To assess the performance of our team, The Fantastic Four, we created and filled in a survey to evaluate the team “from within”; also, our peers provided several comments regarding our performance. Let us sum up the problems and offer recommendations for dealing with them.
The survey that we created and that was then completed by each of us shows some of the problems of the team. There were problems with optimism, trust, and shared accountability. The reviews from our peers also indicate that during our presentation, the classmates were disengaged and uninterested. It also seems that we did not properly manage the timing of the presentation, and the last six slides were done too rapidly. Also, it was noted that the presentation was done mostly by one person; at the same time, everyone appeared to do their part and disengage. It was also stated that the offered activity was hard to tie to the presentation.
The given criticism reveals several issues in our team that need to be addressed. These problems can be grouped as follows: lack of shared accountability and trust combined with a low estimation of the other team members, the dearth of collaboration, bad coordination, and poor time management during the presentation.
Trust is a crucial factor for the team’s success (Hakanen and Soudunsaari 41); the lack of it may significantly impair the team’s performance, whereas its presence can help build the collaboration between the team members (Barczak, Lassk, and Mulki 341).
Therefore, it is crucial to create trust among the team members to improve the team’s performance. Higher degrees of trust will also enhance the perceptions of the team members towards their colleagues’ work, and, importantly, will stimulate them to better and more constructively criticize each other, which will help the team members to enhance their contribution to the group’s work. It is stated that trust takes time to build, but open communication and friendly interactions usually prove helpful (Hakanen and Soudunsaari 39). Therefore, the team should work together (be in the same place) while creating presentations and activities, instead of communicating remotely, via e-mail and other electronic means.
Working together while being in the same place will also improve the team’s collaboration because team members will be able to openly discuss their part with their comrades. The team should also ask each other questions and offer comments regarding one another’s parts, which will address the problem of everyone doing their part and disengaging, and the issue of disconnections between various parts of the presentation, as well as between the presentation and the activity. The feeling that everyone else except oneself works less than they should also be addressed, because the team will witness each other’s work, and the members will be able to offer recommendations and friendly assistance should someone underperform.
Our team may also engage in several activities that are aimed at team-building and enhancing the team member’s creativity; some of these are offered by Eales-White (425-428). These activities will also help create better relationships and ties between the members of the group and will lead to better performance during the teamwork.
As for the time management and poor coordination during the presentation, these issues need to be addressed separately. For instance, the presentation may be rehearsed several times before it is given to the class; this will let the team members feel how they should deliver their part to meet the time limit.
To sum up, to improve the performance of the team, it is recommended to work on the project together in the same place rather than remotely, which will help enhance the trust between the team members and become a practical experience of live collaboration. This will also better the perceived accountability of the team. Extra activities might also be carried out by the team to develop relationships. Additionally, to improve coordination and time management during the presentation, the presentation may be rehearsed before delivering it to the class.
Works Cited
Barczak, Gloria, Felicia Lassk, and Jay Mulki. “Antecedents of Team Creativity: An Examination of Team Emotional Intelligence, Team Trust and Collaborative Culture.” Creativity & Innovation Management 19.4 (2010): 332-345. Business Source Complete. Web.
Eales-White, Rupert. “Building High-Performing Teams Rapidly.” Industrial and Commercial Training 44.7 (2012): 424-428. Emerald Insight. Web.
Hakanen, Mila, and Aki Soudunsaari. “Building Trust in High-Performing Teams.” Technology Innovation Management Review 2.6 (2012): 38-41. ProQuest. Web.