the group and they can use that to see how they as a business can be more like a team and work more efficiently. They can maybe make bigger decisions on removing members of their team from the group if they feel that there is a need to work well as a team and that individual is lacking.
A sociogram is a diagram that shows cohesion within a group of people in a team. It plots the relations in a group and this shows the strength and weaknesses of who works best with who and who doesn't work so well with someone. You can use a sociogram to help understand the behaviours of people between each other.
What does it show?
Sociograms are split into categories these include alliances, isolated team members, leaders, overall cohesion of team, people who don't get on, people who do get on, leaders cliques and divisions. These categories then show how people work together and it also helps you understand how good your group is.
An alliance is a large group of people who work together as a team. On a sociogram it would be show if there are more that two parties visible. In the sociogram below you can see two alliances one of them is the Axis and the other is the Allies.
A isolate is a person who tends to have no interaction and little social connection with other members of the team. They tend to have one connection but compared to the other group members they don't have a lot. This could be a problem for major organisations as other team members might not like working with isolates which could result in loosing team members.
A leader is the member of a group who takes control over the group. Leaders are seen quite easily in a sociogram as they have many connections to the other team members. They would have a lot of respect but some may not. If hate is seen towards the leader this could cause a lot of problems as the group morality would be lower and there would be a lack in motivation.
What can the leader do with that information?
Leaders can use this information to come up with a evaluation as a group on how people work with each others and people who don't. Large industries may not see how people really work with each other but with a sociogram it is easy to identify who are the weak one in the group and they can use that to see how they as a business can be more like a team and work more efficiently. They can maybe make bigger decisions on removing members of their team from the group if they feel that there is a need to work well as a team and that individual is lacking.
Tuckman's Theory
Dr Bruce Tuckman came up with a theory of the stages to a successful team and the behaviour of a team. The theory was formed in 1965 which included Forming, Norming, Storming and Performing, A fifth stage Adjourning was added in 1970. Tuckman's theory is also quite similar to other models like the Tannenbaum and Schmidt's continuum theory. Bruce Tuckman is a professor of phycology at Ohio State University.
Forming -
This is the first stage of the theory, this is where all members of a team comes together. Members of the group do not really know each others roles, responsibilities and the purpose. The leader should be organised in terms of receiving questions from the members as most people would need a guide to start working.
Storming -
This is the stage where the group knows each other, relationships are built and ideas are being discussed. Although the projects have started the team might still have really littles structure and plans are not set or clear enough to move the group forward. This is also the stage where there has to be a clear leader so that the team does not get distracted.
Norming -
As the third stage of the model this is where the group are sharing ideas and the team begins to form into a proper team. All decisions are being put together. Roles and responsibilities within the group is clear and people understand what they should be doing and where to go with problems. People are starting to work better together to get the tasks done.
Performing -
This is where the group becomes really productive and is producing high quality work. There is a clear organised path and a pattern is formed within the group and no instructions are needed by the leader to get their task complete. Mutual respect, proposals and plans are put together by all members of teams. Everyone within the groups is contributing to the group. Disagreements might come up but is dealt in a positive way.
Adjourning -
This is the last stage and was introduced later after the four stages. This is the stage where the tasks are complete, team members have developed a good relationship and have bonded, and everyone is happy with what they have achieved.
What can a business do with this theory?
A business can evaluate the effectiveness of this team by seeing whether they as a business has been through these stages, if they have seen these stages then this could reflect on their team as an effective team. This is a sort of theory that a business would use to reflect or evaluate their team rather than plan to go through these stages to build a good team.
Belbins Theory
Dr Meredith Belbin is a British researcher that lived through World War II and has been interested in studying political and organisational interest in world events. He studied at Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe situated in the northeast of London. He created a theory in 1981, this was based about team roles. This consisted of eight key roles; plant, team worker, co-ordinator, shaper, monitor/evaluator, resource investigator, implementer/company worker, finisher. All these roles have different agendas.
Belbins Eight Roles
The Plant -
A planter is a creative type of person. They come up with good ideas and can solve really hard problems to do with creative ideas. They can be a very bad communicator and they tend to leave out the details.
The Team Worker -
A team worker is very people orientated and task orientated. They care for individuals and team. They deal with social problems within a group. They work really well in a group and are good listeners but sometimes they find it hard to make difficult decisions.
The Chair/Co-ordinator -
The Chair is also known as the co-ordinator of the team, they stride to achieve their goals as a team effectively. Their role is to make sure that the team is working properly and putting effort into their work. They also ensure that people use all the resources properly so that the task is achieved effectively to achieve the goals. They tend to have a lot of respect towards the team and are seen very composed. They might have difficulty being able to handle and manage the team which shows how much pressure they have.
The Shaper -
Similar to the chair but they are the ones who sets the objectives and prioritise them. They guide the team into achieving the goal. They motivate the team to complete that tasks productively but at the same time maintaining the quality. They might have less respect from the team as conflict may arise as objectives might not be set well making it hard for the team to work.
The Evaluator/Monitor -
The evaluator/monitor are the people who make sure that every task is being performed properly. They analyse everything and make sure that everything is running smoothly. They analyse problems that may arise use that to help put the team on the right track. They also evaluate the progress that is being made. They are really good at pointing out small things that could become worse over time. They may overlook things that could cause problems in the team.
The Resource Investigator -
The resource investigator is the person who looks at things outside the organisation. They are very outgoing and use this to create contacts outside the business. They report back to the business and show the rest of the team what is being developed outside the organisation. They have a lot of knowledge when it comes to completing the tasks and have a very positive approach to their work.
