Team Management Discussion 4

Part 1.

A.       Having a diverse team is essential to certain extent however, after a certain point it may lead to many challenging situations based on the scenario. There exist many problem-solving teams and interactive groups to tackle various issues in the Organization. Biases in team can occur due to n number of reasons. Every individual has its own different communication style and there are chances that each one has different perspective, different understanding and different approach towards handling the issues. What a person A might think right might not be the same solution for person B. Information perceived by every individual might be different. Personality of the person in the team also matters. If the person is optimistic, he will make sure to find out solution out of the problem whereas negative people can seek adverse outcomes. If the team understanding is not on the same page, this leads to poor communication within the team. It creates a confusion leading to more issues rather than solving problems. (Frigotto, M. L., & Rossi, A. ,2012)

B.        As rightly mentioned, uneven communication causes majority of problems. Not everyone in the team has same amount of knowledge. There should be transparency in the team. Communication plays a very important role and if the information is not perceived correctly, it may result in poor decision making. There are multiple reasons for communication failure such as fear wherein team members may not be able to speak up and raise voices to address their concerns causing communication issues. If the information is not clear, there is a chance of confusion. Expectations if not set right can cause setback to the project. If all are not on same level, the team may lose interest in their job. One has to closely monitor the team’s progress and ensure if it is going on the right track. To resolve communication issues, teams should be motivated to work together and engaging them in activities which will make them comfortable with each other and they look forward to work together. (Dyer, S., 2017).

Part 2

A.      Groupthink is when a group comes to a decision without even considering the consequences or the reasoning behind it. In order to support the peers and consensus thinking, all the potential problems are ignored by a group of individuals. Typical symptoms of Groupthink are Illusion of invulnerability and unanimity, mind guards, morality assumptions, self-censorship, social pressure, stereotyping of out-groups. (Caya, S. ,2015).

Few Problems and shortcomings related to groupthink are

1.      As there is a lack of opposition, it results in poor decision making.

2.      Groupthink has a negative impact as overconfidence affects the profitability of the Organization.

3.      There is no feedback on the decisions made leaving no chance of improvement.

4.      Risks are not evaluated rightly for the given solution.

5.      Decisions may be biased based on the influence of higher authorities.

B.      Decisions made either by an individual or a group requires a fair judgement and reasoning. However, when there is a group involvement, people tend to believe that the decisions are not fair as compared to the one made by individual. (Kouchaki, M., Smith, I. H., & Netchaeva, E. ,2015). I believe it entirely depends on the situation and different factors of decision making such as type of tasks, resources required, etc. should be considered before deciding who should be making the decision. Decisions made should not be biased. Group decisions have many advantages as it is made by sharing of views and ideas along with years of experiences. However, they are equally time consuming. The given situation should be assessed and then a call should be made whether the decision must be made by a group or an individual.

References:

1.      Frigotto, M. L., & Rossi, A. (2012). Diversity and communication in teams: Improving problem-solving or creating confusion? Group Decision and Negotiation, 21(6), 791-820. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10726-011-9250-x

2.      Dyer, S. (2017). Seven Root Causes of Poor Communication: And Seven Tips for Overcoming Them. Professional Safety, 62(8), 16–17.

3.      Caya, S. (2015). Groupthink Phenomenon as a Common Occurrence in Juvenile Gangs. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 190, 265–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.945

4.      Kouchaki, M., Smith, I. H., & Netchaeva, E. (2015). Not All Fairness Is Created Equal: Fairness Perceptions of Group vs. Individual Decision Makers. Organization Science, 26(5), 1301–1315. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2015.0992