Team Dynamics

Team Dynamics

Gen 300

By Raymond Miller

Team Dynamics are the unseen forces that operate in a team between different people or groups. (Team Technology Team Dynamics (2005)) 1 Part of team dynamics is team communication that a very important part of team dynamics. Without good communication there will not be a team that can work or stay together. There are different reasons that a team may fail, but the main reason is lack of communication in a team. Let's discuss some ways to help the communication in a group so that the group will be successfully. There are six things that need to be consider when there is a team of people working together, type of communication, getting to know and trust one another (Project Team Communication Skills Retrieved November 10, 2006) 2, stating ones ideal or opinion, getting feedback, resolving conflict, and understanding the goals.

Use technology to its best advantage. (Jones P, complex Team working in a 24/7 World O'Connell G (2006))3 When working with a team their needs to be a discussion on the types of communications that are available meaning telephone, email, chat, and team meetings (face-to-face). Their needs to be a team discussion on what will be the best way for the team to meet. When discussing about meeting consider if everybody has a computer or access to a computer. Then there is the telephone that would be good; now the question is everybody available at the same time? Email would be very convenient for everyone can access it at anytime of the day or night everyone does not have to able to access it at the same time. They do have to constantly check and see if they have emails from any of there team members. Next is chat room that is like the telephone is everyone available at the same time? Team meetings is the most effective way to meet because all the team is together they can discuss what work they have done and what they need help on. But like the telephone everyone has to be available at the same time.

Then while discussing the type of communication that is best for everyone next would be get to know and trust each team member. This is very important in a team getting to know each and everyone in the team. While getting to know everyone in the team consist of talking to each team member about different things. Trying to discuss their strengthen and weakness so that they can get assigned something to help the team in a positive matter. Once each team member get to know everyone he or she can probably be able to tell if his or her team member can trust one another with the work that will be assign to them. Teammates must know and trust one another to feel comfortable expressing their opinions. (Project Team Communication Skills Retrieved November 10, 2006 ) 2

Once the team gets to know and trust their team members then they should be and willing to give their opinion on a topic that needs to be discussed. Need to find different methods to encourage others to speak-up. (Project Team Communication Skills Retrieved November 10, 2006)2 This would help the team in solving issues within the team. Giving their opinion will allow for any problem in the project to be worked out in a timely matter because each team member does not think alike. Giving their suggestions will also have team members feel like part of the team. Effective communication increases feelings of personal control (Bordia, Hunt, Paulsen, Tourish, & DiFonzo, 2004), improves job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Hargie, Tourish, & Wilson, 2002; Johnson, 1990), and reduces employee stress and uncertainty (Leiter & Maslach, 1988; Straub & Karahanna, 1998). (Grice, T., Gallois, C., Jones, E., Paulsen, N., & Callan, V. (2006)) 4

After the opinions have been given and the plan is establish now it is time for feedback. Feedback is always good in a team environment. This allows for anything that has happened good to be commend on. If there is any room for improvement it will be found out at this time. Each team member needs to know that there need not be a great deal of criticism, but to tell everybody what went good and what needs improving. If too much negative feedback goes on in a team it will cause conflict with the team members. Then there has to be some conflict resolution during the team meeting. So this is where that has to be a good balance between negative and positive feedback.

Then if there is too much negative feedback and that causes conflict in a team. Conflict can bring down a good team;