The Implementer/company worker -
The company worker are the people who do the work and get tasks done. They are very practical and task orientated. They want to get the task done as fast and effective as possible, they are also very organised. They are the people in the business that takes the ideas of other co-workers and creates practical work out of their ideas. They can loose focus easily if they get too stuck into their work.
The finisher -
The finisher are the people who finalise the task, They makes sure that everything is running smoothly and makes sure that the task is done to the best ability. They tend to know clearly what they are doing and know what they need to expect. They may find it hard to complete a task that is not done properly or if they are given a task that is not clear.
What can a business do with this theory?
This theory is based on the specific employee and can be used as a recruitment method for human resources, this theory reflect a person and this can be done in a form of a questionnaire. Based on the questionnaire you can pick what type of employee you might want in your business and from this you could effectively build a good team.
Belbins Eight Roles
The Plant -
A planter is a creative type of person. They come up with good ideas and can solve really hard problems to do with creative ideas. They can be a very bad communicator and they tend to leave out the details.
The Team Worker -
A team worker is very people orientated and task orientated. They care for individuals and team. They deal with social problems within a group. They work really well in a group and are good listeners but sometimes they find it hard to make difficult decisions.
The Chair/Co-ordinator -
The Chair is also known as the co-ordinator of the team, they stride to achieve their goals as a team effectively. Their role is to make sure that the team is working properly and putting effort into their work. They also ensure that people use all the resources properly so that the task is achieved effectively to achieve the goals. They tend to have a lot of respect towards the team and are seen very composed. They might have difficulty being able to handle and manage the team which shows how much pressure they have.
The Shaper -
Similar to the chair but they are the ones who sets the objectives and prioritise them. They guide the team into achieving the goal. They motivate the team to complete that tasks productively but at the same time maintaining the quality. They might have less respect from the team as conflict may arise as objectives might not be set well making it hard for the team to work.
The Evaluator/Monitor -
The evaluator/monitor are the people who make sure that every task is being performed properly. They analyse everything and make sure that everything is running smoothly. They analyse problems that may arise use that to help put the team on the right track. They also evaluate the progress that is being made. They are really good at pointing out small things that could become worse over time. They may overlook things that could cause problems in the team.
The Resource Investigator -
The resource investigator is the person who looks at things outside the organisation. They are very outgoing and use this to create contacts outside the business. They report back to the business and show the rest of the team what is being developed outside the organisation. They have a lot of knowledge when it comes to completing the tasks and have a very positive approach to their work.
The Implementer/company worker -
The company worker are the people who do the work and get tasks done. They are very practical and task orientated. They want to get the task done as fast and effective as possible, they are also very organised. They are the people in the business that takes the ideas of other co-workers and creates practical work out of their ideas. They can loose focus easily if they get too stuck into their work.
The finisher -
The finisher are the people who finalise the task, They makes sure that everything is running smoothly and makes sure that the task is done to the best ability. They tend to know clearly what they are doing and know what they need to expect. They may find it hard to complete a task that is not done properly or if they are given a task that is not clear.
What can a business do with this theory?
This theory is based on the specific employee and can be used as a recruitment method for human resources, this theory reflect a person and this can be done in a form of a questionnaire. Based on the questionnaire you can pick what type of employee you might want in your business and from this you could effectively build a good team.
My team role
Estimate -
I think that out of these eight roles I clearly see myself as a the team worker and Co-ordinator. The reason that I think that these are my main roles is because I work really well in a team and I like to work in a good team. If someone is falling behind I am always the first one there to help. I don't like completing a task unless everything contributes. I also think I am a co-ordinator because I like to manage the team, although I may not be the leader of the group I still help organise the team and make sure everything runs smoothly.
My results -
I took the Belbin's questionnaire to test which role I am out of the eight. The questionnaire asks a series of questions and at the end the you add up the results to show which role you are. My top two results where Co-ordinator as the strongest one with the biggest differentiation between the other roles and team worker as the second closely followed by resource investigator , this shows that I clearly am the person who likes to get the team together and organise the team. It also shows that I like to interact with people inside and outside the organisation. My worst scoring I think is also very true, I don't think that I am the type of person that likes to monitor and evaluate things. I also don't really concentrate completely on the outcome on the task because I think that working well as a team is more important before completing a task. I think that this test is accurate as I can clearly relate it to tasks I have done before.
I think that out of these eight roles I clearly see myself as a the team worker and Co-ordinator. The reason that I think that these are my main roles is because I work really well in a team and I like to work in a good team. If someone is falling behind I am always the first one there to help. I don't like completing a task unless everything contributes. I also think I am a co-ordinator because I like to manage the team, although I may not be the leader of the group I still help organise the team and make sure everything runs smoothly.
My results -
I took the Belbin's questionnaire to test which role I am out of the eight. The questionnaire asks a series of questions and at the end the you add up the results to show which role you are. My top two results where Co-ordinator as the strongest one with the biggest differentiation between the other roles and team worker as the second closely followed by resource investigator , this shows that I clearly am the person who likes to get the team together and organise the team. It also shows that I like to interact with people inside and outside the organisation. My worst scoring I think is also very true, I don't think that I am the type of person that likes to monitor and evaluate things. I also don't really concentrate completely on the outcome on the task because I think that working well as a team is more important before completing a task. I think that this test is accurate as I can clearly relate it to tasks I have done before.
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What is the most important role within a team?
