Communication and Team Dynamics

Abstract

Communication is a part of everyday life. It may be overlooked in some areas, but when dealing with a team environment, communication is vital. It holds true that communication can either break or make any team. Lack of communication can lead to confusion within a team, as well as lack of production. Any team will ultimately have its challenges. With effective and open communication, these challenges can be dealt with head on.

Communication and Team Dynamics

Communication plays a vital role in a team’s dynamic. With effective communication, teams can easily excel in areas such as meeting deadlines, accomplishing difficult tasks, and just maintaining moral within the team. Successful relationship will emerge if team members help one another by communicating ideas and tactics. Productivity will also increase with the proper lines of communication.

Obstacles

There can be several challenges within any team. One such challenge can be a team’s resistance to change. Research Technology Management magazine (1997), found that members of a team become used to one another and do not welcome change. This type of change could take the form in new leadership, or just the addition of a new member. If the balance of a team shifts, disorder can erupt. However, a resolution can be obtained by defining individual responsibilities. “Empowering teams with decision-making authority will motivate the members and maximize team effectiveness” (Steven Williams, 2005, para.7). Teams need a purpose, this purpose creates unity.

There can be other challenges that a team must endure. According to James Dawson (April 2005, p.24), when a person is placed in a team environment, technical expertise may not be the most important factor. An individual must have the ability to build relationships within the team. Being able to communicate and work well with others plays a bigger role. When “we spend an average of 80 percent of each day communicating” (Eileen O. Brownell, 1999, p.26), it is crucial that teams have an open line of communication.

Encourage Team Members

According to J. Temme and J. Katzel (1995, p.112), ideas should be welcomed and not discouraged within a team. This helps built trust within a team’s dynamic. If a team member introduces an idea, this idea should be discussed and acted upon. This helps team members feel appreciated. Further more, ideas can turn into solutions. It is a known fact that greatness starts with just an “idea”. Just imagine if a team member did not feel secure enough within his team to pitch an idea. What if this idea solved a team problem? An opportunity could have been lost due to an idea that was not welcomed by the team.

Increase a Team’s Productivity

Communication is also needed to improve productivity within a team’s dynamic. Eileen McDargh (2006, para.3.) points out that the end result of poor communication is a decrease in productivity. If a task is not explained correctly the first time, production is slowed while instructions are communicated a second time. The best way to resolve a situation like this is to use proper communication from the beginning. This can take such form as a detailed documentation of a job description. When a job is introduced, a guidebook would communicate what exactly needs done. As long as each team member follows the tasks communicated in the book, the job gets done correctly the first time around.

The trend is on the rise to use work teams more in the job force. A survey was conducted of