Response 1

Response1.pdf

Respond to 2 classmates by Sunday at 11:59 pm CST with posts of at least 100 words each.

Responses to classmates should be substantive, and they should focus on the original topic. Simply responding with “I agree,” “I enjoyed…” or “I disagree,” followed by brief perfunctory statements is unacceptable. Your response needs to enrich and extend the discussion.

Reply 1

Team performance dynamics can vary significantly. High-performing teams are often characterized by strong communication, clear goals, mutual respect, and effective collaboration. On the other hand, dysfunctional and low-performing teams typically struggle with poor communication, lack of trust, conflicting priorities, and inadequate leadership. One key factor that contributes to high team performance is effective communication. When team members communicate openly and honestly, share information freely, and actively listen to one another, they can work more efficiently towards common goals. Additionally, when team members feel valued and respected, they are more likely to engage fully and contribute their best efforts. Conversely, dysfunctional teams often suffer from communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, and unresolved conflicts. These issues can decrease morale, productivity, and overall team performance. Additionally, a lack of trust among team members or between team members and leadership can create a toxic work environment that hinders collaboration and problem-solving. In my experience working in a dental practice, I have been part of high-performing and low- performing teams. In a high-performance team, we had regular team meetings to discuss patient care, share best practices, and address concerns collaboratively. This open communication fostered a sense of unity and purpose, leading to exceptional patient outcomes and team satisfaction. Conversely, in a low-performing team, there was a lack of communication, conflicting priorities, and ineffective leadership, which resulted in decreased morale and subpar patient care. According to chapter one in the textbook, "Hierarchy of authority describes who reports to whom and the span of control for each manager, (Daft, 2021 p19)" and at different points within our practice, the parameters of manager or authority roles were gray and not distinguished enough to prevent overstepping bounds and in turn disrespecting others job descriptions. The key to fostering a high-performing team is promoting effective communication, building trust, setting clear goals, and fostering a culture of collaboration and respect. By addressing these factors, teams can overcome challenges, maximize their potential, and achieve success in the workplace. A key component that I have learned is essential for any team is implementing

team building! According to a Behavioral Sciences article, "study identifies that team building mitigates the direct negative impact of abusive supervision on proactive behavior and the indirect effects of abusive supervision on project performance and project team creativity (Zhou et al., 2024)". REFERENCES Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization theory & design (13th ed.). Cengage. p19 Qiwei Zhou, Hang Zhang, Qiong Wu, Suzana Sampaio, Anne Zouggar, & Kathryn Cormican. (2024). From Struggle to Strength: Coping with Abusive Supervision in Project Teams through Proactive Behavior and Team Building. Behavioral Sciences, 14(6), 456. https://doi.org/10.3390/ bs14060456

Reply 2

High performing teams tend to have team cohesion, better communication, with everyone feeling like they play a part in the success of the organization. They have a strong commitment to increasing the employee’s loyalty to their work. Employees who feel supported by management and are provided with the necessary resources and tools to complete their job tend to have a clearer purpose and goals. Numerous studies have shown that specific high goals can significantly increase employee performance. (Draft, 2020). Lack of trust among the employees, poor communication, whether it is between the team members and/or the leaders, can cause misunderstandings and frustration. Lack of training. Employees not having the skills necessary to perform their jobs efficiently can lead to goals and objectives not being met. Lack of clear leadership, vision and direction leads to low productivity and performance by a team. To tolerate inconsistency and chaos is to normalize it. (Gottlieb, 2024). I have experience of both high performing teams and low performing teams. Lack of leadership was the reason for the failure and low performance. Having a leader that was disconnected and did not provide the team with training, skills, and goals, the organization was dysfunctional and always had performance issues. The high-performing team had the opposite, it had great leadership, who always communicated with the team and was clear about the vision and goals for the team. The same leader led from the front not from behind and was trusted by the team and continually providing us with skills and training needed as well as encouragement making each team

member to produce quality work and be better than the rest. References: Daft, Richard L. Organization Theory & Design. Available from: Savant Learning Systems, (13th Edition). Cengage Learning US, 2020. Gottlieb, Brian. Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams. Charleston, South Carolina, 2024.

