A Critique of Building and Leading Teams
A Critique of Building and Leading Teams
Instructions:
Select a current, professional journal article that is at least three pages in length. You must write a critical assessment of this article for this assignment. Keep in mind, the research databases found in the CSU Online Library are a great source for quick exploration of thousands of articles.
In preparation, follow the guidelines established below:
Find an article (that is less than five years old) that pertains to the important issues leaders or consultants will face when working with various types of teams, and discuss what methods are best to use for developing better teams for the future. Be sure to annotate the author’s main points and thesis statement in your own words.
The critique should be approximately three pages in length (not counting the title and reference pages). The assignment is due at the completion of Unit VIII. Plan early to avoid missing the deadline.
Part I: Introduction Start the critique with the following information: the author’s name, the article title, and the author’s thesis statement.
Part II: Summary Summarize the author’s purpose and main points, providing examples for clarity of understanding the author’s intended implications. Share key topics that support the author’s focus for this article. Provide ample details to enlighten the reader as to what the article is implying for audiences who are seeking research data in regards to team building and/or the different types of teams (e.g., virtual, temporary, traditional, or innovative).
Part III: Review and Evaluate To critically review the article, ask the following questions: What are the credentials/areas of expertise of the author? Did the author use appropriate methods to gather the evidence? Did the author use accurate evidence? Does the author’s use and interpretation of this evidence lead the reader to the same conclusion? Did the author build a logical argument? Is there other evidence that would support a counterargument? Was the author successful in making his/her point?
Part IV: Conclusion State whether you agree with the author or not. Back up your decisions by stating your reasons. Give a general opinion of the work. Explain what you learned from reading the article and if you would recommend it to a friend/coworker.
Part V: Application Predict some of the major challenges that teams will face in the future, and explain why the need for teamwork will remain high as it relates to the article. Identify a team-building activity that may be useful for managing teams in the future, and explain why.
Format your paper using APA style. Refer to the resources provided in the Student Portal. Use your own words and expressions to write the critique. Include citations and references as needed to avoid plagiarism. The paper should consist of three pages of body paragraphs, one title page, and one reference page (as the final page)
Solution
A Critique of Building and Leading Teams
Part I: Introduction
In Building and Leading Teams, Kumar, S, Deshmukh, V and Adhish, V (2014) discuss the requirements and benefits of building teams and leading them to achieve the goals of the organizations in the clinical and public health settings.
Part II: Summary
Kumar, S, Deshmukh, V and Adhish, V (2014) discuss the methodology that should be followed in developing strong teams and how to keep them motivated so that the organizational goals can be achieved. The authors also explain the various stages of team development including forming, storming, norming, and performing as outlined by Bruce Tuckman Model, and adjourning as an additional stage. A team with highly skilled and cooperative members can quickly go through the five stages while a team that is less cooperative, has less skilled members and the work they perform is highly technical can take very long to go through the stages. The authors also explain that teams can advance to the next stage and fall back to an earlier stage for many different reasons including the exiting of older members of the team, entry of new members, and change of the nature of work or in the nature of leadership available. They also relate Bruce Tuckman’s Model of Team Development to the seven stages of Drexler A and Sibbet E which are orientation, trust building, goal and role definition, commitment, planning, implementation, and reassessment and renewal (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014).
The authors move further to discuss some of the behaviours that either enhance or act as barriers to the effectiveness of team work. According to them, some of the behaviours that act as dysfunctions of teams include lack of trust, lack of commitment, fear of conflict, failure to pay attention to results and avoidance of accountability. For example, they explain that when team members are not committed and are afraid of being accountable, the priorities and direction of the team become ambiguous. As a result, the team may miss on deadlines and deliverables, and wrongfully overburden the team leader by expecting him or her to be the only source of discipline (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014).
Kumar, S, Deshmukh, V and Adhish, V (2014) also explain the importance of motivating team members in achieving improved job performance. According to them, job performance can only be achieved through a combination of the ability of the team members, motivation and organizational support. In order to achieve the desired outcomes, a team leader must therefore keep the team well motivated. Motivation may be in form of power, money, enhanced self-respect and an attractive position. The authors emphasize that motivation should be a continuous process that takes place whether the individual or organization passes through good or bad times. They explain that more attention should be paid to motivation when the team, individual or the organization is going through a tough time (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014).
The article makes reference to Maslow’s stages of self-satisfaction ranging from physiological needs, safety or security, social needs, self-esteem and finally self-actualization. They explain that the various needs at the various stages must be taken into account during motivation to ensure that all the team members attain job satisfaction and not dissatisfaction as further illustrated by Herzeberg’s Two Factor Theory. They explain that when there are poor hygiene factors in the workplace, individuals are inclined to be unhappy and highly irritated. If such factors as salary, housing and health insurance are missing in the workplace it is possible that the individual may not have any passion for the work he or she is assigned to do. People want to be advanced, given responsibility and recognized for them to attain job satisfaction (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014).
Where financial reward for good work is not possible, the authors suggest job enrichment as an effective alternative. They describe core dimensions for job enrichment including skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. They also explain how job enrichment can be beneficial to the healthcare organizations. The authors state that team members can become more satisfied with their jobs, become more authoritative and responsible and gain the opportunity to grow and develop. Team leaders must also engage in mentoring and coaching to ensure that all team members attain their full capacity. Mentoring is geared towards identification and nurturing of an individual’s potential (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014).
The team leader should also encourage all team members to bring together their different opinions and personalities to build a rich and diverse team. Disagreements among team members must be discouraged at all costs. The authors explain that conflicts are very common in the health sector and that such conflicts can easily escalate. Such conflicts can degrade the job outcomes and the effectiveness of the team (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014).
Part III: Review and Evaluation
Kumar Sanjiv is an executive director at National Health Systems Resource Centre, Deshmukh Vaishali is an executive officer at the INCLEN Trust in New Delhi, India, and Adhish, Vivek S works in the Department of Community Health Administration as an executive director in New Delhi. Working as executive directors, the authors have the expertise as team leaders. They have all specialized in the health sector and have experiences in leading teams in the health care system of India. Their input into the body of knowledge is therefore very credible. Through systematic literature search, the authors have adequately explored the existing knowledge about team building and leadership. They have also adequately explored the team dynamics and ways of improving performance (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014).
The authors have adequately interpreted the evidence such that any reader could also come to the same conclusion. They have also involved logical arguments in their reasoning and have addressed all possible evidence that could favour counter arguments. For example, the authors have considered both Maslow’s stages of self-satisfaction and Herzeberg’s Two Factor Theory (Kumar, Deshmukh, & Adhish, 2014) and discussed all the different views. Through their explanation of the important points, they have been successful in making their point.
Part IV: Conclusion
According to the clear illustrations that have been given by the authors, I agree with them that the process of building teams is a gradual one. I also agree with the authors in their statement that team members need to be motivated and mentored in order to improve the team effectiveness. Their opinions are highly applicable and can be tested in any given team. The general opinion of the article is that team leaders need team building skills and skills in motivating and cultivating the potential of all the team members to achieve the organization goals especially in the healthcare sector.
Part V: Application
Considering
the current trend in team work and leadership, teams will be faced with
challenges with regard to the attainment of job security. This is especially
heightened by the current increase in joblessness. Team members will want to be
assured that their jobs are permanent before they can devote their time and
concentration. To counter the challenge, the best thing that can be done is to
promote job enrichment. Jobs need to be designed so that team members can get
opportunities for recognition, achievement, growth and achievement.
References
Kumar, S., Deshmukh, V. & Adhish, V. (2014). Building and Leading Teams. Indian J Community Med. 39(4): 208-213.