Within a team there are a variety of different roles that a played throughout the activities. In the Belbin's theory there are eight main roles and these eight roles categorised into three main groups these include Action orientated role, People orientated roles and Thought orientated roles. And the eight main roles include the shaper, implementer, complete finisher, coordinator, team worker, resource investigator, planter, monitor-evaluator and specialist. I think the most important role within a team is the coordinator, this is because to have a good team I think that it need to have someone who can organise the team and make sure that all roles are being done to make the activity most efficiently as possible. They set objectives for the team which helps everyone in the group have a track in achieving their goals.
Roles within my team -
On our trip to Mui Wo we did some team activities, within these activities we had individuals with certain roles in a team. In the pictures below I have identified within the team which each persons roles are referring to the Belbin's theory. There is also a brief description on what they did within the group to obtain that specific role.
Roles within my team -
On our trip to Mui Wo we did some team activities, within these activities we had individuals with certain roles in a team. In the pictures below I have identified within the team which each persons roles are referring to the Belbin's theory. There is also a brief description on what they did within the group to obtain that specific role.
How constructive your collaboration was and why?
Activity 1 -
In the human knot I worked collaboratively as a individual, I was able to be a team worker and a coordinator in the activity. I achieved these roles as I was very organised in making sure everything was getting done properly and also I was also able to point out the problems within the group and solved those problems, I also worked well as a team worker. I made sure that everyone was motivated to get the activity done and that everyone was ok. As a group we were kind of organised there still could be a few changes but overall I think we motivated each other really well and overall worked well as a team. |
Activity 2 -
In the raft building exercise my main roles was a specialist. I don't think I played as collaboratively as I did in the first activity as I was very limited to the roles I could choose in this group activity as I was not able to talk, This meant that most of the team roles there are is very hard to put into practical, but I was still able to be one of the roles which was a specialist as I have had experience in tying knots which mean I got my task done as productively and perfectly as possible. I think our group had a roles that they have never really been before which proved a bit of a challenge for some. |
How resources were allocated effectively (or not!)?
Activity 1 -
In this activity there where not really any resources to sort out within the group, but the main thing that we had to deal with was our surroundings. We needed to make sure we were aware of our surroundings as we did not have enough space. |
Activity 2 -
In the raft building activity we were given a lot of resources to help us build the raft. We had a hand full of long rope, seven bamboo sticks and four rubber inflatable ring. We came as a group and gave the resources to the people who would be more efficient with it. So we gave the rubber rings to the people who were blind and the people who could only speak to inflate the rings, we then gave the ropes and the bamboo sticks to the rest of the group to build the raft. I think that this was the most efficient way to distribute the resources and make a good structure. I don't think that we used any resources badly so it didn't really affect us at all. |
Strategies for dealing with difficult issues/resolving conflict?
Activity 1 -
For the human knot we didn't really have any major conflicts but there were a few people who where messing around and trying to cheat, but we just told them to stop ruining the activity and just continued with the work. There were also a few people who were left out a really quiet so we tried to encourage them to contribute more so that we can get the activity done as fast as possible. |
Activity 2 -
For the raft building activity we worked really well as a group so we didn't have many conflicts but there were a few people who were just sitting out and not doing anything so some people got frustrated and lost their motivation to get that activity done, but I think we dealt with that easily and just told them to get back to work so we can beat the other team so it worked out good. There were some people that wanted to help tie knots but as a group we thought that it would be less efficient because we had one experienced team member so the team just told that person to leave it to that person so that the structure will not fall apart. There was also one major problem we had to deal with which was to do with one of the key components of the raft and this was the rubber ring. We realised that there was a whole and it was deflating, so we all came together to strategise a plan to deal with the situation and also looked to see whether it would affect the raft later on in the activity so we quickly fixed it with tape and while rafting we put the lightest person in that point of the boat so that it won't break again. |
Willingness to solve problems together?
Activity 1 -
When solving the problems in the human knot activity I think we dealt with that quite easily, if someone had an idea we would just tell everyone to stop and listen to that person speaking just incase their ideas are good, also by getting everyone to listen this gives the people the confidence to speak so the ideas come out better and they get a sense of pride in the group. Even though if we stop what we are doing when we are trying to make decisions I think that it is easier anyway because all people would understand what is happening better. |
Activity 2 -
In activity two we would make all our decisions as a group so that everyone understands what we are doing. Most of our ideas where made at the beginning of the activity as a team and we didn't really change the plan that much, but there were a few points in the activity where we had to change our ideas because of some problems with the rubber ring, but at that point we all came together to make a quick plan to solve that problem and everyone contributed and gave all their ideas in which made a really good impact on the outcome of our raft. |
Sharing of expertise?
Activity 1 -
In the human knot activity not a lot of people had expertise in the group but we tried to figure something out as a team. But a few of us had done this type of activity before so they threw their ideas forward to the group and from their we came up with a plan. I think that this was a good way to help solve the problem as even little advice would be useful. I have had a lot of experience in untying knots so I was able to see whether something would work or not but it was really hard for me to explain to people so I just stepped up and tried to help as much as I could. |
Activity 2 -
For the raft building I had the most experience within the group I knew how to tie knots and tie stuff together to hold a structure so at the beginning of the exercise I helped sharing my ideas with the people that were helping me build the raft. So I sat down with them for a few minutes and gave them a lesson on tying knots which then throughout the building I made sure that everything they were doing was rite so that they learnt as a individual and also benefited the team as a whole. |
How differing skills and talents were recognised?
