Executive Summary
This paper analyzes the importance of effective team coordination in disaster relief efforts. This analysis is done within the context of how different teams helped in the relief efforts of the 2004 tsunami disaster.
Comprehensively, this paper establishes that teams need to be properly motivated, have a predetermined structure of conflict resolution and have an open communication culture as important determinants to team success. Evidence is given of how different teams can achieve team success through effective coordination and the proper deployment of resources for relief efforts. Finally, recommendations are given to explain how team performance can be improved.
Introduction
Teamwork is an important component of project management. Different activities require effective coordination between team members for the effective completion of team tasks. More so, the importance of teamwork (in mitigating the effect of world disasters) cannot be overemphasized enough.
However, the main problem in implementing effective teamwork activities is team coordination. This paper analyzes this problem in the context of the 2004 tsunami, which hit several Asian countries including Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and other parts of Southern Asia.
Several issues will be analyzed, including how to motivate disaster relief team members, how to encourage open communication between team members, how to resolve conflict among team members, how management should monitor the performance of the team members (viz-a-viz the laid down objectives) and how to improve the overall performance of the teamwork process. This analysis will be done sequentially.
How to Motivate the Disaster Relief Team Members
Business Link (2012) “The way your employees feel about their job and their workplace determines how motivated they are. There is a clear link between job satisfaction and productivity” (p. 1). Several methodologies can be used to motivate disaster relief teams. Most of the strategies adopted by managers in motivating team members are covered by human resource theories.
A simple strategy that can be used to motivate team members is setting clear objectives (Business Link 2012). Here, every team member is required to be accountable for their task, but role delegation should not be tolerated. Team members who are keen on completing their task will find this strategy highly motivating.
Another strategy that can be used in motivating disaster relief team members is offering rewards and incentives for team members who have completed their tasks (Business Link 2012). This strategy has been cited in many human resource theories, including Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is also known to be highly effective.
The ranges of rewards that may be included in this strategy vary from monetary rewards to non-financial rewards such as recognition and acknowledgment. Bonuses and trips are also other examples of rewards and incentives that can be presented to team members to motivate them.
Team member appraisals can also be included in the category of rewards and incentives because such an initiative appreciates the input of the team members. Such a strategy should, however, be practiced in the context of positive feedback for employee motivation to be realized.
Through this understanding, it is also important to highlight the importance of employee feedback where managers give the team members regular feedback regarding their tasks (Business Link 2012). Therefore, employees can be able to know how they have performed viz-a-viz the laid down objectives. In addition, recognizing employee ideas is also likely to have the same positive effect on employee motivation that regular feedback provides.
Maintaining a good work-life balance will also go a long way in motivating team members because it is important to strike a good balance between work and personal life (Business Link 2012). More so, volunteering in disaster relief activities may be extremely overwhelming for some team members and therefore, many employees would appreciate having a break from all the work activities.
The failure to observe the balance between work and life may prove to be disastrous for team efforts because it will lead to employee burnout and fatigue. In such an environment, employees are therefore likely to be frustrated and their morale may equally be affected. Therefore, ensuring that employees have the opportunity to strike a good balance between work and personal activities will go a long way to motivate team members.
Observing fairness within the work setting is also bound to motivate employees (Business Link 2012). Discriminatory practices and favoritism may decrease worker morale and consequently affect their commitment to teamwork. For example, in the rescue and aid efforts of the 2004 Tsunami, many nations volunteered to help the victims. Here, every nation should be treated fairly and every team member should be considered equal.
For example, many developing nations offered their assistance in the rescue efforts. Similarly, many developed nations offered their assistance to the same cause. If the developed nations received more attention and media coverage, the developing nations would be highly demoralized throughout the entire exercise. Therefore, it is important to practice fairness and equality in undertaking such international exercises because every participant should be treated equally (Business Link 2012).
There is also a strong importance of maintaining proactive and regular communication among team members because this strategy is likely to reduce the probability of team members being frustrated. Communication is an important element in team processes, but it will be further analyzed in subsequent sections of this paper.
However, it is important to understand communication in the context of team member motivation because workplaces, which practice proactive and regular communication, have highly motivated employees. Therefore, maintaining a proactive and regular communication is bound to improve the motivation levels of team members (Business Link 2012).
How to Conduct Open Communications among Disaster Relief Teams
Different researchers have explained how to conduct open communications among disaster relief teams (O’Rourke 2008). Having regular communication among teams is one way that has been shown to improve communication among different teams. Alongside this strategy, every team should have clear tasks delegated to them.
