Working in Teams

Team Members’ Roles

Working in teams can be a very effective way to accomplish a large project with less effort on each individual person in the team. The use of teamwork is beneficial because it brings different people together along with their different thought processes, which can bring many different ideas to the table. “A structurally diverse work group is one in which the members, by virtue of their different organizational affiliations, roles, or positions, can expose the group to unique sources of knowledge.” (Cummings, 2004) By having different types of people working together, they all contribute in their own unique way to the team. Many different things can contribute to team performance and success.

By figuring out what types of personalities each member of the team has, the group can assign each task to the person that is best suited to do so. Individual characteristics are something that each member needs to know before the work begins. According to Chong (2007) “team performance can be positively correlated with teams that are organized based on their individual characteristics.” With preparation a team can set out their goals and the best ways to achieve them. Each person that works in a team has their own individual role to play. One person may be chosen as the leader, while another could have the task of doing the research, and another could have the job of compiling everything together. As long as everyone contributes to their individual role within the team, then their work will most likely be a success. Teamwork is also a good way for people to interact with each other and achieve better communication and people skills. With better people skills a person can be more confident in what they are doing and take a few more chances in life, which can be beneficial. Even though working in teams can be an effective way to accomplish the goal or task at hand there can be downsides to working in teams.

Even though teamwork can be beneficial to the common goal there can be some downsides. “Forming teams or groups, however, can create increased conflict within the organization, affecting the grander scheme of business goals and objectives.” (Cheser, 1999)

When random people are put together into a team or even people that commonly work together are placed into a group there can be conflicts. One conflict can be people in the group disagreeing on what should be done and how it should get done. Even if everyone else in the group does not care either way, then the group as a whole will suffer because of the two individuals that cannot agree. The best way for this problem to be resolved is for everyone to get involved and to decide on the best course of action. Whether they want to use one person’s idea or another and how they will achieve that idea or task. Another problem that may face affect teamwork is a lack of communication. When one ore more people within the team refuse to, or have the lack or responsibility to communicate with others, then the team will suffer because that persons’ part may not be complete or up to standard. This is why proper planning ahead of time and having the groups due dates set ahead of time to make some cushion room for any drawbacks. There is usually the feeling for some to be secluded and keep to them selves as well.

Even though teamwork has many different benefits there are some projects or activities that need solitary work. “There are situations where solitary activity is more effective, incase of an activity which lacks breadth. Whereas Group activity is highly effective when the activity shows breadth that is overwhelming for an individual. Irrespective of all these, group activity works most of the time.” (Thiagarajan, 2005)