Response2.pdf

Response 100 words

Reply 1

According to Dewar, (2024),” Leaders and HR professionals have a significant role in sustaining employee engagement and motivation. To do this successfully, you need to understand the current state of recognition, its impact on your workforce, and how best to incentivize our teams in today’s fast-paced work environment” (Dewar, 2024, p. 77). When I was working at Ascend Trucking, I remember that it was this one situation in which all the employees were upset, and I do know I responded to an incentive during a workplace wellness program that offered a financial bonus for participating in regular health screenings and fitness activities. The incentive encouraged me to engage in healthier habits, such as exercising more frequently and attending health check-ups. I think that the benefits of my response included improved physical health, increased energy levels, and a greater sense of well-being. The financial bonus provided a tangible reward that motivated me to maintain my fitness routine. I also enjoyed the social aspect of participating in group activities with colleagues. The opportunity costs included the time spent on workouts and attending health screenings, which could have been used for other activities, such as leisure or additional work projects. There was also the potential for discomfort or inconvenience associated with some health screenings. The benefits outweighed the costs. The improvements in my health and energy levels contributed to a more productive work life, and the financial incentives reinforced my commitment to maintaining a healthier lifestyle. The positive changes made the time and effort invested worthwhile. And everyone was happy and excited about the changes that were made, because no one actually thought changes were going to be made. You know, I think that the employee may need to spend extra hours working on sales rather than engaging in leisure activities or spending time with family. According to Hayes, (2024),” A cost-benefit analysis measures the benefits of a decision or action by subtracting the associated costs. It involves measurable financial metrics such as revenue earned, or costs saved from pursuing a project. The analysis can also consider intangible benefits and costs, like employee morale and customer satisfaction. More complex analysis may include sensitivity analysis, discounting cash flows, and what-if scenarios for various options. Generally, if the benefits outweigh the costs, the project is favorable for a company” (Hayes, 2024, p. 78-80). Reference Adam Hayes, July 25, 2024, Cost-Benefit Analysis: How It's Used, Pros and Cons

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cost-benefitanalysis.asp Kyla Dewar, August 8, 2024, 18 employee incentive programs to engage your team https://www.achievers.com/blog/employee-incentive-programs/

Reply 2

I have been looking forward to this class. I love business. I love learning about the ends and outs, the details of cost analysis, and game theory. Until last year, I owned my own transport business for fourteen years and was very successful at it. I am looking forward to learning what I could have done to make it better and how much I learned on my own. While I did own my own transport company, I found it beneficial to lease on to another company to help secure loads. Occasionally, an incentive would be offered when there was an excess of loads available. Before I responded to any incentive, I would evaluate the bonus available, and the requirements needed to meet the incentive. Offering a one-hundred-dollar bonus to move twenty-five loads in a thirty-day period was not much of an incentive when I would add up the extra expense of accepting shorter loads that did not pay as much as loads going further distances. So, if these small incentives were offered, I would decline them and continue to do longer loads that would benefit me and my business. (Arnold, 2019) When the company I was leased to finally started to notice that I was not signing on to the incentives, they did ask as to why I had not done so. I did show them that I maintained spreadsheets that calculated costs associated with the shorter loads versus the longer loads and that the small incentives did not have any benefit to take these shorter loads. The company did raise the incentive to over five hundred dollars, but it still did not meet my standards, but at least it did seem to attract other drivers to accept the challenge. In doing my cost analysis, I determined that it was not beneficial to my business to move twenty-five loads with an incentive of less than one thousand dollars at the end of a thirty-day period. Shorter loads would generally require a return trip without a load going back to the terminal. While longer trips would often have a returning load that would have me dropping within an hours drive of the terminal. Driving empty costs fuel and wear and tear on the vehicle for no additional income. So after doing cost analysis, it just was not something that I would sign up for. (Bertram et al., 2016) References

Arnold, R. (2019). Economics (13th ed.). Cengage Learning. Bertram, M. Y., Lauer, J. A., De Joncheere, K., Edejer, T., Hutubessy, R., Kieny, M.-P., & Hill, S. R. (2016). Cost--effectiveness thresholds: pros and cons. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 94(12), 925–930. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.15.164418

Response1.pdf

Respond to 2 classmates by Sunday at 11:59 pm CST with posts of at least 100 words each.