This strategy will avoid confusion and redundancy within the team network. Every team should also be invited to give their opinions regarding work sharing. This strategy adds to the concept of fairness in teamwork because when every employee is present and work-sharing strategies are formulated, each team will feel included in the entire exercise. It is easier to achieve team buy-in in this manner.
The concept of discussion is still important in charting the way forward for managing conflicts among team members. Here, teams should be able to discuss what causes team conflicts and what strategies can be used to avoid them. These open team discussions are likely to facilitate open communication among team members. In the future, teams would, therefore, not experience any difficulties trying to resolve conflict among them (O’Rourke 2008).
Having an attentive ear to what teams have to share also goes a long way in facilitating open communication among team members. Implementing this strategy is crucial in avoiding a management-led team network where the managers are the main thinkers, and the team members are the implementers. In any case, the roles should be reversed and every party is given an equal opportunity to think of how to improve team activities.
Adopting the above recommendations is likely to create an open-communication culture among the team members. Having this culture is a very important addition to the entire exercise of teamwork because the team culture will define the norms, values and beliefs of the entire disaster relief program (O’Rourke 2008).
Different ways of resolving conflict among the Disaster Relief Teams
Brounstein (2012) explains that,
“Conflicts among team members will occur from time to time, and team members may struggle to resolve conflicts that arise positively. Finding out with your team members how best to deal with conflict situations begins when you recognize positive team behavior and negative team behavior” (p. 1).
Resolving team conflicts involves a dual strategy of avoiding destructive arguments and adopting constructive arguments. Often, many teams adopt an unproductive strategy of doing more harm than good by adopting undesirable ways of resolving conflict. For example, finger-pointing is one such strategy adopted by many unsuccessful teams in conflict resolution (Mind Tools 2012, p. 1).
Other unsuccessful teams often adopt poor conflict resolution mechanisms like emphasizing one way of conflict resolution (“my way or the highway”), insulting team members, giving threats and ultimatums, being overly defensive, beating around the bush, being evasive, telling other people about the conflict (and not the source), sending flaming emails, and focusing on perceived intentions (Mind Tools 2012, p. 1). These undesirable conflict resolution traits should be avoided if peace is to be realized among different teams.
Instead, different teams should focus on adopting constructive behaviors that are bound to improve the relationship between different teams. For example, it is important for teams to have control over their emotions, be direct and sincere about the conflict and focus directly on the source of the conflict as opposed to beating around the bush (Brounstein 2012). Similarly, it is important for teams to go directly to the problem-solving mode and actively listen to the other teams.
This attitude should be upheld under the notion that all teams mean well. Emphasizing on these conflict resolution attitudes will go a long way towards improving team success. However, the most important virtue to uphold during the entire process of conflict resolution is to maintain respect and patience with all the teams. The conflict resolution process should, therefore, not be rushed and all teams should be given a moment to process all that they need to (Brounstein 2012).
Objectives for the Disaster Relief Teams
The objectives for disaster relief victims should be formulated under the presumption that the least damage should be realized from the disaster and all victims should be helped to rebuild their lives, prior, if not better, than they way they were before the disaster. The first objective for the disaster relief teams would therefore be to ensure the survival of the maximum number of victims (a strategy aimed at ensuring the least effect is realized from the disaster).
The second objective for the disaster relief teams would be to ensure the disaster relief activities have a long-term potential for sustainability. Here, the long-term impact of the disaster relief efforts should be reviewed.
Since the tsunami disaster displaced most of the people from their homes, the third objective for the disaster relief teams would be to find alternative accommodation where the victims can live. Fourthly, since many international organizations and countries came together to assist in the disaster relief efforts, the last objective of the teams would be to ensure the international strategic advantage for the international assistance is achieved.
Adopting a top-down approach to setting the objectives of the disaster relief teams is an effective strategy of meeting team objectives (IBM 2012, p. 2). The main advantage associated with this objective-setting strategy is the effective use of resources. More so, in rescue efforts such as that of the 2004 Tsunami, there were many resources offered by different nations (such as medicine, professional care, financial assistance and the likes).
Only the top management of the rescue program has the correct understanding of the quantity and value of these resources. Therefore, they have a proper insight into the right ways that can be used to effectively use these resources for optimum effect (IBM 2012, p. 2). This understanding justifies the top-down approach of setting team objectives.
Adopting the top-down approach will also act as a showcase for the identity management solution where a centralized body is mandated to provide direction to the entire team exercise (IBM 2012, p. 2). More importantly, after setting the right objectives for the different teams, it will be easier to cement the influence of identity management solutions.
Finally, it is important to say that with the top-bottom approach, maintenance resources are less likely to be impacted (as opposed to a situation where alternative objective-setting methodologies are used). Comprehensively, after setting the team objectives, it will be similarly vital to ensure every team works towards achieving the set objectives. This strategy emphasizes the importance of monitoring team activities (IBM 2012, p. 2).