Activity 1 -
In the first activity it was really hard to recognise skills and talents within the group because most of the group had never done this type of activity before but throughout the activity around ten minutes into the activity people started to show some knowledge which the we told them to try and step up and lead the team. |
Activity 2 -
In the raft building my group knew already that I sail so at that point they knew they could trust me in educating them and actually building the raft itself because they know that I am good at tying knots. But there were a few other people that had some idea on tying knots so I would help them to build it. There were also a few people in the group that were good at pumping rubber rings so we made them do it to make everything get done faster. |
Measurement of humour?
Activity 1 -
In the first activity I think that it was quite fun because we were all together in a tight messed up knots for around 30-40 minutes so there were a few fun times in that group. I think that this was a good way to boost the morality and motivation to get the activity done. Some people started to sweat so it was quite funny to see people getting made because they found it disgusting. |
Activity 2 -
In the raft building activity there wasn't as much humour as the human knot activity this was mainly because it was only half the group in the team and also because some people couldn't speak and do certain things. But there where a few funny points where we were messing around with the blind people that made it all fun. This made the experience one to remember. |
Types of teams
What is a team?
A team is a collection of people that is more than one person, They are in a team to share ideas and do tasks together and not as individuals. Teams are very good as work can be done fast and productively but this might not be the case as you have to be able to work together well in order to perform well.
Formal -
A formal team is a type of team that is set and those people work together everyday. This could be categorised into departments where workers work together to complete a task. There is a purpose for the workers to work in the team together, the organisation also sets specific objectives and guidelines in completing a task.. So an example of a formal team would be Human Resources, within this department there are a number of people who work together to get tasks done and example of this would be recruitment. They will work together to find people with talent which then they will train and hire.
Informal -
A informal team is a team that don't generally work with each other often. This could be two departments coming together to work on a project. They are normally not set up by the organisation and is not an official team. The a less structured than formal teams. An example would be google, the engineering department and the geography department came together to cream the google street car.
Size -
Considering the size of the team is really important, it has to be appropriate to the task. If you have too many people the team might not work so good together, you need enough people so that the task could be done efficiently. You need enough for the task to be completed fast and big enough to provide yourself with good resources. The best team is enough so that everyone can contribute and give their opinions.
Temporary -
Temporary teams are teams that are set for a short time. They work together to complete smalls tasks. They are formed to complete a task and agree on a team plan, when the project is done the team splits up. An example would be an advertising team. The advertising department and the product department would come up with a plan to complete the tasks.
Permanent -
A permanent team is a team that is set for a long term. They work together continuously for a long time and they tend to argue a bit more that a temporary team as they are always together. An example of a marketing team would be a sales team, they are always working together with the same people to sell products to customers, they will do similar thing in ways that other team members would do.
A team is a collection of people that is more than one person, They are in a team to share ideas and do tasks together and not as individuals. Teams are very good as work can be done fast and productively but this might not be the case as you have to be able to work together well in order to perform well.
Formal -
A formal team is a type of team that is set and those people work together everyday. This could be categorised into departments where workers work together to complete a task. There is a purpose for the workers to work in the team together, the organisation also sets specific objectives and guidelines in completing a task.. So an example of a formal team would be Human Resources, within this department there are a number of people who work together to get tasks done and example of this would be recruitment. They will work together to find people with talent which then they will train and hire.
Informal -
A informal team is a team that don't generally work with each other often. This could be two departments coming together to work on a project. They are normally not set up by the organisation and is not an official team. The a less structured than formal teams. An example would be google, the engineering department and the geography department came together to cream the google street car.
Size -
Considering the size of the team is really important, it has to be appropriate to the task. If you have too many people the team might not work so good together, you need enough people so that the task could be done efficiently. You need enough for the task to be completed fast and big enough to provide yourself with good resources. The best team is enough so that everyone can contribute and give their opinions.
Temporary -
Temporary teams are teams that are set for a short time. They work together to complete smalls tasks. They are formed to complete a task and agree on a team plan, when the project is done the team splits up. An example would be an advertising team. The advertising department and the product department would come up with a plan to complete the tasks.
Permanent -
A permanent team is a team that is set for a long term. They work together continuously for a long time and they tend to argue a bit more that a temporary team as they are always together. An example of a marketing team would be a sales team, they are always working together with the same people to sell products to customers, they will do similar thing in ways that other team members would do.
Leadership types
Autocratic/Authoritarian Leadership - This leadership is really straightforward and direct. It is a type of leader that tells the team what they need to do to get the task done. This type of leadership tends to show that the leader wants as much power and control over the team and all his decisions are made by the leader to show maintain. This type of leadership could be good as the task gets done quickly and more efficiently as you don't have to listen to the other team members to give feedback. This type of leadership tends to have a tight deadline to get the work done fast, the team also has to be motivated to get the task done. The advantage of this type of leadership is that it tends to be more organised and disciplined, it is a advantage to business as team can be deployed fast and efficiently as everyone know what their task is. The disadvantages is that the team has to rely on their leader to give them the roles to complete the task. Some members of the team may feel confused of angry about the task given as some instructions may not be clear. If the morality in the team is not good the job wouldn't be done as efficiently.
Democratic Leadership - This type of leadership is a style where the leader keeps control within the team but the team members can have an opinion on the commands or issues that can affect the other team members.This type of leadership creates a better atmosphere in the team and allows the team members to be part of the decision making process, It also allows the leader to see who has the expertise or skill which can help the team do their task to the best of their ability. There is a lot of respect within the team allowing good morality which leads to tasks being done efficiently. The disadvantages is that the decisions take up a lot of time as people have to give feedback or opinions which would take time so this type of leadership would suit a business where decision time is not something that has to be made quickly.
