Checklist
Team Rating
On a scale from one to five, I would rate my workplace team as a four because it is effective most of the time. According to the checklist, my team has most of the described KSAs and behaviors needed for successful teamwork. The presented KSAs can be grouped into larger categories according to a particular type of behavior. For instance, the exertion of leadership in our team allows it to function smoothly in stressful situations and not lose focus on important tasks and duties (Baker et al., 2006). The development of a stable leadership structure in the team is important because it can significantly lower the number of possible miscommunications and misunderstandings of the final goal (MacPhee, Chang, Lee, & Spiri, 2013). Moreover, leaders can maintain a positive climate in the group and help its members stay on one shared path. A good nursing leader, for example, can encourage other nurses to treat their patients with more attention and remind them of the values of patient-centered care.
Nursing leaders also facilitate successful and engaged collaboration (RNAO, 2016). My team members succeed in monitoring and evaluating the performance of other workers, as they are well acquainted with each other’s abilities and duties. The team shares many activities and procedures. Thus, each member has to know the responsibilities of others. Here, mutual trust can also be developed as a result of the awareness of each others’ roles. Furthermore, team members with a clear shared understanding of the group’s tasks can make decisions easier than individuals without an established trusting relationship.
While my workplace team is very effective in most situations, its performance can still be improved. For example, in my opinion, the members of the group do not communicate with each other often enough, which can lead to mistakes and conflicts. Proper and regular communication is a necessary part of teamwork as it facilitates discussion and allows teammates to develop a shared view of common problems (RNAO, 2016). Thus, a training program that encourages communication can be used by the team to improve this sphere of collaboration (Thomas, 2011). While the members of my team work together well enough to avoid most mistakes, some small miscommunications may hinder the overall performance.
I also rated my team as lacking adaptability in its actions and behaviors. Some of the team’s members are older than others, which creates a barrier between the individuals. Furthermore, some of the members do not perceive receiving feedback about their work as an attempt to improve the performance of the group. It also decreases the team’s efficiency and leads to conflicts. Therefore, the adaptability of the group should be worked on as well. It is possible that feedback exchange can also be improved by encouraging communication as team members may understand each other’s views and opinions better by discussing them more often. All in all, the underdevelopment of these KSAs does not worsen the effectiveness of my team significantly, although it can be improved.
References
Baker, D. P., Day, R., & Salas, E. (2006). Teamwork as an essential component of high‐reliability organizations. Health Services Research, 41(4 Pt 2), 1576-1598.
MacPhee, M., Chang, L., Lee, D., & Spiri, W. (2013). Global health care leadership development: Trends to consider. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 5, 21-29.
RNAO. (2016). Intra-professional collaborative practice among nurses (2nd ed.). Toronto, Canada: RNAO.
Thomas, E. (2011). Improving teamwork in healthcare: Current approaches and the path forward. British Medical Journal (BMJ) Quality and Safety Journal, 20(8), 647-650.