Identify each of the four stages of team development and explain how the director described each of the staff
Dr. Shaheen identified four stages of team development when she was appointed as the head of admissions. She realized that she needed a team that could work as a unit in order to meet the expectations of the stakeholders in this university. The first stage involved determining the current capacity and weaknesses of the group. When she was appointed as the director of this department, Dr. Shaheen took the time to understand the working relationship in this department.
She was able to determine the capacity of the employees in this department, and the weaknesses that lowered their productivity. This was the first step towards addressing the issues faced by the firm. The second step involved understanding the team members’ individual needs. Dr. Shaheen organised a face-to face meeting with each of the team members in this department of admission. Through this, she was able to get their concerns about various issues in their workplace. Such private interactive forums with individual employees enabled her understand why employees embraced a given behavioural pattern while at work.
It was possible to determine the individual concerns that affected the normal activities at this unit. The third step was to develop a solution based on the local problems. After understanding the issues affecting the team members, Dr. Shaheen developed a solution based on the discussion she had with the individual members of the admissions unit. Finally, the last stage was to involve all parties in the implementation process. After developing a local solution, Dr. Shaheen engaged her team in a discussion and explained to them how each one of them would be involved in achieving the objectives of the team.
This case has stressed both team spirit and teamwork. What is the difference?
The case has emphasized the relevance of team spirit and teamwork in an effort to achieve success in this department. It is important to understand the difference between team spirit and teamwork as presented in the study. Based on the observation of Dr. Shaheen, team spirit refers to an individual’s desire to work as a unit in addressing common problems within an organization. She observed that most of the employees in this department were thinking in terms of ‘me’ and ‘mine’ while at work.
This demonstrated a lack of team spirit. She noted that the employees required a change of perception from ‘me’ to ‘we’, and from ‘mine’ to ‘ours’. It involved developing the desire to work as a unit in every activity within an organization. Team spirit can be said to exist when employees start feeling that they are components of a larger system that cannot run when one component is malfunctioning. For this reason, they will make an effort to support one another in order to make the components in the entire system effective. On the other hand, teamwork is the outcome of team spirit, as shown in this case study.
It involves the actual activities done by the team members as a unit to address common tasks or problems within the unit. As Dr. Shaheen observed, members of the admission department needed to work as a unit. In teamwork, although each member will have a specific assignment to address, their main focus will be to find a way of achieving overall success within the department. This means that the individual employees will be willing to offer help to other members of the department if that is what it takes to achieve success.
Describe the MBWA concept and what this tells you about the director’s personality
Dr. Shaheen introduced the MBWA concept into this organization. Management by walking around is a concept where the manager empowers the employees in their respective areas of assignments to make informed decisions based on the overall objective of the organization. As the name suggests, the manager only needs to walk around and offer guidance to the employees in areas where they feel they have a problem.
When using this concept, the manager empowers the employees to consult the team members when handling various tasks other than constantly seeking the directive of the manager. The manager only comes in when the task requires approval by a higher authority or when the outcome seems to be unclear. This concept makes the employees very responsible. It also makes them motivated because they develop a feeling that the management trusts them and gives them a rare opportunity to make critical decisions at work. The fact that Dr. Shaheen used this concept reveals that she is a transformational leader.
She believed in decentralizing power as a way of enhancing efficiency and reducing the need for constant supervision. She believed that by handing over the responsibility of supervision to the employees themselves, they will be more responsible in all their tasks. This concept helps shed light on the director’s personality. It demonstrates that Dr. Shaheen trusted her junior colleagues and believed that they have the capacity to achieve the best results when given an opportunity. I strongly believe that the results were positive. This is so because the leader managed to change the perception of the employees positively. They believed in teamwork and self-management, key components that enhance the employee’s productivity.
How did Dr. Shaheen motivate the employees?
Dr. Shaheen realized that the employees working in the department she was appointed to head needed some motivation. She had to find appropriate strategies for motivating them. The first approach she used to motivate the employees was to listen to them. She engaged every employee in a one-on-one discussion to determine some of the challenges they faced at work. The ability to listen to the problems of the employees is a sign that she cared for them and wanted them to work in an environment that is favorable. This was one of the first steps she made to ensure that her employees are motivated.
The second step was to involve them in making and implementing local solutions to local problems that employees faced in this department. This made the employees feel valued. Given that they were part of the solutions, they were encouraged to implement these policies. Finally, the strategy of devolving power was also highly motivating. The decision to empower the employees in their respective areas of work made them feel responsible and trusted. They no longer had to follow rigid rules and regulations when addressing various tasks. The strategies used by Dr. Shaheen to motivate her employees were very effective.
However, I would recommend an introduction of benefits to groups with exceptional performance. In this strategy, the manager will need to identify various teams within the department. Each team will have specific duties whose results are evaluated regularly. By the end of every year, the group with the best performance should be rewarded. This strategy will help inculcate team spirit among the employees within the admission unit headed by Dr. Shaheen.