Laissez-Faire Leadership - Laissez-faire leadership also known as the "hands-off" leadership is more of a laid back approach to the other types of leadership. The members of the group have more freedom to what they do but the main thing that is important that you have to trust the group to complete the task thats set by the leader efficiently. The leader has very little control over the group. Most roles and responsibilities are decided by themselves. This type of leadership could be difficult for some people as they might find it hard to work without a leader. Most effective Laissez-faire ran leadership groups have talented leaders who know what they are doing, motivated to get the task done, well trained and experienced. It is easier to complete the tasks if all members of the group have good knowledge and has the expertise in what their task is. The benefits of taking on a laissez-faire approach is that most of the group members know what they should be doing as they tend to have the expertise in that area. People have the freedom on who they work with so this could be beneficial. The negatives is that if there is someone lacking in skill people might not see this weakness within the group causing a holdback in the work.
Transactional Leadership -Transactional leadership is similar to autocratic. It is very direct, motivates the team by using rewards and punishments. They tend to be very dominating and direct when it comes to giving directions. This type of leadership is very common in business where people get bonuses or time off if they do well. The advantages of this leadership type is that people are more motivated as they know they will get rewards if they do well. It is really clear what the instructions are and if the task is not done well they know that they will get punished. The disadvantages are that the leader tends to focus more on short term tasks instead of long term. This type leadership might be bad for morality as most members of the team would be motivated by money or good rewards instead of being social or motivated by emotions.
Transformational Leadership - Transformational leadership is a type of leadership where the leader want the team to focus more as a team rather than an individual. The leader tends to be very motivational to the team so the exceed well on their task. They set clear goals so that the team can achieve it easily without any problems. In the team there tends to be more trust because if people don't trust each other they can't move forward as a team.
People Orientated Leadership - People orientated leadership is very focused on being organised, supporting and moving forward as a team. All team members should help each other through the tasks. The leader allocates each role to the team members based on the strengths and skills as a individual. This type of leadership is focused on participation and having good teamwork, also to be loyal to each other and being creative. A disadvantage of this type of leadership is that the leader tends to focus more on the team themselves rather than the task itself.
Task Orientated Leadership - Task orientated is pretty much the opposite of people orientated leadership, the leader is more focus on completing the task rather than looking at it as a team. They will plan and organise so that the task gets done as fast as possible. The leaders doesn't tend to care about whether the team is structured well or not but just focussing on the task itself.
Participative Leadership -
This is a type of leader that see the weaker members in a group and encourages them to participate in the group activities and be a part of the decision making process. They will take lead of encouraging the team to come up with strategised ideas and suggestions into the task. The give people chances to be a part of the decision making.
Democratic Leadership - This type of leadership is a style where the leader keeps control within the team but the team members can have an opinion on the commands or issues that can affect the other team members.This type of leadership creates a better atmosphere in the team and allows the team members to be part of the decision making process, It also allows the leader to see who has the expertise or skill which can help the team do their task to the best of their ability. There is a lot of respect within the team allowing good morality which leads to tasks being done efficiently. The disadvantages is that the decisions take up a lot of time as people have to give feedback or opinions which would take time so this type of leadership would suit a business where decision time is not something that has to be made quickly.
Laissez-Faire Leadership - Laissez-faire leadership also known as the "hands-off" leadership is more of a laid back approach to the other types of leadership. The members of the group have more freedom to what they do but the main thing that is important that you have to trust the group to complete the task thats set by the leader efficiently. The leader has very little control over the group. Most roles and responsibilities are decided by themselves. This type of leadership could be difficult for some people as they might find it hard to work without a leader. Most effective Laissez-faire ran leadership groups have talented leaders who know what they are doing, motivated to get the task done, well trained and experienced. It is easier to complete the tasks if all members of the group have good knowledge and has the expertise in what their task is. The benefits of taking on a laissez-faire approach is that most of the group members know what they should be doing as they tend to have the expertise in that area. People have the freedom on who they work with so this could be beneficial. The negatives is that if there is someone lacking in skill people might not see this weakness within the group causing a holdback in the work.
Transactional Leadership -Transactional leadership is similar to autocratic. It is very direct, motivates the team by using rewards and punishments. They tend to be very dominating and direct when it comes to giving directions. This type of leadership is very common in business where people get bonuses or time off if they do well. The advantages of this leadership type is that people are more motivated as they know they will get rewards if they do well. It is really clear what the instructions are and if the task is not done well they know that they will get punished. The disadvantages are that the leader tends to focus more on short term tasks instead of long term. This type leadership might be bad for morality as most members of the team would be motivated by money or good rewards instead of being social or motivated by emotions.
Transformational Leadership - Transformational leadership is a type of leadership where the leader want the team to focus more as a team rather than an individual. The leader tends to be very motivational to the team so the exceed well on their task. They set clear goals so that the team can achieve it easily without any problems. In the team there tends to be more trust because if people don't trust each other they can't move forward as a team.
People Orientated Leadership - People orientated leadership is very focused on being organised, supporting and moving forward as a team. All team members should help each other through the tasks. The leader allocates each role to the team members based on the strengths and skills as a individual. This type of leadership is focused on participation and having good teamwork, also to be loyal to each other and being creative. A disadvantage of this type of leadership is that the leader tends to focus more on the team themselves rather than the task itself.