Responses to classmates should be substantive, and they should focus on the original topic. Simply responding with “I agree,” “I enjoyed…” or “I disagree,” followed by brief perfunctory statements is unacceptable. Your response needs to enrich and extend the discussion.

Reply 1

Team performance dynamics can vary significantly. High-performing teams are often characterized by strong communication, clear goals, mutual respect, and effective collaboration. On the other hand, dysfunctional and low-performing teams typically struggle with poor communication, lack of trust, conflicting priorities, and inadequate leadership. One key factor that contributes to high team performance is effective communication. When team members communicate openly and honestly, share information freely, and actively listen to one another, they can work more efficiently towards common goals. Additionally, when team members feel valued and respected, they are more likely to engage fully and contribute their best efforts. Conversely, dysfunctional teams often suffer from communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, and unresolved conflicts. These issues can decrease morale, productivity, and overall team performance. Additionally, a lack of trust among team members or between team members and leadership can create a toxic work environment that hinders collaboration and problem-solving. In my experience working in a dental practice, I have been part of high-performing and low- performing teams. In a high-performance team, we had regular team meetings to discuss patient care, share best practices, and address concerns collaboratively. This open communication fostered a sense of unity and purpose, leading to exceptional patient outcomes and team satisfaction. Conversely, in a low-performing team, there was a lack of communication, conflicting priorities, and ineffective leadership, which resulted in decreased morale and subpar patient care. According to chapter one in the textbook, "Hierarchy of authority describes who reports to whom and the span of control for each manager, (Daft, 2021 p19)" and at different points within our practice, the parameters of manager or authority roles were gray and not distinguished enough to prevent overstepping bounds and in turn disrespecting others job descriptions. The key to fostering a high-performing team is promoting effective communication, building trust, setting clear goals, and fostering a culture of collaboration and respect. By addressing these factors, teams can overcome challenges, maximize their potential, and achieve success in the workplace. A key component that I have learned is essential for any team is implementing

team building! According to a Behavioral Sciences article, "study identifies that team building mitigates the direct negative impact of abusive supervision on proactive behavior and the indirect effects of abusive supervision on project performance and project team creativity (Zhou et al., 2024)". REFERENCES Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization theory & design (13th ed.). Cengage. p19 Qiwei Zhou, Hang Zhang, Qiong Wu, Suzana Sampaio, Anne Zouggar, & Kathryn Cormican. (2024). From Struggle to Strength: Coping with Abusive Supervision in Project Teams through Proactive Behavior and Team Building. Behavioral Sciences, 14(6), 456. https://doi.org/10.3390/ bs14060456

Reply 2

High performing teams tend to have team cohesion, better communication, with everyone feeling like they play a part in the success of the organization. They have a strong commitment to increasing the employee’s loyalty to their work. Employees who feel supported by management and are provided with the necessary resources and tools to complete their job tend to have a clearer purpose and goals. Numerous studies have shown that specific high goals can significantly increase employee performance. (Draft, 2020). Lack of trust among the employees, poor communication, whether it is between the team members and/or the leaders, can cause misunderstandings and frustration. Lack of training. Employees not having the skills necessary to perform their jobs efficiently can lead to goals and objectives not being met. Lack of clear leadership, vision and direction leads to low productivity and performance by a team. To tolerate inconsistency and chaos is to normalize it. (Gottlieb, 2024). I have experience of both high performing teams and low performing teams. Lack of leadership was the reason for the failure and low performance. Having a leader that was disconnected and did not provide the team with training, skills, and goals, the organization was dysfunctional and always had performance issues. The high-performing team had the opposite, it had great leadership, who always communicated with the team and was clear about the vision and goals for the team. The same leader led from the front not from behind and was trusted by the team and continually providing us with skills and training needed as well as encouragement making each team

member to produce quality work and be better than the rest. References: Daft, Richard L. Organization Theory & Design. Available from: Savant Learning Systems, (13th Edition). Cengage Learning US, 2020. Gottlieb, Brian. Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams. Charleston, South Carolina, 2024.

