Addressing_Challenges_of_Groups_and_Teams

Working within groups or teams presents many challenges and advantages in the workplace. In the following paper, ways to apply the training program team A developed will be considered. Discussed will be how the program might work in a particular organization and how it would help the organization successful. Unique challenges will be addressed by the plan. Collaboration from team discussion will be used to address these challenges. Working in a team definitely brings a more diverse range of ideas, thoughts, attitudes and personalities. This diversity will be embraced; all options will be reviewed before making any major decisions for the team. Open communication is paramount; team members should feel like they can bring any idea forward without being disparaged by any member of the team. Detailed communication is necessary to reach understanding, team members must be clear with one another. All team members’ participation is necessary for success, without it something will not be as complete as it could have been. Respect for the individual is important, team members may not always agree with all ideas. Compromise and constant interaction will help team members find a suitable solution for any problem. Every team should have a plan going into a project to increase the effectiveness while working the project. Teams are the building blocks of an organization: They provide companies with the means to combine the various skills, talents and perspectives of a group of individuals to achieve goals (Siebdrat, Hoegl, Ernst, 2009). More companies are using teams who are dispersed in different areas geographically. To increase the performance of teams appropriate mechanisms for boosting both socio-emotional and task-related processes (Siebdrat, Hoegl, Ernst, 2009). Every member of the team is unique and has their own set of skills they bring to the table. Used correctly the team can accomplish anything together. In the case of Enron a company that once was voted the most innovative company and the best place to work. Now the company is known for scandalously unethical behavior. How did Enron become such a corrupt organization' Enron’s initial success and eventual failure came about, in part, from individual competition from inside the organization. This behavior was left unchecked and largely encouraged. Some point to the organization’s culture that was set primarily by Enron’s leadership (Kulik, 2008). Could collaborative teams help curb this behavior' It can be suggested that it is possible teams would have a positive influence on ethics within a corporation. Teams have a higher degree of accountability to one another than an individual. The assumption that competition promotes efficiency didn’t really translate for Enron. Regular team meetings would be valuable to the organization. Discussion around new ideas would be beneficial to the organization. Associates are less likely to bring forward ideas that may be seen as less than ethical. Ethical behavior is something that is revered within the confines of a team. Think of it as peer pressure to do the right thing, nobody wants to be seen compromising their personal standards, in the light of day it is nothing short of embarrassing. Team A would be a force for positive change inside any organization. The team is diverse in culture and ideas and together can produce great results. The team will spend a more than adequate amount of time together in deep discussion. Compromise is important within every team; this will make every member feel like they have contributed something valuable. Rewards will be given to the team for success; everyone will share the fruits of team labor. This will motivate everyone to do their fair share which will limit the possibility of loafing within the team. Team A is small enough to reduce the possibility of miscommunication. Larger teams can have the tendency to have more misunderstandings due to unclear communication. A team atmosphere in lieu of every man for himself could have help curb unethical behavior at Enron. The theory of planned behavior implies that people are rational and make use of all information, and that they always consider the consequences of their actions before making a decision. Formation of teams would further enforce this theory, being able to bounce ideas off the peers inside the group can keep a team member in check and ethical. The benefit of collaboration at Enron would have gone far to help curb unethical behavior and promote a “what’s best for the company is best for everyone” attitude. References Kulik, B., O’Fallon, M., Salimath, M. (2008) Journal of Business Ethics. Do Competitive Environments Lead to the Rise and Spread of Unethical Behavior' Parallels from Enron.pp 703 – 723. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Library Ebsco Services on March 12, 2010. Siebdrat, F., Hoegl, M., Ernst, H., (2009) MIT Sloan Management Review. How to Manage Virtual Teams. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Library Ebsco Services on March 28, 2010