Task Orientated Leadership - Task orientated is pretty much the opposite of people orientated leadership, the leader is more focus on completing the task rather than looking at it as a team. They will plan and organise so that the task gets done as fast as possible. The leaders doesn't tend to care about whether the team is structured well or not but just focussing on the task itself.
Participative Leadership -
This is a type of leader that see the weaker members in a group and encourages them to participate in the group activities and be a part of the decision making process. They will take lead of encouraging the team to come up with strategised ideas and suggestions into the task. The give people chances to be a part of the decision making.
John Adair
John Adair was born on May 18, 1934, he developed of model of leadership. He was the first professor in leadership. This model is for people who want to take a leadership role. The model shows how a good leader can lead a team. He carried a research about the types of leadership teams and found that good leaders have skills in three main areas. These areas include; achieving the task, managing the team and managing the individual. This is made into a venn diagram and if the leader is in the centre where all the circles overlap this shows the leader is a good leader.
How successfully achieve the task:
- Being able understand what resources are needed to carry out the task - Making a plan so the team can achieve the task - Being able to point out who is responsible for what and also when - Feeding back the progress to the team - Being able to adjust a plan if something goes wrong Managing the team: - Approach the task as a team - Agreeing to who does what - Being able to provide training for the team if they are lacking in skill or knowledge - Give the team encouragement and feedback. - Keeping the conflicts between members low Managing the individual team members: - Making sure that each member has support - Being able to pick out key skills, needs and fears for each member - Making sure everyone is treated fairly - Setting objectives for each member of the team - Rewarding each member for their work - Giving opportunities for each member |
What can a business do with this theory?
Within a business the manager or the team leader can reflect and see what type of leadership approach they have to the task whether they are whole dedicating to developing teams or if the also focus on the other areas combined, because through this theory a effective leader would be able to use all these three points and if the team leader is able to reflect all of these they could be seen and a effective leader.
Within a business the manager or the team leader can reflect and see what type of leadership approach they have to the task whether they are whole dedicating to developing teams or if the also focus on the other areas combined, because through this theory a effective leader would be able to use all these three points and if the team leader is able to reflect all of these they could be seen and a effective leader.
Tannenbaum and schmidt's theory
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Tannenbaum and Schmidt continuum is a model that shows how much the manager of a team give freedom to his employees and how much power the leader has which then affects the team. The model has three types of influences that constraints a specific style and five types of behaviours.
Personal Forces -
This is more about the leader himself and how he wants to lead the team, part of this could be the leaders personality, confidence and preference that the leader wants for that specific style.
Characteristics of others involved in the decision making process -
This is how the people under the leader behaves and how committed they are and willing to take responsibility of the work to complete the tasks.
The Situation -
This is shows the organisations trends within the business and how the behaviour of the team affects the choices that are being made by the team.
Below here there are five types of behaviours
To Tell -
This is when the subordinates don't have the confidence or prepared enough to take all the responsibility for themselves so the leader takes all the responsibility to direct the group in the correct direction. The team needs to have a good leader and needs close watching because it is easy for the subordinates to mess up.
To Sell -
This is when the leader tries to sell responsibility to the subordinates. The leader would give motivation to the team and some of the decisions will also be made by the subordinates. This style works best when the subordinates are slightly ready to take responsibility for the work. In clearer sense the leader would go to the subordinates ideas and as part of the decision the subordinates will be able to agree to the idea.
To Test -
This is where the subordinates will have input with some ideas and they will be part of giving ideas. They will still have to agree with the manager but they get some part of the decisions. But if it comes to a point where nothing is working out properly the manager still can take back full responsibility over the group.
To Consulte -
This is a style where the subordinates have a lot of freedom in their decisions. This is when the subordinates have a clear idea of what they are doing and are ready to take responsibility on some of the decisions. This gives the subordinates a sense of pride as their work is being view by someone with more responsibility.
To Empower -
This is the style that is at the end of the continuum and is the style where the leader give the subordinates complete freedom and does not have the power over others. There is no clear leader and it would be a self managing team where every individual in the team has contribution to make the decisions.
What can a business do with this theory?
This theory reflects on how the leader transfers their power to the employees and a business could use this by reflecting the managers of each departments and for the HR they could dedicate the leaders to certain teams to fit them with the appropriate department, this is to ensure that they are leading the team properly because there might be certain jobs where the employees should not be given full power because it could be high risk.
French and raven's theory
The French and Ravens theory was discovered in 1959 by two psychologist named John French and Bertram Raven. This theory was constructed to show how there is a strong relationship between power and leadership. It has been discovered that in most cases the subordinates of a team tends to listen to the person who is in power of the team which they normally call the leader. So in this theory it shows five types of powers a leader can have.
Legitimate Power -
This type of power is not the most useful power to have. This power give you the right to do what you need to do and you are entitled to do it because it is you job role. For example if you are the CEO of a company you are allowed to tell everyone what they have to do because you are responsible for the whole company and everyone has to listen because you are the big boss of the company.
Reward Power -
This is the type of power that is the most popular in business today. Reward powers is basically if you do your work you get something at the end for example if you were doing a project in a business the manager might say that you will get 200 dollars for completing the work, so you are giving people something and in exchange they are working for you.
Coercive -
This is a type of power that is not commonly used as it can have a very big impact on a individual. This power is not very good as commands might be given and you may not want to do it as it might be threatening but you have to because it is your job to. This can be something like black mailing or bullying someone into doing something.