Response2.pdf

Response 100 words

Reply 1

According to Dewar, (2024),” Leaders and HR professionals have a significant role in sustaining employee engagement and motivation. To do this successfully, you need to understand the current state of recognition, its impact on your workforce, and how best to incentivize our teams in today’s fast-paced work environment” (Dewar, 2024, p. 77). When I was working at Ascend Trucking, I remember that it was this one situation in which all the employees were upset, and I do know I responded to an incentive during a workplace wellness program that offered a financial bonus for participating in regular health screenings and fitness activities. The incentive encouraged me to engage in healthier habits, such as exercising more frequently and attending health check-ups. I think that the benefits of my response included improved physical health, increased energy levels, and a greater sense of well-being. The financial bonus provided a tangible reward that motivated me to maintain my fitness routine. I also enjoyed the social aspect of participating in group activities with colleagues. The opportunity costs included the time spent on workouts and attending health screenings, which could have been used for other activities, such as leisure or additional work projects. There was also the potential for discomfort or inconvenience associated with some health screenings. The benefits outweighed the costs. The improvements in my health and energy levels contributed to a more productive work life, and the financial incentives reinforced my commitment to maintaining a healthier lifestyle. The positive changes made the time and effort invested worthwhile. And everyone was happy and excited about the changes that were made, because no one actually thought changes were going to be made. You know, I think that the employee may need to spend extra hours working on sales rather than engaging in leisure activities or spending time with family. According to Hayes, (2024),” A cost-benefit analysis measures the benefits of a decision or action by subtracting the associated costs. It involves measurable financial metrics such as revenue earned, or costs saved from pursuing a project. The analysis can also consider intangible benefits and costs, like employee morale and customer satisfaction. More complex analysis may include sensitivity analysis, discounting cash flows, and what-if scenarios for various options. Generally, if the benefits outweigh the costs, the project is favorable for a company” (Hayes, 2024, p. 78-80). Reference Adam Hayes, July 25, 2024, Cost-Benefit Analysis: How It's Used, Pros and Cons

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cost-benefitanalysis.asp Kyla Dewar, August 8, 2024, 18 employee incentive programs to engage your team https://www.achievers.com/blog/employee-incentive-programs/

Reply 2

I have been looking forward to this class. I love business. I love learning about the ends and outs, the details of cost analysis, and game theory. Until last year, I owned my own transport business for fourteen years and was very successful at it. I am looking forward to learning what I could have done to make it better and how much I learned on my own. While I did own my own transport company, I found it beneficial to lease on to another company to help secure loads. Occasionally, an incentive would be offered when there was an excess of loads available. Before I responded to any incentive, I would evaluate the bonus available, and the requirements needed to meet the incentive. Offering a one-hundred-dollar bonus to move twenty-five loads in a thirty-day period was not much of an incentive when I would add up the extra expense of accepting shorter loads that did not pay as much as loads going further distances. So, if these small incentives were offered, I would decline them and continue to do longer loads that would benefit me and my business. (Arnold, 2019) When the company I was leased to finally started to notice that I was not signing on to the incentives, they did ask as to why I had not done so. I did show them that I maintained spreadsheets that calculated costs associated with the shorter loads versus the longer loads and that the small incentives did not have any benefit to take these shorter loads. The company did raise the incentive to over five hundred dollars, but it still did not meet my standards, but at least it did seem to attract other drivers to accept the challenge. In doing my cost analysis, I determined that it was not beneficial to my business to move twenty-five loads with an incentive of less than one thousand dollars at the end of a thirty-day period. Shorter loads would generally require a return trip without a load going back to the terminal. While longer trips would often have a returning load that would have me dropping within an hours drive of the terminal. Driving empty costs fuel and wear and tear on the vehicle for no additional income. So after doing cost analysis, it just was not something that I would sign up for. (Bertram et al., 2016) References

Arnold, R. (2019). Economics (13th ed.). Cengage Learning. Bertram, M. Y., Lauer, J. A., De Joncheere, K., Edejer, T., Hutubessy, R., Kieny, M.-P., & Hill, S. R. (2016). Cost--effectiveness thresholds: pros and cons. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 94(12), 925–930. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.15.164418

Response1.pdf

Respond to 2 classmates by Sunday at 11:59 pm CST with posts of at least 100 words each.

