The definition for team is a group of people working together in order to be able to accomplish a shared goal. A virtual team meets not in personal but through technology because team members are not capable of meeting in person because of where they live.
What challenges do virtual teams face versus face-to-face teams?
Some challenges virtual teams face are not being able to meet in person. It is also easier to make decisions in person because you get immediate feedback right away. Another challenge virtual teams face is not getting everyone’s full attention and getting poor connections. Another problem can lie in the technology used where microphones or screens do not work.
What are the competitive advantages of team-based organizations?
Some competitive advantages of team-based organizations are having faster response times. This is because of having many team members in many different areas.=
What are the outcomes of effective teams?
Some of the outcomes of team-based organizations are having greater productivity, an increase in innovation and creativity. Another effective outcome in teams is having more resourcefulness, improved problem solving, increase in decision making, and an improved quality of service and production.
What does the term “heterarchy” refer to?
Heterarchy refers to power- shifting. For team members to be able to take on different tasks power shifts have to come into effect. This is what is recognized and approved by all team members and helps the group roles and dynamics transfer smoothly when giving out responsibilities.
What are the “critical capabilities” of teams?
Critical capabilities of teams are being able to effectively adapt to situations, handling any contingencies and encouraging task development. Some other critical capabilities of teams are emphasizing interpersonal development and when making any decisions to try and avoid failure if possible.
What is distributed leadership and why has it garnered scholars’ attention?
Distributed leadership is the ability to share responsibilities in leadership to different team members in order to increase efficiency and response times. It has gotten scholar’s attention because the ability to be able to share responsibilities and increase the efficiency and response times have provided different ways to conduct research and can also speed up the process for them gathering information. It can also garner their attention because it helps them know how to interact and distribute out tasks and leadership positions.
According to Hill, what is the leader’s job in managing a team?
A leader’s job in managing a team according to Hill, is being able to monitor the team and take actions that seem fit to ensure their effectiveness. The actions the leader needs to take can be internal or external. Internal means the tasks and the relational responsibilities. External means the environment that surrounds the team.
Explain the skills leaders must have to meet diverse team needs.
The skills that leaders must have in order to figure out when to best time things are being able to monitor the team’s behavior. Whenever a problem occurs the leader needs to interfere in order to help the team’s effectiveness.
Explain how leaders should decide on the best timing of a leadership intervention.
The best timing of a leadership intervention is when they are not completing what they need to. When there is a lack of understanding on what is happening internally or externally in what they are supposed to be monitoring. The best time to intervene is when they are being detrimental or circumstances of have occurred that could potentially be detrimental and nothing is done to stop it. This is when change is needed.
Explain the six enabling conditions for team effectiveness identified by Hackman (2012) and compare these to the eight characteristics identified by Larson and LaFasto (1989).
The six enabling conditions for team effectiveness identified by Hackman are compelling purpose, right people, real team, clear norms of conduct, supportive organizational context, and team-focused coaching. Compelling purpose is when there is a clear cut purpose to the team. The team is also ready and able to execute this process. Right people means the members within the team need to be able to be competent in completing what they are asked to do. Real team refers to the members being committed driven and passionate about the goal at hand. Clear norms of conduct refer to members being able to follow all the expectations that result in excellence. Supportive organizational context means the team needs to be able to have some outside sources for support which means the team needs to be known. The last one is team-focused coaching, this deals with the team having principled leadership.
Describe the qualities needed to be a competent team member.
The qualities needed to be a competent team member are openness, positivity, action orientation, supportiveness, meet requisites, effective collaboration, meet requisites and have sufficient education.
Explain the factors needed for a collaborative climate and for effective group norms.
The factors that are needed for a collaborative climate and effective group norms are honesty, openness, consistency, and respect.
Explain the four sets of processes influencing the team’s effectiveness.
Four sets of processes influencing the team’s effectiveness are diagnosis group problems, taking remedial actions, forecasting environmental changes, and preventing deleterious changes. For diagnosing group problems, leaders have to be able to see and acknowledge a problem. When they see a problem they have to be able to deicide whether or nor to intervene or continue to monitor the situation. The next process is taking remedial action, this entails the leader being able to complete the job and get it done. The leader will also have to be able to take action based on what the company needs. The third sets of processes influencing the team’s effectiveness is forecasting environmental changes. This means the leader has to monitor their surroundings and anticipate anything that may be hindrances to the company or their environment. The last set of processes is being able to prevent deleterious changes. This is when the leader keeps the company from harm and works hard to keep is safe. The leader also steers clear from any changes to the company that could be harmful.
Explain the skills or behaviors needed for (a) internal task, (b) internal relational, and (c) external team leadership functions.
Internal task is when the task is purely goal-focused, it is structured and it also required training. Internal relational is a goal that requires on coaching and it also has to deal with conflict resolution, commitment and collaboration. External team leadership functions are when the leader needs to establish the outside sources and they need to support in order to make the company known. They also need help to make sure they can expand to make the team better.
Explain how a team leader could use the Team Leadership Model to make decisions and take actions.
A team leader could use the Team Leadership Model to make decisions and take actions by being able to put into effect the corresponding leadership functions. If there is anything prohibiting productivity in a team, the leader should see what is happening internally within the group and figure out the problem. Whereas if the problem is external than the leader should take action and change what is happening with the company’s environment and change what is needed. The leader should also try and stray away from any decisions that are deleterious.
How do the four stages of team development (forming, storming, norming, and performing) affect leadership expectations?
Forming, storming, norming and performing affect the leadership expectations because they make the leader form a vision of the problem. They also storm the ideas and how to be able to fight it. They also need to be able to establish new company norms and then execute them into plans to perform them.
What are strengths of team leadership theory?
The strengths of team leadership theory are that it is more designed toward reality instead of hypothetical situations. It also gives a cognitive guide for leaders to get team success. Also it has conscious power switches and an outlook on team leadership approaches that help choose leaders and members for a team that is effective.
What are criticisms of team leadership theory?
Some of the criticisms of team leadership theory are that since part of it is shared team leadership it can become difficult because some people in the team have more than one skills in this type of approach. It is also complex and because of that it does not provide immediate feedback or answers and it requires a lot of adjustments. The last criticism this approach has is that it does not encompass all of the leadership skills that is needed for decision making.