Expert Power -
This is where the leader has certain expertise in the field that they are working in. They have the knowledge so the team will listen to the person and do what he says, an example of this would be a teacher. A teacher is qualified and is most likely going to know most of the things in that subject so the students will pay attention and listen to the teacher.
Charismatic Power -
This power is lead from the leaders personality, the team may feel that you are caring and will help someone if they are in need so they will listen to you. Some people may look up to you because they feel like they want to poses the same personality as you so they will listen.
What can a business do with this theory?
This is another theory that can be reflected on the managers and you can evaluate what type of power their employee is, whether they lead through giving rewards to their employees or through power by verbal commands, this could be very effective when employing someone in the HR department.
Legitimate Power -
This type of power is not the most useful power to have. This power give you the right to do what you need to do and you are entitled to do it because it is you job role. For example if you are the CEO of a company you are allowed to tell everyone what they have to do because you are responsible for the whole company and everyone has to listen because you are the big boss of the company.
Reward Power -
This is the type of power that is the most popular in business today. Reward powers is basically if you do your work you get something at the end for example if you were doing a project in a business the manager might say that you will get 200 dollars for completing the work, so you are giving people something and in exchange they are working for you.
Coercive -
This is a type of power that is not commonly used as it can have a very big impact on a individual. This power is not very good as commands might be given and you may not want to do it as it might be threatening but you have to because it is your job to. This can be something like black mailing or bullying someone into doing something.
Expert Power -
This is where the leader has certain expertise in the field that they are working in. They have the knowledge so the team will listen to the person and do what he says, an example of this would be a teacher. A teacher is qualified and is most likely going to know most of the things in that subject so the students will pay attention and listen to the teacher.
Charismatic Power -
This power is lead from the leaders personality, the team may feel that you are caring and will help someone if they are in need so they will listen to you. Some people may look up to you because they feel like they want to poses the same personality as you so they will listen.
What can a business do with this theory?
This is another theory that can be reflected on the managers and you can evaluate what type of power their employee is, whether they lead through giving rewards to their employees or through power by verbal commands, this could be very effective when employing someone in the HR department.
Being an effective leader
Being a successful leader you need to hold some skills and qualities. Without these there is a high chance that you would not be a good leader. Going into a position as a leader you need to posses skills and qualities that fit that role. Below I have listed four qualities and roles, and gave a description of each.
Leadership Abilities Required:
Adaptability -
You need to be able to adapt quickly to situations. You need to need to accept what task is set for you and be able to change in tough situations. You may be given tasks that are out your comfort zone and it is important that you are able to adapt according to the task.
Courage -
You need to be able to have the courage to take on roles that you may not be used to. You need to make sure you make the right calls quickly in hard situations where you are under pressure and also have to remain calm so the team has confidence in what you are saying. You need to use courage to complete the task fast and efficiently as possible.
Decisiveness -
During a project where you are under time constrictions you need to be very decisive, You need to make the right calls at the right time in order to ensure productivity of your team. Planning ahead of a problem is also something you should be able to do, dealing with situation before it expands can solve problems faster and safer.
Compassion -
All good leaders should have compassion. You have to be able to care for your team so that it creates a tight bond. Being the leader of the team you will have to deal with a lot of peoples situation, it could be hard but its part of your role to take care of your team.
Leadership skills required:
Communication -
This is one of the biggest roles. People have to be able to communicate to the team in a professional and orderly matter. You need to have a clear voice where anyone can understand. Under pressure you need to ensure what you are saying is said with confidence, if fear is seen in your voice this could make a impact on the team. Communication could be the difference between death and survival.
Motivating -
A leader has to be able to motivate the team. This could be constructive criticism after reflecting from a project. During training you have to be able to motivate the team through tough situations. Motivation creates a good bond which is why it is a important skill leaders need to posses. You need to be creative with how you motivate your team so work can be done efficiently.
Organisation and Multi-tasking -
You need to be organised with all the work, Being able to organise the teams properly before doing the work. Making sure the team knows what they are doing before they start their task. Multi-tasking between different groups is also very important. Being able to control a large team is hard without organisation.
Planning -
You need to be able to plan a lot of things. This includes meeting sessions to ensure the team is on task and getting work done. You also need to be able to plan ahead of situations where conflict or something within the team may arise. You need to plan sessions to educate your team on things they might need to know.
Leadership Abilities Required:
Adaptability -
You need to be able to adapt quickly to situations. You need to need to accept what task is set for you and be able to change in tough situations. You may be given tasks that are out your comfort zone and it is important that you are able to adapt according to the task.
Courage -
You need to be able to have the courage to take on roles that you may not be used to. You need to make sure you make the right calls quickly in hard situations where you are under pressure and also have to remain calm so the team has confidence in what you are saying. You need to use courage to complete the task fast and efficiently as possible.
Decisiveness -
During a project where you are under time constrictions you need to be very decisive, You need to make the right calls at the right time in order to ensure productivity of your team. Planning ahead of a problem is also something you should be able to do, dealing with situation before it expands can solve problems faster and safer.
Compassion -
All good leaders should have compassion. You have to be able to care for your team so that it creates a tight bond. Being the leader of the team you will have to deal with a lot of peoples situation, it could be hard but its part of your role to take care of your team.
Leadership skills required:
Communication -
This is one of the biggest roles. People have to be able to communicate to the team in a professional and orderly matter. You need to have a clear voice where anyone can understand. Under pressure you need to ensure what you are saying is said with confidence, if fear is seen in your voice this could make a impact on the team. Communication could be the difference between death and survival.