Recommended Tools to Increase Performance
The recommended tools to increase team performance mainly come from previously identified ways of increasing team performance. Financial resources are at the center of this understanding. For example, the provision of rewards and bonuses require adequate funding. However, other non-motivational aspects of team performance, such as the provision of the right equipment for undertaking daily tasks also require adequate funds to finance the purchase of such equipment.
Another important resource is human capital. There need to be competent and professional managers that can drive team agendas. Technology is also another important tool that should be incorporated into the workings of the different teams. More so, technology will be very useful in improving team coordination. Research shows that it is virtually impossible to undertake effective team activities without using technology (IBM 2012).
The 2004 tsunami is a classic example of how technology can be used to facilitate the activities of different teams across different countries. The disaster affected different countries across Asia (and other continents) and therefore it is highly important to use technology to improve disaster relief activities across the different countries. These tools should be able to provide the right framework for effective team performance.
Recommendations
The different ways of improving team performance (identified above) withstanding, there are other ways that could be used to improve the coordination of team activities in the 2004 tsunami disaster. One way of doing so is to know each team more deeply (Bishop 2007). There are unique characteristics of every team that sets them apart from other teams. More importantly, the diversity of every country brought extreme dynamism in team efforts (in the 2004 tsunami rescue efforts).
This is not to mean that there are superior ways to realize team performance (than others) because these dynamics just show the dynamism in cultures, beliefs and workings of different teams. If there were more initiative to understand the dynamism of every team, it would have been easier to establish what made each team tick.
In fact, as each team joined the disaster relief initiative, they had unique drives that made them very enthusiastic about joining the program. It would be highly beneficial if these drives were clearly identified so that they can be built on for maximum productivity. Through this strategy, it would be easier to drive each team to success (Bishop 2007).
In future disasters, regional structures should be created to facilitate the oversight of team activities (Carafano 2006, p. 4). Each regional structure should be under a regional commander who coordinates most team activities within his jurisdiction. The importance of creating a regional structure in disaster relief efforts cannot be underestimated because some disasters are highly extensive and therefore the sheer extent of these disasters may overwhelm team efforts.
Therefore demarcating different regions is a sure way to manage relief efforts and ensure resources are effectively distributed through the affected regions. For example, as noted in earlier sections of this paper, the 2004 tsunami-affected different countries. The extent of the disaster, therefore, covered thousands of miles.
Coordinating team efforts across such a vast geographical space may prove to be problematic and therefore, it is very important to design geographical demarcations that facilitate the deployment of teams across such affected regions (Carafano 2006, p. 4).
Creating a culture of preparedness should also be perceived as a very important recommendation for future team activities. A culture of preparedness complements an earlier assertion in this paper showing that when teams have a culture of understanding among themselves, they are able to solve conflicts and practice better open communication.
Inculcating a culture of preparedness in team activities creates the right environment where teams can have an action plan to manage future disasters. A team culture based on preparedness, therefore, makes it easier for different teams to step up to the plate in the event of another disaster with a similar magnitude (like the 2004 tsunami).
Conclusion
This paper highlights the importance of team coordination efforts in disaster relief programs. Indeed, natural or manmade disasters with the severity that the 2004 tsunami had required highly coordinated team activities that should ensure maximum productivity is realized.
There are several underpinnings of effective team activities that are highlighted in this study but among the most important issues (cited as the most important determinants of team success) are open communication, conflict resolution, and team motivation. All these team performance aspects should be used to inculcate a culture of understanding and coordination among team members. Having a culture of understanding and team cohesion will go a long way to ensure maximum effect is achieved from team efforts.
More importantly, we have established that being patient and fair to all teams is a sure strategy for achieving team success. This attribute is applicable to team communication, conflict resolution, and team motivation. Especially, having an accommodative and tolerant attitude towards all team members is likely to increase the probability of achieving team buy-in. Teams are therefore bound to be highly cohesive in such kind of an environment and consequently, they are more likely to be motivated to achieve team success.
References
Brounstein, M. 2012, Resolving Conflicts on the Team. Web.
Bishop, N. 2007, Ten Ways to Improve Team Performance. Web.
Business Link 2012, Lead and motivate your staff. Web.
Carafano, J. 2006, Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned: Solid Recommendations. Web.
IBM 2012, Advantages and disadvantages of the top-down and bottom-up implementation approaches. Web.
Mind Tools 2012, Resolving Team Conflict. Web.
O’Rourke, J. 2008, Leading Groups and Teams, Cengage Learning, London.