MASTERS MGT508

Running Head: TEAM ALPHA 1

Running Head: TEAM ALPHA 4

Trident University International

Team Alpha

Roy Alford, Monserrat Gonzalez, Mark Crase, Raymond Putnam

MGMT 508 Leadership of Teams

Module 3 SLP 3

Dr. Michael Alexander

September 29, 2019

List of Practical Tips

· Don't overthink it! - Take your piece and do it well, then rest your head knowing that you did your part

· Trust your team - Just like in team sports, it takes a team effort to win. Not trusting each other leads to overcompensation, which can deteriorate the group dynamic

· Just Ask - Sometimes team members don't want to appear week or uninformed so they. "Fake it till they make it" Unfortunately, rolling the dice like that harms not only you, but the entire team. If you don't know...…...Just ask

· Be Consistent - Consistency inevitably leads to trust as a byproduct because people know what they can or cannot expect from you.

Team Alpha: SLP 3

People in general like to know what they are getting into, they like predictability. Virtual team members are very much the same, they want to know what is expected of them and the guidelines they need to follow to get it done. All groups in general want direction when it comes to an assignment and set parameters to achieve it. For virtual teams that are geographically separated and cannot make changes quickly through in-person conversations, norms and procedures are a must. We will explore how team Alpha has over time developed norms and practices that allow for predictability and functionality in successfully working through the MGT508 session long project.

As stated in the introduction, norms for a virtual team are very important! They ultimately tell us how we are expected to operate with each other to complete a project. These norms can be broken down into communication and work or task related norms. Communication deals with how we share information with each other individually and as an entire team. Task norms are how we approach, distribute and control the work itself. For the Alpha team, we have several norms for both areas. In communication norms, we work hard at scheduling regular time for communication to review our progress and any potential issues (LaBrosse, 2010). Currently we review the discussion post/e-mail traffic on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or if any other day is requested. This helps us understand all team member’s viewpoints, resolve issues and acknowledge that we are all on the same page for the project (Karten, 2003). Alpha team has done a great job with availability norms, in other words letting each other know when we are accessible (MGT 508, Mod. 3, Home, n.d.). The team communicates when they will not be available due to future obligation’s they have that could affect the project and this allows the team to make well informed decisions in advance on the workload (Seattle-Murphy, 2012).

For task norms, team Alpha has done an excellent job at having the members select work assignments. This process facilitates completion of task assignments and has been done fairly and with consideration for all team members (MGT 508, Mod. 3, Home, n.d.). It also shows how an effective team works together to create a positive inclusive relationship which can be applied internally or to external customers (McGannon, 2009). We as a team have some unspoken norms also. We have one team member who starts our team discussion off and puts suggestions forward for the team to consider. We also have another team member who posts the assignment information and format to keep us focused on our objectives. These and more have developed trust and confidence in our team (LaBrosse, 2010).

Problems and Limitations due to Lack of Norms

The problems/limitations that we ran across due to lack of norms governing our team's behavior were very few and easily remedied with follow up by the team. It could be said, that one lacking norm would have been that the team never discussed deadlines for completing items unless there were extenuating circumstances. From the beginning, it may have been better to set completion days, review days and final product days in an effort to produce in a more efficient manner. Having said that, the individual discipline of each member, seemed to will the final product into fruition. It was almost like a crunch time situation at the end of each module. Although the team discussed a three-day communication plan, there were still issues with which media vessel we would use to do so. Some posts on the TUI site, some email chains, and a few bouncing back and forth to tie the information together. This inevitably caused our communication plan to be limited in that, we were being clear with each other, but response times were delayed because we were looking for each other on passing trains. The norms that we fell in to, were very helpful especially in reference to final product, but being that the group agreed to be leaderless may have also painted the members into a corner by making them feel like they couldn’t be specific in asking for or setting a norm for the group for fear of being too aggressive. At the end of the day, the lack of norms may have been the norm for the group, and everyone was ok with that because we were completing the class objectives.

Overcoming Obstacles

As stated above we did not speak up on the obstacles that arose but we did have a strong communication where we would work together to complete everything. Because of the different work schedules of every team member, each person would complete their sections at their own pace, but it was always closer to the end of the module. Understanding this now and seeing how it all works as a team we can work on these obstacles in the last module. Throughout the last modules we saw what worked and what needed work, so moving forward we can really change and work to better our group. The obstacles overall were not very big or caused conflict, so the group did well around them.

Other Norms for our Team

Based on our team, there are two communication norms I think we could implement all together. The first one would be reading everyone’s communication through email and making sure we read through all their questions they have asked and addressed them in the response (Karten, 2003). As mentioned before our communication form was a bit all over the place and so I think we need to choose one form and stick to it because we were all going to the discussions in the module and email back and forth. I think the last norm we could implement would be clarification with all the projects and assignments especially if we are working in groups (Karten, 2003). Through a lot of communication and our different time zones, it could be confusing when we separate the group work and it is always okay to ask for clarification especially when one person is not sure.

Conclusion

Our team has done a very good job of working together throughout this course. Everyone has great communication skills and works hard to finish their sections, give input, and collaborate with the team. We understand that obstacles can arise when working in a team, but we have managed to work around those obstacles and now understanding that we can communicate if something goes wrong. Establishing communication or task norms is something important that we understand and can start implementing as we come to an end with the course.

References

Karten, N. (2003). Creating Team Norms. Retrieved from http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?Function=edetail&ObjectType=COL&Obj ectId=6736

Labrose, M. (2010) “6 Rules for Better Communication in Virtual Teams.” Computer World online. Retrieved from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9179543/6_rules_for_better_communication in_virtual_teams?taxonomyId=14&pageNumber=2

McGannon, B. (2009). Stealth Team Building. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/stealth-team-building.html

MGT 508 Leadership of Teams (n.d.) Module 3 Team Norms And Procedure Home Trident University

Settle-Murphy, N. (2012). “Untangle your Virtual Team with 10 Most-Needed Norms.” Guided Insights online. Retrieved from: http://www.guidedinsights.com/newsletter_detail.asp?PageID=11004