X-Team

Topic: Team Analysis

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Information Technology Service Team Analysis

Team overview 

The focus team is an Information Technology Service Team, commonly known as the IT service team in our health organization. The team was established five years ago with the main aim of increasing the company’s throughput by working together to accomplish common tasks. 

The team comprises of ten Information and communication technicians. The main tasks and duties assigned to the technicians are to install, maintain, repair, and network all the computer systems. The computer system comprises hardware, software, and liveware. Therefore, the team is also required to train the staff on the usage of new soft wares and hardware.

The team is led by a team leader who oversees the procedures and steps accomplished within the team. The team leader also has an assistant who works hand in hand to ensure the team works as per the set procedures to attain results. The two leaders, in turn, prepares daily reports on the achievements of the team.

The team sets its goals and objectives for the activities daily, monthly, and annually. Both short term and long term objectives are highly monitored by the team leader and his assistant to ensure they are realized. 

The team also has a chief whip who has the responsibility to ensure order and cooperation during operations in the Information and Communication Workshop. He ensures team players who fail to cooperate are advised accordingly as per the set procedures.

Daily briefs and meetings are carried out to stipulate daily objects before the start of business to ensure all the team players know them. The team players go ahead and emphasize and define ways to achieve those objectives. By briefing the members, the team leader ensures that the members own the team and have the responsibility to perform effectively. 

Team characteristics 

Leadership- the team is led by a highly skilled spearhead who ensures that all the resources required are available at the right time. According to Levi (2013), the leader also supports the team’s relations, interactions, and welfare. Moreover, he also stipulates and emphasizes the team goals and ensures they are achieved.

Resources availability- the team leader and his assistant ensure that all the requires equipment and materials are available in the workshop. They liaise with the procurement and finance offices through the managers to ensure such resources are purchased at the right time.

Goals and objectives- the team players participate in the stipulation of team goals. The team leader also ensures daily briefs are done to put more emphasis on the achievement of those goals. Reminders are also sent to the Team players to remind them of their role towards achievement of predefined objectives.

Organizational support- the overall support from the organization's senior officers is well done. The Chief Executive Officer and his managers are keen to provide all the required resources. Repair equipment and materials are purchased at the right time. The organization also sets rewards and recognition as an appreciation to the team for an excellent performance (Levi, 2013).

Team processes

The team carries out the internal processes together, where each team member has a role to play for a project to be successful. For instance, repairing a computer will start by diagnosis to establish the problem, determination of the type of troubleshooting needed, ordering the spare part, actual repairing, testing, and finally installation. For all procedures to be accomplished, each team member will have participated (Levi, 2013).

Therefore, the team will always sit down together in a workshop and stipulate the steps for carrying out an activity. The team leader provides a good environment and the required resources for work to be done. In this case, the leader does not force the Team players with authority; he only oversees the operations. 

According to Levi (2013), social relations among the Team players in the workplace plays a significant role by ensuring that there are effective interactions. Team players demonstrate high level of cooperation as well are effective communication at work. They also offer emotional support to Team players in case there are challenges. The interaction and support for each other has led to achievement of set goals. 

Team issues

The team leader discourages conflict among the Team players as it would lead to poor performance since it would affect cooperation. Issues about the team are addressed within the team with no external advice. Team players can discuss and set things together. As a result, they all stand on the common ground ensuring proper execution of their duties.

In case one of the members requires support, either emotionally or financially, the Team players stand in to accord the support at the right time. The team, through the leadership, can work together in the provided environment (Levi, 2013).

The organizational context 

The Information Technology service team is set to assist the organization to improve in its activities and performance. Our health organization provides a good environment for the team. This includes provision of a modern and equipped workshop with sufficient space for working.

The organization has been at the forefront to provide our team with the necessary support when needed. The administration has supported forums for professional development, including but not limited to training and capacity building for the team to motivate members. 

The assessment of our team takes place at the team level, but the organization carries out evaluations using the set strategies. A positive deviation leads to high rewards, bonuses, and promotions as a way to motivate members. The reward system depends on the profit margin and the team’s efforts. The rewards are given to the team and not the individual members to show that all work is done through cooperation (Levi, 2013).

According to Levi (2013), the organization culture provides room for active and open communication among the Team players; this reduces cases of grapevine and conflict. A collaborative culture set within the organization offers the team the ability to work together without limits. Any challenges encountered by a team member would significantly affect the operation of the entire team. The organization assures the proper welfare and wellbeing of each team member to ensure optimum performance.

