Team Building & Leadership

Question: Discuss about theTeam Building Leadership. Answer: Team Building One thing I have learnt about making teams is that it is ultimately a decision that requires wisdom as the selected team may either fail or succeed (Bubshait Farooq, 1999). However, the chances of heightened productivity and success are dominant in organizations that have positively functioning teams (Maxwell, 2014). Teams also make the business not only productive but also give it a competitive edge (McNamara, n.d). Moreover, teams prove of great significance during periods of economic slowdowns. Team building is rather a more characteristically wording of the social learning process. The essence of this particular process turned out to be more complex than I thought it would. The process represents all the behaviors that transpire within the given teams. The significant role of the behaviors resonates on cohesively bringing members of a given organization together, thus, ultimately promoting a sense spirit of communism (Levi, 2016 and Sencal, Loughead Bloom, 2008). Thus, it does not surprise me that in order to sustain this particular process of team building, then the need arises for there to be in-depth knowledge on the specific strategies and process that help towards the mission of sustaining the process within the organization. These specific strategies and processes when applied to appropriation they will not only help in improving the coherency of the given team but will also help in nurturing, developing, and improving the team or communal spirit among other given behaviors, which find their associations with the prevalent attitudes of the company. It follows that the most common pitfall experienced with the use of this process or within the process is the typical confusion that resonates between a team and a group. The team notion reserves the rights to be viewed as a jargon word, more so in the business world today. The word is mostly applied to a variety of people who come and work together on a given project. This particular group of individuals is what is called a team. Most people tend to think that team-building days do not work. However, I believe that team building is of great significance in an organization. This is because it is evident that employee are duly excited and motivated in their first days of work when first employed. However, it is also common knowledge that these same employees tend to have a waned level of both excitement and motivation as the daily routine of their jobs grind them, more so when they completely settle in their workplaces. Thus, this is where the effectiveness and efficiency of team building comes into play. The employers therein have the great chance to reverse the excitement and motivation trend among his or her employees. It is very impractical to say that parties should be held every day however, it is practical to say that there should be team-building days occurring probably twice or thrice within the year as this can go a long way in building up the morale of the whole workforce thus, promoting productivity in the organization. Within the course of my studies, I realized that team building is of great essence especially in making employees feel accepted and thus, feel as a part of the family within the given organization. In addition, team building promotes a sense of purpose more so, when the employees feel encouraged to contribute to the team activities alongside everyone else (Jacobs Everett, 1988). This process also helps employees learn about each other as well as bout themselves that they may have not known before. Moreover, team building highly contributes to the ability of solving misunderstandings among employees thus, building new connections that prove important in working together in the organization (Newstrom Davis, 1986). In addition, team building contributes to mental freedom among the employees thus, allowing ideas to flow freely. Team building also according to Maxwell (2014) helps develop a sense of teamwork, which in turn gives the synergy effect. In that, two or more individuals have the heightened capability to succeed better in their given endeavor in comparison to one person working alone. I have come to understand that the old managerial model of leading, control, and command has continually lost the level of effectiveness that it once had in the olden days. Back then; this particular model was the motivational key for the employees to continue executing their duties and responsibilities in the company (Gersick, 1988). The managerial model also motivated the employees to continue growing and developing personally through avoid focusing on a repetitive cycle or motion experienced in their given duties and responsibilities. The personal growth and development came as an impact of learning more concerning their jobs. Considering the society today, I would say that the kind of works done herein today has heightened in its levels of complexity and the works mostly contains non-repetitive functions. These functions concern interdependent work roles that require teamwork to execute them effectively and efficiently. This brings the almost common order of teamwork experienced in todays organizations. To this effect, the shifts experienced in current organizations resonate from a management that is control oriented to that, which facilitates a leadership approach. Synchronically, it is significant to understand the particular trend that focuses on a facilitative work model due to many factors that influence both group and team work dynamics. Leadership The process of leadership pertains the influence that an individual shows progressively towards teams in a bid to achieve the established or determined goal. Such kind of leadership style results in not only a high level of productivity but also a high-level profitability in the organization (Maxwell, 2014). My previous understanding of leadership was limited in that I perceived that one person who leads the team could only execute leadership. However, I have come to understand that this is not the case. Many team members depending on the available functions that need to be carried out can execute leadership, I now know (Maxwell, 2014). When the leadership position is rotated, then the power that the given leader has is limited. Likewise, the situation tends to be almost the same when a leader is elected. Thus, they length or the power and capacity to which they can help facilitate the group or team process reduces (Schwarz et al, 2011). On the other hand, a designated leader has the necessary organizational power that tends to be helpful when the need for structure in the organization arises. In addition, the designated leader helps when the task turns out to be complex. The complexities that such a leader may deal with comprises of conflicts within the team. The other complexity involves the arising need for an individual to manage the company. It follows that most people do not have an understanding of the difference that exudes from a team leader and a manager (Yukl, 2002). A manager has the given authority to carry out decisions within the organization while the team leader facilitates the process involved in decision-making. The advantage that comes with having a designated leader is that the option of having self-managed teams exists. The goodness that comes from self-managing teams is that because there is no authority leader, the team members make decisions consensually. Members of self-managed teams have increased levels of accountability in comparison to others (Maxwell, 2014). Therein, the leader acts as a facilitator in the process of decision making rather than focusing on managing the given team. In self-managing teams, two types of leaders exist which are the power builder as well as the empowered. The power builder focuses democratic as well as teaching team members team skills. He or she also guides them tow ards the efforts of team building. Additionally, he or she helps the team members in coordination as well as in providing the structure of the team and the organization as a whole. He or she also offers encouragement to the team members as well as rewards those who perform exemplarily (Dionne et al, 2004). On the other, empowered leaders show less involvement since they serve as facilitators who do not control the process of teamwork as well as control the major decisions therein. Thus, these kinds of team govern themselves. Other types of teams include cross-functional teams and virtual teams among others (Maxwell, 2014). Cross-functional teams pertain of mixed specialists, often from other departments in the organizations. These come together to offer a solution to a given problem or in developing new products and technology (Maxwell, 2014). Virtual teams consist of members who are dispersed physically either all over the nation or all over the world. Through technology, they have the ability to collaborate and work on new projects without actually meeting (Maxwell, 2014). Each of the above-mentioned teams has their own given advantages. Conclusion In conclusion, I have discovered that the process of team building is of great importance to an organization. Additionally, the kind of leadership exhibited in the organization is also of great significance. When both are applied appropriately then an organization stands a high chance of succeeding. References McNamara, C. (n.d). All about Team Building. Retrieved on 20 October 2016, from https://managementhelp.org/groups/team-building.htm#anchor416947 Schwarz et al. (2011). The skilled facilitator field book: Tips, tools, and tested methods for consultants, facilitators, managers, trainers, and coaches. John Wiley Sons. Levi, D. (2016). Group dynamics for teams. Sage Publications. Gersick, C. J. (1988). Time and transition in work teams: Toward a new model of group development. Academy of Management journal, 31(1), 9-41. Bubshait, A., Farooq, G. (1999). Team building and project success. Cost engineering, 41(7), 34-38. Jacobs, R. C., Everett, J. G. (1988). 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