Introduction
Teamwork refers to a situation where people from different backgrounds and with different traits, skills, and personalities come together to work collaboratively towards achieving a shared goal(s). West (2004) observes that the complexity of organizations requires people to the group and work in coordinated ways to realize an organization’s goals/objectives. Working in teams enables people to achieve greater results than would be achieved individually. This is because a team brings together people with different skills and ideas which when effectively used can lead to greater success.
The effectiveness of a team
The effectiveness of a particular team depends on how well the team members collaborate. Several skills are required for a team to succeed and these include; listening to each member of the team, appreciating diversity, negotiation and communication, participating, respecting one another, helping, and sharing among other skills. However, most teams aren’t as effective as we would like them to be due to internal conflicts that occur between team members. Kaye (1994) observes that conflicts occur in teams as a result of diversity.
Conflict between Carly and Morris
Conflicts arise due to clashes in personality, petty irritations, fear, and inferiority complex among others. These may lead to a complete breakdown in communication as is the case with Carly and Morris. Carly is the head of the team but feels inferior because Morris has a higher degree than her. This makes her unable to control the team effectively as she can not assign responsibilities to Morris. Consequently, the team lags in their project.
I think Carly didn’t come to me to discuss the delays in the project because of her fears. Firstly, she was the one who was treating a team member unfairly just because he had high academic qualifications than her. The fact that she feels threatened by Morris could have made her think that if she came to discuss the problem early she could have been relieved of her duties as the project manager. Acknowledging a conflict as soon as it occurs is important if the team has to be effective (Kaye, 1994). Carly did not acknowledge the problem immediately thus putting the progress of the project in jeopardy.
Carly and Morris haven’t had a conversation with each other because of the fear between them. Carly has an inferiority complex and feels she is inferior to Morris. She treats him unfairly because she feels threatened by his presence as a member of her team. She is not confident of her leadership credentials and thus the feeling that Morris could easily be picked to replace her as the team’s manager. On the other hand, Morris can’t approach her for a conversation about the problem because she is the boss and has authority over him. The fact that she treats him unfairly worsens his fears in that he feels on approaching her, the worst may happen. I think that both of them will respond positively to the conversation. During the conversation, I would try to allay the fears Carly by telling her that she need not be threatened by Morris’s qualification. I would also tell them that diversity is a good thing as it enhances creativity in a team due to a vast pool of ideas. As Dana (2000) observes, conflicts in teams should be used as an opportunity to strengthen rather than tear apart teams.
The biggest problem with how these two team members interacts is the fear between them. To remedy this problem, they should strive to effectively communicate with each other. They should also learn to appreciate and respect each other’s professional qualifications without being threatened. Carly should accept the fact that she doesn’t need to have the highest qualifications than the rest of the team members to lead them. She should be confident in her leadership capabilities.
I think Carly should be given a chance to continue serving as the project manager. After having a conversation with both of them, I expect that they will change for the better and start working together as a team towards achieving a common goal. Conflicts should not be used as an avenue to fire or demote employees. Collaborative solutions should be sought to make the team effective.
Conclusion
To address this situation, I would plan a meeting with them and request each of them to give me their perspective of the problem. I would then try and work out a collaborative solution. I would stress to them the importance of teamwork. According to Kaye (1994), conflicts have costs and thus should be avoided. These costs include wasted time, loss of motivation among team members, and delays in project completion. To remedy this problem, I would look for shared goals for the team and encourage the members to work towards achieving them. I would also monitor Carly to see if she responds positively within a short period and if not, I would take the appropriate measures. To get the project back on track, I would plan and organize the work by setting clear goals for the team. I would also assign responsibilities and motivate the members to work towards beating the deadline for the release.
In conclusion, teamwork is important in that it enhances productivity by pooling together people of different capabilities.
References
Dana, D., (2000), Conflict Resolution. McGraw Hill Professional.
Kaye, K., (1994), Workplace wars and how to end them: Turning Personal Conflicts Into Productive Teamwork. Amacon Div.
West, A.M., (2004), Effective Teamwork: Practical Lessons from Organizational Reasearch. 2nd Ed. Blackwell Publishing.