The organization gives the team the freedom to exercise power and the responsibilities on their own. In this case, our team can make decisions that spearhead all the activities carried out within the team. Our team also has the mandate to set goals and stipulate its tasks without limits by the organization. The organization provides all the required information to spearhead the decision-making process within the team. Finally, the team interacts collaboratively with the organization to ensure proper stipulation of plans that do not contradict the organization's strategies. 

Dysfunction assessment analysis

Instructions: using the scale provided below indicate how each statement relates to your team.

3= Usually

2= Sometimes

1= Rarely

1___3 ___Team players are passionate and self-driven in discussion of team issues.

2___1___Team players call out other people insufficiencies or unproductivity behaviours.

3___3__Team players understand what their partners are doing and how they participate in the

team.

4___3___Team players quickly says sorry when they do wrong or do inappropriate things

affecting the team.

5___3___Team players make sacrifices for the wellbeing of the team (e.g time, resources).

6___2___Team players accept their weaknesses and mistakes.

7___2__Team players are persuasive and are not boring.

8___3___Team players leave meeting and briefs with confidence that all members will execute

according to the decisions made, despite the disagreements in the meeting.

9___3___morale is highly affected by failure to achieve set goals.

10___3__During briefs and meetings, most critical and hard issues are discussed first to find

solution.

11___3__Team players are concerned about the prospect of failing the team.

12___3__Team players know each other personal lives and able to discuss them openly.

13___2__Team players end meetings and briefs with clear and concrete resolutions and calls to

action.

14___3__Team players challenge each other about own approaches and plans.

15___2__Team players are slow to seek praise for their own assistances, but lack to point out

those of others.

Scoring. Syndicate the scores for the prior statements as shown below:

Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust	Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict	Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment	Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability	Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results
Statement 4___3__ Statement 6___2__ Statement 12__3__	Statement 1__3__ Statement 7__2__ Statement 10_3__	Statement 3___3__ Statement 8___3___ Statement 13__2__	Statement 2___1__ Statement 11__3__ Statement 14__3__	Statement 5___3__ Statement 9___3__ Statement 15__2__
Total: 8	Total: 8	Total: 8	Total: 7	Total: 8

(Lencioni, 2002)

Discussion of results

Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust

The results show that the information Technology service team has trust revolving around the team. The team members do not hesitate to ask help or give feedback; they do not hold grudges and can work together. This shows a high level of trust among the team members.    

Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict

The results show that our team members fear instances of conflict within the team. This means that the team does not ignore controversial topics that are key to team success. Also, the team members listen to the opinions of one another before making decisions. Such ways will eventually reduce conflict among the team members.

Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment

The results show that the team members are committed to the activities and success of the team. This means the team can focus on priorities, are confident and fear failure, and also revisits previous decisions for the wellbeing of the team.

Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability

The results show that the team members of the Information Technology service team have no fear of being held accountable. This means that each member, discourages mediocrity, is strict about meeting deadlines, and are disciplined in their operations. By being on the frontline to be held responsible in case of a failure lead to the achievement of the team’s goals (Ancona et al., 2007).

Dysfunction 5: Inattention to results

The results show that the team players are highly attentive to results. This means by focusing on the results, it portrays that the members are concerned about their activities within the team and would want to study the results to identify areas that need improvements.

Recommendations to Improve Performance 

           The team members can make adjustments to ensure that the team is rated a distinction. From the results stated above, I recommend that the Information Technology service team should do the following to improve performance;

First, all team members should be ready to accept their weaknesses and mistakes. By doing so, each member will be assisted by peers within the team to improve on their weak areas and correct their mistakes. The ability to accept mistakes and weaknesses will help develop a culture of self-acceptance in the team. Self-acceptance will eventually lead to high performance and, in turn, reduce conflict (Ancona et al., 2007).

Secondly, the team members should be persuasive when it comes to team management and operations matters. In all the discussions and meetings, members should participate fully so that their ideas can count. This will not only create a sense of belonging among the members but will also improve their morale. When the morale is high, the performance will, in turn, be high, thus good results.

Finally, team members to be at the forefront in setting priorities right, to spearhead the achievement of predefined objectives. Cohesiveness, while carrying out daily activities, is vital towards achieving the goals. Each team member to adhere to the set procedures, support each other effectively, both emotionally and financially to unleash good results.

References

Ancona, D., Ancona, D. G., & Bresman, H. (2007). X-teams: How to build teams that lead, innovate, and succeed. Harvard Business Press.

Lencioni, P. M. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. John Wiley & Sons.

Levi, D. (2013). Group dynamics for teams. SAGE.