Responses to classmates should be substantive, and they should focus on the original topic. Simply responding with “I agree,” “I enjoyed…” or “I disagree,” followed by brief perfunctory statements is unacceptable. Your response needs to enrich and extend the discussion.

Reply 1

Team performance dynamics can vary significantly. High-performing teams are often characterized by strong communication, clear goals, mutual respect, and effective collaboration. On the other hand, dysfunctional and low-performing teams typically struggle with poor communication, lack of trust, conflicting priorities, and inadequate leadership. One key factor that contributes to high team performance is effective communication. When team members communicate openly and honestly, share information freely, and actively listen to one another, they can work more efficiently towards common goals. Additionally, when team members feel valued and respected, they are more likely to engage fully and contribute their best efforts. Conversely, dysfunctional teams often suffer from communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, and unresolved conflicts. These issues can decrease morale, productivity, and overall team performance. Additionally, a lack of trust among team members or between team members and leadership can create a toxic work environment that hinders collaboration and problem-solving. In my experience working in a dental practice, I have been part of high-performing and low- performing teams. In a high-performance team, we had regular team meetings to discuss patient care, share best practices, and address concerns collaboratively. This open communication fostered a sense of unity and purpose, leading to exceptional patient outcomes and team satisfaction. Conversely, in a low-performing team, there was a lack of communication, conflicting priorities, and ineffective leadership, which resulted in decreased morale and subpar patient care. According to chapter one in the textbook, "Hierarchy of authority describes who reports to whom and the span of control for each manager, (Daft, 2021 p19)" and at different points within our practice, the parameters of manager or authority roles were gray and not distinguished enough to prevent overstepping bounds and in turn disrespecting others job descriptions. The key to fostering a high-performing team is promoting effective communication, building trust, setting clear goals, and fostering a culture of collaboration and respect. By addressing these factors, teams can overcome challenges, maximize their potential, and achieve success in the workplace. A key component that I have learned is essential for any team is implementing

team building! According to a Behavioral Sciences article, "study identifies that team building mitigates the direct negative impact of abusive supervision on proactive behavior and the indirect effects of abusive supervision on project performance and project team creativity (Zhou et al., 2024)". REFERENCES Daft, R. L. (2021). Organization theory & design (13th ed.). Cengage. p19 Qiwei Zhou, Hang Zhang, Qiong Wu, Suzana Sampaio, Anne Zouggar, & Kathryn Cormican. (2024). From Struggle to Strength: Coping with Abusive Supervision in Project Teams through Proactive Behavior and Team Building. Behavioral Sciences, 14(6), 456. https://doi.org/10.3390/ bs14060456

Reply 2

High performing teams tend to have team cohesion, better communication, with everyone feeling like they play a part in the success of the organization. They have a strong commitment to increasing the employee’s loyalty to their work. Employees who feel supported by management and are provided with the necessary resources and tools to complete their job tend to have a clearer purpose and goals. Numerous studies have shown that specific high goals can significantly increase employee performance. (Draft, 2020). Lack of trust among the employees, poor communication, whether it is between the team members and/or the leaders, can cause misunderstandings and frustration. Lack of training. Employees not having the skills necessary to perform their jobs efficiently can lead to goals and objectives not being met. Lack of clear leadership, vision and direction leads to low productivity and performance by a team. To tolerate inconsistency and chaos is to normalize it. (Gottlieb, 2024). I have experience of both high performing teams and low performing teams. Lack of leadership was the reason for the failure and low performance. Having a leader that was disconnected and did not provide the team with training, skills, and goals, the organization was dysfunctional and always had performance issues. The high-performing team had the opposite, it had great leadership, who always communicated with the team and was clear about the vision and goals for the team. The same leader led from the front not from behind and was trusted by the team and continually providing us with skills and training needed as well as encouragement making each team

member to produce quality work and be better than the rest. References: Daft, Richard L. Organization Theory & Design. Available from: Savant Learning Systems, (13th Edition). Cengage Learning US, 2020. Gottlieb, Brian. Beyond the Hammer: A Fresh Approach to Leadership, Culture, and Building High Performance Teams. Charleston, South Carolina, 2024.

Response2.pdf

Response1.pdf

Response2.pdf

Response1.pdf

Response2.pdf