Motivating -
A leader has to be able to motivate the team. This could be constructive criticism after reflecting from a project. During training you have to be able to motivate the team through tough situations. Motivation creates a good bond which is why it is a important skill leaders need to posses. You need to be creative with how you motivate your team so work can be done efficiently.
Organisation and Multi-tasking -
You need to be organised with all the work, Being able to organise the teams properly before doing the work. Making sure the team knows what they are doing before they start their task. Multi-tasking between different groups is also very important. Being able to control a large team is hard without organisation.
Planning -
You need to be able to plan a lot of things. This includes meeting sessions to ensure the team is on task and getting work done. You also need to be able to plan ahead of situations where conflict or something within the team may arise. You need to plan sessions to educate your team on things they might need to know.
Stages to building a cohesive team
Recruitment - First of all before making a team and training them you need to look at the people you want to have in the team and this is the recruitment process. For different teams there will be different recruitment processes, some of these may included physical and mental examinations, skill reviews, team building skills and also qualifications like school grades. When applying to a business there will be specific requirements that you need to undergo for example if you are applying as a Sales manager there might be requirements that you have to know sufficient english and Chinese which there will be a verbal interview as part of the recruitment process.
Induction - After going through the recruitment stage you have joined a business and you are the introduced to what roles you will have to do and how the business runs. They will be introduced to certain people they may work with and where everything is. They will typically have a mentor to help them force the first few weeks so they don't get lost or do something wrong. Especially in a business where your have to deal with customers for example public relations or front up selling in a retail store they will normally go through a induction and will generally give you a mentor so that you handle with the customers nicely but also making sure you know what you are saying and if you are struggling you have someone there to help you.
Motivation - When you have a team everyone needs to be motivating each other, this helps the team stay on tasks and allows people to not fall back and feel bad. Teams with good motivation tend to work better and perform well in tasks. In a business especially during the setup stage there could be a lot of work and if the business wants to succeed and open people will have to give up a lot of there time to put into the business and at times because of stress people might fall under pressure and feel they cant work anymore so if there are people there to motivate them this will help them push through the stress and get the work done, not only does it have to be verbal motivation but also rewards so a pay rise or a long holiday.
Training or coaching - After getting into the team at some points through your job you will go through training or coaching to keep your skills up to date. Depending on the job the regularity of the training will be different. They type of training can be anything from keeping up to date with certain technologies or if the job requires a lot of updates for example as a pilot there is a lot of updates with certain new technologies. Pilots regularly go into training every six months to keep up to date with the latest safety operation, this is to ensure that all their skill are up to date.
Mentoring - When you are new into a business they might assign you a mentor to help you with certain things, they will be with you and there for you for a certain time depending on the job and they will offer help and give you tips. This is quit uncommon now but is still found in some job. Again as a pilot when you are undergoing your flight training they will give you a mentor to help with the studies, this is to help the pilots not get stressed out which could lead to mistakes.
Team Knowledge - To become a successful team you need to know your team so this can mean the strength and weaknesses of everyone so you are able to perform tasks by giving the role to the person who is strongest in that area. Also by knowing your team you will have a better relationship so this boosts success within a team. This is important in a business because you don't want to have any conflicts within the business because if there is a manager that is not looking after their department this will make the rest of the team not get their work done and as a HR supervisor if you understand this is happening you can take action to help make the team better.
Induction - After going through the recruitment stage you have joined a business and you are the introduced to what roles you will have to do and how the business runs. They will be introduced to certain people they may work with and where everything is. They will typically have a mentor to help them force the first few weeks so they don't get lost or do something wrong. Especially in a business where your have to deal with customers for example public relations or front up selling in a retail store they will normally go through a induction and will generally give you a mentor so that you handle with the customers nicely but also making sure you know what you are saying and if you are struggling you have someone there to help you.
Motivation - When you have a team everyone needs to be motivating each other, this helps the team stay on tasks and allows people to not fall back and feel bad. Teams with good motivation tend to work better and perform well in tasks. In a business especially during the setup stage there could be a lot of work and if the business wants to succeed and open people will have to give up a lot of there time to put into the business and at times because of stress people might fall under pressure and feel they cant work anymore so if there are people there to motivate them this will help them push through the stress and get the work done, not only does it have to be verbal motivation but also rewards so a pay rise or a long holiday.
Training or coaching - After getting into the team at some points through your job you will go through training or coaching to keep your skills up to date. Depending on the job the regularity of the training will be different. They type of training can be anything from keeping up to date with certain technologies or if the job requires a lot of updates for example as a pilot there is a lot of updates with certain new technologies. Pilots regularly go into training every six months to keep up to date with the latest safety operation, this is to ensure that all their skill are up to date.
Mentoring - When you are new into a business they might assign you a mentor to help you with certain things, they will be with you and there for you for a certain time depending on the job and they will offer help and give you tips. This is quit uncommon now but is still found in some job. Again as a pilot when you are undergoing your flight training they will give you a mentor to help with the studies, this is to help the pilots not get stressed out which could lead to mistakes.
Team Knowledge - To become a successful team you need to know your team so this can mean the strength and weaknesses of everyone so you are able to perform tasks by giving the role to the person who is strongest in that area. Also by knowing your team you will have a better relationship so this boosts success within a team. This is important in a business because you don't want to have any conflicts within the business because if there is a manager that is not looking after their department this will make the rest of the team not get their work done and as a HR supervisor if you understand this is happening you can take action to help make the team better.